Summoning the Greater Axis Pact
Axis 7 - Papaldian Empire Interlude
Papaldia Empire, imperial capital Esthirant, special prison
The prison was dim, and no sound from outside could reach them. In the otherwise suffocating silence, the only sound came from the intermittent drip-dropping of water. Outside the cell, there were a number of men dressed in black suits; within the cell, there was a woman restrained with an iron collar and chains.
The woman glared at the men so hatefully it almost seemed as though she were going to lunge at them any moment. One of the men took a step forward and addressed the woman.
"Long time no see. Not since… the empire formally declared war. Miss Remille."
Remille turned away from Leone's gaze and hung her head down.
"…How disgraceful." She truly looked pitiful now. But, when she put that admission into words, her life and upbringing as part of the imperial family and the pride they gave her sparked a flame of anger within her. "Do you think this insolence will be allowed? To hold captive a citizen of the Papaldia Empire, a superpower, and a member of the imperial family, no less… Do you really think you will be forgiven for this?"
She was, of course, well aware of her position at the present, that she was completely out of luck and out of time. However, her pride would not allow her to admit it, and she did everything she could to project this brazen façade.
"You are all from outside the civilized areas. No matter how many barbarians a superpower kills… For something as little as that, for you to look at me with those eyes! Me, the royalty of a superpower! You will not be forgiven for that!"
Leone looked at her with a bit of...amusement. "Hmm, royalty, huh? But you do not act humble nor kind, so all I can confirm is that you are scum."
"Gh—!" Remille was so overtaken with fury that her face became distorted. "I am kin to the emperor! Those I ordered to be executed… those who died were only commoners!"
"So that gives you the right to kill innocent bystanders!?" The snapping came full well to Remille, who recoiled in fear at the snarl the man gave. Akin to that of a dragon. "Pitiful! Royalty should've had some sense of honor! Royalty should treat others fairly! All I see is a bunch of scum claiming royalty! Now! We already have captured your so-called Invincible Empire! Pitiful! A disgrace! German Soldiers should never need to lay foot upon this filthy land you call Imperial Capital! Now you shed blood in the name of the so-called Emperor of a joke of an Empire. An absolute disgrace is what your country is."
Remille was silent for a time, then began to sob hysterically.
"Ah… Aaahhh! Uaaaahhhhhh!"
Deciding to end the conversation here, Leone gave the order to the accompanying Gestapo.
"Take her."
The former noble Remille was bound and escorted out by the Gestapo personnel.
Where did things go wrong… She constantly thought back to what she had done.
In order to achieve control by fear and compel absolute obedience, Remille chose to use slaughter, one of the methods to subjugate an enemy country, and one that had been used any number of times by the empire. An uncivilized island country to the south, Balusa, had one of its towns conquered and a few hundred people put to death. It may have seemed extreme from one perspective, but, as a result, they surrendered quickly and only those few hundred people were sacrificed. If instead Balusa had fought back, they would be expected to lose tens of thousands of lives. Therefore, one interpretation was that the executions were a mercy in order to save tens of thousands of lives.
That was what she wanted to accomplish with those Axis...people. However, in this case, the Axis was incensed, and, as a result, the empire became damaged beyond repair and was now split into 74 different countries.
Soon, she would be delivered to Germany. She would never lay foot in Esthirant ever again—the most elegant and prosperous city in the Third Civilization, the capital of a superpower, the beautiful Papaldia Empire. Tears welled up in her eyes.
The German Gestapo arrived at the capital's port with their captive, the bound Remille. The group got into a small boat with no sails and left port.
"It's so fast!"
It was far speedier than any boat she had ever seen. They headed for one of Germany's large ships, the biggest outstripped anything she had seen made by the Empire, which was anchored offshore alongside three others with similar sizes. The boat tore through the waves as it plunged forward, but, despite how quickly they traveled, there was barely any shaking at all. It was only a small-looking boat, but it was clearly a high-quality product.
"Gh!"
They thought they had known that the Axis, a country capable of defeating the empire, was powerful. They had heard about Japan's strength alone from Mu's ambassador as well, and they had engraved in their minds that understanding. However, from experiencing the Axis' technology firsthand, her entire body was stiffening up in shock.
They boarded the large warship. Remille was confined to a small room. In front of the door, female soldiers stood guard. For the time being, it appeared as though she would avoid being raped.
The warship did shake faintly, but it was still fair to say that it was completely free of swaying. In addition, the room was a comfortable temperature that did not change at all, and there was even a bed.
The fatigue hit her like a bag of bricks, and Remille, who had forced herself into a hyperaware state for far too long, was immediately out like a light.
Two weeks later…
"All right, wake up!" called one of the female guards.
It seemed they had arrived in Germany. The woman explained that from the "Deutsch Kriegsmarine" base, which was what Germany's navy was called, she would be riding a "bus," a mechanical vehicle like they had in Mu, to the capital of Germany, which was named Germania, and she would be transferred to a certain facility there. She wondered what the capital would be like…
Remille was extremely interested in the capital of the country that devastated a superpower. She was put on a police minibus used to transport criminals. The bus had iron bars covering the windows; it was a like a moving jail cell. Even the bus astonished her with how quickly and smoothly it moved.
(What?! This road is made from a single unbroken piece of stone!)
Then, when they neared the city, she saw skyscrapers everywhere she looked.
(WHA…!)
There wasn't just one. Almost every building was a high-rise building, and, according to her common sense, they were impossibly tall. On the ground, the roads were completely full with vehicles zooming about. The number of people walking around as well; Esthirant did not have even a fraction of this number of pedestrians, and they all wore beautiful clothes with striking designs. From the pictures that Mu's ambassador had provided, she did have an idea of what it would be like for Japan, but the Capital of Germany was far larger than Japan's with more skyscrapers and buildings that were grand, unparalleled compared to the Empire's.
Buildings with a nonsensical height, vehicles that moved in waves like water, gigantic aircraft that flew through the sky… every new sight she took in caused her heart to throb. She thought that Papaldia's capital, Esthirant, thrived like no other city possibly could. Compared to the other superpowers' capitals, it wouldn't be outdone, and it promised prosperity beyond imagination.
However…
In light of what she now saw before her eyes, Esthirant might as well have been a countryside hamlet.
"I… I…"
Remille was experiencing the Axis' might with every faculty of her body. They were so powerful that no matter how much the empire flailed, it could never win; even in 100 years, they could never approach this grandeur… for the first time, she could finally perceive the insurmountable difference in national power.
"The outcome… was already decided, from the very beginning…"
Regret…
Despair…
Remille's heart was crushed under the weight of this cruel reality.
Occupational Land of Papaldia, Conference Room
Kyeos had been sweating bullets as the Germans and the Axis had soon give him the result of the Treaty. It was devastating. The Seventy-Three Nations will now be aligned with either Germany, Italy or Japan, aligning themselves meaning that they will be given limited access to technology.
Mainly just better infrastructure and such as well as products and protection from outside forces, but not join the Alliance. The Alliance was basically the Inner-Circle which the Terran nations were known of, every Terran Nations had united under the banner of the Axis Alliance or Greater Axis Pact, whichever is preferred, the Germans, Italians and Japanese had already established their military dominance with their technology being far superior than that of other nations.
The Treaty had stated:
- Papaldia will be split into Five States, the Eastern, Southern, Western, Central and Northern States, each will be governed by Japanese, Argentine, American, German and Papaldian Ministers
- Foreign Minister Kyeos will be temporarily established as the Minister of the Five States, in the Northern State, the Germans had taken the Capital, Esthirant, the Occupation will last for six years, five if behavior of the country is well.
- The Axis Big Seven, the Germans, Italians, Japanese, Indians, American, Russian and Argentina will decide in a vote of who becomes the Next Minister will be after six years.
- The Papaldians will provide war reparation to Fenn, Altarus and the Seventy-Two other former territories.
- Rheem will lay claim and annex the City of Arunie.
- Altarus and Fenn will be given technology of Wyvern Overlords.
The last demand was made, so that the Axis didn't have to give those two nations aircraft technology of the Zweite Welt Krieg and Post-Krieg tech, but they did provide Biplanes to manufacture, the He-51, it was lacking compared to the Bf109, but it was still worthy in this world. The Axis had also begun discussion on what technology can be exported to Mu, but that was for a later date. For now...
"This is..."
"For context, the occupation will be for six years and after that, probably Argentina will take the Southern Lands as a Protectorate." Argentina did need an expansion on its own lands, so, Argentina as a participant received some land as compensation for the attack against their Navy. Well, obviously it covered their imperialistic needs of expansion, but a reason's a reason.
'...We will lose some land...but if I don't agree, a far worse future will be ahead of us, for now, an occupation will be inevitable, but Esthirant would only be occupied by Germany...I cannot let anyone do impossible things...' Kyeos can only sigh. "Then very well, I accept, six years..."
"Do not worry, if the people are cooperative, there might be an exception, if not...well, worst case scenario will be a total subjugation by the Argentine Forces that will be the Major Occupier. Kyeos swallowed a lump, subjugation was not an option.
Papaldia Empire, imperial capital Esthirant
All over the city, magical image receivers had been installed for public viewing; the empire's citizens had heard that there would be an important announcement today and had gathered around the screens. The German military had come out of the skies over the capital and easily demolished both their powerful dragon knight squadrons and their elite ground forces; if this was a report on the Axis, then the people were naturally very interested. Because of the otherworldly strength that the Axis exhibited, among those who witnessed the battles, some even believed that Germany was allied with the ancient sorcerous empire.
"What kind of announcement will it be?"
"The government is going out of their way to do it, so it's gotta be something big."
"It can't be that… the empire lost the war, and everyone's going to become slaves, could it…?"
"No way! We're a superpower!"
"But, all of our elite troops got taken out already."
All sorts of guesses were brought up. Finally, the screens began to brighten with magic light. The people all quieted down and stared at the screens. They saw a single man walking up onto a stage.
"People of the empire, I am the provisional head of state, Kyeos."
The watchers began whispering at this.
Over the course of this war, many people have been injured, many family members have been lost, and many, many people have been unable to understand what's been happening. Due to the failures of the previous government, imperial soldiers were wounded and killed, and seventy-three countries that we previously called territories all rose up in rebellion and declared their independence. Had we continued waging war, we would have had nothing to gain, but a great many more things to lose. In order to protect the people of the empire, and before the damage to our country was too great to recover from, I decided to pursue peace with the Alliance of Axis as soon as possible.
"What did you say?! We've been humiliated this much, and you want to make peace?!"
"Yeah, that's right! We shoulda kept fighting until the very end!"
"No, suing for peace was the right move! If we kept losing, soon we'd have nothing left!"
"The fact that we still have our independence at all is good."
Many different opinions were shouted at the screens.
As a result of this war, the Papaldia Empire is losing its territories and being split into seventy-four different countries. The seventy-three country anti-Papaldia Empire coalition had also declared war on us, but we were able to somehow negotiate with them as well. From these talks, we have been able to obtain true peace. But it didn't come without a price, Papaldia...will be split into five territories for six years before being allowed to be an Autonomous Nation aligned with Argentina, if the people are cooperative, the Axis might make an exception, if not Total Subjugation will be allowed by the Axis for Argentina to completely puppet and integrate Papaldia as an Integrated Puppet, that is all as it aches my heart. Please understand what position we are in.
After numerous questions were answered, the broadcast ended. People continued to talk and argue in front of the screens.
The empire, which constantly crowed about its superiority and how they never conceded anything to anyone, ended up divided into 74 countries, then somehow settled for peace by being split into five territories of occupation for six years. Everyone now comprehended that they lost. Many people were crying emotionally in the streets.
To the citizens of the empire, the Axis Alliance had become their own source of fear.
Großer Deutsche Reich, Germania, Reichstag
"Oh my...that was...fast for a considerably big war..." Chancellor Victoria laid on her office chair as her Head of Security and friend, Adler Reichs von Rhineland shook his head at her. "Herr Adler~"
"Yes...Kanzlerin?" Adler sighed at the woman. "What is it?" His voice sounded quite annoyed at the woman, who looked at him with a glance.
"...Do you think we can export technology to Mu?" She looked at him with a bit of...he couldn't read what the hell she was trying to express...concern? No, hope? No, not so much...
"...I'm not the first person you wish to talk about that subject." The Head of Security shook his head.
"...I mean...you're the first that I should talk to..."
"...Who told you that?"
"...Herr Erika."
"Of course, she would recommend me...is that why you ordered me to guard and accompany you?"
"...Mmmmm."
"I assume that's a yes?"
"Yeah..."
"...You're really lax for a Kanzler-"
"Of course I am! I just got here a few months ago! And...and..." Adler sighed as Victoria was about to sob at the sudden memory of her father.
"Kanzlerin, I might have an advice or two..."
"...Y-You do?" She stifled her sob, Adler really needed to consider this...Victoria was still at the age of twenty six, he was at thirty four, and being a Head of Security, it was obvious, he was no mere man...but he was no social person as well...
"Yes..." Adler sighed as he tried to handle this well. "...For one...I would suggest exporting some...Breakthrough tanks, Panzer Is and Panzer IIs should suffice with possibly a Gewehr 88 and an MP18."
"And...the second?"
"...I don't recommend it, but we give them some of the...U-Boot prototypes from the Weltkrieg." Victoria flinched, the U-Boot Prototype Designs were highly...valuable, submarines were team players and were by far the most dangerous warships if handled correctly like how Admiral Dönitz did in the Zweite Weltkrieg, the man himself was highly trained and was one of the greatest admirals of all time.
"...No, no, where did you get that idea from!?" Victoria snapped, Adler simply smirked at her. The woman blinked at his look before she simply pouted at him, the Chancellor pouted at the Head of Security over an idea. "You...You set me up, did you?"
"I simply tested you...really, did you think I was that stupid to give them U-Boot Tech? Even if it was in Prototypical Stages and Blueprint Stage...seriously, you really thought that badly of me?" Adler admonished at the woman.
"I...shut up, Adler..." Victoria stuttered at the Head of Security, who simply grinned at her.
"Yes, yes, the second is actually to bring them some...innovative prototypes from the Weltkrieg, no products, simply just blueprints."
"So you want them to innovate?"
"Tell me...when you are given everything on a silver platter, would you know how to make your own when you are needed to?" Victoria simply looked at him with a serious stare.
"...No."
"Give a man a fish, he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish, you feed him every day. That is how the saying goes, make them work their asses than get some shit done and ready for use." Victoria nodded, absorbing the lesson taught to her. "Anyways...what's your call?"
"...Give them the Blueprints."
"You sure?"
"Yes, perhaps with some unused useless panzer project, a Gewehr 88 and an MP18 as a reference."
"Hmmm, Neubaufahrzeug tanks should be a good one to start with and the other two...yeah, sure we still have some surplus of them..."
"Agreed..."
"Anyways, moving on...we also have requests to use Missiles if we are going to go against the Gra Valkas Empire."
"Gra Valka-oh you mean the one with the Zweite Welt Krieg tech?"
"Yes, if we are correct, then the most advanced aircraft they would build would be a Prototype of the Kikka Japanese Fighter based on our Schwalbe or the A6M5 which is Japan's main fighter craft."
"You said that it was-"
"Oh hush, Kanzlerin, I know what I said, but I doubt they have something like that, deducing they just commissioned their 'Yamato'."
"...Oh...that sounds quite logical..."
"Anyways, I will have the reports going on, and many nations are making contact with us, so expect visitors." Victoria sighed at the statement. "Haha, well, yes, I'll see you around, Tori."
"I told you not to use that nickname."
"It stuck around...good day, Kanzlerin." The man soon exited the room as Victoria simply pouted at the door's way.
"...Asshat."
Holy Mirishial Empire, imperial capital Runepolis
Everyone knew about Mirishial… Every single person in the world knew that the Holy Mirishial Empire was the strongest country. They had become prosperous by themselves, without any help from other countries. Their level of advancement was so incredible that they used to be known as the "center of the world," which led to the empire's continent being named the Central World.
The Holy Mirishial Empire had:
The world's most advanced magical technology A strong government that stabilized the country's foundations Vast territory and an excellent system for mass producing materials A superior education system
With all of these world-class advantages, compared to all the other countries in the civilized areas, and even compared to other superpowers, there was no doubt that Mirishial's national power far outstripped any other country's. There were ruins from the ancient sorcerous empire all over Mirishial. Investigating these ruins with the support of their advanced technology led them to develop their military in a very warped fashion, at least when compared to countries from Earth.
In the imperial capital Runepolis, within a room in the foreign affairs bureau building, two men were having a discussion.
"But… for the Papaldia Empire, the only superpower in the Third Civilization, to actually lose… Not only that, but to a country outside the civilized areas, some skinny strip of land… I still can't believe it," the head of Foreign Affairs Riage said. "Our fleet of magic ships could easily blow away something on the level of Papaldia's navy, but, aside from us, and considering the Third Civilization's technological level, Papaldia's military power should be far above any other nearby country's reach. This 'Axis Alliance' has captured my attention."
"Indeed! That's why, if you could, about this delegation…"
"Arneus, as the information director, I get that you like to go out and gather information, but we're the most powerful country in the world, you know? For us to be the ones sounding things out from our side, asking to negotiate and sending a delegation… And not only are they not a superpower, they're not even in the civilized areas!"
"Sir Riage, for all intents and purposes, Germany, Japan and Italy now are the superpower representative for the Third Civilization… no, for all the countries in the Great East. I believe they will earn superpower status soon. For the eleven-country leadership conference, we should invite Germany...or possibly Japan or Italy in place of Papaldia. Under the guise of helping them prepare for their participation, we can send a delegation and just tack on preparations for opening diplomatic talks. How does that sound?"
"Hmm, if that's how we play it, the members of Parliament shouldn't raise a stink. Let's run with this plan for now and start laying the groundwork for it."
At a later date, the Holy Mirishial Empire approved of sending a diplomatic delegation to Germany.
Kingdom of Marl, outside the Third Civilization
"What?! Is this true?! If it is…"
"Yes; we were under extreme pressure from the Papaldia Empire to gift them our land, but, in their war against the Alliance of Axis, they were so devastated that they ended up splitting into seventy-four countries in order to avoid complete destruction. They were essentially annihilated. Because of this, the empire no longer has the power to threaten us; our country is safe!"
In the Marl castle, during an audience with the king, one of the king's aides made this report. The king's posture and expression crumbled in great relief.
"Praise the gods! If we were invaded by a superpower, we would probably have been wiped out in the blink of an eye. I know this topic has been popular recently, but did the Alliance of Axis really come from another world?"
"Yes. They themselves are saying so, at least, but a superpower would probably never lose to a typical alliance that only established itself with other nations recently."
"Yes, indeed… If I'm not mistaken, the Axis' flag does resemble the sun, does it not?"
"You are correct...for the most part as it also included a blue shield with a red shield within it and a white cross, placed in front of the sun with an eagle holding it."
"So this...shield-bearing eagle from another world also rises from the east… Will it light up our future, perhaps…? Or will it drown us in a sea of hellfire…?"
"Either way, it's imperative to open diplomatic channels with the Axis, isn't it?"
The big news about Axis' victory over the Papaldia Empire, a superpower, quickly spread around the world. The German, Japanese and Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs went through a Hell-like period of overwork after the war with the empire ended and emissaries from all around the world visited the Three Superpowers in hopes of starting new diplomatic relationships.
Gra Valkas Empire
In the Second Civilization, west of the superpower Mu, there was a great empire that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It quickly subjugated all the countries around it in a flash, moving on to topple the Kingdom of Paganda, finally even laying waste to the superpower Leifor with only a single ship, giving birth to a new legend. To the people of this world, they were a terrifying existence, and some even speculated that they could be stronger than the Holy Mirishial Empire.
Gra Valkas had now attracted the attention of the entire world. In their flourishing capital, one man looked out from his room while lost in thought. Emperor Gra Lukas was admiring this city, which was at the apex of prosperity.
"What do we desire from this world?"
When their entire country had been transported to another world, the unthinkable had become reality.
In their old world, the Gra Valkas Empire enjoyed the status of being the most powerful country on the planet of Noluthe. Back there, one of the oldest countries in the world, the Divine Kingdom of Kain, who worshiped the god Mirook, divided the world in two and waged war across it. No one doubted that Gra Valkas would emerge victorious, though. Compared to any other country, they had abundant resources, overwhelming production capabilities, the most advanced technology, and superior military strength.
However, because of the sudden world transfer phenomenon, their mainland found itself in this world. Although they lost huge swaths of land, because they had recalled most of their forces in order to prepare to invade their enemies prior to the transfer, aside from any forces that were stationed in overseas military bases, the empire still retained the vast majority of their military. In addition, their rival, the Divine Kingdom of Kain, had disappeared.
After arriving on this strange planet, the empire fell into chaos for a short time, but, when they explored east, they found plenty of land populated only by natives with laughably poor equipment. In light of their unbeatable superiority, everyone in the empire was overcome with delight.
At first, the neighboring countries were all aggressive towards them, but they were far too weak and quickly fell under imperial control. But then, while dealing with all these minor countries, they discovered that this world had so-called "civilized areas" where stronger countries cooperated with one another. Since they had no idea how powerful these countries were in this completely unknown world, everyone advocated a careful approach where they tried to peacefully form international relationships.
Basically, diplomacy was preferable to blindly stabbing in the dark.
However, they went to country after country, and, despite being so-called "civilized countries," they were much weaker than was rumored, yet they still looked down on anyone outside the civilized areas. The empire's efforts at diplomacy simply never moved forward. When one of the imperial royalty was in one of these small countries as a peaceful diplomat, he was mocked with "You barbarians don't understand this world at all." He lost his patience and angrily objected. They responded by killing him.
After this incident, no one in the empire advocated for peaceful interactions in this world any longer. Just like in their old world, they would rule with force and aggressively expand their territory. First on the list was the country that committed the act of lèse-majesté by murdering a member of the imperial family, the Kingdom of Paganda; with one successful assault, they quickly fell and were assimilated into Gra Valkas. After that, the empire declared war on the entirety of the Second Civilization, took on Leifor, one of the five fingers of the world, the so-called "superpowers," and easily beat them into submission.
In this world, it didn't matter if they were an uncivilized barbarian country or a superpower, they still fell like grass before the Gra Valkas Empire.
"This… this is truly an amusing place," Emperor Gra Lukas mumbled to himself while dreaming of world conquest.
Gra Valkas Empire, Information Bureau
In a dimly-lit room, the noise of beeping, similar to Morse code, permeated the air. Next to that room, there was a nicer room decorated in brown. A man had come to that second room to make a report to his superior—he knocked on the door.
"Enter," came a deep voice from within the room. The man did as ordered.
"Your Excellency, we've completed the comprehensive analysis of Japan's military capabilities. I've come to request your approval for this report."
The man handed over the documents. While his superior read the report, the man provided a verbal summary as well.
"Unfortunately, we have little information on Japan or any Axis Nation at the moment, and extend our apologies. The personnel gathering information on the Naval Battle of Fenn did not report back in time. Same regarding the Battle of Altarus—we did not expect them to island hop like that. In addition, it's very hard to enter the Kingdom of Altarus, and our operatives were unable to witness the main battle. With regards to the main war, the Axis has made peace with the superpower of the Third Civilization, the Papaldia Empire. In other words, they had taken control of Papaldia and split it into five territories, four taken by Argentina and the Three Superpowers. We believe there's a high possibility they planted some kind of puppet government to keep the split Empire in check."
"Japan has a population of one hundred and twenty million people. This is extremely large compared to the size of their country, not counting their colonies, however they cannot produce enough food on their own, so trade with the countries on Rodenius and the Axis has become their lifeline. If Japan and the empire were to clash in the future, our dominant maritime forces would just need to set up a blockade between Japan and her allies, then Japan would dry up on its own, but unfortunately, that would be if we were to fight Japan alone, Japan has the backings of the Alliance after a...World War of sorts that created the Alliance. We've confirmed that Japan has battleships, but only ones with smaller calibers compared to our Grade Atlastar. We heard this via a third country, but, aside from aircraft carriers, they have only the so-called Nagato-Class Battleship of two ships, the Nagato and Mutsu with only 410mm cannons, they are also old ships from sources, so Grade Atlastar has no worries with them."
The man paused for a breath then continued.
"Japan also has fewer troop compared to ours, their aircrafts seem to be jet-based, but just recently also unveiled a new one to be build in a few years, however the number of aircrafts are vastly made of propeller-based aircrafts and most of their screen ships have fewer guns..."
"…I see. With that level of air force, with so few jet aircrafts, even if they had superlative capabilities, they could not even leave a scratch on us."
"Yes, there's nothing to fear from Japan alone, but with the Alliance, I hardly can believe having to face against Germany. We should take caution in our conquest of Domination."
In order to establish a new world order, the Gra Valkas Empire began to make its move.
Großer Deutsche Reich, Imperial Capital Germania
Step… step… step… step.
Every time she heard someone walk near her cell, she became paralyzed with fear. She was the one who ordered the massacre of dozens of Qua-Toinan citizens, and she had been captured as a criminal.
What… will happen to me?
Remille, anxious about her own future, desperately fought to keep her terror down.
Holy Mirishial Empire, imperial capital Runepolis
"All right, let us be off."
The Holy Mirishial Empire, said to be the strongest country in the world, and the largest superpower, was sending an advance delegation in order to invite Japan to the 11-country leadership conference as well as begin preparations for diplomatic negotiations. They were heading east, far past the Third Civilization, to a country outside the civilized areas.
There were 30 representatives in the delegation, including:
Diplomat Phiam
Information Officer Rydorka
Military Officer Arpana
Technical Officer Baeluno
As a group, they headed to the airport parking apron. There was a passenger vehicle with white wings parked there. This airplane was called "The Floating Ship of the Heavens."
The Floating Ship of the Heavens Type: 35
Cruising distance: 4,200 km
Cruising speed: 310 km/h
Main engine: magical light discharge-type compressed air engine
Fuel: high-purity red magic gems
If a German or any Axis-national person were to look at the Floating Ship of the Heavens, they would probably think it looked very, very strange. There were strange shapes carved where the engine was housed, and there was no propeller, so at first glance it might resemble a jet. However, those carvings were necessary for the plane to reach a speed of 310 km/h, they weren't retracted wings.
They would be receiving assistance from the technological powerhouse Mu on this trip. There was a planned stop at the Mu military base in the Kingdom Altarus to refuel with magic gems, then they would continue their journey, ultimately landing in the Capital City of Rhineland, Mainz. They would experience all Germany has to offer while sightseeing, steadily making their way to Germany's capital, Germania.
All the transportation within Germany would be handled by the German government. During that time, Mu would take custody of the Floating Ship of the Heavens, refueling it with high-purity magic gems they had prepared in advance. On their return trip, they would once again stop in Altarus to refuel and resupply.
Information Officer Rydorka boarded the plane and sat down in a large seat. Casually glancing to his right, he saw the diplomat Phiam, who had boarded earlier, sporting a rather severe expression.
"Mister Phiam, is something the matter?"
"I know this was explained before, but… We are the number one country not just in the Central World, but on the entire planet, and here we are, going out of our way to travel all the way past the Third Civilization to some alliance that barely just appeared outside the civilized areas… This… sycophancy… does not sit well with me.
"I understand that, for all practical purposes, it is accepted that the Axis defeated the Papaldia Empire, but I do not agree with that conclusion. Papaldia basically threatened itself into power, so there was already a lot of unrest within their borders and territories. Didn't the Axis just skillfully exploit that unrest? In the first place, I'm not even fully convinced that the Third Civilization should even be considered a civilized area. They certainly have their own independent culture, but they also haven't developed any means of flight other than riding wyverns.
"The way I see it, the Third Civilization is just a huge clump of land populated by groups of primitive, developing countries. And the country we're about to visit is even further removed from that! If the Third Civilization's advancement is already this low, I can't imagine how bad it is in Germany. My main concern right now is whether there is even a suitable runway on which to land the Heavens."
"As far as the runway goes, as you already know, Mu has confirmed that there is no need to worry, Japan had treated them well, and they said Germany has the technological advantage compared to Japan or Italy."
"That reminds me… I believe this delegation was originally suggested by your Information Office. Shouldn't you just stick to gathering information? We of Mirishial have our pride as number one. If they want a diplomatic relationship with us, I would prefer that they be the ones coming to us instead."
"I apologize for my office overstepping… Based on our information… No, whether I tell you or not, you'll understand. Once you see Germany or any Axis nations with your own eyes, I believe you'll come around."
The Floating Ship of the Heavens began to emit a blue light from its engine and taxied down the runway. The ship rose up in the air and began its long flight to Germany.
Northern Territory of Papaldia, Imperial Capital Esthirant
The new provisional head of state Kyeos had his head wrapped his arms because of all the problems piling up. How many years would it take to pay just the reparations to the Axis, Kingdom of Altarus and the Kingdom of Fenn? In particular, the compensation fees for the Axis' ammunition use and the costs of upgrading the military base in Altarus far exceeded the amount requested for personal restitution. With their national power now a fraction of what it was previously, this was an amount the Papaldia Empire simply could not pay.
Kyeos had gone over the invoice document countless times.
…pay the required amount converted to any global currency. Alternatively, give the country of Germany exclusive access to the underground resources found in the Parsa region. In the latter case, Germany will supervise all mining operations.
"How demonic… there is essentially no choice here."
Being told to give away their land was a truly disgraceful state of affairs, but the Parsa region did not produce very much metal. The empire didn't know why exactly Germany would want rights to that mine, but if they could give away a region that had nothing for them and simultaneously square away their astronomical debt with Germany, that would actually be convenient.
Germany continued to throw requests his way, so Kyeos found himself constantly running around to fulfill them.
Imperial Capital Esthirant, Former Navy Base
Having miraculously survived Germany's large-scale bombing attack, the magical technician Paie was gazing at the under-construction port with the German Battleships, Bismarck and Tirpitz floating regally upon it, men continuing to build, repair, tend and supervise the whole port.
The light of the sun reflected off the ocean, glittering beautifully, while sea birds lazily floated in the water. However, right next to that serene sight were the scattered ruins of the mercilessly decimated navy base. Reconstruction had started with the fact that Germany was paying full cost and would rename it Navy Base Raeder after a Great Admiral.
"Germany… huh. We sure went to war with a fucking crazy country and a crazy ass Alliance. I can't lose hope, though! We… can still start fresh, and, someday, the empire will flourish like never before!"
Paie's imagination ran wild, dreaming of a resurrected empire.
"Oi, Paie! Didn't I tell you not to run off on your own!?"
"A-Ah! Sorry, Gustaf!" The woman turned to the medic, who saved her life.
"No worries, just ask for permission next time."
Kingdom of Rheem, Royal Castle
In the Third Civilization country of Rheem, the king and the prime minister were having a meeting in the royal castle. The prime minister was explaining the information that had been collected to the king.
"So what you're saying is, no matter what field it is, our kingdom cannot best Germany or any Axis Nation?" the king asked, his expression split between anger and bewilderment.
"With regards to magic, our country is superior, but in the end there is no way we can fight against such a country. First, their weapons are simply in another dimension compared to ours. If our dragon knight order were to battle the German Luftwaffe, we would be quickly obliterated without causing even a single injury. On the ground, we lack any weapon capable of stopping even a single German tank. Castle walls are worthless before them. And our ships can't even take a glancing blow without turning to waste. Above all else, the thing we should fear the most is their industry—the absolute power of mass production, and the national power that allows them to easily make use of it. Nothing about them is ordinary," the prime minister extolled fervently.
"They sound far too prosperous. If they're so powerful, they might even be above the Holy Mirishial Empire."
"I shall say it plainly: I believe we should pay much more attention to Germany than Mirishial. While they may be inferior in magic technology, their scientific technology is far, far more advanced than the Central World's. My king, I beg of you, do not take an antagonistic stance towards Germany or any Axis Nations. If you do, then we shall follow in the footsteps of the Papaldia Empire."
The king could not even imagine a worse tragedy than what happened to the Papaldia Empire, being split into 74 different countries, split into five territories, lose his royal status and losing the vast majority of their national power.
"I… I understand. We shall absolutely not be hostile with Germany or any Axis nation. However, when you say their weapons are 'in another dimension,' I do not understand that. Exactly how are they different from ours?"
"For example, take the 'automatic rifles' that Germany's infantry carry… Your majesty, are you familiar with the guns that the Papaldia Empire uses?"
"Ahh, yes, those. When they first debuted, wars in the Third Civization changed forever."
"These 'automatic rifles' are capable of firing over twenty times in a row. Their rate of fire is eight hundred bullets per minute in average. They have a range of over five hundred meters. If we were to fight against them, they would be capable of firing at us at high speeds from far beyond our reach. Another weapon they have is called the 'general-purpose machine gun,' it uses this 'ammo belt' to continuously feed bullets into the gun, allowing it to fire without pausing or reloading for a ghastly amount of time. This gun can fire a thousand two hundred bullets per minute, and it can be wielded by a single soldier."
The king took a moment to digest what this information meant from a military perspective. In his mind, he saw his kingdom's elite army being mowed down without being able to lift a finger.
"Impossible! I can't believe it! There wouldn't even be a battle, would there!"
"What I described now is only the tip of the iceberg. For instance, Germany is a mechanical country, just like Mu, but their combat aircraft can fly faster than the speed of sound, and they can attack targets that are too far away to be seen with the naked eye. This weapon, called a 'missile,' simply cannot be evaded."
An unseen enemy capable of attacking accurately, and that cannot be avoided, was something completely beyond the king's understanding.
"How do they do that?"
"Even if it is dodged, the weapon changes direction to give chase. Germany calls them 'guided missiles.'"
"Those are… from the fairy tales…"
"Indeed, this weapon resembles the ancient sorcerous empire's light magic homing missiles."
The king was speechless. The prime minister continued.
"Their ships are just as frightening. All of Germany and Japan's ships are mechanical, but their cannons are unbelievably accurate. They can even hit objects flying in the air."
The king had already reached his limit and stopped thinking too hard about anything he was being told.
"How do they do that? Isn't it impossible?"
"I believe they have some kind of technology that keeps the cannon stable even when there are waves. In addition, they have a way to calculate the enemy's position, the flight speed and trajectory of the cannon shell, and the enemy's flying speed. Then they have a way to predict the future position of the enemy in order to fire at that location."
"This is nonsense; if that were possible, they would need to constantly and precisely measure that distance every second. Not only that, they would have to perform these calculations far faster than any person is capable of."
"Apparently, the entire Axis has mechanical devices that can do those calculations. They say these machines are capable of calculating a quadrillion times per second…"
"Quadrillion! A quadrillion, you say?! Even a hundred would have been crazy enough, but a hundred, thousand, million, billion, trillion, quadrillion?! Are you sure you didn't hear wrong?!" the king retorted hysterically.
"Your majesty, please, calm down. Quadrillion is not a mistake. Either way, it's not a commonly-used number."
The king massaged his brow and sighed deeply.
"My apologies… please, continue."
"Germany apparently has ships that can dive and sail under the water. Deep in the ocean, hiding their presence, they can then fire off underwater guided missiles called 'torpedoes' to damage ship hulls. We have absolutely no way to counter such an attack."
The king gradually became bitter as he heard more about Germany or any Axis-related nations.
"While their military capabilities are terrifying, Germany also has an enormous technological industry supporting it, and their ability to invent new weapons is exceptional as well. If you want an example of their technological prowess, they have an invention called a 'bullet train' that—"
The king stopped him, looking green. "I'm sorry, I will hear about it next time. I think I'm feeling slightly ill."
The Kingdom of Rheem's king swore in his heart to never become hostile to Germany or any nations aligned or guaranteed by them.
Germany, about 700 km south of the Rhineland Region, in the sky
In the cloudless blue sky, a white-painted aircraft flew through the air. The two engines on the plane glowed with a blue light and spewed out air, propelling it forward. This was the Floating Ship of the Heavens Type 35 from the Holy Mirishial Empire, transporting their diplomatic delegation towards Germany passing Italy and France at a speed of 310 km/h. This aircraft was the epitome of their technology, the Central World's strongest country, and it was a product that could never be crafted with the level of technology available in the Third Civilization.
We will be entering Germany's airspace shortly. In addition, two of Germany's combat aircraft will soon be arriving as planned. When they do arrive, they will only be here to escort us, so please do not be alarmed.
The in-flight broadcast gave the passengers a flight update.
"That was so long! Another two hours or so and we'll finally be there," Information Officer Rydorka commented to the diplomat Phiam sitting next to him. "But man, this really was far, we needed to go through the African continent. It hurts my head just to think of having to fight against someone all the way out on the eastern ends of the uncivilized world. And they're sending two escort for us; not wyverns, but combat aircraft! That sure was a surprise. I guess I should expect no less from a country favored by Mu. I can kind of understand how they beat Papaldia now. I look forward to seeing what kind of aircraft they are."
As Phiam listened to Rydorka, Mu's reciprocating engine aircraft (a biplane) came to mind. The information office had compiled a certain level of information in advance of this mission, but the specifics were rather vague and nothing had particularly stood out; aside from the fact that this country had defeated the Papaldia Empire, there were no other details.
"Mister Phiam, I think it would be better if you approached Germany without any preconceptions of a typical barbarian country from outside the civilized areas."
"I shall take your advice under consideration."
"You know, I'm very excited to see what kind of aircraft Germany is bringing," Technical Officer Baeluno interjected.
The three looked outside through the windows. Far below, they could see the mountains of Savoy. Inside the plane, the only things they could hear were the high-pitched trill of the magic engines and the sound of the aircraft cutting through the sky.
All of a sudden, two other aircraft zoomed past them, followed by a delayed boom. Far behind them, the two planes changed course and quickly caught up to the Floating Ship of the Heavens. One plane took the lead to guide them, while the other came up along the side of the Heavens.
"Wh… What?! How are they so fast?!"
"They don't have any of the propellers that Mu's aircraft use! Ah! They have an intake in the front! Don't tell me the Germany also developed light discharge air compression engines!" yelled Technical Officer Baeluno.
"But what speed! They even surpass the Floating Ship of the Heavens, our ultimate aircraft!" Military Officer Arpana cut in.
"The shape of their wings… my goodness! Those are swept wings! They're for surpassing the speed of sound, reducing drag within supersonic flow! We're still researching that… or actually, we've only begun theorizing it, I never imagined I'd ever see the actual thing! Sir Arpana, those aircraft can, at the very least, break the sound barrier!" Baeluno responded excitedly.
When an aircraft travels at supersonic speeds, a shockwave forms in the shape of a cone around the plane, originating from the tip of the nose and sweeping back around the body of plane. If the wings were to touch the boundary layer of this shockwave, swept wings were necessary to maintain stable flight. Baeluno knew all about the theory behind them.
The diplomat Phiam, trembling in fear, raised his voice. "That's impossible! An uncivilized country can't have an aircraft that surpasses one of ours! You must be mistaken!"
"But, that aircraft was clearly constructed for the purpose of supersonic flight. There's no reason to make wings with such a useless shape like that otherwise."
"Our empire has the most advanced education system in the world, and we've inherited the research of the ancient sorcerous empire! We have an absolute advantage over every other country! Despite this, you're saying in flight technology, the most important field of study, we're behind?! How is that possible?!"
Phiam watched the Deutsche Luftwaffe's main combat aircraft, the Me365 Adler, his expression clearly betraying his bafflement.
The Floating Ship of the Heavens Type 35 arrived in the skies of Rhineland, led by Germany's combat aircraft. After some time, they could see an extremely advanced city spreading out before their eyes. The entire delegation felt shocked beyond belief; normally, there would only be one large city per region per country, but here, all the way outside the civilized areas, they were already greeted by the sight of this monstrosity of a city.
"I heard that Germany was a country without magic, but… is it even possible to build a city this large without magic?" Baeluno asked, mystified.
Finally, the vehicle landed on an entirely too large runway, then was guided to the passenger plane area on the parking apron.
"…!"
The diplomat Phiam felt his pride shatter to pieces and a sense of humiliation rising up in response to the sight before him. The Holy Mirishial Empire was the strongest country in the Central World, widely believed to be the strongest in the world, and the culmination of their advanced civilization was the Floating Ship of the Heavens. The beautiful vehicle showed off the quality and refinement of their technology. No matter where he traveled, being able to clearly see the difference in civilization, in national power, made him proud beyond compare. So what the hell were these things sitting next to their beautiful aircraft! Why was he now being made to feel so… wretched and miserable!
Parked between a Ju777 and a Ju787, the empire's plane seemed very, very small.
When the delegation members alighted from the aircraft, there were representatives from Germany waiting to receive them and exchange greetings. They had prepared a method of transportation, "cars," which were used to bring them to a hotel within the city of Mainz.
The vehicles called "cars" were very similar to the empire's magic carriages, but their shapes were very sleek, and they were extremely fast and smooth. However, what was most surprising about the cars were their numbers; he heard from the German people that even the lowest class of citizen could easily purchase a car. As a group, they went straight to the hotel since everyone in the delegation was tired from the long journey.
Excerpt from Phiam's diary entry for that day
Today, I received the biggest shock in my life, and also went through the most tiring day in my life. Our Holy Mirishial Empire built up a civilization with high-quality magic as a pillar by researching the remains of the ancient sorcerous empire. Our country is, aside from the ancient sorcerous empire, the largest empire in history, undisputedly the most prosperous country in the world. Our use of magic is what fueled our civilization's advancement and prosperity. The machine civilization of Mu is also exceptional, but in terms of vehicles and such, they fall far short of our magical civilization.
However, today, I have laid eyes on a civilization that exceeds my empire, in at least one field. Unbelievably, they are a country outside the civilized area, and they don't even know very much about magic. For this country to be the one to surpass us, there's no way I wouldn't feel shocked. Their scientific civilization has been pushed to the extremes. We will be investigating the exact scale of Germany's civilization, but, in quality at least, they truly surpass our empire, irritatingly enough.
In place of the Papaldia Empire, the country of Germany and the Alliance of Axis had become an existence that represents not only the Third Civilization, but all of the eastern continents. In 3 days, I must officially invite Germany to participate in our leadership conference of 11 countries. I need to be cautious in accomplishing this task.
The other diplomats in the empire advocate a high-handed approach; they want to send a warning to Germany, make them know their place. However, while I may have initially agreed with them, now that I've seen their country first-hand, I have to revise my opinion. For a long time now, the diplomats of the countries that reigned at the top of the world have imprinted the superiority of their own countries on their very souls. Now that they will be forced to correct these misconceptions, I believe there will be a great deal of upheaval in the times to come.
"So tomorrow, I'll be mingling with Germany's diplomats…"
The diplomat Phiam went to sleep while contemplating various worries.
Mainz International Congress Center
The German Ministry of Foreign affairs was hosting the delegation from the Holy Mirishial Empire, holding a kind of cultural exchange session prior to starting diplomatic negotiations. Currently, they were being shown a DVD giving an overview of Germany.
The video covered a wide range of topics including nature, German culture, construction technology, and many other topics. Basically, they were being inundated with innocuous information. Anything about the military was put off for later in order to minimize the risk of leaking defense technology or information.
No matter which country was asked, the answer to the question "who's the strongest in the world?" was always "the Holy Mirishial Empire," so Germany was quite excited to receive Mirishial's envoys. After the war with the Papaldia Empire was over, internal research concluded that their being so severely underestimated directly led to the tragedy of Altarus. Therefore, this time, although they wouldn't be revealing any military secrets, the government decided to make this video to subtly hint at Germany's technological advancement and national power; they wanted to avoid giving off an impression of weakness, at least.
The entire delegation was enthralled by the video. Finally, once it was over, the staff from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched into an introductory speech.
"Greetings to the envoys from the Holy Mirishial Empire. Thank you for making the long journey to visit our country of Germany. My name is Ferdinand, and I am with the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As we explained in advance, today and tomorrow are set aside for cultural exchange; we would be happy if everyone here could learn just a little bit more about Germany. Today, we will be sightseeing on our way to Germania. But first, we would like to celebrate the newly-formed relationship between our two countries with a meal. We have set aside two hours for this meal, after which we will make our way to the Montabaur bullet train station, so please, take time to relax and enjoy yourselves."
Once the speech was over, an assortment of food was served to each table. After trying out some of the food, Information Officer Rydorka turned and struck up a conversation with the diplomat Phiam, sitting beside him.
"Ooh, this is delicious… Mister Phiam, what did you think of the recording from earlier? I could barely contain my excitement after seeing such outrageous technology! If everything they showed us was true, for example their 'bullet train' that runs on iron roads, then, if we compare to our own bullet train… they can travel much faster than what we have planned for our future high-speed transportation vehicle. They say their train runs commercially throughout the entire country, and they've improved it to the point that they've had no civilian deaths due to breakdowns or accidents for the last fifty years, a miraculous safety record. It would be astonishing if true."
"Yes… Yes, it would be. Germany seems to have done quite well for itself. I am honestly moved that a culture devoted entirely to science could advance this far. However, considering that they completely excluded any information about their level of magic, it's going to be very difficult to estimate how much national power they have."
"Indeed, if they don't use much magic, we can't really tell where they're really at. What do you think, Baeluno?"
"Frankly, if the recording is all true, then not only are they leagues above Mu in terms of technological power, but they even surpass us with regards to industry. To tell you the truth, the fact that they have an actual working bullet train that runs three hundred kilometers per hour throughout their entire country… it scares me. Getting something to go that fast on rails isn't in itself that difficult. What's truly frightening is the number and frequency. In one day, they could have three hundred and seventy different trains traveling three hundred kilometers per hour across their country, all at the same time; our country doesn't have the technology to manage that.
"That's not all. This country is very mountainous, so they use tunnels to travel under them. They surely go through tunnels and pass other trains quite frequently. The technology needed to dampen the shockwaves generated from traveling at that speed is very advanced. It's something our empire itself would love to have. Furthermore, their earthquake emergency brake system… what astounds me isn't just that they keep their trains safe, but rather how quickly their emergency alert system is able to propagate information."
Technical Officer Baeluno gave out his honest impressions. They wanted to continue discussing it, but a German person from the front of the hall was coming towards then. This person stopped before their table and bowed.
"Once again, I am Ferdinand with the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We would like to thank you for taking the trouble to come here and offer us your assistance with regards to the eleven-country leadership conference. From approaching us to meet in the first place to opening diplomatic negotations, to even recommending our participation in the leadership conference, we are extremely grateful for your country's initiative. For the mighty Holy Mirishial Empire to take on this responsibility is an honor beyond words."
This was quite the display of deference, but, at the use of the word "mighty" to describe the world's strongest country, the Holy Mirishial Empire, Phiam raised his eyebrows happily.
"We as well are pleased to meet your country. I am Phiam, a diplomat representing the Holy Mirishial Empire's foreign affairs office. Our empire lies far west of here, located in the middle of the Central World. Mister Ferdinand, would I be correct in identifying you as my foreign relations counterpart?"
"Yes, as long as my government does not make any personnel changes, I will be in charge of our relationship with the Holy Mirishial Empire."
Phiam let a crafty smile leak onto his face as he pulled a sack out from his large bag. He pulled the sack off something and handed it to Ferdinand.
"This is a personal present I would like to gift to my counterpart. It is something my country developed, a tool capable of calculations. Using this, when you want to perform long multiplication or division, it can provide an answer instantaneously," Phiam explained, brimming with confidence.
"Thank you very much. I see… this is… a calculator? It's quite weighty, isn't it?" Ferdinand had trouble coming up with a suitable reply as he held up the desktop computer-sized antique calculator.
"It weighs fourteen kilograms, but its calculation speed rivals what is used in our industrial sector. It's a very expensive item in our country, but I personally want you, Kondo, to have it."
Phiam intended to show off the empire's technology with this ostentatious display. By giving them something they could not produce themselves, he wanted to get a foot up in negotiations. Baeluno, who deduced that Germany's bullet trains relied on extremely advanced calculation equipment in order to run, could only cover his eyes with his hand to block the embarrassing sight of Phiam gifting away Mirishial's bulky calculator.
With the directive from the government to ensure Germany presented as strong on his mind, Ferdinand felt a little apologetic as he took out his smartphone.
"We share the view that high-quality calculation equipment is necessary in the industrial sector. The greatest nation in the Central World does not disappoint. By the way, I want to show you the calculators my country or rather our Alliance has created and developed, perhaps it can serve as reference."
Ferdinand showed Phiam his smartphone, unlocked it, and opened a calculator app.
"This is a smartphone, you can use it to place calls to other people, it has calculator and dictionary functions, and you can even play games on it. As far as calculations go, my country has what we call 'super computers,' devices capable of performing over a quadrillion calculations within one second."
Phiam could only gape, speechless. Ferdinand continued tapping on his phone and pulled up a picture of an early calculator from Earth.
"Sir Phiam, I thank you very much for your gift. I am very happy to have something that reminds me of times past. We will use this to study your country's superior magic technology. If you look at this image, my country also used to sell similar-looking calculators, about fifty years ago. I hear they used to cost as much as a car does now. These days, though, they're much, much smaller, and the price has dropped to the point that a child could purchase one with pocket money."
The envoys' faces all reddened in humiliation. After that, they continued having idle conversation until the delegation members were brought to the Montabaur station to board the bullet train, and they left for the Germania Central Train Station.
Germania, two days later, evening
In a hotel room, the Mirishial delegation convened for a meeting. After that meal in Rhineland, even though they were traveling at 300 km/h, they enjoyed an extremely comfortable ride in the high-speed vehicle called the "bullet train" on their way to Germania, where they were treated to the sight of an enormous bridge. The bridge was so huge that both cars and trains could fit on it. After being shown the architectural engineering of Germany, they were taken to a "linear test site" where they got to ride on an experimental electric train known as a "linear motor car."
This linear motor car that the envoys rode could travel as fast as 500 km/h. It was faster than the Floating Ship of the Heavens, and the fact that it traveled along metal rails using magnetism to float completely shocked them all. According to Kondo, researchers have recorded speeds of 600 km/h in experiments, and, provided the tracks were long enough, there would theoretically be no problems going all the way up to 700 km/h. These railway vehicles were faster than even the empire's combat aircraft; none of the envoys knew how to react to that news.
Then, they arrived in Germany's Imperial Capital, Germania.
The delegation visited a tower called the "Reichsfestung." In the Holy Mirishial Empire, there were towers in the 300-meter range, but this tower was 721 meters tall. From an observatory, they could look out at the city from 450 meters above sea level. It was a spectacular view, filled with manmade structures.
"Starting tomorrow, it'll be our turn to take the reins and give them the rundown of the eleven-country leadership conference. Mister Phiam, I think you understand already, but we can't treat them like a barbarian country," Baeluno warned to Phiam.
"I… I know. I can hardly believe how much more advanced than our country they are. Including the Gra Valkas Empire, though, I have to ask, why the hell are all these ridiculous countries appearing from nowhere outside the civilized areas?"
Rydorka sank into thought for a moment, then replied ominously. "I wonder… the Demon Lord Nosgoorah's final words, that the ancient sorcerous empire was returning, that could have something to do with it."
"Wh…What?!"
Everyone looked at him in shock.
"I heard that, during the divination of the Eimorsh god, there was a distortion in space, so they couldn't tell exactly when or where the ancient sorcerous empire would resurrect. It's said that the mage empire advanced too quickly and ended up treading on the domain of the gods. Transporting an entire country… that kind of great magic could only be accomplished by gods. Maybe they were summoned here by a god, or maybe they somehow got caught in the effects of the mage empire's spell, we don't know… Well, no matter how much we speculate, we can't verify anything, so there's really no point in guessing. As far as I can see, Germany is a peaceful, but cruel country if they are disturbed much like other nations, but they are not warmongers and usually are passive diplomats, and our country needs to make as many strong allies as we can before the empire's revival. In order to defeat the enemies of mankind, we need their power as well."
"The information office can afford to be quite lax, I see. In my case, as a member of the foreign affairs office, I must consider how I am supposed to report on Germany's might; my head aches just thinking about it. If I were my superior, reading the report I imagine myself writing, I wouldn't believe a word it said. A tall tale about an entire country being transported just sounds crazy. Meaning, if I cannot properly explain the level of Germany's national power in a way the homeland can accept, all of us will simply be seen as fools who were deceived by Germany. Once we return home, I would like to arrange a meeting between the leadership of the information office and the foreign affairs office."
The impromptu meeting, which had the appearance of a funeral, continued late into the night.
German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the next morning
The diplomat from the Holy Mirishial Empire's foreign affairs office, Phiam, clearly as nervous as can be, gave a presentation explaining the 11-country leadership conference to the officials of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Each person was given an information packet with important notes and details.
In summary:
The 11-country leadership conference convened once every 2 years.
The next conference would likely be in 1 year's time.
The countries invited to participate were the ones with the greatest power and exerted the most influence on the world.
The conference was concerned with the management of the world.
All of the participating countries would become the targets of intense scrutiny throughout the world (at least the area recognized as "the world" by these countries).
Should Germany choose to attend, the world would see them as a great power.
This is generally perceived as promoting national interests.
Participating countries are allowed to express opinions regarding the management of the world and the international community.
The Third Civilization normally has one fixed participant and one rotating participant.
For this next conference, it was decided that Germany will be the fixed participant.
"While it is most regrettable that there is only one year to prepare for the next conference, we believe that it still aligns with your national interests to attend and be recognized as a world power. Until now, the Third Civilization's superpower, the Papaldia Empire, has always participated, but, since they have now been dismantled due to the intervention of the Axis, my country would like to recognize Germany as a world power, and as the leader of the Third Civilization… no, wait, your country does not belong to a civilized area. As the leader of the Axis Alliance, then. Thus, we would like to extend an invitation for you to participate in the eleven-country leadership conference."
After the general explanation was finished, many officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised their hands.
"I just have one question, if you could?"
"Yes, go ahead."
"In the list of previous participants, I see the name of the Second Civilization's superpower Leifor. I heard that they were overthrown by a country further to the west, a 'Gra Valkas Empire.' If Leifor will not be participating, will another country take their place?"
"Ah, yes… in place of Leifor, we are considering the Gra Valkas Empire that you just mentioned. As with your country, we are still evaluating the situation. With the abrupt notice of only one year until the conference, we are unsure how they will respond, so, similar to Germany, we don't know if they will decide to participate."
"Ah… I understand, thank you for answering."
After more questions were answered, the presentation ended. At a later date, the German government would officially consent to participating in the 11-country leadership conference hosted by the Holy Mirishial Empire.
Second Civilization Superpower Leifor, ruins of the former capital Leiforia
The superpower Leifor, having been decimated by the Gra Valkas Empire's super-dreadnought Grade Atlastar and its full-powered bombardment, its capital turned to ash and its king killed in battle, quickly surrendered and fell under the empire's control, becoming the Leifor territory. In the now-former capital, imperial-styled buildings were being constructed. There was an airport in the capital, and the navy's air units were stationed there, so the skies above Leiforia were filled with reciprocating engine combat aircraft flying around.
There were four people watching those planes and sighing. They were the envoys from the Holy Mirishial Empire.
Supervisor of Foreign Affairs for Western Countries, Shiwalf Military Officer Pasha Technical Officer Gorms Information Officer Zammas
They traveled by sea to the Gra Valkas territory of Leifor to provide information about the 11-country leadership conference. Normally, they would have wanted to travel to the empire proper, but Gra Valkas insisted on having the meeting in the ruins of Leifor.
At the sight of the airplanes in the sky, Pasha commented with a serious look on his face. "They sure are fast. They might even be faster than the combat version of the Floating Ship of the Heavens."
"Perhaps. The ship we saw on the open sea is also large enough to rival our fleet of magic ships. I see why Leifor couldn't stand up to them."
"So, this is our first contact with the Gra Valkas Empire…"
The four men, tension writ large on their faces, were taken into a building. The building had an odd aesthetic that didn't quite agree with the Mirishial sense of beauty. The delegation was shown to a reception room, where they sat on a sofa to wait for Gra Valkas's diplomat to arrive. After a time, the door opened and in walked the diplomat, Dulles. The Mirishial envoys all stood up and the diplomat Shiwalf gave an introduction.
"It is good to meet you, my name is Shiwalf of the foreign affairs office, supervisor of the western countries for the Holy Mirishial Empire, located in the center of the Central World. We have come about the eleven-country leadership conference, to see if your country has a response for us."
Gra Valkas's diplomat, Dulles, smiled slightly. "It must have been very inconvenient for you to come all the way here, considering the level of technology your people possess. First, let me thank you for taking the trouble. Heh… the 'Central World,' was it…? Quite an ostentatious name. How did that come about?"
Brushing off the snide remark, Shiwalf continued on. "We want to invite your country to participate in place of the former superpower Leifor. All details about the conference can be found in the documents here."
Dulles couldn't stand it any longer and burst out laughing. "Hm… pff… faaaahaahaha! Goodness, how rude of me. Leifor, the puny country that we forced to surrender with only a single ship… I had heard the rumors, but to think they were actually considered a superpower! Hahaha! Your people's standards here are so abysmal that I cannot help but laugh… hahahaha!"
The envoys all stayed silent while Shiwalf formulated a response. "When countries meet, that line gets thrown around a lot. A weak country will bluster and throw their weight around in front of a country from the civilized areas. No matter how many times I've seen it happen as a diplomat for the Central World's Holy Mirishial Empire, though, you are the first to have gone as far as you did just now. I will acknowledge your nerve. However… to be perfectly honest, you are simply being unpleasant. The world's five superpowers may share that grouping, but there is a large difference in our national powers. After defeating the weakest superpower, it seems your country has grown quite a big head, but I do think it would be better to be more cautious instead. If you think my country, or Mu, are on the same level as Leifor, and you treat us as such, then you should expect to walk away with far more than just bruises. My country has judged that your country is more than worthy to participate in the eleven-country leadership conference. Your strength may be dominant out here in the far reaches, but it isn't enough to challenge the Central World. You cannot survive in the world by yourself."
"I shall be sure to relay your eloquent words to His Excellency."
The meeting room fell quiet. Shiwalf moved on to the next topic.
"Before we continue, I would like to ask if you would tell us the location of your country and capital."
Dulles shook his head. "The location of our home country is being kept secret from you people. The same with our capital, I cannot reveal its location. If you need to contact the empire for any reason, you can do so from here, Leifor."
"If your country is unwilling to compromise, then we have nothing more to discuss. If you decide you would like to participate in the conference, or have any other questions or concerns, we request that you come to the Holy Mirishial Empire."
Feeling disgruntled by the Gra Valkas Empire's refusal to reveal the location of their home country, the delegation departed from the Leifor territory.
Holy Mirishial Empire, imperial capital Runepolis, information office
In the director's office, Information Director Arneus and two other officers were having a meeting to go over reports. Rydorka, who had been dispatched to Germany, and Zammas, who had gone to the Gra Valkas territory of Leifor, were sharing their information.
"So basically, we told them about the leadership conference, but, throughout the whole event, the empire chose not to engage with us in good faith, refusing to give us the location of their home country or even just the name of their capital. What a reckless way to conduct international relations. They told us to use Leifor's old capital, Leiforia, as a point of contact instead. We're not sure if they want to participate in the conference either. We really need to keep an eye on them. Furthermore, the aircraft they had flying around Leifor's capital were faster than Mu's and probably comparable to our air supremacy model of the Floating Ship of the Heavens. While we have absolutely no clue how much national power they have, at the very least, we cannot make light of their technology."
After hearing the report, Arneus sank into thought.
"So we still don't know where the Gra Valkas Empire's actual country is…"
"Unfortunately, yes…"
They sat there for a moment in silence. After waiting to see whether either of them would resume speaking, Rydorka decided to join in.
"Director, before I give you my report on Germany, can I show you something?"
"What is it?"
"Actually…"
Rydorka took out a map and spread it on the table.
"How—!"
"Where did you—!"
Arneus and Zammas both gaped at the exquisitely-detailed world map. The height of the mountains, the depth of the valleys, the precise shape of the rivers, the exact locations of their own country's secret places that were only found on their own maps… everything in the world was revealed.
"I know that you're shocked at how the details on this map are similar to our own maps, but I wanted to show you that the Gra Valkas Empire is located over here."
Rydorka pointed to a certain spot on the map. About 5,000 km west of the continent of Mu, they saw a piece of land, too large to be just an island, too small to be called a continent. The locations of the mountains and lakes were also marked in detail, carefully, as well as the towns and cities, of course.
"Where… Where did you get this?" Arneus asked.
"I brought a map with me on our trip to Germany to invite them to the leadership conference, thinking I could show them the way to Mirishial if they asked. Where other countries' waters were, religious places to avoid, how best to navigate, that sort of thing. The German representative took a look and said 'oh, you brought a map of this region.' I thought, maybe, Germany might already know where everything in this world is. I was floored when I first saw this map, and when I asked if it would be all right to borrow it, in order to compare the accuracy of the territorial waters and such, they said it was fine, they would let me have it.
"I couldn't believe it; something like this would normally be considered a national secret, I never expected to get my hands on it just by asking… The representative said he would bring a map with the eleven countries that were to attend the conference; of course, that included the Gra Valkas Empire, which had already been marked on the map. I was just as dumbfounded as you two are now."
Indeed, Arneus and Zammas were speechless. It took some time for one of them to find his words.
"I… I don't know what to say. First, why don't we hear what you have to say about Germany."
So, Rydorka described his visit to Germany and how he and the other members were floored by their technological supremacy.
Second Civilization, Irnatea Kingdom, Royal Capital Kirkuls
Irnatea, an island country about 1,000 km west of the continent of Mu. This kingdom, about the size of Hokkaido, was on the verge of total destruction. The military's central staff headquarters received frequent status updates for the various battles being conducted throughout the country.
"The western vassal army has been annihilated! Our magic cannons have no effect on the enemy's tanks! The enemy is now about thirty kilometers away from the royal capital Kirkuls!"
"All thirty-eight ships in the king's navy have been sunk by the enemy's ten! The enemy's firepower and range both eclipse our own!"
"The eastern dragon knight order and the king's dragon knight order, all of them have been shot down! The enemy's aircraft all appear to be flying over five hundred kilometers per hour!"
A middle-aged man cursed under his breath; this was King Irtis the 13th. "We basically have nothing left… So this is as far as we go…"
The Irnatea Kingdom was about to have its 1,000-year history ended at the hands of the invading otherworld army that appeared out of nowhere, the Gra Valkas Empire. Their Antares-type combat aircraft buzzed around in the skies swarms. The enemy planes wailed horrifically whenever they suddenly made a sharp descent, the sound of their engines invoking fear in the kingdom's people. Explosions echoed throughout the capital Kirkuls, and King Irtis the 13th was also swallowed up in one of those fierce blasts.
That day, the Irnatea Kingdom, a Second Civilization country, was ravaged to the ground.
As the Gra Valkas Empire continued to invade country after country, the Second Civilization superpower Mu, along with the rest of the international community, joined together to issue a statement of condemnation.
Current World Tension from the Axis Perspective: 65%
National Behavior:
Germany: Wary of potentially dangerous nations, list includes: Gra Valkas Empire and Holy Mirishial Empire
Japan: Hungry for Land, might take over a few islands through diplomacy, no need to waste ammunition
Italy: Currently going out on a rampage of getting more islands, Giovanni Balbo having to deal with some issues as a Figure Head
Eastern America: Continuing to develop technology
Current Imperial States of the Pacific, Pacific Islands unknowingly had moved to the Atlantic Ocean for some particular reason, perhaps due to geographies and according to legends, the Gods may have not been able to fit them in to where the Pacific should be, renamed to Atlantic Islands, Japan officially made the islands into a separate nation from Imperial States of the Pacific, into the Imperial Island of the Atlantic and the Imperial States of West America.
Argentina: Currently going through modernization with more advanced armored tanks
Africa: German and Italian Africa currently going through many changes in structure and basically priority in developing the Infrastructure of all the Alliance, time to finish: 3 Years.
Asia: Nusantara and Ostasien going through heavy infrastructure development, time to finish: 4 Years, Siam going through Military Modernization, purchasing Type Zero MBTs, China began heavy industrialization.
Russia: Moskowien began production of their new MBTs, the T-95 Black Eagle, expected to replace their Tsarbussard tanks
Greenland and Iceland: Began construction of more Infrastructure and Air Defense for possible invasions, manpower increased with an additional RSS Division stationed on each island
South America: Going through High Development on Industry
Rhodenius: Began construction of Infrastructure, Qua-Toine expected to build a ZWK Corvette in possibly a year, usage of ZWK guns including the MP38 and Kar98k are imminent
Altarus: Construction of better Infrastructure, Naval Base and Air Base began, lend lease of mostly Zweite Weltkrieg era weapons and production of Wyvern Overlords to be due in two years
Papaldia: 6 Years until release from occupation, Infrastructure growth on resources developed
Woo...
Yeah...I think I'm done with this one...day per day...
Yep, this is driving me partially insane, but not really. Anyways! I changed the name for the OTL Type 10 from Type 98 to Type Zero because reason saying that it sounds better imo, so yeah...
Papaldia's destroyed, I'm still going to give in some slices of life possibly, maybe focus on who I already have my focuses on, mainly Adler(Head of Axis and German Security), Janet Lindemann(Admiral of the Bismarck), Yagou(Qua-Toinan immigrant to Germany), Paie(Papaldian Magic Technician) and maybe Victoria Rommel(Head of the Reichskommissariat Neue-Deutschland[Rowlia])
But yeah...maybe later...
And also probably going to update the chapters into the more refined Light Novel, apparently I was going with Web Novel this entire time, so whoops! Sorry for the wrong information of having read the Light Novel, since it was the Web Novel, I've been reading, but still, show some support and hopefully we get the badass Anime that Japan Summons need, it seriously some good story like GATE, but with better lore, and no harem, for once in life, my life will be complete with that shit.
Anyways, onwards to the review!
Reviews:
Commander 31: But for what reason? I get that sometimes many want other nations to have German tech, but really...realistically, they would just give out more outdated technology, since even the Panther is a threat considering that it was much more developed than OTL Panthers, since the less superior VK 3001D took its place and basically scoring the place for the Tiger as the Panzer VI, having Mu take a prototypical project was already overkill with how advanced they are and despite being a pacifist, they were not really keen to have other nations have their tech, too risky...
Having a Rifle and a Submachine Gun are already overkill btw, but for the sake of the story, hopefully they innovate something...
But probably not Bismarck, Bismarck's stationed in Papaldia, Yamato, no, probably not when they arrive, probably going to take a more...smaller, but deadlier ship...idk, still debating on that one.
Cap Vietnam: Probably in future chapters, Germany, Japan and Italy are Superpowers with Nukes, although compared to others Italy has the worst one, possibly India has the tech, but for numbers, I don't really wanna spoil that part. Golden Rules of War are just basically 'Humane Treatment during War', basically how to treat bystanders, prisoners of war and stuff, so yeah, but they don't really rule out Inconventional Weapons like Napalm, the rules are a little bit more loose and flexible, hence why they use flamethrowers as execution equipment. And thanks for the vote of support.
wiseman1012: UMMMM, Idk...
SS Oberfuhrer: Jawohl.
Cooldude: Kinda disappointed in that one...but oh well, life tends to get in the way.
Alberto: Ah sí, realmente la mejor escena que he escrito hasta ahora ... pero necesita más acción, francamente, probablemente actualizaría y agregaría algunas escenas más por el gusto de hacerlo y solo relleno de palabras. Y gracias por el voto de apoyo, ¡lo aprecio!
Thanks for the support, everyone has been giving! I appreciate it! Really appreciate it! Maybe going to finish on the World Conference and maybe add some tension in, but probably going to end it from the next chapter to the last uploaded, hopefully A Mob of Deer are fast in working...if not then I guess I'll renew the older chapters, but not via new chapter and stuff, that'd not be great...I'll just simply update it one by one and add the sentence of Reworked or basically I to just mean that they are Improved and such...
So yeah! See ya!