Persia and her knights had finally arrived to Alnus after hours of travel. While they came, they spotted sitting on the hill, a huge flame dragon, nearby the base of the Modern Saderans.

Persia freaked out, but saw that the dragon wasn't threatening, he was just being around, and the soldiers of the small camp were not scared.

"This is beyond my expectations, the Count did tell me the futuristic Imperial were much more advanced and powerful than us, but to tame a Flame Dragon…" she thought.

As they went past the dragon, an armored vehicle drove to her, and soldiers got out of it.

"Welcome, you must be the diplomats from Italica, we received a communication from the men in Coda you were coming." one of the soldiers said.

"Yes, we are. We came here to negotiate your military access to this land. We also discovered you're not from this world, so our leader wanted to open diplomatic relations."

"Follow us, our diplomats and politicians are in the big structure in the middle of the base"

They followed the vehicle to the building and left their horses outside it.

Persia and her followers went into the building, where they found an old woman, wearing high-class, noble looking clothing and other important looking figures wearing formal black clothing waiting for them, sitting around a table.

When she came in, they all stood up except the old woman and did a slight bow.

"Welcome, diplomat from Italica. We're the representatives of the Imperial State of Sadera, and she's the Empress and head of state of our nation, Pina De Moltusides XVII." A man said, in perfect Italican language.

Persia and her team bowed back, then sat too on the empty chairs around the table that they had prepared for them.

"It's an honor to be in the presence of a foreign Empress!"

"We know you come from another world, our Count told us about it, he also visited your world during the canceled expedition. Did you cross the Gate back into our world to come here?" Persia asked, starting the conversation.

"Actually, no, physical Gates are an obsolete technology in our world. We only took the magical coordinates from the Gate and used warping gate magic technology to come here."

"Ooh, I see, well, I'm neither an expert of magic nor technology, and we're not here to discuss about technical details. The main point is that well… this here is evidently an army, and we consider ourselves a sovereign authority, so you may understand that we don't really like an armed force of another nation crossing our borders without permission."

"We're deeply sorry for this trespassing, but we had no other choice. To start diplomatic relations, we had to set our base somewhere."

"Yeah, we're not really blaming you for that. I'm here exactly to fix this problem. By the way, we're grateful for the help with the bandits at Coda. Your armed forced are really something out of this world, 12 of them destroyed 200 bandits and made a demigod flee! No army of this world could have done such feats!"

The two parties discussed for hours, and in the end, the modern Saderans settled for the right to have a base there in exchange for official diplomatic relations with the County of Italica to be opened and have some modern amenities sent to ancient Italica, as well as the permission for Italicans to officially visit the future world through the Gate in Alnus. Of course, the modern Saderans were not aware that Count Colt I Formal already has opened a secret Gate to the modern world in an underground base of his city and was already smuggling stuff and studying it for weeks.

Eventually, that same day, the Modern Saderans left their base to start their journey to the ancient version of their own capital.

Not willing to risk losing men with failed teleportation experiments, they chose the old way of physically traveling to their destination, now feeling safer, as they now had the official safe-conduct from the Count of Italica to cross his lands to reach the capital of the Empire.

Ancient Sadera, Main Imperial Palace

There was a lonely warrior bunny girl in the room of the Imperial Prince Zorzal.

Her face was livid of rage.

"What's wrong, Tyuule?" a pig-rat looking humanoid asked her.

"You know what's wrong, Bouro. Our entire plan revolved around having the Empire embroiled in war with a foreign power from beyond the Gate. They didn't invade. Worse, according to some court rumors, they found AN EXACT COPY OF THEMSELVES beyond the Gate." The warrior bunny said, smashing her fist on a nearby desk.

"Tyuule, me and my agents from the Haryo tribe were supervising the opening of the Gate. We made sure they chose the most outlandish, strange, alien looking world to invade. We were sure they would have caused a devastating war." The pig-rat man said.

"You incompetent beast! Our plans are ruined. My plan to restore the independence of my tribe, and your plan to infiltrate the Empire to increase your power and influence, both ruined."

"Not everything is lost, Tyuule. The foreigners from beyond the Gate are just the latest addition to this chess match. We should wait to see what their move is, before despairing."

"I suppose you're right, Bouro. Let's wait then…"

Meanwhile, in another part of the palace, several noblemen were discussing among themselves.

"Voices spread fast as wildfires. There are rumors the people from the future came here and vanquished an entire bandit army with no more than 12 legionaries." A noble said.

"So, they're here. I wonder if we should send someone to meet them first or wait for them to come here." Emperor Sol Moltus said.

"Defeating bandits is not a difficult task, those vermin scatter after few casualties. Few well trained legionaries, supported by the village militia, could defeat them with ease, is not that impressive." Princess Pina Co Lada said.

"They also say they had a twin of Rory Mercury with them, and that they made the Apostle of Emroy flee, battered and bloodied with the help of this twin." The nobleman from before added.

"Peasants like to embellish stories with rumors like this. Don't make me laugh. Two Rory Mercuries fighting each other. Pfft, is ridiculous" Pina said.

"Strangely enough, I agree with my sister. This story is evidently embellished by the various travelers and people who heard it from other people and so on. They should still be in the Coda area. I'd say we send a REAL legion and organize a parade there to impress these guys and show them WHO IS THE REAL BOSS." Prince Zorzal said.

"Son." Said the Emperor

"I'm trying to do politics here, I want to have a diplomatic meeting, this is not a dick size contest"

"Real tough people make politics through the use of strength, only losers and weaklings make use of words!"

"Last year I sent you to the Warrior Bunny lands to meet their leaders. You burned down one of their villages as soon you spotted it and caused a war that resulted in thousands of lives wasted over your hunger for glory. And you were losing it until I replaced you with an actual competent general. You're the real loser, you make us lose men, money and reputation! That's what your violent bully methods brought to the Empire!" Emperor Sol Moltus shouted in anger at his son.

"This time we'll make a peaceful contact, and it will be our goal to make a good first impression. Marquis Calasta has shown me images from the future world through a device he brought back from the Gate. They have more than 2000 years of magical and technological progress over us, there would be no point in boasting our military, they wouldn't be impressed."

"Someone tell me what kind of civilizations there were two thousand years ago here before us" Sol Moltus asked.

"Two thousand years ago there was nearly nothing, only barely civilized hunter gatherer tribes." A noble said.

"Exactly. That's what we are to the people from the future. Fancy hunter gatherers. Therefore everyone, we will organize a diplomatic group to meet them. I'll send scouts to tell me where they are so we can meet them. Princess Pina Co Lada and Diabo will lead the expedition. Wear the fanciest clothing, choose the best servants and bring as many slaves as possible to pamper them!" Emperor Sol Moltus proclaimed.

Meanwhile, in Italica

Away from the city center, there was a tall wooden stage, on which various people of different species and races were kept chained.

Richly dressed men were showing off the chained people to a crowd of bystanders.

"Look at this ogre! He's strong as 100 men, he was captured during a war. With a proper magic slave sigil he would make for a fine worker or bodyguard!"

"I'll rip the head off whoever dares to buy me!" The ogre grunted.

"SHUT UP SLAVE!" the slaver shouted, hitting him with his steel tipped whip, making the ogre grunt in pain.

"We also have this beautiful young catgirl, barely 13. She was captured during a slave raid from the far-away nation of Toumaren by our brave adventurers!"

"And for the more cultured folks, we have a captured Rondelian mage, he can write, read and use basic magics!"

"Woah, the slave catgirl is really cute, I bet she would be a fine addition to my collection… heheheh…." A man said from the crowd, with lustful eyes.

"I like the ogre, he withstood the blow with ease, he's insanely strong, by using him I could force every debtor to pay me back!" another man said.

As all the people were speaking and doing comments about the slaves, a group of armed men in yellow shirts came, looking angry.

Leading the group there was a young man.

"In the name of the State and the Count, this slave auction is cancelled! Didn't you all hear yesterday's announcement?" the man said, showing a piece of paper with Count's Formal stamp on it.

The men following him were armed with crossbows and started pointing them at the slavers.

"Well, well, look who we've got here. The Count's lackeys! Do you think we have forgiven what you bastards did to one of the leaders of the Trade Guild yesterday?" The slaver on the stage said, as he saw the people in yellow shirts.

"You didn't hear? Free those slaves now, or there will be consequences."

"What kind of consequences? You mean you and your little gang of friends coming back to your dear Count with all your bones broken?" The slaver smirked, as he made sign to his guards to ready their weapons.

"The Merchant Guild dares to defy the Count's and the State's authority? I don't think so!"

"I'M A FREED SLAVE. COUNT FORMAL BOUGHT ME AND GAVE ME FREEDOM. I JOINED THE YELLOWSHIRTS TO SERVE HIM AND FREE MY FELLOW OPPRESSED BROTHERS IN SLAVERY!" A Yellowshirt militiaman shouted.

"THE COUNT WILL BRING FREEDOM AND EQUALITY WITH HIS REVOLUTIONARY IDEOLOGY! BREAK YOUR CHAINS, DESTROY YOUR MASTERS!" he shouted again.

The chained ogre looked at him, then looked at the slaver, raised his chained arms high and lounged at him, trying to smash him like a fly.

"FREEDOOOOM!" the former enslaved militiaman shouted, charging with his baton.

"WAIT, WHAT ARE YOU DOI- WHATEVER, CHARGE!" The Yellowshirt leader said, and the brawl started.

The men with the crossbows shot their volleys at the slaver's guards, who in return used battle spells to shoot back. Men fell dead from both sides.

The slaver's guards had armors and swords and maces, while the Yellowshirt militias only wore yellow uniforms and had batons, only the leader had a sword, and their only powerful weapons were the crossbows. Despite their valiant efforts and their fanatism, they were outmatched. Many strong slaves were now openly revolting, trying to help the militias, but to no avail.

Bloodied and bruised, the Yellowshirt leader took an enchanted stone from his pocket, retreated from the battle and said: "We're outnumbered and outmatched, we need support immediately, I'll not last much longer… Long live our Count!" to it.

"Huh, speaking to rocks, aren't you? Seems like the blows to your head made you mad!" An expert mercenary in the service of the slaver said, as he prepared to finish the Yellowshirt leader.

He swinged his sword at the Yellowshirt, who parried with the baton. The steel blade cut into the hardened wood. Then he took another swing, and another one, again and again, until the baton was filled with chips and cuts. After yet another swing, it broke, leaving the Yellowshirt just a wooden handle in his hand.

"Seems like your luck is finished!" The mercenary said.

"My luck may be finished, but the ideology is eternal! FOR ITALICA! AAAAARGH-" the Yellowshirt screamed in pain, as the mercenary's blade pierced his chest.

"This will teach your master his place- UHGhhhHHGH-"

The mercenary couldn't finish his sentence, as an arrow hit his head, killing him instantly, causing the other soldiers of the slavers to look to the direction from which the arrow came, and they saw a warrior bunny woman, with a crossbow in her hands, leading a platoon of armored men.

"I received a distress call from one of my men, you folks just murdered the men of the Count doing their duty. I thereby declare you enemies of the State. Soldiers, knights, destroy these vile traitors!"

The men-at-arms she was leading were professional soldiers of the army of Italica, nothing like the mercenaries and adventurers paid by the merchants. Their discipline and high-quality equipment quickly gave them the upper hand, and the slaver's men were quickly forced to rout.

The slaver and his fellow merchants, realizing their battle was lost, fled before the Count's men could capture them, retreating to the core of the Guilds-controlled territories of the city.

He called for an emergency meeting with all the major Guilds representatives that very day, to discuss what to do with the Count and his unwillingness to negotiate or bow to their power.

"First, he abolishes slavery. Then, he beats up and cripples one of our richest backers, and now he dares sending his personal militia and turn the state's army against us, to crush our business? Count Colt Formal has forgotten who really has the power here. It's us. The great Guild Masters of Italica!"

"War isn't good for business, but I agree the Count must be put to his place… his new reform spree must be stopped… I'll gladly put my adventurers to use for the Guilds, if needed." The Guild Master of the Adventurers Guild said.

The Adventurers Guild had thousands of mercenaries, fortune-seekers and adventurers obeying it, they gave people quests and missions to do in exchange for money, it was one of the biggest and most influential in the region.

"The Bankers Guild will lend its money for the cause. We will pay dissidents of the Count and fund protests against the abolishment of slavery and riots against Colt's rule." The leader of the Bankers Guild said.

"There are many lords who are probably against the abolishment of slavery, and many landowners that will be inevitably targeted and damaged by the new laws. We can contact them and establish a net of resistance against the Count. If all-out war happens, they will secede and help us overthrow him, or we could just… BRILLIANT IDEA! We could just secede and form our own nation!" The Slaver said.

"That's… that's actually a genius idea. All the Guilds should work to make this dream happen." The leader of the Adventurers Guild said.

"We need a symbol if we want to form a new state… What about Alnus? It's a holy place and is a powerful symbol for people to rally behind… Besides, most of our potential supporters and allied landowners and lords are in the southern Alnus region anyways…" The leader of the Banker Guild said.

"I therefore declare that the Federation of Guilds of Italica will now transform into the Confederate States of Alnus, CSA for short, and start the resistance against Count Colt Formal if he doesn't bow to our will!" The leader of the Slavers Guild proclaimed, grabbing a piece of paper and starting to write on it.

The document he wrote said:

"Hereby, we proclaim that the Count's actions are tyrannical and oppressive against our just activities, thus, unless our demands are met, we invoke the Right of Secession Against Tyrants of Italica's Code of Law, thus seceding from the County of Italica to form the Confederate States of Alnus"

Every Guild Master signed it.