Continent of Grameus. Base of the Demon King.
"I thought I made it clear that we would go our separate ways. Why did the Annonrial Empire send you?" The demon king and member of the Ravernal people observed the envoy from Annonrial.
"Emperor Zaratustra, upon learning that there is a pure-blooded member of the Ravernal lineage, wishes to establish a closer relationship between the empire and you." Replied the envoy, a man with silver hair and beard who appeared to be over 40 years old.
"I am not interested in joining either the Annonrial Empire or the Ravernal Empire. You won't have my crown," he said, reclining on a leather chair that served as an improvised throne.
"The emperor is willing to offer a princess so that the pure blood of Ravernal can expand, and—"
"I'll stop you there. I wouldn't deny a beauty after all the millennia I've spent confined with these things..." he said, pointing to a group of demons. "However, delving into foreign political matters doesn't seem like a good idea."
"Regardless, you'll need an ally if you want to wage war against the third civilization, sir, one that can keep Mirishial away from the continent of Philiades," responded the envoy.
"Tsk, I don't think you'll give up on this alliance idea. Tell me, why are you so eager to bring back the Ravernal Empire?" Baal sighed.
"We are their descendants, and we want to revive our glorious past and serve their," replied the Annonrial.
"Let me see if I understand... here you could be a superpower with a say in world affairs, but instead, you choose to be despised by the world, making them believe you're uncivilized barbarians, just to become... servants? This is the stupidest thing I've heard." Baal couldn't help but laugh in the messenger's face.
"Tsk... Our emperor told us that serving under the glorious Ravernal Empire will bring us glory and that we will be above all other races."
"Your emperor is a Ravernal; the only one who will benefit is him. They will probably praise him and put him in charge of overseeing other races. However, you..." Baal appeared close to the envoy in an instant, smiling. "You will only be slaves like any other inferior race."
"Lord Baal, if you truly believe that only the pure Ravernal will benefit, then why oppose their return?" asked the envoy after stepping back a bit.
"Because, unlike you or your emperor, I know what it's like to be a god."
With a slight hand movement from Baal, the envoy's body tensed completely, then began to levitate. The Annonrial wanted to speak but couldn't say anything; his vocal cords and throat muscles had also tensed, making it impossible for him to produce a sound.
"I have been worshiped by inferior races; they all feared and praised me, all begged to be blessed by me. Parties, sacrifices, anything I wanted, they did without hesitation... However, if they return, I will be just another Ravernal, no longer a god in the eyes of the inferiors. Unlike you or your emperor who want to be slaves, I have ambition, the ambition for everyone to bow before me and worship me as their new god on earth."
Saying this, the Ravernal released the envoy, causing him to fall to his knees while gasping for breath, lacking air.
"If you so desperately want to be slaves to someone, after dealing with the three civilizations, I will go to the Annonrial Empire and make you slaves too. Although I'm sure that won't bother you; it seems your mixed-race has a fetish for serving a Ravernal," he mocked a bit while reclining back in his chair.
The envoy held his neck as he regained his breath. "However... you will need our help if you want to win in Philiades; the defenses in Grameus could stop any army from the second civilization or even the central world."
"What I need are competent generals. Once I invade Philiades, the army will disperse, and I'll need capable commanders. That's why this is a good opportunity for my children to learn how to command an army."
"Children?" the confused envoy asked.
"Yes, you see... when you're locked up with those things for a long time, your standards drop a lot, and you settle for what you have," he said, shrugging.
Upon hearing that, the Annonrial's stomach churned, trying to shake off that mental image.
"Changing the subject, if I were to ally with you, what would I gain? You should have something more than promises to declare war on the entire world."
The envoy cleared his throat before speaking again, now recovered. "After discovering that you have one of the two crowns at your disposal, our archivists conducted research, and we have found information on the use of the crown during the war between the Ravernal Empire and the Dragons."
"Hmm." That caught Baal's attention; he had never encountered a dragon all this time. "How can I know that the information I find there is worth it?"
"The dragons were the only ones who had the power to oppose the Ravernal Empire. They may now be a shadow of what they once were, but if you're not careful with them, they can defeat you even with the crown."
Baal thought for a moment, snapping his fingers to summon Nosgorath, who knelt before him.
"Nosgi, tell me what you know about the dragons."
"Nosgi?" the envoy said to himself, watching the demon lord.
"I have faced wind and fire dragons before... They are tough enemies to defeat as they can absorb the magic thrown at them and use it to their advantage," explained the demon.
"So, does that mean I can't use the crown against them?"
"In theory, you can, but you would need to use extremely powerful attacks that they can't absorb and that could also harm you. The small magic you use to damage the insides of inferior beings will be useless against them. Also, if the magical attack doesn't kill or incapacitate them, they will become more dangerous."
The envoy began to swallow hard as Nosgorath told him everything.
"How powerful do they become?"
"That depends on how much magic they absorb. When the Empire attacked the dragon capital with core magic, although we eliminated most of the dragons in the powerful explosion, the surviving dragons absorbed that magic and became unstoppable... Destroying fleet after fleet, they seemed almost invincible," Nosgorath explained.
"So, how did the Crown manage to face them?" Baal asked; if those dragons were so strong and absorbed magic, the crown should be useless.
"While it was possible to defeat them through sheer magical power, it was very dangerous. However, the crown's magic allows us to control matter, so if you get creative, you can find a way to defeat them. Unfortunately, I wasn't present in the battle between a dragon and a crown bearer to know exactly what they did."
"Hmm... Knowing what they did could be good, but I'm still not convinced about forming an alliance with Anonrial," he said, contemplating.
"If you need generals, we can send a military mission to train your... children in the basics," suggested the envoy.
Baal remained silent for a few moments, thinking
about the proposal. "According to my scouts, a group of enemies is heading to one of my son's headquarters. If he manages to defeat them, I'll know that my plan is working, and I'll reject your proposal. However, if he is defeated, then I will accept entering this temporary alliance."
Continental crossing, Grameus, hours before.
Prince Joshua, Hannes, and Miller, commander of the Muans' volunteer forces, were at the main fort, studying a rough map of the area.
"We believe we've found where one of the demon generals is hiding," said the prince, pointing to Sonsfork Hill on the map.
"Demon general?" Hannes inquired.
"Much stronger, smarter, and capable of using powerful magic. They also have a personal guard made up of demons more powerful than the average," replied Miller.
"And those who organize the demonic hordes for attack. If we manage to kill him, it means the demon attacks will stop for a while as they try to reorganize. This will allow us to advance further into Grameus and secure better defensive positions."
"It seems like you've faced these generals before," the Gra Valkian remarked.
"Of course, initially, the generals participated in the attacks alongside the other demons. It was tough at first, but once international support arrived in the form of heavy machine guns, artillery, and large bombards, it became easy to face them. Now, they don't engage in combat and stay behind the firing line unless it's a large-scale attack where their presence would be vital for victory," Joshua explained to Hannes.
"I understand. The demon generals used to fight shoulder to shoulder with their troops, like generals of the past. Now, they're doing desk work like modern generals," the Gra Valkian observed, seeing how these demons were gradually adapting to a more modern war.
"And, of course, if we want to continue expanding our line of forts and trenches and if we want them to stop attacking us for a couple of weeks, then we must go out and find them," added the Muan commander.
"But wouldn't going out now be suicide? We recently repelled a major offensive and are exhausted," Hannes questioned.
"On the contrary, the demons are currently disorganized, and it will take a couple of days for them to regroup. We'll face opposition, but it will be disordered and without coordination. If we let them recover, launching an offensive against thousands of them out there will be impossible for us," explained the prince.
Hannes fell silent for a moment. His presence there meant they would ask him and his men to team up with the Muans to go after the demon general.
"This is crap. My unit has suffered multiple casualties to the point where it's on the verge of disappearing, and now they want to send us out... Teaming up with the Muans of all volunteer corps! Out of all the volunteer bodies here, we have to team up with those lunatics!" Hannes wanted to shout, but he couldn't. After all, he was sent not only to fight demons but also to gather information. He couldn't refuse an opportunity to learn about demon generals or see firsthand how Mu soldiers fought.
"When do we depart?" he said resignedly.
"We need to be ready in a couple of hours."
When those couple of hours had passed, a convoy of 20 trucks carrying 40mm anti-aircraft artillery guns gathered. These trucks had a 50 horsepower engine and could travel at 24 kilometers per hour, in earth stadards these trucks are equivalentes of the trucks in ww1.
These trucks had been brought by the Muans, who also brought their own mechanized "armor," which were armored vehicles. There were six of these vehicles, with four equipped with an 8mm machine gun and the remaining two with a 37mm cannon.
In this operation, 200 Gra Valkian soldiers, 500 Muans, and around 320 members of the Order of Defense of Humanity would participate.
Soldiers who couldn't board the trucks were given horses to keep up with the vehicles and also serve as an escort. This way, the spearhead advanced into demon territory.
"So, Your Highness, do you plan to join us?" Hannes asked as he trotted on his horse, observing how Prince Joshua and his men, dressed in their antiquated black uniforms, accompanied the advancing column, creating a contrast with the other soldiers.
"I wouldn't miss a fight against a demon general for anything in the world. Staying in the fort, organizing troops, and coordinating reinforcements at various points on the front line is exhausting. I need something more exciting," the prince responded.
"Why didn't you bring those super soldiers from Magikaraich with us? With them, we surely wouldn't have any problems defeating that general," Hannes asked curiously.
"They wouldn't have been much help. The alloy their armor is made of is weak against magic, and demon generals are usually quite powerful in that regard."
This caught Hannes's attention, something the Empire's high command would surely want to know. "So, they are vulnerable to magical countries? That would make them weak against many nations."
"Haha, not exactly. Their armor is vulnerable to pure magic, but most magical weapons from the second and third civilization use magic to propel a lead projectile. If the projectile were pure magic, like Magikaraich's or Mirishial's weapons, then they would indeed have a serious problem," he explained, seemingly unconcerned about potentially revealing too much. However, it seemed he no longer cared about the kind of conflicts that could happen outside; he was only interested in continuing to fight demons. After all, he couldn't leave this cursed continent. "The only ones capable of a clear victory against them are Mirishial and Emor, maybe Parlpadia if they've implemented that explosive magic ammunition spell I invented and how much their spells have developed. On the other hand, neither Mu nor Leifor could kill one unless they use a damn howitzer against each of them."
"So, a nation without magical power can defeat them if they have enough firepower," Hannes pondered. However, Prince Joshua chuckled lightly.
"Good luck if you think those knights are all they have."
"Well, you said Parlpadia could defeat them, and with all due respect, I think Gra Valkas is more powerful than them," Hannes said in a playful tone. The former Parlpadian prince seemed to enjoy discussing the potential of countries with other volunteers.
"I meant in a one-on-one combat with a Parlpadian shooting their explosive bullet first, not in a war where you bring heavy artillery." He laughed lightly while looking ahead, trying to spot any demons nearby.
"And what about the Muans? They say they're a mechanical and technological nation, but how could they survive eating demon flesh if not for magic?"
"To be precise, they can use magic as they have assimilated a significant population that could, but their government simply isn't interested in improving in the field of magic. But you might come across some decent Mu mages. However... It's true that this ability is strange and unsettling. No one dares to ask them as it's probably a state secret or something." With that, the prince took a telescope to observe something that had caught his attention. "We have a Behemoth with some demons ahead, and..." Looking in another direction to see if they were going to be flanked, he soon noticed a hill that could conceal some demons. "Probably an ambush from the east."
"Will the armored vehicle cannons be able to penetrate the Behemoth's armor?" Hannes asked.
"I'm not sure, but they could be damaged if we let it get too close. Hannes, you stay to defend the Muan truck convoy while the rest of us and the Order will take care of that Behemoth." Prince Joshua ordered, then spurred his horse to accelerate, and soon the rest of his men followed.
"Wait! How are you going to pierce the armored hide?!" Hannes shouted, but the Parlpadian prince and his men charged at the Behemoth. "Tsk... Everyone, halt! Prepare for an ambush!" He said, stopping his horse to take the rifle on his back. Everyone did the same. The Muans who were on the trucks soon got down with their weapons and machine guns, positioning themselves to shoot. The armored vehicles also turned their machine guns and cannons in the direction of the supposed threat.
Sooner than later, from behind the hill, a group of demons mounted on... some kind of creature with ostrich legs, human torso, reptilian arms, and a pig's head, abominations created by the experiments of the ancient Ravernal Empire, began to advance.
Although these aberrations were quite fast, around 70 km/h, the burst of long-range shots from Gra Valkian and Muan rifles caused massive casualties. Things got worse when the two 37mm cannons started tearing demons apart, making them fly into pieces.
If it had been a large horde like they were used to, the situation would have been very different. However, this attack had no more than 400 mounted riders who hadn't managed to catch the convoy by surprise.
The demons that hadn't died writhed in pain on the ground, groaning in agony that resembled the roars of a lion.
While the Muans and Gra Valkians easily swept through this group of demons, Prince Joshua's group dodged a series of rocks thrown by the Behemoth, which used its tongue to grab the boulders and throw them at the cavalry.
"Now!"
The prince exclaimed once they reached 150 meters; soon all the Order riders split to flank the beast and the demons protecting it, each creating a magical illusion of themselves continuing to advance straight ahead.
The monster, falling into the trap, continued throwing stones towards the front, attacking the illusions, while the royal cavalry had already made contact with the rest of the demonic troops.
Prince Joshua used his saber to behead a demon threatening to attack him while his horse continued to advance. The same was the case with his men, who cut with their sabers or impaled with their lances anyone in their way. One of the knights had pierced one through the chest with a lance, and when he lifted the lance, the demon hung there as blood dripped down the lance pole. The demons had been demolished by the cavalry charge.
Soon, only they and the great armored beast remained. Spears, pistols, and sabers couldn't cut or penetrate that thick skin. However, they didn't retreat; they surrounded the monster, continuously using illusions to avoid certain death and trying to attack its eyes. Meanwhile, others were casting a spell and throwing it at the monster, although the effect didn't seem visible to the naked eye.
"Hmm... The more nervous this beast is, the more erratic and dangerous it will become, just like a cornered animal. If we damage an eye, it might be more difficult to kill," the prince contemplated.
Taking his saber with his right hand, he grabbed the blade from the engraved side, said some words quietly, and then swiftly ran his hand along the entire blade, as if his hand were the sheath of the sword. Instead of the blade being stained with the red of his blood, it was painted with a different type of red, a vivid red as if the sword had just been forged.
Then, with another small phrase spoken quietly, he let go of the sword; however, it didn't fall to the ground but remained floating in the air. In an instant, the sword shot towards the creature, but it didn't aim for the heavy armor on its back or legs, nor did it go for the head. The sword traveled close to the ground and then, once under the monster, ascended and pierced the monster's unarmored stomach. The 90cm of the saber pierced that tough skin, which was quite hard but thanks to the temperature of the 1200ºC sword that cut through the monster like butter.
The monster let out a loud scream of pain that would leave anyone who heard it stunned. Even the Gra Valkians and Muans who were far away would have to cover their ears, but the members of the Order were prepared for that; the spell they cast on the behemoth was a silencing spell, so even if the behemoth screamed, no one could hear it.
Quickly, Joshua, moving a finger of his left hand, made his saber move across the creature's stomach, opening it up and causing its entrails and vital organs to fall to the ground. The stench released by the creature as it fell and crushed its own organs was unbearable; everyone instinctively covered their noses.
"Ugh! Let's get back to the convoy," said the exiled prince as he took the sheath of his sword, and the sword returned by itself to it. Once it entered, a sound like hot metal being plunged into cold water could be heard; then everyone returned to the convoy to continue their march.
"How... how did you do that?" Hannes asked, seeing how they defeated that armored monster without the need for artillery.
"A high-temperature saber is always better for cutting," he responded, smiling proudly.
"But... wouldn't using a red-hot sword cause it to deform? That sword shouldn't be usable anymore!" The Gra Valkian couldn't understand how that weapon continued to fit into its sheath.
The prince simply sighed, seeming somewhat disappointed that the Gra Valkian hadn't grasped how. "Magic, Sergeant Hannes. I've inscribed who knows how many runes and glyphs of resistance to this sword to prevent it from deforming from heat or breaking when it cools too quickly."
"Incredible... We didn't see any kind of magic similar to what you use when we fought against Charcas and his vassals."
"Well, that's obvious. They weren't Parlpadians," he said, laughing.
"Well, if all Parlpadians could do that, then they wouldn't have had so many problems with Altaras and Fenn," he said, smiling. The news of what was happening in the world also reached them.
"Good point. It's true that not everyone can control things with their minds. However, I must ask you something. Did you send your best troops against the uncivilized countries you encountered?"
"No, sir, a small number of soldiers, obsolete tanks, and planes were more than enough to deal with most of those countries."
"Exactly, although I admit that the fleet sent to Altaras was not precisely obsolete in terms of the third civilization, nor was it our most modern fleet or with the best-trained sailors. The same goes for the soldiers sent to Fenn; they were all recruits who had barely finished their training."
"Well, those are quite a lot of recruits, to be honest. They are entire armies, after all."
"That's what happens when you have to cover a large territory. If you try to train and equip everyone to be experts, you'll simply go bankrupt. That's a truth even for the most militarized countries."
Esthirant, Parlpadian Empire.
"What?! Intensive magic training for 2 million soldiers? Equip all our Wyvern forces, even the common ones, with ancestral magic alloy armor?" Mewri exclaimed upon seeing Prince Augus's plan for the defense of the Empire. "If we do all this, the empire will go bankrupt!"
"However, it may be necessary in case Leifor and Gra Valkas intervene," said Inos from the Strategy Department. "Even if we use the emperor's fleet, there's no way to prevent them from landing, so maybe we could get the money by dismantling part of the fleet."
"Dismantling the fleet won't give us enough money to cover all this," replied Parso from the same department as Inos.
"But we need more money than what Prince Augus claims," responded Arde. "With the change in doctrine to abandon battles in formations, we'll need to retrain the entire army from scratch, and that will be very costly."
"I can request the Mu embassy to send us a military mission to teach our troops their tactics," Kaios suggested.
Emperor Ludius listened attentively to the exchange until he spoke. "In case we need funds, we can confiscate them from wealthy merchants and traders."
Upon hearing that, the finance minister almost shouted at the emperor, but he managed to hold back in time. He looked at everyone to see if anyone would object; no one said anything and seemed to agree.
"What can I expect from ignorant nobles?" Mewri muttered to himself before daring to raise an objection.
"Your Majesty, allow me the audacity, but I consider that a bad idea. Our maritime trade will be severely damaged, and the merchants and traders will be necessary for us to obtain products from the second civilization that come through other countries of the third civilization, such as Marl or Riem. If we confiscate their wealth, then we won't have intermediaries with the traders of the countries of the third civilization, and it will be easier for the enemy to isolate us by applying pressure to our neighbors. We need independent merchants and traders if we don't want scarcity to be too great," explained the finance minister. To his relief, the Emperor seemed to ponder what he had said.
"Your advice is wise, Mewri," said Ludius. "However, we need to get that money from somewhere."
"I have an idea," said Prince Augus, drawing everyone's attention. "In Torquia, like Mu, the state has sold many companies or lands to these wealthy people in exchange for a large sum so that they don't have to take care of maintenance."
"I think I've heard of something like that; I think the Muans call it privatization," said Elt as she reviewed some notes about the Muans. "Private entities, not the state, are in charge of resource extraction or services, such as providing drinking water to cities, as well as expanding and investing, providing jobs to the local population."
"That's it! Privatizations. What do you think of that, Mr. Mewri?" Augus asked.
"Your Highness, it is true that many of our strategic companies are in deficit. The railways had a deficit last quarter of thirty thousand ounces of gold. If we privatize them, not only will we make good money, but we will also get rid of a black hole that absorbs our funds."
"One moment, we can't sell our railways. They won't accept losing so much money, so it's more than clear that they will close multiple branches that would be vital for our troops during the war," said Arde, after all, the railway was what kept the Empire communicated, and even if it was deficitary, it was vital for the Empire's survival.
"I agree with the army chief," said Elt. "There's no way anyone in Parlpadia can afford to pay a fortune for the railways and then spend a fortune on maintenance without any profit. Maybe we can privatize other services, but they wouldn't give us the money we need."
"If we are talking about buyers in Parlpadia." Kaios spoke, making all eyes turn to him.
The emperor looked at him for a moment quite seriously.
"No, we're not going to sell the railway network to Mu." The emperor said quite seriously.
"But, Your Majesty, Muan entrepreneurs are the only ones who can afford to pay and maintain the railway network without the risk of going bankrupt. And beside they need us to win against Leifor."
"Doing that is very dangerous; it would be compromising the sovereignty of the Empire too much." Augus said, although he had proposed privatizations, he knew perfectly well that giving the backbone of the Empire to foreigners was madness.
"Our sovereignty is at risk if we don't get that money to modernize our army."
Although what Kaios had said was scandalous, the truth was that it made sense. The threat of war against a superpower and several equivalents to civilized nations was real, and they were desperate for funds. Although Emperor Ludius had refused at first, he couldn't ignore what Kaios had said.
"I think I have a solution," said Mawri, once again drawing everyone's attention. "The Parlpadian Railway doesn't have to be bought by one or a few ultra-rich individuals; we can sell multiple sections to various merchants, traders, and bourgeois in the empire. For example, we sell the train from Esthirant to Duro to one, the one from Duro to Camarca to another, and so on with each section. That way, private individuals won't have to face a massive deficit burden after paying a huge fortune. Of course, there will inevitably be sections that will close, but it won't be as severe as in the case of one person having all that deficit. We also won't jeopardize our sovereignty as in the case of selling it to the Muans... Speaking of the Muans, what we can sell to them are the oil wells in the southeast. We don't use that resource, so it wouldn't be a blow to us, and they would surely pay very well for them since they need more and more oil as they expand their armed forces."
"In that case, wouldn't it be more convenient for us to extract and sell them that oil?" Ludius asked.
"If we had the funds, the technique, and machinery to extract the oil ourselves, then yes. However, we would have to make a huge investment to be able to extract it, and it will be a long time before we can sell it," explained the finance minister.
"Hmph, fine. Then go ahead with that privatization plan."
Airbase outside Esthirant.
Prince August arrived at the airbase on the Wind Dragon, this dragoness landed, surprising everyone by wearing a shining, almost golden armor that gleamed and dazzled everyone. This armor covered not only the back and head but also the abdomen, part of the legs, and some light plates on the upper part of the wings.
Despite how ostentatious and flashy the armor was, his arrival took everyone by surprise except those in the control tower who had detected him thanks to the magic radar. This was possible because the prince used illusion magic to camouflage his arrival; if someone had looked at the sky, it would have been very difficult to detect him as anything other than a large bird like a pelican or an eagle.
"All right, everyone! I was told that the unit that fought against the Argentines is here. I want everyone who participated in the battle to come with their Wyverns to the runway in 15 minutes," said the prince. After 15 minutes, the survivors of the battle were in line, and right behind them were their Wyverns. Everyone was standing firm, even the Wyverns were upright.
"8 survivors out of 20," the prince murmured, then continued. "Knights of the Empire! You are the only ones with real experience against the Argentines. Not only did you uphold the honor of the Empire by setting one of their iron ships on fire, but you also provided vital information about Argentine capabilities. As such, you will be the first to receive ancestral magic alloy armor and will have the ability to join me as my new air guard!"
Upon hearing that, everyone was surprised and completely astonished.
"B-but Your Highness! We are riders of the subjugation army; we don't deserve such an honor to equip our Wyverns with the equipment that only Wyvern overlords are allowed to use," said the captain, who was sweating quite nervously.
"From now on, that armor," the prince said, pointing to the Wind Dragon's armor. "Will be standard for everyone."
"Your Highness, our Wyverns won't be able to keep up with a Wind Dragon. Only Wyvern overlords could barely keep up!" one exclaimed.
"In that case, if you accept joining my unit, you will be allowed to use a Wyvern overlord," the prince replied.
This left everyone silent; no one dared to say a word until one stepped forward.
"I must decline the offer, Your Highness," responded a young rider.
Augus walked toward him, looking surprised. "And why? If I may ask."
The young man looked at his Wyvern for a moment, which had a mark on its hind leg from Argentine machine gun fire during its attack.
"I've been in the flight academy since I was a child, and I took care of Mauler from the time he learned to fly until now. We went through many moments together, from graduation, ravaging Wyverns from barbaric countries, fighting against demon generals in Grameus, and even surviving that Argentine iron ship and being one of the few to set them on fire and come back to tell the tale. Mauler is a friend, and I can't replace him with another Wyvern even if it's an overlord that will fight by your side," he replied firmly.
Prince Augus didn't seem upset; on the contrary, he seemed satisfied with the answer. "What is your name?"
"Gerard, Your Highness."
"Very well, Gerard, it seems I will have to allow you to join my unit with your Wyverns."
"You were right; Parlpadian society is suitable for the word of the Dragon God to prosper in their hearts." It was something only the prince could hear in his head as he flew back to the palace.
"I told you, Alina, Wyverns and dragons are highly respected in our society, so the faith of the Dragon God will be able to prosper... It's a shame not to receive help from Emor; it seems that the people of Gahara had the idea of showing the truth to the Argentines, like we plan to do here."
"I admire that my Gahara brothers think like us; if we are lucky, we will be able to make the true word spread faster."
"Or maybe the efforts on both sides are counterproductive. After all, it would make dragons look like they want to take advantage of the situation."
"That's why it's urgent to make Argentina and Parlpadia sign peace as soon as possible. Although combat is inevitable, we hope to be able to reduce the number of casualties to a minimum so that there is no feeling of resentment between them."
"The problem is my uncle Ludius; I don't know how willing he is to make peace with Argentina after... that speech insulting the empire."
"Don't remind me..."
And so, both returned to the palace.