Chapter 1

Alnus Hill, Special Region

"Lieutenant Itami," Lieutenant Yaginada said as he leaned on the door into the common office space of Itami and his fellow JSDF lieutenants who'd walked in with his winter uniform on, "Have I got some news for you."

"Yaginada…" Itami grumbled as he kept tapping at his phone, not looking up at him as he kept playing a new mobile fantasy game, fighting the cold against his fingers as the office heater just wasn't quite up to the job as the Special Region was in the midst of a fairly chilly late stretch to winter, "What's got you in such a mood?"

"News from a friend of mine in the government when I was on leave back in Tokyo. The new Prime Minister and the Cabinet will be extending limited offers to our strategic allies to let them send through teams to the Special Region."

"What? Why are we doing that?" Itami said, not taking his eyes off his phone but his tone intrigued as Yaginada stepped in and leaned against the desk next to Itami.

"If you had paid any attention to the election you would have known that the new government's main platform was on rapidly getting some form of return on the investment put into the Special Region and to strengthen Japan's relationships with its economic and security partners. While the whole…episode with your friends at Hakone is still classified the Americans and our own government clearly want to move past it seeing as the Chinese and Russians are not so eager to make a rapprochement."

"Reappro-what? What's with the official storylines here? Just say what you came to say already!" Itami groaned as Yaginada simply chuckled in reply.

"Congratulations, you're getting Recon Three back, but you and the other Recon teams will be receiving new orders, your jobs will be to accompany some foreign teams who will be arriving in the Special Region in approximately a week."

"What?!" Itami said as he stumbled with his words to reply and dropped his phone which bounced under his desk and he scrambled to grab it and pause his game but in the process of doing so he bonked his head against the underside of his desk, rattling its contents slightly as he groaned in discomfort and got back up into his chair and looked at his phone while rubbing his head, but realized the delay was enough that his avatar had died in his battle, having missed the keystrokes needed to remain alive, "Aww man…"

"Same as ever I see," Yaginada shook his head and adjusted his glasses, "Just do us all a favor please? Don't embarrass us in front of Japan's most important allies?"

"So what's the story with the Cabinet anyway? Since when did they want to bring in foreign militaries into the Special Region?" Itami rubbed the back of his head.

"The government has invested hundreds of millions into the Special Region thus far, and has only reaped a harvest of blood and ill will amongst our allies and only further angered our adversaries. My friend in the Foreign Ministry said that the plan is to sell the rights to extract resources to companies, Japanese and foreign alike, and any exports of said resources from Japanese soil will be taxed as would any other export. Hopefully, any raw materials will find their ways into Japanese industrial firms and help secure jobs for our people. Further resource exploration is to be discussed at a later date of course."

"Funny how that works isn't it?" Itami grumbled as he sat back down.

"In the meantime, we'll be sewing our first crops from Japan here in the Special Region come spring. The scientists from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries were impressed with their results and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism has completed its requisite inspections of the lands chosen for farming to commence. You recall how we've been building roads across the area and setting up power generation infrastructure, yes? It's all for the furthering of phase one, basic agriculture and livestock rearing."

"So things are looking up aren't they?" Itami rolled his eyes, "When will tourists begin to show up?"

"In a month actually, a new company contracted by the government will operate two-decker busses that will take tourists from Ginza through the Gate and then transport them through Alnus Hill and then perhaps to Italica, it is certain to bring in enough money to turn a profit. Or else how do you expect the government to keep paying for your otaku life?"

"Like it always has I guess," Itami chuckled in reply.

"Seriously now," Yaginada replied, tone shifting, "You and your team will be sent to qualify with the new Type-20 assault rifles and Minimi's if they haven't already, the Defense Ministry's finally given permission to upgrade some of our basic equipment to more modern standards. There's even preparations for getting your team some new vehicles."

"New vehicles?" Itami scoffed.

"We're receiving a refit to the Recon Team motor pool. The new outfit will be two Komatsu LAV's with fifty cals, a Toyota HMV, and an Isuzu Type-73 Heavy Truck. You are intended to be heading further into the land than previously and to stay out for longer while being the JSDF's main diplomats to improve relationships through trade and charity. Plus some drones for aerial recon."

"Finally, some real support," Itami nodded.

"Can't have our own allies making us look antiquated in front of the locals which we've invested so much time into fostering relationships based upon their perception of our strength."

"Yeah, I think we all noticed that when the old Type-74's had finally been replaced with Type-90's."

"Indeed, we must prepare for the fact that the Americans in particular will be trying to one-up us whenever they can. We learned the unit that they intend to dispatch, a battalion plus helicopter detachment from the 101st Airborne and a battalion of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment, a Stryker unit. Plus, some assorted engineering and sustainment units and a few long-range drones for support."

"No tanks huh? I guess we're looking at what, around two thousand Americans then?"

"Plus a few companies of Australians, British, French, and a Korean battalion."

"Anyone else we should expect?" Itami arched an eyebrow at the unique revelation and odd about-face of the various governments' willingness to play nice after the recent and hotly-contested election here in Japan and elsewhere.

"That'll about do it, you and your team will be with a squad of Americans, probably from the 101st. Your new orders…" Yanigada looked at his watch and lifted his finger, "Should be arriving…now."

Itami's phone then beeped at the other junior officer's cue, and Itami looked over his shoulder at his colleague with a scowl, groaning under his breath. He picked up the phone.

"Lieutenant Itami speaking," he said quickly and listened, "Yes sir…yes sir, I'll be there at once," he said and hung up the phone and pressed both hands to his face, "Why can't I have just a single day to myself? Is that too much to ask?"

"Not in the Self Defense Forces."

Shino Kuribayashi had just gotten back from leave, and had managed to get a couple of dates, although as per usual the guys she'd met on her dates had been less than impressive and none had even gotten to lay hands on her in anything except a dojo and promptly lose. While meeting her sister for drinks was nice, visiting her parents was less than pleasant. As usual, the first question that left their mouths was 'Have you met a man yet?', 'Why not?', 'Will you be staying the defense force?', and 'Why?'. This conversation was a circular firing squad of nonproductive blabbering. It was almost a relief to get back to the Special Region, a place she'd come to know quite well.

Although there was change in the air. The batch of troops who'd left on leave had to turn in their older model vests and helmets and their Type-64 Rifles and associated kit. They'd then been reissued with the newer Type-20 Rifles and its associated kit and bayonet, a fresh production run set of the JGSDF's newly-adopted Type-18 vests, and FAST Ballistic Helmets with active noise dampening headsets with the helmets and vests having the new Type-4 pattern upon them. While she was stoked to be getting the FAST helmet in particular, a piece of kit normally reserved for the special forces, there was still the sour note of having achieved none of her own personal goals. Namely, she was returning to the Special Region still single.

Flopping onto her bed in the two-person room in the barracks she shared with her fellow sergeant first class, Mari Kurokawa, she was in a foul mood as her teammate walked in with her new kit in hands as she too had returned from Ginza with the same new issued kit plus a medic patch on her helmet.

"Hello, Kuribayashi," Kurokawa said as she walked in, putting her stuff on her bed and then opened her locker, to start stowing her gear.

"Mmm…" Kuribayashi grumbled into her pillow, which Kurokawa noted. Her friend wasn't one to be this downer normally, except for one other reason.

"Oh dear, bad luck dating again huh?" Kurokawa sighed, trying to offer some sympathy.

"Mhmm…" Kuribayashi nodded into her pillow.

"Did you meet Sato?" Kurokawa asked, cocking her head, wondering if her friend had gone on the date with her brother's friend, which elicited a nod from the shorter brunette.

"And a friend of my sister's boyfriend, worthless, all of them," Kuribayashi lifted her head, resting her chin on her crossed forearms, "Is it too much to ask for a guy who's nice, caring, and cute and can match me in a fight to be willing to at least date me?"

"Well seeing as you've graduated in the top ten of almost every Self-Defense Force Martial Arts class and win most competitions you take part in…maybe it is a little much?" Kurokawa sat down on her bed, leaning back as she calmly settled into the conversation.

"Look," Kuribayashi turned over onto her back, "I know there's a guy out there for me, it's just…getting kinda hard to keep looking for him is all."

"I'm glad you're still not giving up," she replied.

"What about you? Get any dates on your leave?"

"No…well, nothing official anyway, but I sorta reunited with a guy from school when I visited home. I…think there's a chance."

"Lucky you, oh! I just remembered, did you get our patches?" Kuribayashi then sat up and swung her legs out and remembered her and Kurokawa's little idea to add a touch of personal flair to their uniforms.

"I did, thank you for the reminder," she said and reached into her backpack, and pulled out six plastic-wrapped velcro patches. Each was maroon in color, with the sigil of the knights of the Order of the Rose. Princess Piña Co Lada had knighted both young JGSDF women as honorary members, and so they each got a picture of the flag of the Order to which they were now members, and had patches made to match the gifted flag which hung in their shared dorm with their likewise gifted swords over their beds on the wall plus a pair of very nice horses that had been gifted alongside a number of other such animals for the JSDF's use, "Three for each of us."

"I'm definitely putting one of these on my helmet," Kuribayashi said excitedly as she was handed her three patches.

"Same," Kurokawa agreed as the two did as declared while her shorter colleague likewise put the second on her new vest and the third she placed in her locker, taped to the inside of the door along with a few pictures of her and her sister and her family with her at her graduation ceremony from basic training, "You hear about the rumors?"

"Rumors?" Kuribayashi inquired.

"About the government opening land purchases around Alnus Hill to various agriculture corporations and the government is willing to subsidize people moving out here to let them work plots for farming."

"Really? How much land is the government going to farm? I saw that contractors were out in the fields around Alnus Hill the other day, doing something, not sure what it was," Kuribayashi curiously asked, "They were out there all day and went for miles around with trucks."

"I was hearing the Ministry of Agriculture was going to start farming a lot of land when spring came, mostly in the valley around the base and around the airfield."

"If they could raise some Wagyu for us to get some of, that would be great!" Kuribayashi fantasized about the possibility of a locally-raised delicacy such as beef with a watery mouth.

"I'm sure it would be," Kurobawa giggled at the notion as she sat back down and raised her chin as she closed her eyes, "I'm from a small farming town. So I can just see this valley being lush and full of crops like rice in the hills, sweet potato, daikon, sugar beets, and wheat in the valley floor, and roads lined with cherry, apple, peach, and pear orchards. And farm houses with vegetable gardens, raising chickens, ducks, pigs, and pastures with cows grazing in the sun."

"Sounds great doesn't it?" Kuribayashi sighed, visualizing such a sight herself and smiling at the notion.

"It would offer people like my brothers an opportunity we don't get back home, the ability to own their own land and build a new home."

"You really think the government would let people settle in the Special Region?" Kuribayashi asked.

"I hope so, otherwise, what purpose would us being here serve our country? All of those lives we've taken? Did we just come here only to leave with nothing to show except a body count?" Kurokawa narrowed her eyes, having to think pragmatically, "You know I don't like killing. I'm not a fighter like you are, Kuribayashi, I want to get my medical certificate and open my own practice some day. I like to help people, it's why I joined the SDF. And…I like it out here, I've been thinking that maybe, one day, settlers out here could use a doctor's office."

"You've really done that for the people here. And you'd do well for yourself here, if the Gate were to close tomorrow leaving us here, I don't think you'd ever go hungry with all the people who owe you so much," Kuribayashi responded kindly, paying Kurokawa as good a compliment as she could, "Me, I'm just a weapon," she chuckled, tapping her fists together proudly.

"You know you're more than that, you're a good friend."

"Oh…don't get all soft on me," Kuribayashi laughed, causing Kurokawa to do likewise.

At the bar in Alnus, Rory Mercury was in the bar with Myuute, the green-feathered siren, enjoying some ale while they were on their break from their normal patrol around the town. Things had been very quiet since winter had arrived. The campaigning season had ended with the arrival of the first snows after the harvest and the Empire, now split into three factions, was still trying reform and rebuild itself from the sheer bloody beating it and its vassals had received a year ago at Alnus Hill and then at the capital itself.

Prince Zorzal had fled out to the Northeast and Prince Diablo had made his way south. But the JSDF's reach failed to find Zorzal once he made it to the mountains and the variety of cities which had sworn allegiance to him. There, in isolation at least, and wisened by the pain of repeated defeat the former crown prince was apparently sitting tight and consolidating political and economic power. Rory knew that those men in the Empire's east were battle-hardened and martial in their character. They were never going to be swayed to join Princess Piña, theirs were the old ways, where a man's respect was counted only as far as he could hold his own in a fight. But the same could be said for their women, although it was certainly not what any would call equal rights. She'd had to put more than a few arrogant nobles and commonfolk men in their place in the East from time to time, often that place being sent to the afterlife. Rory also knew that they were powerful, great walled cities situated along the coasts benefitting from ample rainfalls and wide meadows and fields meant that Zorzal controlled much of the exotic goods and the greater part of the supply of food to the central part of the Empire. The powerful client human kingdoms and princedoms and the powerful and numerous Dwarven city states, Centaur dukedoms, Volralden tribes, and Giant clans on the coast were loyal Imperial trade partners who'd been brought into the Empire not through conflict but through able diplomacy and lucrative trade deals. But great wizards were present in those lands, although Rory was uncertain whether they were political enough to take sides in the Empire's coming civil war. She hoped not, some she'd called friend at one point or another.

The wild card of the three factions was without doubt the middle royal child, Prince Diabo, who had made for the eastern and then southern reaches of the Empire, negotiating and wooing various small powers for their aid in fighting back the JSDF. He had not declared open conflict, and nor had he made any moves against them. However, Diabo had lifted a new green banner, and was now declared as the Green Faction. He'd clearly built a coalition from the southern Imperial colonies to the Eastern desert human kingdoms and the southern Dwarven city states and various Amazon, Cat-People, and Siren island tribes. But among the assets Diabo possessed was the greater part of powerful Imperial Navy, who'd sided with him. The great balance of this fleet now prowled the seas, presenting a menace to Piña's White Faction. Like everywhere else, Rory knew this to be a potent opponent for her friend's very young rule over Sadera and the central territories of the Empire. But, one thing Diablo did not have was any support from the Imperial Senate.

Fortunately, that was one thing Piña had in spades, the vast majority of the Senate and her father for support. But the patronage of Japan was what kept her and her people from starving through the winter. Grain and flour and produce and meat had been shipped from the other side, some of the supplies that were sent were not entirely from Japan itself, rather, they had been sent from other nations from the other side of the Gate. A few representatives of those nations were said to be on their way in the form of teams and military forces sent for the purpose of securing potential commercial interests and exploration. The Princess was on her way here, to meet with the Japanese leadership on the subject of officially welcoming them to the Special Region, because she knew that her people needed all the help they could get to restore the stability of their Empire.

"So, Rory, you went to the other side of the Gate," Myuute asked as she downed her third pint, "What do you know about these others that're coming?"

"Hmm?" Rory looked back at her from the window, her chin in her hand.

"The others? The other soldiers?" Myuute deadpanned, her buzz showing through with some irritation at what she perceived as Rory ignoring her.

"Oh, them, yes…nothing much, I heard from one of Itami's meetings that they were supposed to be among Japan's allies on the other side of the Gate. But my dear Itami hasn't said much else to me about it I'm afraid," she said and clenched her hand, "And not being told things really ticks me off."

She put her copper mug down, and Myuute visually gulped at the sight of the fact Rory had managed to leave the imprint of her fingers and thumb into the metal.

"Any idea why Itami and…really all of the JSDF are so secretive about all this?" Myuute asked quietly as she leaned forward on the table with both elbows on the table, her own mind having reached a somewhat worrying conclusion, "I mean, we're going to meet these new people anyway, why not tell us at least a bit about them?"

"Not sure to be honest," Rory noted, able to read between the lines of the dynamics of the other worlds' nations based upon her own admittedly limited experience, "But I know from what I saw that the existence of the Gate in Japan itself has the entirety of the world on the other side very intrigued with the possibility of seeing what it could offer their nations."

"So do they…want gold, or trade, or territory, or…" Myuute then blushed, "Women?"

"Oh don't be absurd, they're not like that," Rory laughed and then turned away, "Maybe…"

"Maybe?! What do you mean maybe?!" Myuute said in an alcohol-induced fright.

At this point, the galloping of a couple dozen horses' hooves reached their ears as the sight of the new white banner of the White Faction came around the corner and into the view of the two girls. At the head was Princess Piña Co Lada with her knights behind her in escort. The horses kicked up mud and snow as they galloped over to the bar and skidded over to halt in front. The ladies on horseback and the royal guards knights with them dismounted, eager to find their way inside to warmth and get some hot food and strong ale.

"Oh here she is," Rory noted as the princess walked in, and waved over, "Piña! Yoohoo!"

The pretty tired Piña saw Rory and smiled softly as she removed her white cloak and walked over.

"Oracle," she bowed and Rory scooted over to allow her to sit.

"Welcome back to Alnus," the Goth Lolita bid her.

"Have a nice trip your highness?" Hyuute asked in a friendly tone.

"Tiring and cold, but this winter's end is thankfully in sight. The sages say this spring will be coming soon, only another two months," Piña said in reply as she sat down.

"Indeed it shall," Rory said in agreement, "And many new and exciting things shall come with it. Such as these strangers from the other nations of Japan's world."

"Yes, hence why we are here," Piña nodded in agreement as Delilah, the former Warrior Bunny who was fresh back from her final stages of rehab and from her own house arrest came over with some ales.

"Your highness, nice ale to cap off your journey?" the bunny girl asked.

"Thank you," Piña sighed, quite content now, "The perceived presence of new…soldiers…have frightened many in the Senate. I can only hope I can meet them and go back to the Senate with assurances of good faith."

"They shall be coming soon according to what I have heard, the SDF has been preparing for their arrival for quite a while now," Rory informed her, "But if anyone has gleaned any new information about our new guests, I know one young magic user who'd know a few things for us."

"You mean Lelei? She's done research on this?"

"Our dear Master Mage is quite the bookworm since we heard about these new people," Rory noted, "She's been learning a new language, English, she calls it."

"Studious as ever I see," Piña smiled as she took a drink, "How are the others?"

"You mean Itami's harem?" Myuute teased with a naughty grin which made Piña sputter and choke on her drink.

"Harem?!" the princess balked at the image in question.

"It's what some of the Japanese soldiers call the girls that are close to Itami, unfortunately he thus far fails to grasp the missed opportunities before him," Rory rolled her eyes.

"Oh…" Piña said as she blushed lightly, "R-right, of course. I should have known that. So, how are the other girls?"

"Well, you already known Lelei is in deep research almost all the time," Rory shrugged, "Tuka has been helping with translation work with the SDF and the people in town. And Yao's been helping her people relocate since the floods in Elbe washed away their village, the SDF is allowing them to settle in the forest to the north, so they'll be closer than before."

"I…had heard other elves had come from the East, fleeing from Zorzal's tyranny to settle in the old forest where her Tuka's village had been destroyed by the flame dragon," Piña inquired, "Is this also true? Are the elves gathering in the forests near Alnus in great numbers?"

"Greater numbers than they have done in the past, yes," Rory confirmed matter-of-factly.

"Then…this may prove advantageous, the elves are renowned craftsmen, perhaps…"

"I do not believe that such overtures will yield what you think, the elves flee, they do not relocate. They are refugees, nothing more until they have rebuilt homes, farms, forges, and workshops, all of which will take time," Rory informed her.

"I was afraid of that," Piña looked down glumly at her pint of ale, knowing that this was not the answer she'd hoped for a second ago, the elves were renowned crafters of intricate and exotic trade goods ranging from weapons to clothes to food to toys and were powerful magic users, "Well, at least they are safe under the umbrella of protection from Japan, as we are. But the danger is not to be underestimated, my brothers, they have allied with dangerous men, men who want nothing more than to see me torn down and replaced. What I fear is…what will happen to the Black Roses of Shonio in the East. If I can't protect my people…they'll destroy everything we have tried to rebuild and the entire Empire will fall into factionalism and war and death. We…I need to gather as much support as I can, even if it comes in the form of other nations of the other side of the Gate."

"Even after what happened in Japan when they attempted to abduct us?" Rory scoffed.

"If Japan can find a way to forgive the Empire for its attack against them, why shouldn't I find room in my heart for the same?"

"Spoken like an Empress in the making," Rory said with a soft and yet proud smile, she'd known hundreds of rulers, some were horrible, some were great, but most were forgettable. To Rory, Piña was on the way to being a great ruler.

Lelei La Lalena was now a couple months from turning sixteen, her birthday was set to be quite an event. Amongst her people her birthday coincided with the return of spring and end of winter, although nowadays, with the prospects of this new age in their world the people were quite content with having the easiest time in their living memory. Winter had not had nearly the harsh effect on the people of Alnus as it had had in the past. Without the need to pay Imperial taxes and with food in no short supply the paradise of a town had continued growing into a settlement that easily contended with Italica. Its proximity to Italica and the wealth of goods and foodstuffs in its markets filtered out and consequently Italica too had found itself growing in importance to the Empire. But, for Lelei it was mostly immaterial, her studies of science and culture of the other world had kept her immensely busy thanks to having a laptop which she spent lots of time sitting in front of, reading and watching videos and above all, learning more and more. Although she had mostly steered clear of the topic of politics and diplomacy in the other world, there were more fascinating subjects to her.

The young newly-minted master sorceress had been learning some new things, particularly in regards to engineering and science, and with her magical abilities it meant that Lelei had been able to make a homestead for herself just outside the base's perimeter with a small waterfall behind which she used magic to form an aqueduct to water into her garden of various crops she had purchased or traded for or arranged to be brought to her from the other world. She particularly liked flowers as well.

They would not have grown had it not been for the fact she'd learned glassmaking from combining her magic and her newly-gained scientific knowledge and built a greenhouse and tapped into an underground hot spring, located through the use of, once again combining science and magic. Her cabin was built with her own magical abilities, with a warmed floor from the advent of clay pipes under the floor, channeling overflow water from her hot spring and the cooled water was pumped upwards by a windmill on the corners of her house which pumped water up to dribble down more clay pipes built into the walls, which cooled the air during the hotter months. This same system of windmills likewise got used to turn fans using ropes linked to ceiling fans, designed to mimic what she had witnessed in the other world. So far, all these features had indeed worked. She likewise acquired something else, which she herself could not make, a water-powered generator. Its installation had been simple, and Itami had helped wire up the device which was effectively a water wheel with a whirring device on the side of it which a wire had been hooked up to and then into a box inside her house which had then gone and been hooked into four lightbulbs and a power plug which she used to hook up her laptop charger. Lelei likewise had a mattress from Japan and the relevant silk sheets which she'd declared to be "For her and her future husband, Itami". This had made Itami quite uneasy with that particular declaration. Of course though, Cato, her former master, lived just next door with similar but not quite as extensive modern features.

It was a very nice setup which Lelei had by all standards, she'd even had stable for a pretty white horse that had been gifted to her by Princess Piña which she had named Pearl and took her for rides daily. Piña likewise had made Lelei an anointed knight of the Order of the Rose, granting her title and status and a pension. Cato had a new apprentice, a young boy from Rondel who was the son of a friend of his. This boy took good care of their livestock, Cato's donkey and Lelei's horse. Cato had brought up that Lelei should consider having an apprentice of her own soon, seeing as she was just about a fully-realized mage with much to teach. But doing this was not something she felt she had the time for, not with so much to learn and with her being so young herself.

As she was reading though, a knock came from her door, and she got up from her table where she had been studying and opened it. Standing there, somewhat flustered, was her older sister, Arpeggio El Lalena.

"Arpeggio? What're you doing here?" Lelei cocked her head curiously.

"Well, as your big sister I do have the right to visit my little sister, do I not?" Arpeggio hurriedly composed herself, she herself not exactly being at ease with the real reason she was present.

"Yes…" Lelei answered in a monotone fashion, as usual.

"Well, I am here, will you not invite your big sister into…your home," she said, realizing that here too Lelei had her beat by having a house unto herself, "Fine…I…I came here because my studies and preparation weren't going as planned, study in the mineral sciences just is not getting the attention it needs and I can't go on like this. I have decided to make a change."

"What kind of change? Have you come to ask me or Master Cato for advice?"

"N-no…I heard that the men in green pay well for magic users who can aid in translations and guidance across the land. I am, as a study of minerals and a resident of Rondel, quite knowledgeable in this regard so I figured I would find success, once I learned Japanese of course."

"Oh, this would seem a fine plan," Lelei noted, her tone not betraying that she was impressed or even supportive or dismissive.

"It is, is it not? Perhaps I will find a husband of great financial means while I am here," Arpeggio noted confidently.

"Well, you have certainly arrived at an interesting moment," Lelei said as she walked back inside and allowed her sister entry, "The Japanese have come to an agreement with a few other nations of the other world to allow parties of their own militaries to access our own world from Alnus. They should be arriving in a few weeks from the rumors I have heard."

Lelei sat down behind her laptop again, with a Wikipedia page brought up on the history of one of these nations which she was scrolling through, reading bit by bit and reading up on individual links having to do with things of interest which she thought important to know for context. The nation in question was the United States of America.

"Oh?" Arpeggio was quick to lean on the table next to Lelei and look over her shoulder, "And this thing is able to provide access to knowledge on these nations?"

"Yes, the nation I am researching is apparently the largest and most powerful of the ones Japan is acquiescing to and allowing access. Apparently, in Japan's world they are a great power, but this nation is referred to as a superpower, and to many they are the most powerful nation of their kind. At least, this is the story in much of the literature I am reading and according to some of the JSDF I have spoken with. It was admitted to me that Japan and this nation, the United States of America, fought a four year-long war nearly eighty years ago. In that war, Japan was soundly defeated, millions were killed, and now it is an ally of this, United States of America," Lelei explained, having found this whole thing interesting.

"Oh my…so Japan is…second most powerful in its world?"

"No, Japan it seems is ranked closer to the fourth or fifth most powerful nation of its world."

"A nation whose power does not even place it in the top three powers of its world defeating the Empire and its allies without losing a soldier, this seems rather scary," Arpeggio admitted.

"Indeed, the disparity in power I have ascertained in my research leaves nothing to the imagination," Lelei admitted, "But I do not believe we should have anything to fear, as this USA," Lelei experimented with the use of the acronym of the country in question, "has just had an election and new leadership is in power which apparently seek a more friendly and cooperative strategy with Japan going forward."

"And what is their strategy?" Arpeggio curiously inquired.

"They intend to send teams to explore our world and make peaceful diplomatic contacts in pursuit of trade. This is as far as anyone has told me."

"Which…means they'll need a guide, right? Ha! Finally, I have the opportunity to gain a leg up on my little sister, she who aids a nation who is a mere fifth place, I will aid a nation whose power ranks at number one!" Arpeggio stood up excitedly.

"You will need to be allowed in first, big sister," Lelei reminded her, "The SDF are careful with whom they give such trust."

"B-but you could put a good word in for me right?" Arpeggio leaned on the table hurriedly, "Please Lelei, this may be my last real chance to find any kind of success!" she grabbed hold of her sister's collar.

"I will speak Lieutenant Itami, I am sure he will be able to acquire the requisite clearance for you, at least in a probationary capacity pending a more formal training process."

"Training process?" Arpeggio blinked her eyes curiously.

"Yes, all guides and interpreters who hold positions with the SDF's facility at Alnus must pass a series of classes and security checks as well as learn to speak Japanese. If you wish to work with these newcomers you will need to learn Japanese and then the language of these newcomers, English, it is called. Both use entirely different grammar structures and alphabets which in turn are different from our own language."

"Oh, interesting," Arpeggio tapped her chin, "Well, if you were able to learn such things, so can I."

At this point there was another knock on the door and the wooden door opened and leaning against the frame was Cato, confidently standing there with a rose in his mouth.

"Well hello there, Arpeggio, fancy seeing you here," he smiled to her.

The two sisters assumed identical deadpan and unimpressed looks leveled at the elderly mage and both lifted their hands at the same time and a pale turquoise glow appeared. From outside it appeared a hurricane sent Cato flying across the grass.

Okay, so this story has been a lot of fun to write. But, be warned, this is going to cross into some new and treacherous territory. There shall be romance, heartbreak, violence, and plenty of drama. For some of the more extreme cases, I will offer a disclaimer to let you know which chapters will have it transpire. In the meantime, let me know what y'all think, I have Chapter 2 about half-written now. Hopefully we'll see some stuff go down in the near future.