Chapter 1. Meeting in another world. Part 2.
The Principality of Qua-Toyne. Trade City of Maihark.
The Principality of Qua-Toyne lies in the northeastern part of the Rodenius continent—a region blessed by the Goddess of Earth and Fertility. This nation is renowned for its vast, fertile lands where natural pesticides protect the crops, and weeds simply do not grow. Even without human care, plants yield bountiful harvests. Thanks to this, Qua-Toyne boasts complete food self-sufficiency. Water and food are so abundant that even livestock are remarkably well-fed, and life for most residents is peaceful and leisurely.
In the northeastern corner of this agricultural haven lies Maihark, a bustling trade city, a hub of wealth and exchange. The city's main street is lined with old-fashioned shops forming a picturesque row, while busy merchants and shoppers fill the square, turning it into a noisy hive of activity. Fishermen hawk their morning catch, and craftsmen showcase their wares. Everything feels normal and safe—but today, an invisible unease lingers. People glance nervously at the sky, unaware that their tranquility is about to be shattered.
Suddenly, from one of the garrisons, a loud clamor breaks out as a woman rushes out, responding to an urgent message. This is Ine, the captain of Maihark's Knight Defense Corps. Her long black hair spills out from beneath her circlet, and she wears a cuirass with arm guards, sturdy boots, and a battle belt with a sheathed sword. A bow hangs securely on her back, fastened to her armor. Following her are armed knights in full battle gear, their expressions tense. They cut an unusual figure against the peaceful cityscape, driven by an unseen threat, as they run toward the city walls.
Reaching the wall, the knights ascend the staircase, catching their breath. Ine stands at the top, her gaze fixed anxiously on the sky. What kind of threat has forced us to mobilize so suddenly? she wonders. Her mind races back to the report from the Sixth Dragon Knight Squadron: an unidentified object moving at incredible speed toward Maihark, too fast for the wyverns to catch. It seems the object will reach the city soon.
Ine gathers her subordinates and, struggling to keep her composure, gives the order:
— "According to the report from the Sixth Dragon Knight Squadron, an object faster than our wyverns is approaching. Take your positions and prepare for combat!"
The knights swiftly move into formation, drawing their bows and keeping their eyes fixed on the sky. Ine's troops, disciplined and battle-hardened, now occupy watchtowers and elevated posts around the city. Yet even these seasoned fighters cannot suppress their growing unease—their apprehension is visible in their faces.
How is it moving so quickly? What kind of power does this mysterious object possess to outpace our best wyvern riders? Ine ponders. She runs through every possible scenario, attempting to gauge the level of danger. Perhaps it's merely a reconnaissance mission, but even so, anything traveling at such speeds cannot be an ordinary foe.
On the horizon, a speck emerges in the direction of the eastern tower, gradually taking shape. A knight stationed on the eastern tower shouts, pointing upward:
— "It's coming this way!"
Every head whips around to look.
All heads snapped toward the strange object approaching with uncanny precision. A white flying machine, emitting a peculiar buzzing sound no one had ever heard before, slowed its advance, circling high above Maihark. The object hovered at an altitude unreachable by arrows, appearing to observe the city without any intention of attacking. Red stars painted on its wide white wings only intensified the sense of threat.
— "What is that?" Ine whispered, her voice barely audible as she struggled to maintain her composure.
The object continued its strange droning, looming over Maihark like an alien, ominous presence.
The townsfolk, unsettled by the bizarre noise, froze in the streets. A ripple of fear surged through the crowd, triggering a wave of panic. Some hurried to shut windows and retreat indoors, while others frantically searched for shelter. Animals, spooked by the loud sound, bolted through the streets. Pack birds and horses ran amok, causing accidents in their frenzy. Chaos engulfed the area, and frantic cries rose above the clamor:
— "What is that thing?"
— "Waaaah, it's a monster!"
— "A demon's come!"
The object, as if relishing the terror it caused, inflicted no harm but continued its journey northward, vanishing over the horizon.
Ine remained on the wall, her gut tightening with a deep sense of foreboding.
Once the panic subsided, she ordered her subordinates to gather and reassure the townspeople while discussing their next steps. Yet even as she gave instructions, Ine's mind raced with unease. Whatever that mysterious entity was, she feared it would return. A growing anxiety gripped her heart—a feeling that a new and unknown danger now loomed over their world.
Meanwhile, aboard the Tu-142.
— "Comrade Commander, we've located a populated area. Aerial reconnaissance is complete, and the data has been transmitted to the Priboy universal landing ship of the Black Sea Fleet," the reconnaissance operator reported, his eyes fixed on the monitor.
The commander nodded, processing the incoming data.
— "Good. We'll make a couple more passes for better detail, then head back to base."
The Tu-142 began a gradual descent, gliding over the medieval town with stone walls and winding streets. On the ground, people were clearly visible—archers on the fortress walls readied their bows, aiming skyward as they tracked the aircraft overhead.
The commander smirked and glanced at his assistant.
— "Hey, Boris, would you look at these guys? Seems like they're getting ready to fend off an attack from our plane. What do you think?"
Boris squinted at the walls and chuckled.
— "Looks that way, Comrade Commander. They probably think their arrows can actually reach us."
The commander let out a brief laugh.
— "Alright, let's not scare them. We've done our job. Time to head back. Set course north, back to base."
— "Yes. Setting course north!"
Central Calendar Year 1639, Month 1, Day 27 / Calendar of the New World's Appearance, Year 0000, May, Day 13
The Principality of Qua-Toyne. A port north of the trade city of Maihark.
Tension hung thick in the air at the military base in Maihark's northern port, home to the second fleet of the Principality of Qua-Toyne. The cause of this unease was a bizarre incident that occurred three days earlier: a massive, unidentified object suddenly appeared in the sky, effortlessly evading pursuit by Qua-Toyne's dragon-mounted squadron. The object circled above Maihark without engaging in any hostile actions, leading to speculation that it was a reconnaissance craft. Yet, its origin remained an enigma—it clearly didn't belong to Louria, and even the superpower Parpaldia had no known combat unit remotely resembling this. The situation was growing increasingly tense.
Qua-Toyne's armed forces were placed on high alert. All military ships were dispatched on patrol missions, while the sixth dragon-rider squadron intensified aerial surveillance, expanding their operational range and doubling the number of patrol shifts.
Reports flooded the Maihark Defense Headquarters, but no patrols had detected the object again.
— "Commander Nouka, what are your thoughts on the nature of this unidentified object?" a junior officer asked cautiously, his voice tinged with nervous anticipation as he awaited the response of the seasoned commander.
Nouka, exhaling a long puff of cigar smoke, fixed his gaze on the young officer.
— "Hmph… I haven't seen it myself, so I can't say for certain. If only one Dragon Order knight had claimed to see it, I might dismiss it as mere rumor. But every member of the sixth squadron reports seeing it with their own eyes. Add to that the testimonies of Maihark's civilian residents and the City Defense Corps. The object is real—there's no disputing it."
He took another drag, squinting slightly as he continued.
— "There are no nations to the east with technology advanced enough to produce something like this. To the northeast, there are scattered island settlements, but none of them, according to our intelligence, are capable of creating such a thing. Theoretically, it could be a development by Louria, given our escalating tensions, or perhaps Parpaldia from the Third Civilized Zone. But even they lack anything resembling this. Yes, it might be some cutting-edge design, but its shape and construction are highly unconventional. My gut tells me this doesn't belong to either of them."
Nouka paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts, before adding:
— "Although… I do have some theories."
Suddenly, the door burst open as the manacom operator rushed in, his voice loud and filled with urgency.
— "Apologies for the intrusion, Commander! Emergency message from the warship Pima!"
All eyes immediately turned to the operator. Commander Nouka and the junior officer held their breath, their expressions taut with tension.
— "Read it!" Nouka ordered curtly.
The operator, trying to steady his nerves, began the report:
— "A large unidentified vessel has been spotted. Current location: approximately 60 kilometers north of Maihark's port. We are moving to intercept for further investigation."
— "A large vessel?" Nouka repeated, his voice laced with skepticism. "If they've just spotted it, we still don't know what kind of ship it is… Captain Midori is in command of the Pima, correct? Send orders for them to approach as closely as possible and conduct a thorough inspection. But stress this—exercise extreme caution. They are to report immediately as soon as they determine the vessel's origin. And emphasize—no provocative actions."
— "Yes, sir!" the operator replied, hurrying to relay the orders to Captain Midori and his crew, now positioned at the forefront of what was quickly becoming an escalating and mysterious threat.
Principality of Qua-Toyne
60 kilometers north of Maihark Port
The Pima, a warship of the Principality of Qua-Toyne's Second Fleet, surged through the waters toward the mysterious large vessel. Its sails were fully unfurled, catching the favorable wind and converting it into powerful propulsion, while the synchronized strokes of the oarsmen added even greater speed, enhancing the ship's agility and strength.
The crew was fully equipped with armor, and the boarding team stood ready on the upper deck, holding spears and shields. To protect against arrows, pavises were set up at the bow. Large ballistae lined the sides of the ship, and jars of oil were ready for flaming bolts. The ship was in full боевой готовности, ready to engage in battle at a moment's notice.
— Captain! That ship is enormous! — the captain's aide nearly shouted, peering through his spyglass. — It seems they've furled their sails and come to a stop.
— That means they've spotted us, — the captain replied calmly. — I'll lead the boarding team myself. If anything goes wrong, you'll take command.
As the Pima drew closer, the sheer size of the unknown vessel became increasingly staggering, leaving both Captain Midori and his aide in awe.
— Look at that, — the captain said quietly, his voice tinged with disbelief. — Its size exceeds anything we've ever considered a standard for ships.
— Yes… I imagined it much smaller, but this—it's like a floating fortress!
The words caught in their throats as they struggled to process what they were seeing.
— That flag, — Midori muttered, — a blue diagonal cross on a white field. Have you ever seen it before?
— No, sir. I've never even heard of such a flag. A white banner with a blue cross… nothing like it.
— And no country has ever built ships of this size?
— None. When I studied in Parpaldia, I was lucky enough to see one of their 100-gun ships of the line, but even that was smaller than this marvel.
The crew of the Pima was in a state of mild shock as they watched the colossal ship grow larger with each passing moment.
Suddenly, a section of the unknown vessel's deck began to descend slowly, illuminated by blinking lights that appeared to signal some sort of message.
The crew tensed, fearing this might be the prelude to an attack. But soon, they realized the figures on the deck were merely waving their hands, signaling peaceful intentions.
— What? The deck… it's lowering? That's got to be some kind of magical device! — Captain Midori muttered in bewilderment.
— It seems they're inviting us to approach. Look, they're gesturing for us to come aboard.
— Alright, we'll move closer, — Midori decided. — You and you—come with me. The rest of you stay at your posts and take no action without orders. Is that clear?
— Yes, sir!
Following the instructions of those on the massive vessel, Captain Midori and his team soon stepped onto the deck of the unknown ship, their minds racing with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation.