Chapter 102: Chapter 102: Doubt

Skeen’s Bar, Cartalpas

Famous for its patronage, which consisted of high-ranking executives, policymakers, and renowned journalists, Skeen’s bar was a hotbed for discussion about the latest World Leadership Conference. Most notably, two Mirishial regulars had taken the stage. Astounded by the fleet entrances the day before, their discussion about battleships devolved into a rather heated debate. 

A drunken dwarf pointed his mug at his opponent, a sober elf, and spat, “It’s obvious the Grade Atlastar is the superior vessel! You elves see too much sophistication in everything. Well, I say that the evidence is simple, and no further digging is necessary!”

“Tsk!” The elf responded with a tinge of annoyance. His patience was beginning to wear thin, especially as the debate entered its 20th minute. “Of course a rockhead is incapable of seeing the intricacies of naval combat. Naval combat is not all just about ‘big guns’”, the elf said, mocking the dwarf. 

As the debate dragged on, the other patrons began to coalesce into two factions: one in support of the elf, and one in support of the dwarf.

“And yet, it is a mainstay in all the fleets of the world! One on one, the Grade Atlastar completely outclasses the Missouri!”

The elf scoffed, “And what makes you think such an engagement would even occur in the first place? Neither side would allow single ships to face off against each other; it would be a fleet-wide battle!”

“Then,” the dwarf retorted, “What if all the escorts and other ships are taken out? In the history of naval battles, there have been numerous instances in which only the most heavily armored ships remained.”

The elf’s face contorted in surprise; the man was shocked that someone could present such a ridiculous initial condition. “That’s impossible! Look at the range of the American homing light arrows, and compare them to the range of the Gra Valkan guns. In the first place, any Gra Valkan ship — no matter the thickness of their armor — would be obliterated before they can even see their opponent!” Cementing his point, he wagged his finger at the dwarf, “The Missouri would just attack the Grade Atlastar from over the horizon, and not even have to use its main guns!”

The dwarf staggered from his seat, hopping to the ground. Just as the debate was about to escalate further, a third man stepped in. “Gentlemen, gentlemen,” a human walked up, hands in the air. “Come on, now. We’re all Mirishials, here. It should be obvious to all of us which side has the best battleship.”

His statement was met with silent gazes from the two factions. 

The human continued, “It’s us, of course! Now, our Gold and Mithril classes don’t really stack up against these two champions, but the new Orichalcum sure does.” He pointed at the screen mounted on the wall above. “Bartender, please turn up the volume.”

The man complied and the entire bar settled down as they watched a new report from the Mirishial News Network. 

An female elf dressed in an elegant red dress – MNN’s top reporter, Alana Forlen – stood by the beach as she reported on the majestic Mirishial fleet sailing in the background,“… Fleet Zero has finally completed their training exercises and is now anchored off the coast of Cartalpas as they prepare a special event! Let’s talk to one of the Navy’s representatives.” 

Alana entered into an interview with a man in Mirishial dress uniform, which was a regal mixture of golden robes and white dress clothes. Identifying himself as Rear Admiral Manige, he described the demonstration that was about to occur, “The Holy Mirishial Navy is proud to welcome our newest class of battleships, the Orichalcum-class, into active service! As the name suggests, this class is derived from the Ancient Sorcerous Empire’s own ships, although ours have been made superior thanks to recent advancements in both the fields of magic and science. Today’s demonstration is of its weapons systems, which have been fully restored from excavated Sorcerous artifacts and schematics.”

“Wow!” Alana exclaimed. “Once again, the Holy Mirishial Empire breaks the boundaries between fantasy and reality! Is there anything you can tell the audience about this weapons system?”

Rear Admiral Manige responded with a bit of hesitance. “Most of the details still remain classified, but I can safely tell everyone watching that the system –which we’re calling the ‘Comet 1’ – is similar to the one used by the Americans! In fact, we received a lot of help from them designing this homing light arrow – or guided missile – system.” Although he wished that the Holy Mirishial Empire had developed this system without outside help, he was still glad that the preliminary tests showed greater firepower than American counterparts. He shared this information with great pride and eagerness, “Our missile system is also more effective than American systems, especially in terms of strength.”

This statement caught Alana’s attention, who prodded Manige for more information. “What do you mean, in terms of strength?”

Manige simply responded by pointing to the fleet in the distance. “See for yourself.” A flash of light was released from the Cosmo, followed by a trail of smoke and a blue emission as a large missile shot into the air. This homing light arrow, once thought a weapon exclusive to the Ravernal Empire and the United States, was finally revealed to be in the possession of the Holy Mirishial Empire. Following a path along the surface of the ocean, it skimmed 10 meters above the water. Having approached the target, a decommissioned Silver-class battleship sitting twenty miles away from the Cosmo, the missile suddenly arced up and slammed down onto the old ship. A tremendous explosion – far larger than the explosions produced by American Harpoons – ensued, engulfing the entire vessel in a bluish flame that cracked its hull in two and pushed the remaining debris into the sea. A large column sprouted from the water surrounding the ship itself, and by the time the smoke and mist cleared, the vessel itself was gone. Small sheets of metal served as the only evidence that the ship had once existed.

—-

Observing the demonstration from the Conference Hall, the Conference’s participants watched in shock. Much to the satisfaction of Liage and his subordinates, the Gra Valkans and Annonrials all had looks of extreme surprise plastered on their faces. Even the Americans were surprised at the power of the Mirishial missile. He sat back, watching their reactions as the delegations discussed amongst each other in hushed whispers.

—-

Heiden shared a look with Anders. Both men had seen naval combat in the past, but the explosive payload of the Mirishial weapon was new to them. Operating under conventional wisdom, such a massive payload was unnecessary. However, they entertained the possibility that the Ravernal Empire had heavily armored targets that could necessitate the use of such powerful weapons. 

“Well I’ll be,” Anders muttered, “That was like a MOAB in a missile!”

Heiden, who bore an expression that more closely resembled realization than shock, recalled a discussion he had with Secretary of Defense Robert Hill. “It sure was,” he said, agreeing with Anders’ remark. “Apparently combining conventional explosives with magic really does make them more potent.”

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Anders smiled, seeing the implications of this test. Having served as the primary intermediary between the US Department of Defense and the Mirishial Ministry of Defense in military negotiations, he recognized that the recent success would only make his job easier. “Well, sir, I bet the Mirishials are going to be very happy with this one.”

—-

The Annonrial representative, Karl Krunch, shook his wings in anxiety, as if he was preparing to take off. The grand unveiling of the Comet 1 missile was a complete curveball. Combined with hints that the Americans and Mirishials had worked together to develop such a system, Krunch was at a loss for words. With the Mirishials quickly catching up to the Annonrial Empire in terms of technology, he wondered if the Emperor should strike first.

Using his manacomm, he patched into the relay system stationed aboard one of their sailing ships, which connected him to Director Bachus of Inferior Affairs. ‘Not so inferior anymore’, Krunch mocked the name silently while he waited for the line to connect. Finally, a connection was established.

“What is it?”

“Director!” Krunch hurriedly exclaimed, “The Mirishials have reverse-engineered the Comet missile!”

“I understand. Hold while I report this matter to His Holiness.”

Krunch mulled over the issue while he waited for a response. His country was faced with two options. They could launch a surprise attack on the Elysian Defense Initiative to make the most of their current technological advantage and prevent the Mirishials from catching up, but this could result in retaliation from the Americans. Alternatively, they could bide their time. Instead of beating down the Elysians, they could prioritize reviving the Ravernal Empire and hastening their return. In either case, the main threat stemmed from the Americans.

He could still remember the massive aircraft carrier sailing into port, filled to the brim with sleek warplanes that were more advanced than whatever the Annonrial Empire could currently muster. The sound of jets soaring overhead clouded his mind, acting like a voice that cautioned him against fighting with these masters of science. Even the strange, angular warship was a symbol of their technological superiority. Although he could barely discern its role as a warship, he clearly recognized it as a futuristic design – something that even the all-powerful ancestors had only begun dreaming of.

With these considerations in mind, he thought about the two options. Following through with the first option could result in failure and the destruction of the Annonrial Empire, leaving the Ravernal Empire with zero allies upon their delayed return. A high-risk success would allow the Ravernal Empire to return to a pacified world, thus garnering the Annonrials more favor. However, there was no guarantee that his country could prevail against the Americans. Going along with the second option is safer, but would grant the Elysians and Americans time to further prepare for the return of the Ravernal Empire.

After a couple minutes, a response finally came through. “Krunch, do whatever is necessary to keep the Elysians out of our affairs. I want you to double down on securing that deal with the Americans, do you understand?”

It became clear to Krunch that the Emperor himself had opted for the second option. Now more than ever, he had to ensure that the Americans agreed to his proposal. “Yes, I understand, sir.”

—-

Gesta’s heart almost dropped from the magnificent display. In just two days, he, Cielia, and Dallas – and by extension, the Gra Valkas Empire – were hit with the most severe revelations in their career’s histories. The boastful arrival of the American fleet and the alarming reveal of the Comet 1 were shocks ranked just shy of the transference itself and their discovery of the United States.

Without even looking, he just knew that Cielia’s pacifist resolve grew tenfold, and that Dallas was on the verge of a heart attack – if he hadn’t already fainted. He checked the status of his subordinates and found his suspicions to be correct.

For Cielia, the combined evidence of both shows of force from the Americans and Mirishials served only to fortify her opinion. She looked out the window with a look of determination on her face – one so obvious that Gesta didn’t even have to ask what she was determined for. Although the Gra Valkas Empire had numbers, they had no defense against such weapons. In combat, the Mirishials had a technological level on par with the Gra Valkas Empire, surpassing it in some areas and falling short in others. Clearly, the Comet 1 was a new development. Perhaps the Mirishials would run out of ammo, but certainly not the Americans, who had exceeded the ‘superpower’ label to reach ‘hyperpower’ status.

For Dallas, the demonstrations from both parties were so incredible that even he was beginning to question a war against these two powerful factions. For the first time in his life, he lost faith in the power of the Gra Valkas Empire, even going so far as to doubt the Gra Valkan dream of world domination. Having been forcefully and hastily thrown into the fire, Dallas’ mind was shattered. He stood with his mouth agape, unable to fathom what he had just witnessed.

Gesta tore his gaze away from his subordinates and returned to look at the fleet sailing in the distance. Unlike the American fleet, which represented the best of science, the Mirishial fleet represented the best of magic. He tried to distract himself by thinking of the American battleship and comparing its weapons to those of the Grade Atlastar, but deep down, he knew that he couldn’t make the mistake of judging American capabilities by a ship that was older than himself. No matter how many times he thought of the Grade Atlastar’s guns firing a thunderous salvo; no matter how many times he thought of the Antares shooting down enemy wyverns; the images of godlike anti-ship missiles and angular American jets came to mind. Saddened by the realization that the Gra Valkas Empire was no longer the top dog, he walked to the conference table with his head hung low.

——

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