Chapter 6: Elven Rescue Endeavor

Qua-Toyne Conference Room 3:52 PM.

In the grand hall of the government building, every seat was filled with officials from various departments. They were all gathered to hear the report about the recent sea battle. The atmosphere was tense, the air thick with anticipation. As they settled into their seats, the Prime Minister made his entrance. Accompanying him were Rinsui, his trusted advisor, and Breweye, the observer they had sent to witness the battle firsthand.

As Prime Minister Kanata and Rinsui took their seats, the room fell silent. Kanata then turned to Breweye, requesting him to share his observations with everyone present. Without hesitation, Breweye began to recount the events of the battle.

To the astonishment of everyone in the room, he reported that the Solstice had emerged victorious from the battle, suffering no casualties and sustaining no battle damage. Furthermore, the Solstice had nearly obliterated the entire Lourian navy.

Kanata's voice echoed the disbelief that permeated the room. "So, they not only repelled all 4,000 ships, sinking nearly the entire Lourian fleet into the ocean and allowing only 50 ships to escape, but they also managed to shoot down 250 Wyverns. It was previously thought impossible to kill a Wyvern using a ship, yet they accomplished this feat without suffering any casualties or sustaining any damage to their own vessels."

Breweye added, "There was some battle damage. They reported that the paint on their dreadnought was scratched when they rammed into the Lourian vessels."

The room erupted with incredulous laughter. "Could that even be called battle damage at all!" someone exclaimed.

The head of the Maihark government, still in awe, murmured, "Just how powerful are they."

The room quieted down again as Kanata asked, "So did they say anything about what they are planning to do after this?"

The Defense Official responded, "An hour ago, we received a request for the use of our airspace. They plan to deploy what they referred to as a helicopter, with a mission to neutralize all Lourian foot soldiers in Ejie."

Kanata was visibly surprised. "So, they're heading to Ejie," he remarked.

Rinsui confirmed, "It appears so. Additionally, they've requested permission to establish a temporary base near Ejie, specifically 2 km north of the area."

After a moment of silence, Kanata sighed, "Alright then, tell them that they have permission to do anything they see fit." The room was filled with a mix of awe, fear, and respect for the power of the Solstice. The meeting adjourned, leaving everyone to ponder the implications of this new power on the world stage.

Holy Milishial Empire, Runepolis, January 19, 4:21 PM.

In a world where every nation prided itself on its military prowess, there existed a land recognized as the strongest. It was a land so secure that infiltration was deemed impossible. Yet, a few skilled doppelgangers working for the Solstice managed to penetrate this fortress of a country. Their mission was to gather information, and their destination was the bustling city's public library - a treasure trove of knowledge accessible to all.

One of the doppelgangers, new to the city, assumed the identity of a tourist from another city to avoid arousing suspicion. He had taken the face of a random Milishial civilian he had found on a civilian ship, going as far as to kill the man and take his belongings to perfect his disguise.

"Excuse me, sir," the doppelganger said to a random civilian, his accent flawlessly mimicking that of the locals.

"What is it?" the man asked.

Clearing his throat, the doppelganger replied, "You see, I am new to the city. I live in a remote town and I am looking for a public library."

The man gave him directions, "Well, you just need to go straight that way. Once you see the purple house, turn left. After that, just go straight until you see a green building with a sign that says 'The Codex Cove Library'."

Expressing his gratitude, the doppelganger tipped his hat and set off towards the library. The journey took longer than expected due to the heavy traffic on the roads, a result of the city's lack of traffic lights.

Upon reaching the library, he registered at the counter, providing the necessary membership and national ID. Fortunately, the man he had killed had all the required documents. With his new membership ID, he began his search for history books and any other sources of information that could be useful to the Empire.

As he scanned the shelves, a book titled 'Ancient History of Milishial' caught his eye. He took the book and found a quiet corner to read. He meticulously noted down everything from the rise of the Ravernal Empire to the transformation of the Holy Milishial Kingdom into an Empire. He discovered that they had reverse-engineered the remaining technology left behind by the Ravernal Empire, which had propelled them ahead of other countries. However, he also noticed that all the technology they reverse-engineered was old, and it appeared they were still using this outdated tech, indicating a stagnation in their progress.

In the book, he discovered the blueprints of their naval fleet. The 'Pal Chimera', categorized as a battleship, appeared deceptively fragile. In truth, it was nothing more than a large bomber devoid of any defensive mechanisms. It lacked even a magical barrier, assuming such a thing existed in this world. This implied that the Solstice's battleships and dreadnoughts could effortlessly tear them apart, either by unleashing their plasma and fusion cannons or simply by ramming into the bomber. The Solstice constructed their ships using a resilient scarlet metal, which meant that even if the Milishial managed to deploy a bomb using the Pal Chimera, it would fail to inflict any damage on their ship.

After hours of diligent note-taking and scouring the library for more books, he finally finished. He also discovered that this country was primarily magic-based with little knowledge of science, which he found rather foolish.

With his mission accomplished, he thought, 'I should immediately report back.' And with that, he left the library, blending seamlessly into the crowd, a ghost among the living.

Louria, Royal Palace bathroom, 4:30 PM.

In the heart of the royal palace, nestled amidst its many opulent rooms, was the royal bathroom. Here, the King of Louria was indulging in his bath, a ritual he held dear. His royal highness was as bare as the day he was born, a sight that was not uncommon within these private quarters. It was as if he was attempting to assert his dominance, even in such a personal setting. The steam from the bath swirled around him, creating an ethereal atmosphere that further accentuated his regal presence.

Attending to his needs were two of his most trusted confidants, Patagene and Maus. They stood in stark contrast to the king, fully clothed and ever watchful. Their eyes were trained on their king, ready to attend to his every need. In this intimate setting, the dynamics of power and servitude were clearly on display.

"My king," Maus began, his voice echoing in the steam-filled room, "a report from the subjugation navy has arrived. It states that the subjugation navy, which was led by Sharku, lost against three Massive Iron ships with only 50 Ships managing to escape. This report of our loss is absurd and hard to believe, so we're conducting another reexamination of the report."

King Haak's face contorted in frustration upon hearing the news. The navy that he had painstakingly built had failed the invasion. "This is ridiculous, how could my navy fail this? The Qua-Toyne has a weaker Navy compared to ours!" He yelled out in anger, his voice reverberating off the marble walls.

Patagene, sensing the king's rising temper, quickly interjected with some good news. "My king, allow me to inform you, that we have successfully invaded Gim. As of now, they are marching towards Ejie to capture it using Gim as an operation base."

Upon hearing this, King Haak's anger subsided. He was now expecting more demi-humans to be sold as slaves. "That's what I wanted to hear, so I expect more good things from you. Don't fail me, Patagene," he said, his tone softening.

Patagene bowed slightly, "I promise that this operation would never fail, and shall only bring great news to you."

"Good," Haak then turned his gaze to Maus. "Prime Minister, make sure to reexamine the failure of the navy. I want to see who defeated our powerful navy, so we can make them pay for what they did," he ordered, his voice filled with determination.

"Understood, my King," Maus replied, bowing in acknowledgment of the king's command. The room fell silent once again, save for the gentle lapping of water against the sides of the bath. The king's orders had been given, and now it was time for his trusted confidants to carry them out.

1.4 km, Ejie Western Road. 4:41 PM.

In the aftermath of the invasion of Gim, a group of elven refugees had made an early escape and were now making their way to Ejie. Some were fortunate enough to have carriages, while others were on foot, their faces etched with exhaustion. Behind the refugees, a small contingent of elven footsoldiers and archers were providing an escort, their eyes constantly scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger. Among the refugees were two elven siblings, Asha, the younger sister, and Parun, the older brother.

"Brother, I'm so tired. Can we take a rest for a minute?" Asha asked her brother, her voice barely above a whisper. Her legs were aching from their nonstop journey.

"Just bear with it for a bit, we just need to get to Ejie for safety, ok little sis?" Parun said, trying to sound reassuring. Asha looked at her brother and nodded, drawing strength from his words.

As they continued their march towards Ejie, the rhythmic clopping of horses' hooves echoed ominously behind the throng of refugees. Hearing this, all Qua-Toynian footsoldiers and archers turned around and saw a platoon-sized cavalry just behind them, closing in fast.

"A LOURIAN CAVALRY! EVERYONE RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN FROM THIS PLACE!" One of the Qua-Toynian soldiers yelled out in warning. Panic ensued as the refugees started running in all directions.

"Captain Jove, looks like we found an elven group," said one of the Lourian cavalrymen, a cruel smile playing on his lips.

"Well, well, well, looks like we found a group of elves. Scouting is pretty boring, isn't it? But now look in there, a feast for us to enjoy," Jove said, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"Captain, Gim is really the best, right Captain? Since there are a lot of them for us to take our stress out on. But now here is another one for us to take out our stress once more," another Lourian cavalryman chimed in.

"Haha, calm yourselves before we can have our fun, we still have to take out those Qua-Toynian soldiers that are guarding them," Jove said, his gaze fixed on the scattering Qua-Toynian civilians.

"SLAUGHTER ALL OF THOSE QUA-TOYNIAN SOLDIERS, CHARGE!" He ordered, and the Lourian cavalry charged at the Qua-Toynians, eager to claim their reward.

Both Asha and Parun were frozen for a moment, watching in horror as the Lourian cavalry charged towards them. "Brother, I'm scared," Asha said, her voice trembling.

"Asha, let's go, we have to get out of here!" Parun yelled out, grabbing Asha's hand and pulling her along.

As for the civilians, many of them were already far away, while a few were still left behind, including Asha and Parun.

"LEAVE YOUR BELONGINGS BEHIND!" "RUN, WE HAVE TO GET AWAY FROM HERE!" some civilians yelled out in fear and desperation.

"GO TO THE FIELD, AND SCATTER!" One of the Qua-Toynian soldiers yelled out to everyone, and a few of them followed his instructions. As they all ran to safety, Asha tripped and fell, hurting her knees. Seeing this, Parun immediately rushed to help his sister.

"I'm so sorry, Brother, my legs won't move!" She said, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Don't worry, sister, I will protect you no matter what happens," He said to Asha. He picked up a stick, ready to use it to protect his sister from the incoming Lourians. Seeing this, Asha started praying.

'Dear God, please help us in our time of need,' She prayed, recalling the stories their mother used to tell them about the Forest god and the demon lord.

In the midst of their journey, Asha found herself recalling a tale their mother used to tell them. It was a story that had been passed down through generations, a tale of gods and demons.

["Mother, tell us a tale, about the Forest god," Parun would often request, his eyes wide with anticipation.

"Hmm, The tale of the forest god or the tale about the demon lord, Which one of these?" their mother would ask, a twinkle in her eye.

"OH! The tale of the demon lord!" both Parun and Asha would exclaim in unison, their faces lighting up with excitement.

Their mother would then begin the tale, her voice weaving a tapestry of images in their minds. "A long time ago, the demon lord emerged from the Northern continent and began a campaign of conquest across all the lands. His army was so powerful and ruthless that everyone was forced to retreat to the forest where the god of the forest resided. The forest god saw the devastation caused by the demon lord's army and the suffering of the elves who were trying to resist. As the demon lord's army slowly advanced towards the heart of the forest, the forest god appealed to the goddess of the sun for help."

"The Sun Goddess heard the Forest God's plea and sent her emissaries to aid the elves. The emissaries arrived in a divine ship, so grand and majestic that it could be mistaken for a fortress. The ship unleashed a powerful blast that incinerated the demons. With the help of the heroes of four races, they managed to push back the demons and seal the demon lord for good," their mother would conclude, her voice filled with a mix of awe and relief.

"Mother, what do you mean sealed? What happened to the demon lord?" Parun would ask, his curiosity piqued.

"It means, the demon lord is put into a deep slumber, and one day it will wake up from its slumber. Then what would you do?" The mother would ask, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.

"I will become a hero and defeat all of the demons," Parun would declare, his chest puffing out with determination.

"I will give my prayer to the gods," Asha would say, her voice soft but firm.]

Now back to reality, Asha kept on praying to the Gods. 'Please, if you could hear me, please send the emissaries from the tale to save all of us, for I am willing to lay down my life as a price.' As Asha prayed, all of a sudden a trail of light came down, upon impact, it exploded loudly creating a large hole. This sound caused everyone, including the Lourian, to look where it came from.

The Lourian captain, looking behind him, saw six of his men perished, their bodies turned to ashes except for at least two body parts remaining. He then looked at his men.

"Spread out, if we group together we will be wiped out!" He ordered, looking back towards the Qua-Toynians with rage. "It appears I made a mistake by thinking that they were all just mere peasants, but it looks like there was an archmage among them. Alright then, it seems like we have a change of plan, let's just kill every single one of th-" He was cut off as another trail of light descended from the sky, causing another explosion. The shockwave caused their horses to panic, and they didn't notice that something circular was dropping right at them. After a few seconds, the object hit at least three cavalrymen. As they turned their attention towards it, the object opened, revealing soldiers in armor carrying some sort of staff. The sight of the soldiers emerging from the object sent a wave of shock through the Lourian ranks. The battle was far from over.

In the aftermath of the sudden appearance of the armored soldiers, both Qua-Toyne and Lourian were left in a state of confusion and fear. They watched in stunned silence as the soldiers, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, began to fire at the Lourians, killing them one by one.

Jove, the captain of the Lourian forces, attempted to charge towards these armored soldiers. However, instead of firing at him, the soldiers signaled for him to continue charging. Misinterpreting this as a sign of mockery, Jove continued his charge. As he got closer, he swung his sword, but just as the sword was about to hit one of the soldiers, the soldier ducked down, lifted the horse Jove was riding, and threw it aside. This action trapped Jove's leg under the weight of the horse for a moment.

He attempted to rise, but before he could, an unidentified soldier stomped on his head. The force caused his head to burst, scattering fragments of flesh in all directions. The remaining Lourian cavalry, seeing this, tried to retreat. However, they were swiftly eliminated by a weapon that resembled a laser blaster, coupled with a powerful explosion. This reduced most of them to ashes, mirroring the fate of the initial victims of the explosion. The trail of light persisted for a few more seconds before it ceased, revealing a landscape scarred with large, burnt holes.

The Qua-Toynians looked at the scene with fear, wondering if these new arrivals were allies or enemies. Then, at a distance, they saw a few dozen Iron dragons landing as the troops inside immediately disembarked from the Iron ships. Then, a shadow cast upon them.

"Brother, look at those things," Asha said, pointing towards the emblem that the soldiers and the Iron dragons bore.

"The emblem of the Goddess of the Sun!" Both Asha and Parun exclaimed in unison.

"Everyone, we are from the Solstice Empire, and we're here to help. If anyone is hurt, please tell us so we can tend to their needs," one of the Solticians said as he removed his helmet, revealing his vampiric traits. But to them, they thought that he was an elf due to the ears. The only thing they found strange was that he was pale and had red eyes and silver hair.

Thinking that he was an elf, they immediately calmed down, knowing that they were allies. As they were now trying to aid them, someone then approached him. "Excuse me, my name is Parun. Can I ask you a question? Are you the Emissaries of the Sun Goddess?" Parun asked.

"Kid, what do you mean by that?" He asked Parun.

"Are you not the one who serves and was sent by the most powerful deity, Shamash, the Goddess of the Sun?" Parun inquired.

"I understand your assumption that we serve this Goddess you speak of. However, to clarify, we do not. We serve a being who transcends the gods, the supreme entity, Her Majesty Christine Atien Margintin. Remember her name, for in her light, you will find safety," he explained, a hint of anger simmering beneath his words. He was ready to chastise this mortal for the audacity to assume they served the false god, Shamash. His words sowed seeds of confusion among them, leaving them to wonder about the identity of this god. The term 'supreme beings' led them to speculate that perhaps this was the true name of Shamash.

His anger was palpable, and there was a moment where it seemed he might act on his desire to punish the mortal for their ignorance. But he held back, focusing instead on their immediate task.

"Now, let's proceed to your destination, Ejie. Please, board the helicopter for a swifter journey," he instructed.

"We dare not board the divine vessel, for fear of being a nuisance," responded one of the civilians.

"There is no need to be hesitant. If we continue to argue here to make you board the chopper, it would be truly bothersome for us. So please, follow our instructions and board the chopper to make it easier for us, and get this thing finished already," he told them. After a few more seconds of denying, they were finally convinced to board the chopper.

Louria Occupied territory, City of Gim 5:41 PM.

All the divisions of the Eastern Lords, each with their unique insignia and banners, were present, having gathered at the town hall. This significant building, now echoing with strategic discussions and plans of the Eastern Lords, had been transformed into their headquarters. Serving as their temporary base in this land.

In the midst of this gathering, a voice cut through the murmur of conversations. "I heard that we have lost connection with the cavalry Platoon we sent for recon?" The question hung in the air, a palpable sense of concern threading through the words.

"The Magic Observations was running smoothly when all of a sudden, they detected a large amount of mana appeared, and then, just like that, we lost connection as if they were blocking us from detecting them," came the reply, the tone heavy with uncertainty.

"What do you mean by block? Only the Holy Milishial has the capabilities to block mana detection. Did they join to help Qua-Toyne?" The question was met with a shrug and a shake of the head.

"I don't know. If it is the Holy Milishial, our mana detection would have known if it was from the Milishial," was the uncertain response.

"Magician Washner, there is no need to be concerned right now. Since if it is Milishial they would have already attacked us from our western territory. So does anyone have a clue on who might it be?" The question was posed to the room at large, inviting anyone with a theory to speak up.

All of them started to think for a bit and then it struck them. "Commander Junfila, I think I know who it could be," one of the lords finally spoke up.

"Go on, speak. Don't make us wait," Commander Junfila urged, his gaze fixed on the speaker.

"Well didn't the Qua-Toyne have a new ally just a month ago? I think that country's name is Solstice Empire from what I recall. So if it isn't the Milishial then it could be the Solstice Empire doings. Also, during the battle of the sea, it was reported by the survivors that the ship was so massive that you would mistake it for an island, and the island they are speaking of was made of iron, which then sunk almost all of our ships, and also achieve something impossible by taking down all of our wyverns."

"I also heard some rumors about that, saying that we lost 250 wyverns and that almost all of our fleet meaning the Maihark siege operation has failed or so what I heard," another lord chimed in.

"WHAT!!! BUT THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE, THAT FLEET THAT WE BUILT FOR SO LONG SHOULD BE ABLE TO CONQUER QUA-TOYNE BY THEMSELVES AND EVEN A FEW COUNTRIES FROM THE 3RD CIVILIZATION, AND YOU'RE SAYING THAT THEY JUST GOT DEFEATED!!!" The outburst echoed through the hall, a testament to the disbelief and shock that gripped them.

"Calm down, like I said I only heard of this as a rumor," the lord who had shared the rumor tried to pacify the situation.

"However, the homeland's recent actions seem to be at odds with its own principles or previous decisions. This contradiction is further highlighted by the hurried return of all 45 wyverns back to the homeland, only to be swiftly redeployed on guard duty. The excessive demands for positive military results can also be attributed to the recent naval defeat."

"Regardless of whether these rumors hold any truth, we are duty-bound to follow the directives that have been handed down to us. We've been given clear instructions not to deploy additional forces for any secondary reconnaissance. And yet, Adem, in his ignorance, has ordered us to mobilize all our troops towards Ejie, acting on the anticipation of an impending invasion. As a result, we're forced to navigate through the terrain and routes where, if these rumors are to be believed, the subjects are supposedly hidden."