Lanzada, Lombardy Alps, Two Days Before
"Go on, please continue eating." Inside a house in the small village of Lanzada, an odd sight could be seen outside. Tied to a tree were six wyverns feasting on some leftovers on the ground while inside the two story house, the owners of the beasts were eating food inside rather quickly. The wyvern fighters had a look of relief and even pleasure as they ate while on the table was a platter of lasagne that they dug into. Meanwhile some of the fighters drank wine while an old woman attended to them. "Are you all feeling better?"
"So so much better..." One of the younger fighters said before he continued to eat. Despite being wyvern fighters, being from a minor village they were only served somewhat better food than the peasants. Being served something that smelled, looked, and tasted good, the men dug in to the hospitality of the old woman as they ate.
One of the older men who had a bit more elaborate uniform compared to his comrades ate silently as he recalled what happened leading up to here.
They had been flying for hours before they landed near the town. They were to live off the land but when they smelled something amazing, they just couldn't resist.
The wyverns outside proved to be a fright amongst the townspeople and as such, the focus of the fighters on eating were disturbed when they heard a mysterious loud noise. One of them jumped as he looked back to the window. "What was that!?"
"Oh calm down dear, it's just the police." She said with a comforting tone which prevented the fighters from acting harsher in the first place. The old woman stepped out as she saw two dumbfounded officers who stared at the wyverns. "Is everything alright, officers?"
The two gazed at the wyverns, then to the old woman. "Umm... madam.... Where did these uhh dragons come from?"
The old woman looked back inside the house. "Ah you see..."
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Palazzo Chigi, 2:42 PM
Giovanni started to regret holding the title of Prime Minister of Italy. It was a busy job for sure but after the so called 'transfer' of the Italian Peninsula to this new world, the man had felt like he had aged a decade. Papers were strewn about in his office as reports of problems all over Italy stacked on top of them.
The government was doing its best to conceal information about the transfer. However he could see even outside his window that the people were beginning to become unrestful. The internet to Italy had been lost and yet pictures of cut off border crossings spread through social media like wildfire. Protests demanded action and information on what exactly was going on and Giovanni couldn't exactly blame them.
The man could not help but lay his head on his desk before the millionth knock of the day came. He simply sat up and cleared his throat, nearly knocking down his empty coffee cup before he called out. "Come in!"
The door opened to a young blonde woman who appeared to be in her late twenties. As she saw the state of the prime minister, she could not help but feel pity for him as she entered. "Prime Minister Canessa? My name is Anna Gasparotto. I'm from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs." She said. In her hands was a file which Giovanni took notice.
"Miss Gasparotto, pleasure to meet you. Many other ministries have visited my office since last night but today's the first time for the Minister of Foreign Affairs... I was initially lead to believe that we were in a somewhat empty world?"
Anna handed the file to Giovanni as she explained. "That's what we believed as well, prime minister however... We have received reports of contact with a nation up north of the Alps. The details are in the file."
Giovanni went wide eyed. They got in contact with another nation? That was unimaginable. He could only imagine an alien species, or mystical beings or possibly some sort of alternate Europe. Whichever it was, Giovanni opened the file as he read it.
As he did, Anna explained. "The nation north of us is referred to as the Parpaldian Empire. As you can see from the name, it is a vast nation that is nearly as large as the continental United States. The local police in the town of Lazanda were the first to make contact with any of this nation's people.... It's a bit unbelievable but-
"... are those dragons!?" Giovanni said, shocked as he eyed the clear picture of six men with what appeared to be beasts.
"More specifically wyverns as they called them. Aside from that, these so called wyvern fighters could speak perfect Italian. The explanation for that is unknown but we managed to get some essential information from them about Parpaldia. Their capital is Esthirant and their technology, at least military wise, were comparable from the Napoleonic Wars. Most worrying however is that... Parpaldia is a nation of conquest. That's why they had such vast territories in the first place."
Giovanni placed the file on the desk as he rubbed his mouth. The thought of a potentially hostile nation being their new neighbors was worrisome. "And they somehow admitted it?"
"They didn't just admit it, prime minister... They bragged and boasted about it. They even joked about invading the town of Lanzada as they thought that's the whole extent of Italy."
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
"I see.... Miss Gasparatto, how busy is foreign affairs?"
"Quite, prime minister."
"Please tell them I'll be on my way for a meeting. This Parpaldian Empire is a major concern for the security of Italy." Giovanni said with a serious tone. Anna nodded before she left the office, both of them now having worried thoughts of Parpaldia.
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Cavour Aircraft Carrier, "Tyrrhenian Sea", One Day Before
Aboard the deck of the Italian navy's flagship, a young man with stylized brown hair and fair skin wore a suit with an Italian flag pin on his collar. Ambassador Antonio Catalano, former diplomat to France, had been assigned to make contact with the Parpaldians. Why he was assigned he didn't quite know but today, he was out at sea and en route to the city of Esthirant.
Antonio eyed the approaching lands as he looked behind him. After the prime minister received word that Parpaldia was a possibly aggressive nation, they were immediately assigned to do gunboat diplomacy with a show of force. The Cavour was part of the 2nd Naval Division as Andrea Doria Destroyer sailed along with the Luigi Durand de la Penne and the Francesco Mimbelli. Two frigates from the Bergamini class and the Maestrale class each went with their sister ships as it was a rather grand display of Italian naval power.
Antonio thought that it was somewhat overboard but then again it isn't too bad being somewhat cautious. After all, if Napoleon's France somehow returned, Italy would definitely do a show of strength just to try and deter the Emperor. If Parpaldia was the same, it would most definitely be a cause of concern.
His trail of thought was broken however as a dozen wooden ships have arrived. He watched as the men scrambled in preparation. Antonio stood there in anticipation as he watched the ships sail by before they turned around and instead started to go the same way as their fleet while they appeared to be slowing to a halt.
"Hm? Are those escort ships?" Antonio asked to himself. He could observe guns and men on the ships and if he read right, they all had a gawking expression.
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Frigate Angelus, Fourth Parpaldian Fleet
"Admiral, these ships... They remind you of Mu or the Mirishials right? And yet..."
"Indeed. They don't fly the ensign of neither of them."
On the gunboat of the Angelus, the entire crew of the wooden ship could do nothing but gaze at the huge metal ships. After they had received reports from a naval wyvern patrol of approaching fleet, they were sent out to communicate with the unknown ships to know their intent.
As it turns out, these ships, whatever they were, were sailing towards Esthirant for a diplomatic meeting. At first, Admiral Hatol thought that the Mirishials were simply sailing through but that could not be further from the truth.
Each ship in the fleet all had their crew gaze's focused on the metal ships. However, Hatol the noticed something descending.
"The- the deck has split itself?" The admiral said in confusion as his men followed with murmurs.
"Admiral, look!" One of his men then pointed to three people on top waving at them with both arms.
"Hm, they appear to be saying that we should embark at their ship... I'll be going." Hatol said as he readied himself while his men looked at him in surprise.
"Admiral, are you really serious?" Another crewman asked in disbelief.
"As commander of the Parpaldian Navy's proud Fourth Fleet, it is my responsibility to not only ensure our safety but to determine who these men are. Four of you, come with me." He said. The crewmen looked at each other before they started making preparations.
Bringing four men with him, Hatol had arrived onto the metal platform as with a few yelps from his guards, they started to rise up onto the deck.
Nothing could've possibly prepared them with what they saw.
The seven men including Hatol looked around the deck in shock. Metal beasts, an unknown flag and most of all, attire that they could only remember to come from the Second and even First Civilization Areas.
One of them was worn by a young man who had two guards of his own holding what appeared to be musket like weapons and yet bigger and bulkier to even be considered as such. Hatol's dumbfounded gaze was broken as the man cleared his throat.
"Welcome to the Cavour." The man said with an almost off putting friendly smile that contrasted with the strength behind him. "My name is Antonio Catalano of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We have a lot to talk about."
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Docks of Esthirant, Back to the Present
Kaios stood at the docks of Esthirant as from the distance he could see the approaching metal ships be guided by the gunboats of Parpaldia. He had received communication through a manacomm that the ship belonged to the so called country of Italy he has been hearing so much today. They were responsible for not only the mountains, but the disappearance of territories from the Parpaldian Empire.
Kaios planned to be angry, threatening, and even demanding to the Italians for the loss but seeing the metal ships arrive, he felt intimidation instead.
Beside him, Raita along with a gathering crowd followed Kaios's gaze as she spoke. "Lord Kaios... What is your plan for this?" She asked as she looked to the man.
"I... I'm not sure. If these ships truly belong to the Italians then... I don't think my usual tactics will work on them." He said. If the ships were any indication, then Parpaldia has gotten itself a more powerful neighbor.
Kaios then noticed the ships had been at the same distance for a while now before he observed smaller boats leaving them. "Row boats? Wait... How on Elysia are they going so fast?"
"Isn't Mu equipped with such machines?" Raita asked as she looked to Kaios.
"I have seen such vessels from Mu but not at this speed!" Kaios said as he rubbed his chin.
"Then... Even so, should this not be under the jurisdiction of the Second Foreign Affairs Department?"
"I would agree but... I have received the reports of mysterious mountains northeast of Esthirant. These Italians were responsible for them somehow. They inhabit those vast ranges. As such, they fall on the Philades continent and it is my duty to accommodate them." He said as they observed them. "These Italians are lucky... I will be treating them with friendliness that I haven't done in years to another nation on Philades."
"Wise decision, Lord Kaios. Wait.... what is-" Kaios perked an eyebrow up to Raita before he flinched as four flying machines had jetted off at such rapid speeds that it sent booms resonating around Esthirant. He looked back and watched the machines fly up as it climbed beyond wyvern altitude before it descended rapidly as it quickly flew around the city to make sure as many people as possible could see this power.
Kaios gazed dumbfounded as so did many of the shocked or amazed spectators on the docks. He then furrowed his eyebrows as he spoke. "This... this is not the power of Mu nor even the Holy Mirishial Empire. This... this is the power of a new advantage for Parpaldia."