The Kingdom of Varenier - Capital City: Vaneria
Amidst the lush greenery of sprawling meadows, verdant trees, and clear, pristine rivers, the Kingdom of Varenier is nearly a paradise straight out of a fairy tale. This vast kingdom is home to the "Irsayars" a race of humans with fox-like features. They are strong, swift, and possess powerful magic. With a territory spanning an entire continent, Varenier is rich in resources, including precious minerals, and boasts fertile lands that never lack for food. This land is truly a haven, but not everything is as it seems.
In the study of Firra Varenier, the Empress of the Kingdom of Varenier, the room was cluttered with piles of paper and documents. Paperwork was never her favorite task, but she had little choice in the matter. Most of the documents in front of her were from foreign nations.
"The nations of The Civilized People" Firra muttered under her breath.
It is a laughable title. These people lived in what they referred to as the center of the world and proclaimed themselves as the civilized ones. But the humor ended there. These outsiders had begun developing machines and magical weapons, using them to invade other lands, and Varenier was no exception. The kingdom was rich in Arcane mines, a magical mineral often used as fuel and a component in various magical devices. The importance of Arcane had made Varenier a prime target for the world's superpowers, but that was not the worst of it.
Most of the great powers knew of Varenier's wealth, and each desired to possess it solely for themselves. This was the problem. They knew that an invasion of Varenier would provoke war among themselves, a war no one could win. To avoid such a conflict, they agreed to the "Varenier Treaty," a pact stating that no country would invade Varenier—at least, not directly.
Instead, they exerted their military superiority to pressure Varenier into trade agreements, and with a weaker army, the kingdom had little choice. Most of these trades were heavily one-sided, such as the current negotiations with the Empire of Feron.
Firra read through a letter from Feron's Trade Guild, filled with demands: a 50% reduction in taxes, a doubling of Arcane Ore exports, and a request for Feron's companies to establish production bases within Varenier.
"Greedy vultures," Firra muttered. Yet, despite her displeasure, she knew her options were limited. Varenier did not have the military strength to confront these nations head-on. She had to maintain as much power as possible while conceding as little as she could.
As Firra pondered her next move, a knock came at her door.
"Enter."
The door opened to reveal one of her servants.
"Lady Firra, Lord Londel has requested an audience."
"Lord Londel?"
Firra knew Lord Londel well. She remembered that his family were not Irsayars but humans who had settled in Varenier many generations ago. Despite being an outsider and often having difficulty fitting in with most Irsayars, he was crucial to the kingdom due to his economic expertise, which had helped Varenier resist the dominance of the major powers.
"Lady Firra," Lord Londel entered the room, bowing in respect.
"Lord Londel, please, have a seat."
"Thank you, Lady Firra." He slowly sat down in the chair opposite her. "I must apologize for arriving without prior notice."
"It's quite alright, Lord Londel... What brings you here today?"
"It's a rather difficult matter to explain... but it concerns..."
---
"Flying battleships?" Firra thought to herself as she sat in the carriage, heading towards the port city of Asara.
Had she not known Lord Londel before, she might have dismissed him as a madman. Everything he had said sounded like the ravings of someone who had just consumed a few too many mushrooms, followed by a couple of barrels of wine.
According to him, a few days ago, foreigners had arrived at Asara, one of the major ports of the Vareneir Kingdom. They claimed to have come from the west, from a nation called the Yuktovakia Imperium, aboard iron ships that could fly. The fact that they traveled in flying iron ships was one thing, but what caught her attention was that they came from the west.
The western sea, or the "Inanis Ocean," was said to be a vast, empty expanse with no end. No islands, no rocks, no landmarks—nothing. Many explorers had tried to discover what lay beyond the Inanis Ocean, but they all failed. Even the greatest powers, who sent their magical steamships to explore, returned empty-handed. For thousands of years, no stories or legends had ever hinted at the existence of people on the other side of the Inanis.
As Firra pondered these thoughts, her carriage suddenly came to an abrupt stop.
"What's happening?"
She opened the door to speak with her coachman, but was met with silence. Looking up at him, she saw his face frozen in shock, and she could smell the fear emanating from him.
Following his gaze, she turned to see what had paralyzed him. And then, she saw it.
It was unbelievable, like a dream or an illusion. A fleet of iron warships—real warships—floating in the sky. And not just one or two; by her estimate, there were at least thirty.
"May the heavens grant me strength..." Firra whispered as she continued on her journey.
When she arrived at the city, she saw that everyone—young and old—was outside their homes, staring up at the sky. On her way, she overheard them talking about the flying warships.
As Firra approached the port, she was struck by their sheer size. Even the smallest of the ships seemed to be around 200 meters long, while the largest might have been over 600 meters. Each ship bristled with what appeared to be turrets, especially the largest ones mounted below.
The ship with the biggest guns was probably a battleship, as the great powers called them. Firra had seen a few of these ships when they came to the capital to pressure her into exporting Arcane Ore, so she recognized them.
Remembering that incident, Firra clenched her fists, recalling the shame she felt then—the helplessness of knowing she was being taken advantage of but unable to do anything about it. But now, she could only hope that this time would be different.
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Firra finally reached the dock, where everything had been arranged for her meeting with the Yuktovians. She saw one of their ships floating so low she could almost see every detail on it.
She stepped out of her carriage and approached the Yuktovians, who were waiting for her along with her guards.
"You are Firra Vareneir, correct?" asked one of the Yuktovakia Imperium soldiers, he dressed in a strange uniform unlike any she had seen before.
"Yes, I am Firra Varenier, Empress of Kingdom of Varenier," she replied with pride.
"Please wait a moment. Ahri Anarinarr will be here to meet you shortly."
Moments later, the massive ship in front of her began to descend further until its lowest point nearly touched the ground. Then, a metal ramp was lowered, and Firra saw a woman walking down.
"Beautiful..."
Firra gasped as she laid eyes on the woman. Her face was the most beautiful Firra had ever seen, as if she had gathered all the beauty of both the earth and the heavens. It was a beauty that could put even angels to shame.
"My apologies for making you wait," the woman began, her voice melodious, like that of an angel—or perhaps a succubus. "I am Ahri Anarinarr, representative of the Yuktovakia Imperium." She was dressed in a long, black gown adorned with intricate gold patterns, and her high heels added to her ethereal presence.
Firra fought to steady her trembling and focus on the conversation ahead. This was not her first diplomatic encounter, but this time was different. The person before her was no barbarian or uncivilized brute. They had demonstrated their power with their iron warships, yet also their elegance and grace.
"I am Firra Vareneir, Empress of Kingdom of Varenier," Firra introduced herself formally.
"I represent the Yuktovakia Imperium," Ahri replied, curtsying slightly as a sign of respect. "I am here to establish diplomatic relations between our empire and your kingdom."
Firra was taken aback by Ahri's respectful demeanor. It wasn't unusual to meet polite diplomats, but she hadn't expected such reverence from a nation capable of building flying battleships. More surprising was that, despite Ahri's royal bloodline—something Firra could sense—she showed no signs of arrogance. This was unusual, as most royalty, whether from the great powers or not, tended to flaunt their social superiority.
"In that case, as the ruler of the Kingdom of Varenier, I welcome you," Firra said warmly.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Ahri invited Firra aboard one of the ships to discuss the terms of their diplomatic relations.
As they walked through the seemingly endless iron corridors, Ahri explained that the ship they were on was a battleship named "Trinity." Despite Firra's awe at the ship's grandeur, she was even more surprised to learn that this wasn't the largest battleship in the Yuktovakia Imperium Fleet.
Ahri mentioned that most of their ships were still in their homeland, guarding against some mysterious event that had occurred. Naturally, Firra was curious about this "event," so she asked. The answer she received only deepened her intrigue.
From what she could gather, the Yuktovakia Imperium was not from this world. Ahri explained that their original world was called "Proxima." At first, Firra thought this was the most absurd thing she had ever heard. How could an entire nation from another world just appear in this one? And unfortunately, Ahri had no answer to that question either.
However, what intrigued Firra the most was the fact that Proxima was a world where magic did not exist. According to Ahri, there was no magic in Proxima, and not only that, but it seemed Proxima was a world where humans were the only intelligent species. Firra found it hard to believe at first—after all, these people had built ships larger than her palace that could fly! But she knew it was true because, from the moment she set foot on the ship, she hadn't felt even a trace of magical energy.
"Could it really be possible for a race with no knowledge of magic to create something so magnificent?"
Soon, Ahri and Firra arrived at a room prepared for their meeting. The room was lavishly decorated, with an elegance that made even the grand hall of Firra's palace pale in comparison. At the center of the room was a large table, around which sat several people, presumably important figures from the Yuktovakia Imperium, each with their own guards standing behind them.
Ahri and Firra entered and took their seats, Firra noting that her chair was placed unusually close to Ahri's. Initially, she didn't think much of it, but after glancing around the room, she noticed that everyone else's seats were spaced farther apart. It was as if Ahri had intentionally placed Firra's seat near hers for some reason.
"Ms. Firra, these are the representatives from various departments in our country who are here for the meeting," Ahri said, introducing each one of them. However, there were two key figures she should pay special attention to.
The first, standing to her far left, was General Miller Wintau, the Supreme Commander of the Yuktovakia Imperial Army. He was a middle-aged man, possibly in his forties or fifties, with dark hair and a tall, imposing figure. He was dressed in a formal military uniform, adorned with various medals on his left chest.
Next to him was Admiral Morrigan Mosley, the Supreme Commander of the Yuktovakia Imperial Navy. Unlike General Wintau, Admiral Mosley was a younger man with dark brown hair. He was slightly shorter than Wintau and wore a deep navy uniform that was almost black, with fewer medals than the general.
"So... is this your path?" General Wintau asked, staring intently at Firra. His gaze was sharp and intimidating, causing Feera to avert her eyes in fear.
"General, please understand that this is the best course of action for our nation," Ahri responded calmly but firmly.
"If you believe that..." Wintau replied, before sitting back down, his demeanor once again composed.
"I understand your intentions, Ms. Ahri," Admiral Mosley spoke up. "However, I still have reservations. How exactly will opening relations with them benefit our country?"
"Sooner or later, we must face the reality of this new world if our nation is to move forward," Ahri said.
"And that is precisely our concern," General Wintau interjected. "This is not our world, Ahri. Our intelligence reports indicate extreme imperialism and aggressive colonialism."
"That's why you're here," Ahri replied. "To show them that we come in peace, but that we will not be taken advantage of."
"But can we truly do that?" Admiral Mosley questioned. "What if they don't understand our message? What if they disregard us and see our land as just another territory to place under their flag?"
Ahri was silent for a moment before responding, "Then they'll find themselves under our flag instead..."
From their expressions, Firra could tell that was not the answer they had expected from Ahri.
"We've discussed this enough..." Ahri said, regaining her calm demeanor. "The purpose of this meeting is to open relations with the Kingdom of Varenier and to establish trade and diplomatic ties."
The discussion proceeded smoothly afterward, much smoother than Firra had anticipated. The trade agreements were promising, as the Yuktovakia Imperium was home to many companies severely impacted by the sudden loss of their trading partners. Opening relations with the Kingdom of Varenier offered them a new market and the opportunity to restart commerce. However, the trade was limited to certain goods, with strict government restrictions on weapons and items that could be used as weapons.
Despite this progress, a small issue remained. While the Yuktovakia Imperium had many goods that would be in demand in the Kingdom of Varenier, the reverse was not true. Although the Kingdom of Varenier typically had a highly sought after resource like the Arcane Ore but for the Yuktovakia Imperium that unfamiliar with magic, this precious minerals found it utterly useless. Nevertheless, Kingdom of Varenier still had a few industries, such as fishing and craftsmanship, that could help them export seafood and some goods to the Kingdom of Varenier, though the volume would be limited.
After the meeting concluded, Firra and Ahri made their way to the dining hall, where they could talk more privately.
"Lady Ahri, are you of royal blood?" Firra asked.
Ahri hesitated briefly before responding. "Yes, I am. The Anarinarr family has ruled the Yuktovagian Empire for nearly 1,200 years."
Firra was slightly taken aback by the revelation. Being of royal descent was one thing, but hearing that a single dynasty had ruled for over 1,200 years was something she had rarely encountered.
"So, are you a queen, then?"
"No," Ahri replied, shaking her head. "That title belongs to my mother, Anis Anarinarr. I am merely the princess, awaiting my turn."
"So, you are a princess?"
"Yes..."
Firra hesitated to ask her next question, but her curiosity got the better of her. "But why do your people speak to you that way?"
Throughout their journey together, Firra had noticed that Ahri was treated almost like an ordinary person. No one addressed her with honorifics, nor did anyone bow or show her the respect one would expect for royalty since they had boarded the ship.
"It's a rather long story, Lady Firra..." Ahri's expression became somber and troubled as she spoke.
"I would be happy to listen if it would ease your mind."
Ahri hesitated for a moment before speaking. "My great-grandfather... he was a powerful man, Lady Firra," Ahri began, her face clouded with sadness and her voice tinged with sorrow. "A powerful man with a heart full of envy..."