April 19, 1641
Washington DC
"My fellow Americans," Lee announced, overlooking a crowd that filled the National Mall. He scanned the audience with somber eyes, reminiscing. "I greet you today, on the anniversary of the Transference, to remember those we lost. One year ago, the skies across our great nation darkened, lashing at us with the elements as we were whisked away to a world not our own. When the storm clouds finally parted, we found ourselves unable to contact the people we love. Everyone in South America, Europe, Asia, Africa — everyone not in one of our territories — was now gone. Although a void now fills our hearts, there is still hope.
Brought from Earth to Elysia, navigating this new world was challenging. The first few weeks were incredibly treacherous, with concerns of a devastating economic recession and a total societal collapse. However, we recovered thanks to the new friends we made. Beings known only to us through fiction — elves, dwarves, beastmen, and the like — accepted our offers of friendship, bringing us bountiful trade deals to keep our economy afloat. Among the gifts we've received from them, none have been as fantastical as magic.
Magic was once a fantasy. Now, it serves as our realest beacon of hope; our light at the end of the tunnel. In the spirit of this hope, I want to announce the official integration of the arcane into our society, starting with an expansion of the Magical Research Department and its operations. In time, we may finally understand the anomaly that brought us here, and how we can reverse it to get back home.
Of course, this undertaking won't be possible without the people of this world. Their friendship and cooperation are valuable, and I'd like to take this opportunity to announce that it is due time for us to finally see these new friends. As of today, the Bureau of Consular Affairs has officially lifted travel bans to dozens of key economic partners, including Mu and the Holy Mirishial Empires.
The future ahead is still uncharted, our destiny ours to forge. With the help of our allies, we will write our own fates and find a way back home!"
Thunderous applause met Lee's speech.
He smiled at the crowd, waiting for the sounds to dwindle before he resumed, "In the meantime, we will continue to rebuild our economy. We've begun importing raw materials from allied nations and resource deposits discovered in uninhabited regions. It will take some time before these efforts bear fruit, so we will be distributing another round of subsidies to bolster essential goods and services. As a result, we expect prices of food and water to return to pre-transference levels. Thanks to imports from the Quila Kingdom, energy prices are now at a new low, with gas prices reaching the lowest level we've seen in decades!"
The audience reacted positively to this revelation, glad that the Transference's impact on their wallets was finally dissipating, and even providing a boon in some regards.
Lee raised a finger in the air, "Let it be known that this excessive usage of fossil fuels won't last forever. Earth was subject to decades of pollution, and we have been given a second chance here. Our researchers will work on finding new ways to integrate magic into our infrastructure, to make for a cleaner America! In addition, my administration is currently working on the development of new clean energy facilities, with fifty billion dollars alone allocated to nuclear plants. We will have these facilities up and running by the time prices stabilize, and transition to an energy grid that can power the America of the future!"
Yet again, his words were received well.
"This Transference took many things away from us, but it also gave gifts back. Among these gifts, the greatest one is a fresh start. We will take the lessons we learned on Earth to achieve a better future not just for the United States, but for the entire world. God Bless you all! God Bless America!"
—-
April 23, 1641
Cartalpas, Holy Mirishial Empire
Commercial District
Seagulls flew overhead, cawing as they swept down on an unattended batch of McDonald's fries sitting on a table.
"Hey!" An elf cried out, chasing the birds away. Inspecting the damage, she was saddened to see that only a single fry remained.
The elf stared solemnly at the tragedy before her, taken aback as a shadow started to loom over her. "Yeah, that always sucks. Mind if I buy you another?"
The elf turned around. She responded to the tall human, wearing a fashionable blazer similar to, yet distinct from the suited Americans she had seen recently. "Oh, yes. I mean, I don't mind, thank you."
The two walked back into the store, with the man engaging in small talk, "You know, this is the first time I've visited the Holy Mirishial Empire. I've gotta say, the city is beautiful!"
"Oh, thank you! We really like to maintain our cities. The rest of the world looks up to us," she said, staring at the pin on the man's blazer. "Or rather, looked up to us. I assume you're an American?" Her friendly tone faded.
"Yes, I am."
The elf nodded. "So what brings you to the Holy Mirishial Empire? Here to compare our cities to your own?"
The man was caught off guard by the slight aggressiveness of the elf's question, but evaded it. "No, I'm here to see a friend. You know Minister Phiam?"
The elf's attitude suddenly shifted upon hearing the name, hoping that she didn't accidentally offend someone important. "Oh, of course! He's one of our top diplomats!"
"Yeah, he invited me here for a dinner party later tonight, and more celebratory events tomorrow. You know, marking the next step in Mirishial-American relations and all that." The man was finally next in line, and he ordered, "I'll have a bacon quarter pounder with cheese, two large fries, and two large drinks, please."
"That'll be twelve dollars and fifty-four cents, sir," The cashier informed him.
"Do y'all accept card or Apple Pay?" The man asked.
"Yes, we do."
The elf watched in fascinated as the American completed the transaction with a blocky device. Her earlier prejudices against the Americans were swept aside by curiosity, as she now had the opportunity to get answers. As they walked to fill their drinks, she asked, "So, who are you?"
The man reacted in surprise and wore an apologetic expression on his face. "Oh, pardon me. How could I have forgotten to introduce myself? I'm Gordon Heiden, Secretary of State. Pleasure to meet you," he extended his hand.
The elf shook his hand. "I'm Ephine. I apologize if I was rude earlier."
"No, I completely understand," Heiden replied. "It's tough when the status quo is disrupted out of nowhere, but I have a feeling that it's all intentional, you know? My entire country couldn't have gotten summoned for no reason, right?"
Gordon's order number was announced via a speaker system. After he retrieved the food, the two sat down inside and continued their conversation.
"You're right. I can still remember how shocked I was when the government announced the return of the Ancient Sorcerous Empire..." As the pieces came together, Ephine abandoned her jealousy. The Americans and their incredible technologies, economy, and everything else may have hurt her pride, but what was this sacrifice in the face of total annihilation? She felt sorry for being envious of their status and power when she should have been thankful to them and to the gods for helping Elysia stand a chance against the evils to come. "Maybe that's why you were brought here? To protect us from the Sorcerers?"
"Probably," Heiden said, digging into his burger.
"I saw your president's speech. You won't leave us, will you?"
Heiden stopped eating, putting the burger down. He looked into Ephine's eyes while he prepared a response. He truly didn't know the answer to her question. "I... I don't think we'd be able to leave before then," he said, dodging the question. "Most likely, I think we'll need access to the Sorcerers' technology before we're able to figure out how to get back home."
Ephine nodded, satisfied enough with Heiden's answer. "I never thought I would have had to worry about this in my lifetime." She sighed, "The only reason why we haven't had mass hysteria yet is because fifteen or so years is still far out, and many have faith in you Americans to fight off the Sorcerers. I only hope this faith isn't misplaced."
"If there's anything I can promise, it's that whoever summoned us here chose the right people for the job."
Ephine related Heiden's statement to current sentiments, "Some of us think you're too right for the job. Some Mirishials are afraid of losing their status as the greatest power in the world, and view your people with suspicion. I would've held these same beliefs, but I realized that the gods summoned your people for a reason. I think you should convey this message to the public. Ask Minister Phiam to make sure that the people know what you're doing, and how important your mission is."
Heiden raised an eyebrow, surprised by Ephine's sudden request and interest in politics. "I didn't think such things would be so close to heart for a random citizen," he commented.
"Do your citizens not get involved with the well-being of your nation?"
Heiden thought back to instances of unity present throughout American history, namely 9/11. "Not extensively. Only in times of crisis, but even then, we've never had an unavoidable, devastating crisis like this."
"The return of the Ancient Sorcerous Empire is something almost every Elysian fears. Unfortunately, some people don't know just how imminent, existential, urgent, this threat is! Please, you need to make sure that the people understand the severity of this threat. You have the power to help convince people to start preparing now!"
"I'll discuss this matter with them," Heiden agreed to Ephine's request. "I promise."
—-
Lazos Castle, Cartalpas
Minister Phiam struck his champagne glass with a fork, producing a high pitched sound that caught the partygoers' attention. Lively chatter and laughter settled down quickly as the lights dimmed, except for the lights focused on Minister Phiam.
Phiam cleared his throat and began his speech, "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here today as we celebrate a monumental moment. Four days ago, the Americans observed the anniversary of their Transference to Elysia. Although this was a shocking development that led to the disappearance of their home planet, Earth, and the people on it, the Transference also served as a great opportunity. For the Americans, the Transference gave them an opportunity to start anew, unbothered by the troubles of their home world. For us, the Transference is a ray of hope; our beacon in the darkness.
For many centuries, our people have prepared for the inevitable return of Elysia's oppressors, the Ancient Sorcerous Empire. When we first learned that their fated return was scheduled for our era, we were devastated. We prepared as much as we could, but it was not enough. All hope was lost, until we began hearing tales of transferred countries: The Gra Valkas Empire and the United States of America. Rumors had floated for weeks and months, until we verified their existences through the fateful defeats of superpowers across the world. To the west, Leifor succumbed to an enraged Gra Valkas Empire, who sought retribution for the barbaric treatment they received. To the east, Parpaldia fell, toppled by a righteous force of liberation: the United States of America.
As nations fell and power balances shifted, we gained more knowledge about these mysterious newcomers. We heard rumors of a single super battleship sinking whole fleets and of mysterious arrows of light that slammed into their targets like meteors. Such fantastical feats were worthy of our attention, and so we sent delegations to both countries.
Minister Siwalf was sent to the Gra Valkas Empire, only to be met with rude barbarism, insults, and hollow threats. Their technologies were advanced, even exceeding Mu's. They could have made a great ally against the coming threat, had they not shunned us and turned our friendliness away. It was clear that no help would come from these people, who acted like the barbarian instigators they once brought retribution upon.
This left the nation of supersonic iron dragons and weapons of light. I was sent to establish contact with the Americans, who were more than willing to welcome us and greet us in kind. I won't go too deeply into the details of my travels, but their nation was one of advanced technology, immense natural beauty, and regal hospitality. The seeds of friendship were planted, and now they blossom."
Minister Phiam thought back to the words of advice given to him earlier by Secretary Heiden. Some of us countrymen felt their pride being injured by the Americans' rise to power, and this detracted from the main threat: the return of the Ravernal Empire. As he scanned the audience, he could see looks of scorn and disapproval gazing back. It was up to him to convince his country's elite to lend their aid. It was up to him to rally his people.
"With the lifting of the American international travel ban, we celebrate the evolution of our relations! American tourists, customers, and industries will now flock to our Holy Mirishial Empire, and I urge you to welcome it. Welcome it, not only for the sake of civility or profit, but most importantly, for the sake of forging a bond that not even the Sorcerers' core magic could destroy!"
The silent audience erupted in ecstatic applause, moved by Phiam's incredible speech. The
attendees found his words to be so uplifting that some of their eyes even began to water, their hearts swelling with optimism.
"Together, we will ensure that Elysia finally breaks free from the shackles of fear! Together, we will ensure that the Ancient Sorcerous Empire is finally defeated, once and for all!"
——
Author's Note:
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