"First of all, let's talk trade and commerce." Began Alexandra with great interest.
Asriel immediately spoke up, "I believe it is appropriate if I begin by telling you what type of products the Kingdom of Krosnia offers to the market, correct?" A strange, unreadable glint in his eyes demonstrated what could only be described as 'hunger'.
The Americans signaled their approval, prompting the man to continue, "We specialize in selling a lot of high quality raw materials and concentrated ore, there is nowhere else in Cybelia where one can find such strong, durable alloys. Although we lack the infrastructure to properly extract it all, the use of heavy manpower have been enough so far and perhaps we can meet your needs in this regard."
The Americans were already impressed by this remark, if his claims are true, that would be a highly beneficial deal for an America that wanted to rebuild its Army, Navy and Airforce, not only they would be able to do that, they would also acquire stronger, more resilient tanks, planes and ships from it, then they could use the resources gained from the — at this point in time only planned — Gaia Colonies, to rebuild the home turf and at the same time develop the new continent itself.
Overall, that was a incredibly good deal already, however impressed they were though, they didn't show it and just nodded, showing interest but not overly so, a good diplomat must be a good negotiator after all.
Asriel then smirked, "We also sell miscellaneous materials, aside from our incredible variety of mineral resources, things like hardened lumber for construction and other materials that we honestly don't know what they could be applied for, but perhaps you could find some use in researching them." He finished his explanation, with pride in his land's wealth.
Nolan rubbed his chin in thought for a second, before making his response known, "That's something we can make a deal on, when it comes to what kind of products we offer, we have a great variety of manufactured goods and luxury items that your people may find interesting. Things like clothing, jewelry, watches, casual and formal attire, toys, that kind of stuff. When it comes to consumables, we can offer the finest wines, alcohol beverages, coffee, silk, cotto-", he didn't get to finish as Mina's eyes widened like plates before she screamed out.
"Did you just say coffee?! And silk! Those things are incredibly rare to find, nobody but the highest state figures have had the opportunity to even see those items, and yet you claim to produce them in enough capacity to export them! That's amazing!" She blurted out without thinking, and her professional mask crumbled just like that.
Alexandra had a smug expression on her face, it could pass off as mere amusement, but the reality was much different than that, 'I knew it! She is the perfect fountain of intel we have been looking for! Too easy to manipulate... now she just gave up the fact that the things we are gonna sell are incredibly rare and highly valuable on this world, with this, if we make sure to establish trade agreements regarding these goods across multiple countries, we should be able to recover a semblance of stability and avoid a complete collapse of the economy!'
Externally — The Americans and Asriel just deadpanned, the former individuals barely containing their laughter and the latter wishing that the ground would eat him up right now, to save him from this embarrassment.
Mina herself looked down, not wanting to face the uncomfortable situation she had just created.
The older man sighted in exasperation, "I apologize for her behavior... let's just continue with the talks, I will have a word with her later." He promised with a tone that promised pain.
Nolan just dismissed it and said it was nothing to worry about.
Asriel just cleared his throat and continued with the subject at hand, "While those products are certainly interesting, there is the matter of currency, do you use precious coins, or do you use paper money like the Andeldians?" He questioned neutrally.
Alexandra was the one that spoke up instead, "We are not aware of who these 'Andeldians' are — however we can confirm that indeed we use paper currency. How would you like to work out the exchange?"
"Preferably by the local value of the gold in your homeland. To avoid inconsistencies, we can set fixed prices on certain goods and even exchange them directly for a certain amount of other raw products. This should be easy enough — and honestly on our end, I would consider it barely an inconvenience for us to manage, we have already done it with other partners around Cybelia.", he explained in detail.
"Sounds good, we should also talk about a free trade agreement, it would allow us to establish good logistics for both of us and to keep the maritime routes safe from piracy or any other threats that could arise. We also need to figure out...", Nolan trailed off, as they discussed the more intricate parts of the agreement, one that would need to be discussed with the Queen of Krosnia before anything could be properly finalized.
By the time the 'sun' of this planet started to set over the horizon, they had ironed out a very favorable deal for the Americans, unbeknownst to the Krosnians, who just didn't understand at all the extent of the industrial and agricultural capacity the United States had, and how truly desperate they were for the sheer quantity — and quality — of the natural resources the Krosnians possessed.
Asriel seemed very pleased to himself, such are the perks of ignorance, "Very well, it seems like we have a draft to present Her Majesty, I will set an appointment for an audience tomorrow, we will provide you with a hotel room in one of our most prestigious establishments for the night. In the morning, Mina will go and let you know about the time of the meeting, she will take you and two bodyguards along. Would that be agreeable enough?" He finished with a smile.
The American representatives voiced their appreciation and thanked them for the hospitality. After that, Mina was tasked with taking them to the hotel they would reside in. Before they left though, Nolan asked a question they had been dying to lay out since they heard the old man speak about magic and spells.
The representative looked into the older diplomat's eyes, "Before we go, I would like to ask if it would be possible to provide us with a more elaborate explanation about magic? Then we can tell you about the weapons you saw in the video, a fair trade I believe", he asked with confidence.
The man seemed even giddy to talk about it, and so he promptly did, "Very well, we have a deal... to describe magic, I would say that it is the physical representation of mana manipulation and control. Mana is, at its base, energy, the most pure form of life force you can find in all living beings — it can also be found in liquid form when mining deposits where it lays, mostly from concentrated spots where its power has no room to escape — the pressure builds up and the mana gets condensed into a paste with the properties of a slime monster." Laying out the basics before moving on into the more intricate details.
Both Nolan and Alexandra raised an eyebrow internally, this would be great material to study and figure out if this 'mana goo' had any possible use to them. Although, they would need to get some samples to bring back and let Dr. Hartz take a look at it.
"Even though you Americans seem to base your society around machines and technology instead of the arcane, I can detect the faintest readings of mana from you, since you are still living beings, but the ability to mold it seems to not have developed because you didn't have enough exposure to its purest form. Cybelia is completely overflowing with it, and our ecosystems have fully embraced it as a fundamental part of its delicate balance", the old man's eyes quickly found theirs to see if they had any questions so far or if they showed any spark of confusion, but so far they seemed to follow well.
And so, he continued, "Mana in humans is molded through small tubes, just like the ones that circulate our blood, that connect to bigger points all around our body, these are called 'mana coils'. All of those lines originate from what is called the 'Navel Gate', and the more you practice with it, the more mana you will produce and the easier it will be to mold and control the power and elements — to the point where you are able to cast spells with it, or throw basic attacks that lack complexity."
To demonstrate this, the man held his palm upwards, and on his hand a small, blue flame — which seemed to be brimming with pure energy — was formed, then as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished on Asriel's command.
Both of the Americans nodded, seemingly satisfied with the good explanation the old diplomat was giving them. This was detailed enough to be reported but not overwhelming, and they appreciated that fact.
He cracked a knowing smirk, "I would even be so bold as to say that you will start to develop the ability to use it as time goes by. Because of the intense exposure your citizens will have to it, their bodies will absorb the mana and adapt over the months and years that will follow. Newborns and children will adapt even quicker if my assessment is correct", he finished, seemingly not wanting to bother them with too much intricate information.
Nolan was so happy he could jump, 'Does this mean that eventually I will be able to throw spells around like in the movies? That's sick! Hopefully the man's right and we get to use some of the stuff'.
Alexandra herself was also very curious, she wondered what possible applications the use of magic could have in social, economic, and of course, militarily terms too, she would make sure to speak of this to the President.
"Thank you for the excellent explanation, Mr. Asriel, you are a very knowledgeable man, we appreciate that greatly", exclaimed the woman, trying to buff up the guy's ego a little bit, a subtle tactic that may be helpful later.
The man in question seemed to like that, a lot, "You are very much welcome, now, I believe it's time we all depart, I will see you tomorrow, at Her Majesty's Royal Palace, to make the final decision and officially establish relations — should the Queen be pleased with the points we have laid out today, I am sure that she will agree to opening mutual embassies to keep communications steady", Asriel stated, the three individuals stood up and walked towards the exit, but before they all left the room, Nolan looked back at him over his shoulder.
With an ominous shadow over his now empty eyes, the young man expelled an ominous aura that made the Krosnians unwillingly take a brief step back, "About the weapon, as you have already seen, we have never been able to use magic, not even a bit. We had to rely on pure science to create it — on our world, we were the first to have it, after everything we went through, nobody in our nation thinks the proliferation of such a horrific... thing is safe. It has already destroyed one planet, therefore, we will make sure — no, we guarantee that we will not allow the same mistakes to be repeated on Cybelia, at all costs", he declared with unwavering conviction, following the same framework the President told him to use in the event of being asked about the nuclear weapons — which were intentionally visible on the film — by any other delegation they met in the future.
The new American doctrine would be dictated by the legendary leader's speech tomorrow, but they wanted to make it clear already that any thoughts of developing these weapons would be met by doom at the hands of the United States of America. Nuclear proliferation is an existential threat that they will crush as soon as it rears its ugly head — and that message was received loud and clear by the Krosnians, who just hesitantly nodded in the face of such a declaration.
With that last piece given, the U.S. representatives and their 6-man security detail left the building, alongside Mina, who picked up a carriage on the entrance and took them to their hotels.
The first of March seemed to have all the cards it needed to become a historic day for the United States, for good or bad, it remained to be seen.
Kingdom of Krosnia
New World Year, 1556 (2026EY)
March 1st
Keraunia's Royal Palace
The American delegation, alongside two men from the security detail and Mina, who had brought them there, approached the incredibly luxurious, beautiful gates of the structure, solemnity and respect were the bare minimum such a place demanded, and as such, they would take it very seriously. Nothing short of the worst etiquette was even remotely — by all meanings of the word, acceptable.
As such, they walked briskly up the massive rows of stairs, once they reached the gate, Asriel, who was waiting for them, curtly bowed, "I welcome the United States' representatives into Her Majesty's glorious palace, follow me, ladies and gentlemen."
The soft thump of their steps resonated against the opulent marble that lined the incredibly detailed walls of the hallway, resolutely approaching this country's supreme, sovereign ruler.
Everyone carried themselves in a dignified manner, occasionally nodding as a form of respect to the guards, who would then answer in kind, marvelous paintings decorated the already spectacular scene, finely carved furniture and the occasional pot with exotic flowers adding an extra dimension of care and finesse that impressed even the Americans, you just didn't see this kind of hand crafted beauty anymore, as most of it all was done by machinery. Still, they kept their mouths shut firmly, the last, massive door giving way to the place where a historic diplomatic mission would perhaps bear it's first, and hopefully not final, fruits.
The Royal Guard in front of them opened the doors with a potent, reverberating sound, making the Queen and her advisors, alongside what looked to be military leaders, focus their attention on the people that had just entered the throne room.
Everyone in the group, sans the security detail — who lowered their heads in respect but never let their weapons go — gave a curt bow to the single most powerful person in this Kingdom.
"We greet the Queen of Krosnia, Kiarinshka Yen Alimino, and all reverend members of this supreme council", proclaimed Asriel with the utmost reverence and respect his tone could muster.
The Queen, who donned a red cloak with white details made out of wool, an elegant tiara on top of her immaculate, light blue hair that was evidence of her pure-royal blood, with light-honey colored eyes that seemed to hold nothing and everything at the same time, calculating all but the most minute of details present in every single person, concentrated and intelligent, powerful and merciful. Her pinkish natural lips sat in a neutral, emotionless visage. This was the aura of nigh divinity of a true member of royalty.
"You shall rise your heads, I personally welcome you — the ones who have come from Earth, not only to our glorious Kingdom, but to our world", her soft, yet authoritative voice held a friendly, but firm intonation to it.
Asriel had already let everyone know about the American's situation, and while surprised, they were more curious than anything, this has happened before in theory, as such, they would hold judgement — the Krosnians were just a pragmatic bunch in general.
"We, the representatives of the United States of America, graciously accept and thank you, Your Majesty, for such incredible hospitality. We wish nothing more than lasting, powerful relations between your distinguished Kingdom and our indomitable Republic." Declared Nolan and Alexandra in practiced synchronization.
"All of you, take a seat and let us discuss-", her beautiful voice was interrupted by the harsh boom of the throne room's door being thrown open once more by a squadron of panting knights, who immediately kneeled before the Queen and screamed.
"Your Majesty! I apologize for my rudeness, however, there is an incredible emergency! The Kingdom of Soume has launched a surprise invasion of the border villages and towns in the north! Using some type of invisibility magic, they avoided detection by our border guards! They are marching through as we speak! What shall we do, Your Majesty?" He said in a single breath, almost fainting in the process.
In the middle of the mans urgent message, everyone in the room stood up in surprise.
"What did you just say?!" Screamed one of the civilian councilmen, some kind of merchant, the Americans assumed.
"Impossible! To do such a thing, you would require at the very least multiple arch-mage squadron! Our kingdom specializes on the arcane, yet we only possess a couple of these units!" Claimed a robed man that seemed versed in the art.
The pandemonium that ensued was uncontrollable, and it would've gone off for longer, had it not been for the Queen, of course.
A chilly, electrifying aura permeated the room with dread and a killing intent so strong that the Americans, not used to such high levels of mana being expelled, fell on their knees, while the rest had to steel themselves with their own power to stay standing in the face of the Queen's frosty anger.
Nolan clutched his throat while squirming on the hard, cold floor, 'Wha- What the hell! I feel like someone is crushing my heart! I can't breathe...! I can't...! Is this the power of magic?'
'This is... insane! Is it only because she is the Queen? How powerful... I pray that not all mages are like this...!'
"You will stop this bickering at once, our Kingdom has been invaded by a force that possesses at least hundreds of thousands of active warriors in their ranks — without including their reserves — and multiple arch-wizards, yet, all of you waste time in this buffoonery? Behave, or I will be forced to deal with every single one of you imbeciles — except for the foreigners..."
The word of the Queen was absolute, and as such, the men and women from the council slowly bowed their heads in acceptance, suddenly, the thick mana filling the room receded, allowing them to let out a breath that nobody noticed they were holding in.
The Americans slowly stood up, panting and slightly trembling, even their security detail struggled to move, hardened veterans from the Third World War were at the mercy of a power they had never seen before. One thing was clear, they must not underestimate these people for having low technology, from what they have heard... and felt, that would be the most foolish course of action America could take. The 'Arcane' was to be taken seriously.
"General Trivus, Admiral Reynald, Gryphon Corps Commander Igritto, it is my will that all of you decipher a plan to establish a defensive line on the most favorable conditions possible. If the situation at the front gets too straining... I will have no choice but to deal with these invaders myself."
All the Krosnians in the room were sweating bullets, their eyes widened to their limits when they heard the Queen's declaration. All these individuals knew very well that their ruler wielded power higher than any arch-wizard division could hope to rival. 'Royal blood' was not given its nearly divine status out of nowhere, a battle with the Queen participating was akin to an wild card for their army. Having her on their side was certainly a guarantee of victory in a battle against a reasonably superior enemy, however, she had her limits, mana takes time to recover and there is a serious risk involved, if the enemy had better tactics, or had strength at least over two times above the Queen's Task Force, she would be defeated, with her magic sealed and the honor of their Kingdom blown to pieces.
The only conclusion was that, this scenario should occur only as the last resort for their nation. The Queen had no heirs and no husband, she was the sole person with a rightful claim to the throne, this would be an absolute, complete disaster, and it could very well lead to a civil war in the nation — power hungry individuals were certainly not uncommon, they all knew it.
A deafening silence took place, while the high-ranking men and women in the room just stood at attention.
"You are all dismissed, go and defend our Kingdom with all your might, my soldiers!" She proclaimed, as the woman stood up and waved her arm at all of them, boosting the morale on everyone present.
"Yes, Your Majesty!", they all barked out in discipline, however, before they could leave, Nolan raised his hand.
The Queen was curious, the foreigners had so far been very quiet on the whole affair, she had interest on what the otherworldler had to say.
"You may speak, representative."
Nolan bowed his head curtly, "Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, I have a suggestion that — should it be approved by my superiors — will most certainly almost guarantee victory for your Armed Forces.", he stated with extreme confidence, almost unsettlingly so for the Krosnians officials in the room.
"Oh? And what may that suggestion be?" The Queen asked, greatly interested in the prospect of some assistance, she was no fool, the enemy army was many times stronger and the only advantage that Krosnia was supposed to have, magic, was now completely eliminated if the frontline preliminary reports are indeed true.
"It just so happens that we have brought with us an entire Expeditionary Strike Group, a highly capable flotilla, while the details of the armament these ships have are either classified or too complicated to explain in such a short notice, I can tell you that these vessels can render these 'Soumans' completely combat ineffective, even from this range" Nolan said calmly, then Alexandra intervened, "In exchange for some concessions and good will at the negotiating table... the armies you have seen at your borders? If you only say the word, none of you will see them anymore, Your Majesty."
The Queen's eyes widened ever so slightly, as her strategic mind raced to find the pros and cons of such action. This help would indeed be incredibly useful in winning the war, however, her standing with the nobles would be dealt a severe blow — should something like that happen, the Kingdom's already frail unity would collapse, that would mean certain defeat, even if the American's claims were actually true. Her expression was completely conflicted.
"If what concerns you is politics and honor, while our ships can severely weaken them, the ones who ultimately have to defeat and push those troops back into the enemy's territory, and the ones who have to carry out the offensive operations to make that possible, are you and your soldiers alone. We would lend a hand without putting men in the ground or destroying your honor, Your Majesty", Alexandra said, her gaze completely cold and calculating, while in a deep bow to the Queen.
The Queen's eyes brightened in realization, and while she still had some second-thoughts about this proposal, time was of essence, and as such, a decision had already taken place within the depths of her mind.
"I understand, otherwordlers — my final decision is..."