High above the skies of Esperanto
The two foremost Su-34M fighters flew straight towards the incoming Azhdahak, but the pilots felt something disturbing about the otherworldly size of the monster
Basisty: With something as fantastical looking as this dragon, it should be able to shoot out fireballs, yeah Sergey Vladimirovich?
Bulykin: Yeah If it were perhaps a gold color, maybe it can even unleash a tractor beam of light. Still-Ah, Blyat. It's coming up!
Magic square-like discs appeared in front of the snouts of all of its three heads and lined up in a single line. The discs then grew bigger bit by bit as they appeared before finally engulfing the Su-34Ms within its grasp. As soon as the Su-34Ms immediately rolled out of the discs, the Azhdahak's attack kicked into motion
Bam... Crack!!!
Inside the discs, shockwaves radiated outwards from the line created, shaving off and annihilating the clouds that were unfortunate to be inside.
Basisty: What the hell was that?!
It was a space-snapping attack and its ultra-powerful after effects. Had the Su-34Ms remained inside the discs, they would have been ripped apart and flattened into sheets. Recognizing the dragon as an undoubtedly dangerous creature, the two Su-34M quickly dropped their KAB-1500L bombs on its heads.
Basisty: Bombs away!
They waited to see how things panned out. Two bombs managed to hit it, wounding the root of the necks and its back but they were hardly fatal to the dragon. Dropping their remaining six bombs and managing to score 6 out of 6, a cloud of smoke left over from the bombs engulfed it
"Graaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!"
The bombing resulted in one of the Azhdahak's heads and wings coming off, causing it to fall onto the mountains below
The dragon of evil, the one which lords over suffering, was bellowing in anguish. Bright red, lava-like fluids gushed out of the wounds, giving off a rather painful appearance. It continued to writhe in pain on the slopes of the mountain, rolling in exhaustion on the surface
Bulykin: All that for one head? This thing's a pain in the ass!
Basisty: Yeah. We came here loaded for a strike package and can only brought two R-77-1s each, so we can't afford to put them to waste... Wait!!!
Ton ton ton ton ton ton ton ton ton...
Just as they thought they saw the fallen head turned to dust, they witnessed a new one growing out of the stump where it was cut off by the bombs. Like watching some sort of wicked time lapse, its muscle fibers quickly grew and stretched like a growing tree. Its ripped wing was also slowly starting to grow back. Finally, as if nothing had happened, it wriggled its fully regenerated body before taking off to the skies on towards Esperanto
Dubykin: What in the literal Blyat?!
Berzhin: Shit! This ain't good! Let's try attacking it with our R-77-1s! Sokol-2!
Berzhin's subordinate launched a R-77-1 air-to-air guided missile with him following suit
Boom! Boom!
Another one of its heads came off as the missiles that pierced its body blew up inside its torso, shaving off much of its body in the process. Even then, it grew its body parts back as if nothing had happened. As soon as it opened its eyes, the Azhdahak once more unleashed its attack from all three fully regenerated heads. This time, the mountains served to obstruct the attack, causing parts of the enormous slopes to get annihilated in ear-piercing shockwaves
Berzhin: Blyat! This is one hell of a dragon! Hell, is this even a living being?!
Dugin: Eat shit, monster!!!
The two Su-34Ms then resorted to strafing the Azhdahak with their guns, opening up countless holes on its neck, body, and wings. Even then, as soon as they saw glowing blood gushing off the wounds, they closed up and returned back to the way it was
Berzhin: Serzhant P. Gromov! Do you read?! Our attacks aren't doing anything substantial! Cut off its heads, they grow back, Priyom!
Esperanto Kingdom
Gromov: They grow back?! Even if you cut them off?!
Hearing what they said, Oka started to panic.
Their attacks were having no effect, even when they cut off its heads, even when they dropped KAB-1500L guided bombs on it, and even when they peppered it full of bullet holes. Actually, they were causing damage and opening wounds, but it appears that it would regenerate any lost body part in the blink of an eye
The dragon of tyranny had now approached just outside of the kingdom. They must find a way to get rid of it quickly, else all their efforts would go up in smoke
Gromov: What do we do... What do we do...
Saffine: Calm down, Pavel! Don't you remember?! It has to be that thing from the painting!"
Gromov: Painting?! Ah, yes! The one your grandmother did! If we were to cut off all three heads at once, we could defeat it!
In the painting, two of its heads were each struck with a spear, while the remaining one was struck with an arrow. Radio in hand, Gromov screamed into it.
Gromov: Do any of you still have R-77s left, Priyom?!
Berzhin: Y-Yeah. But we only have two left, Priyom!
The 3 Su-34M that had dealt with mopping up the beasts on the ground had already spent their R-77-1 air-to-air guided missiles. The only remaining ones were with the other 2 Su-34M with one missile on each fighter
Gromov: We have our two metaphorical spears... What do we use for the arrow one?!
There was no time to find out. As Gromov continued to panic, a voice called out to him
???: Sir Pavel...
Gromov: Yes?! Ah-!!!
Someone who should have long disappeared, Zelim, was standing there. What he was clutching on his chest was a bag of PVV-5A explosives that Gromov had left behind at the workshop just in case they needed it
Zelim: These are extremely powerful explosives, right? At least, that's what I overheard from you yesterday...
Gromov: Wait... You were among those that helped bury them?
While he was ordered not to destroy or take off the demonic control device, nothing was said about him hiding it. When Gromov and some of the knights went to work burying the PVV-5A in the valley to the south, it appears he changed his appearance to that of another person and helped out. He wore a helmet on his head to cover up the circlet
Gromov: Wait! What are you planning to do with those?
Zelim: I will use it to cut off one of that beast's heads. I'm sure you're also going to cut off the other two, yes?
Gromov: Yes, but... Why are you going so far as to...
Zelim: I'm a demon. That Azhdahak out there is a harbinger of calamity even to the demons, so when the light-wingeds sealed it, we managed to rest easy. However, as time goes on, there will come a point when the seal will wear off. It used to be my duty to repair and reapply the seal. In the past, there was a time when the seal almost came off, resulting in a great earthquake. When I came to check on the condition of the seal, that's when Daxild came and captured me
While no one in the present was aware of it, the earthquake described by the founder of the House of Ariazel in Chapter 2, known as the Great Parasoriel Earthquake, was what Zelim was referring to. Given that the society of demons was a place where everyone had it their way, the duty of such a burdensome task was shoved onto a weakling like Zelim who couldn't speak up for his own benefit. That's why his capture at Mt. Vaglar was just nothing but bad luck
Zelim: I may have had horrible experiences here in this country of humans, but I'm eternally grateful to have met Sir Pavel... Since my last order was to die in this battle, I can carry that out by getting killed by that dragon
Gromov: ( Emotional ) No! You mustn't! You...
Zelim: I'm a demon, Sir Pavel! A demon that eats people! You mustn't feel pity towards a demon you recognize as your enemy! I'm not that smart, so I don't know how to use this thing you called a "pew-ze", but please... Please help me be of help to you. There isn't much time!
With that said, Zelim-or rather Zelsmalim-unfurled his wings and flew up high. Since Daxild and his subordinates had already left the area, the signals being sent to the demonic control device on his head had already disappeared and with it the order to hide his true identity. He was now able to run free should he want to.
However, Zelsmalim had already decided. For the sake of Gromov, who had treated him equally, he was willing to die so that he would be safe
Gromov: ( shedding a tear ) Zelim! Zelim!!! Get back here, Noooo!!!
Berzhin: Serzhant P. Gromov! We're running out of time! What do we do, Priyom?!
Shedding a tear in silence, he picked the radio back up
Gromo: Comrade Polkovnik Berzhin! We're going to fire a missile from our MATGMS to destroy the middle head! Then, at the same time, you blow up the remaining two heads with your R-77s! Priyom!
Berzhin: Copy, Priyom!
Gromov, Zabir, and Saffine climbed down from the walls and made a dash for the Eccergo district. There, they maneuvered the Kornet-D Mobile anti-tank guided missile system to face northwards
____________________________________
The Azhdahak perched itself on top of the soaring cliffs to the north of the Fonnolvo and Norstomino districts. Zelsmalim, clutching his load of PVV-5A explosives, flew towards the front of the middle head
Zelsmalim: Hehe... You must be famished in that long sleep, no? I'm a demon, you see, so if you eat me you'll get plenty of magical power!
The middle head set its sights on the pesky Zelsmalim that had come to view. The other two heads meanwhile watched on in envy
Zelsmalim: Yes! Look at me! Eat me if you desire it!
Then, the Azhdahak's middle head opened its mouth wide
Sir Pavel... If we are ever to meet again... May we be on the same side as friends...
_____________________________________
Zabir took the reins of the Kornet-D and aimed directly at Zelsmalim. What's left now was the go signal from Gromov
Zabir: Sir Pavel! Ready whenever you are!
Saffine: Pavel!!!
He cannot afford to let this chance slip away because of his present emotions. If he were to hesitate and let it slip away, tens of thousands of people would die
He knows what to do. For the sake of everyone, he must keep his feelings in check
Still, he could feel the tears dripping from his eyes. Even then, he pressed the button to fire the missile
Gromov: You've been a good friend, Comrade Zelim, May you rest in peace, my friends...
Poof! Swooooooooosh
____________________________________
The 9M133M Kornet-M anti-tank guided missiles fired from the Kornet-D flew straight and accurately towards its target
Berzhin: Now!
After a delay, the two Su-34M fighters-bombers aircraft fired their remaining R-77-1 air-to-air guided missiles
Just as Zelsmalim had entered the mouth of the Azhdahak's middle head, the Kornet-D-fired 9M133M Kornet-M missile landed its hit. The resulting explosion engulfed both the demon and the middle head in a flash of light. At the same time, the two missiles fired by the Su-34Ms hit the remaining two heads, blowing them up in equally spectacular explosions
These three resounding explosions were what signaled the Azhdahak's death, their chilling instantaneous booms echoing across the entirety of Esperanto. Not long after, the evil dragon slowly collapsed onto the ground. Its colossal body lifelessly rolled along the slopes, kicking up clouds of dust
The soldiers gazed on, witnessing what may have been the most legendary of battles in Esperanto's history
Soldiers 6: We...
Soldiers 21: We did it!!!
Soldiers 9: Fuck yeah!!!
Soldiers 66: The guided warrior and the emissaries of the Red Star God have defeated the evil dragon!!! Did we just become witnesses to a new legend?!
Soldiers 16: No way!!!
Cheers erupted from all across Esperanto. With the Azhdahak's demise set in stone, the hordes of beasts began their flight from the scene
Due to the beasts' successful incursion into the Centuro and Malnovo districts, the number of dead Esperantos went above 10,000, but since it was far lower than what they initially expected, the Esperanto government and the citizenry rejoiced. There were those that lamented the loss of their loved ones but there were also those that were happy to have survived the ordeal
After confirming that the Azhdahak was truly dead, the five Su-34M s turned around and went on their way home back to the Soviet Union. On the way, they refueled off of the Il-78MD-90A tankers on standby, allowing them to reach the mainland without incident
____________________________________
Gromov: It's all over...
Gromov s expression and tone were heavy and tired. Behind him, Saffine patted his back
Saffine: Hey... This entire time, you never told us to rejoice or to take pride in what you've done. Still, allow me to say that because of you, we're still here standing. I at least want you to be happy about that and take pride in it
Standing next to them, Zabir also had something to say, yet he'd rather not face them
Zabir: She's right. If not for you, we would have been done in this battle. So... allow me to thank you, Sir Pavel. From the bottom of my heart
Gromov: I...
Unable to get any words out, Gromov fell to the ground on his knees. Before the two could get him to stand up, they heard the hustle and bustle of joy from afar coming towards them. Off to the distance, they spotted Zamenhof, Cey, and Saffine's mother approaching
Cey: Sir Pavel! O, great hero of Esperanto! Thanks to you, Esperanto can now be at peace! On behalf of the kingdom, I give you my thanks!
Hearing the king approaching, Gromov immediately stood up after assuming that remaining on his knees was disrespectful. He wanted to respond with respect but all that came out was tears
Saffine's Mother: Sir guided warrior-no, Sir Pavel. Thank you for protecting this kingdom of ours. I painfully understand the sadness that you're feeling right now. If you want to shed tears, then we do not mind
Given words of comfort by Saffine's mother, he burst into tears
Saffine: Right... Why are you here, mother?
Saffine wondered
Saffine's Mother: The crisis that had befallen this kingdom has come and gone. Now that I no longer have to hide myself, we've made our return
Zamenhoff: I knew it. You're an Ariazel, aren't you?
Rovisa: Why yes. My name is Rovisa Ariazel, mother of Saffine Ariazel
Upon hearing her name, everyone was taken aback
Cey: Ariazel...? Isn't that one of the royal houses?
Zabir: So Madam Saffine here is a princess?!
Zamenhoff: Huh. Ain't that some fact
While everyone was surprised, Saffine was more or less unfazed.
Saffine: Hm..."
Zamenhoff: But why... All this time...?
The king then stepped forward
Rovisa: Allow me to explain. Some time back, the House of Ariazel disappeared
Up to this point, for generations, the three royal houses have taken turns putting their members on the throne. After a Zamenhof, the next to take the throne was an Ariazel, then after them a Levi, and then back to a Zamenhof. Through this system of succession, they were able to protect the kingdom. However, several hundred years ago, the House of Ariazel suddenly vanished. Instead of disappearing all at once (since that would stand out), two to three Ariazels would disappear at once. Before long, the entire family disappeared
Rovisa: If they laid low and hid somewhere in the kingdom, someone's bound to find them. Still, not a single soul found out where the Ariazels went. Neither the Zamenhofs nor the Levis put any effort into looking for them. That's because we sent them a message
Zamenhoff: A message?
Rovisa: Mm. 'Someday, the crisis mentioned in Chapter 7 of the prophetic gospels will happen. Until that has passed, our descendants will not return to the kingdom.
Gromov: So, Saffine-Ah! Should I perhaps call you Madam Saffine?
Saffine: No, not really. I... Well, you know what. Just call me what you've always called me, Pavel
Gromov: Okay. Still, why?
Saffine: My grandmother also left me a message. She said that even if the guided warrior were to show up, I must not reveal who I am...
Rovisa: Sir Pavel. For Saffine to have hid this fact from you, allow me to apologize. It was all for the sake of hiding her true status and identity
Many people who possessed powerful magic, enough to write prophetic works like the gospels, were born into the House of Ariazel. Even as time went on, Ariazels with powerful magic equal to the ones that had come before Saffine's grandmother had been born. There was even an Ariazel that prophesied the destiny of Saffine and the guided warrior. When that prophecy was made, the entire family line vanished into the depths of the forests to the east. If they were to meddle in that prophecy, the Esperanto's existence might be put in peril. Time passed and Saffine was born. She was entrusted to a man that had worked for the Ariazels, who then brought her back to the kingdom to raise her
Rovisa: She must stay confined in that house in the Novalvo district because us Ariazels have failed to uphold our duty to the throne. However, if Esperanto was truly in danger, then we naturally could not just stand by and watch
Saffine: What of my father?
Rovisa: He's currently busy tending to the wounded evacuees from the Centuro district. Go see him once everything's taken care of."
Gromov: But Valsas isn't your...
Saffine: He's the one that raised and educated me, yes. Still, to me, he's also my father
Gromov nodded in acknowledgement
Zamenhoff: Ah, what the hell. With the prophecy of the Ariazels fulfilled and over, I guess I have to give up the throne to you lot
Saffine: Your majesty?!
Zamenhoff: After a Zamenhof, the next to take the throne has to be an Ariazel... At least that's according to the old custom. Sure, we have to take into account what the Levis' say in all of this is, but given Saffine's actions in saving the guided warrior, her case with them should be strong
It's a well-accepted fact among the knights that it was Saffine who organized the speedy rescue of Pavel Gromov from the wreckage of the crashed Il-76MD-90A. Even though none of them trusted him, whose whereabouts and identity was unknown to them at the time, she still gave him lodgings at her place. Her being allowed to do so was also due to her responsibility as the commander of a shock troop unit
In short, she saved him. It can be said then that the Ariazels saved the kingdom, albeit indirectly
Chancellor: The nobles would definitely also have something to say on the matter, you know
The chancellor had his apprehensions.
Cey: Bah! I don't mind. We might as well abolish the aristocratic system altogether. Engaging in insolent power struggles day and night, those bastards have no redeeming qualities
Gromov looks at Cey with an impression that he would make a great uncle. Cey looked back at him with a sinister face, as if he had something in mind
Central Calendar Day 17 Month 4 Year 1640, Novalvo district, Esperanto Kingdom
The day after the battle, on the first of Month 4, the cleanup of the mess left behind commenced. Since the hospitals all over Esperanto were overloaded, including the knights' hospital, many had difficulty getting help. The hospitals also admitted the ogres, leading to many, who were still fearful of them, to not seek help at all. His hand forced, the king had infirmaries set up within the castle itself where the ogres could be taken care of and enlisted the help of Valsas, a doctor at the knights'' hospital and experienced in dealing with ogres
On the 3rd, the disaster relief and response unit deployed by the Soviet Armed Forces had arrived at the kingdom and were warmly greeted by everyone as if the emissaries of the Red Star God had returned. Incidentally, they encountered patrols from the former Demon Army led by Nosgorath to the south of the kingdom and were promptly dealt with. As for the remnants of the magical beasts, ever since Daxild and his group had left the continent, they've returned to their aimless, leaderless state; they will have to be dealt with in the future. As for Daxild and his group, in order for the beasts not to follow them, they've covered up their tracks
Gromov: What? I'm not getting any sort of penalty?
Chabanenko: Yeah. The entire CPSU, Central Committe, the Politburo, the Council of Ministers, Comrade First Lady and Comrade General Secretary acknowledged that your actions were necessary in order to save Esperanto. You did so well Comrade, Even the Comrade General Secretary will give you an award later, he is very impressed with your action, Comrade
Polkovnik Sergey Chabanenko, the regiment commander that was leading the disaster response unit, brought with him correspondence on what will happen regarding Pavel Gromov, without permission from the Soviet government, lending the firearms and equipment inside the wrecked Il-76MD-90A to unauthorized personnel from another country. Just as he said, the verdict in the correspondence was "we will overlook this incident". Pavel Gromov, having prepared for the worst and assuming that he might not get off with just discharge, was relieved at the anticlimactic end to his worries, What's even the best, he will get an award for his services later. As for his fallen comrades, their coffins were safely transferred over to the Soviet Armed Forces to be brought back to the Soviet Union through Antonov An-12 or in famous called the Black Tulip. Their surviving relatives have decided to welcome Gromov when he gets home to directly offer him their thanks. In the two weeks since the disaster relief and response unit arrived, they helped clean up rubble, set up temporary shelters, and share infrastructure technologies. On the 17th, the kingdom held a victory celebration party. The Soviet Armed Forces, finding it weird that a victory celebration party will take place despite the extensive casualties the kingdom suffered, refused to participate, but upon King Zamenhof XXVII's insistence, they relented
Welcoming the return of a nearly forgotten peace, the Novalvo district was engulfed in a bright, cheery atmosphere. In the midst of all that, Gromiv and Saffine were walking together towards the castle. Having heard that the representative figure of the ogres has finally woken up, Gromov decided to go see and talk to him as a Soviet representative. Yanne, having received word of this, went to go see his fellow ogre
Wearing his Soviet Service dress uniform, brought by the disaster relief and response unit just in case, the aura surrounding Gromov was different than usual
Saffine: Hey, Pavel-I mean, Gromov... Are you really alright now?
For the entire time he was there, Saffine had misunderstood his first name as "Pavel". The same went for everyone in Esperanto, with the misunderstanding only being cleared up when the disaster relief and response unit arrived
Gromov: Yeah. I can't be in low spirits forever
His comrades in the disaster relief and response unit, aware that Gromov had carried the colossal task of saving Esperanto by himself, told him to take it easy and rest until he could get back to the Soviet Union. However, he instead busied himself with rescue operations and helping in reconstruction, insisting that he needed to remain distracted. Although for today, with everyone now telling him to take it easy, he reluctantly refrained from helping out
Saffine: Well, you see, Gromov... I didn't save you for some reason like 'oh, it's because you're the guided warrior!' or something like that. When I found you all wounded underneath the wreckage, I never once thought of the prophecy
Gromov:vWhere are you getting at?
Saffine: I think the same goes for Zelim. He had his own convictions. I think that it was your attitude to him that changed his heart. With that said, I don't think he died because it was his fate, but rather because he followed his convictions in wanting to save the kingdom. Rather than feeling sorry for him, I think that you gotta praise him for what he did
To that, he felt like answering back with "but he still ate people, so I think we need to draw the line there"
Still feeling despondent, Gromov just couldn't come to terms with Zelim's death. However, he found Saffine's statement reasonable; it would be a disrespect to anyone to dismiss what they did as a result of fate. Prophecies are nothing more than an expression of what will happen. Everyone had desperately fought, struggled with the prospect of incoming destruction, and shed blood and sweat to attain this result-to get to this future. As for Zelim, him being a demon was only by chance. Despite feeding on people, he met Gromov and miraculously changed for the better. It would be a disservice to him should Gromov not accept this
Gromov: Yeah... Thanks, Saffine. I guess I should stop being in this state. After all, all I've done would not have been possible without your help
Saffine: Ah, well... Haha, yeah... Uhh... I-I'm just glad you started taking things positively...
With a reddened face, Saffine too faced forward, metaphorically and physically. Seeing this, Gromov felt that what he said contained more than just feelings of gratitude. As they walked together in silence, they passed through the gate leading into the Legastilo district
Rastineo Castle, Legastilo district
One of the rooms in the center of the castle's first floor, which was formerly a standby room for guards, was currently being used as a temporary infirmary. Many of the ogres there have already regained consciousness with the castle staff attending to them from a distance since they were still afraid of them.
Gromov's minds: Even though they're basically harmless, I guess it can't be helped since they were human killers before... I guess it'd also be useless to try and tell them not to be scared
Continuing to have mixed feelings, Gromov then passed by the castle staff as he entered the provisional infirmary.
Valsas: Ah, Pavel! The ogre that represented all of them has woken up. Bahara, was it?
Gromov: Good day, Valsas. Wait, do you also understand what the ogres are saying?
Valsas: After listening in on your conversation with Yanne, as well as that between the Soviet personnel and some of the ogres, I've started to pick up some words. Theirs is a peculiar one, I must say, but the grammar is somewhat close to ours
Gromov was impressed at Valsas's seemingly genius capability to learn from just listening. This kingdom was indeed full of smart, gifted people
Gromov: I see... Whenever we speak to anyone, we just hear our own language, so we don't understand what they're actually saying. For some reason, the other party also appears to understand what we say, so this phenomenon is kind of mysterious
Valsas: From our perspective, it appears that you and the ogres are talking in the same language. Hmm... Fascinating indeed
As they chatted away, Valsas led him to the basement, which doubled as both a temporary sleeping quarters and armory. There, several simple beds were set up with Yanne and his fellow ogres occupying them. Among them was Bahara, who was lying on his side. He was riddled with wounds, almost as if he had just come back from a bloody melee. As soon as he saw Gromov's figure, he quickly got up and welcomed him.
<<Hm? Well, well, well. Could you be that gentleman from Soviet Union?>>
<<Ah, please. You don't have to get up. I am Pavel Gromov of the Soviet Armed Forces>>
<<Ah?! You're Sir Pavel Gromov?! I'm Bahara, a medium for divine power. I heard from Yanne that you were the one who figured out how to save us ogres and I cannot thank you enough. On behalf of my people, allow me to thank you>>
<<It's all good. Everyone was afflicted by it, after all>>
<<We were under the control of someone by the name of Daxild, who then forced us against our will to inflict intense pain and destruction on this kingdom. And yet they have been so kind to give care to us... I want to do something to atone for our transgressions. This may be a rude thing to ask, but can you be our intermediary with them?>>
<<Of course! Once you're well and back on your feet, we can talk to the king>>
<<And one more thing... It's something I was hoping to ask you about>>
<<Yes?>>
Bahara got off his bed and kneeled on his knees. He then placed his hands and head directly on the floor, an action followed by the rest of the ogres in the room and taking Gromov by surprise
<<Wait, wha->>
<<Please! Please save our nation and our princess! You are obviously powerful! Same goes for your country! I wasn't that conscious then, but I remember feeling dread from witnessing the powerful explosive magic unleashed by your divine flying ships! If it's up to a nation as powerful as yours, then you can certainly defeat Daxild and the rest of his winged compatriots!>>
Gromov was at a loss on how to respond to such a sudden request, especially since he wasn't aware of the context behind what Bahara said
<<W-Wait! For now, you should take it easy on your body!>>
After getting Bahara and the others back on their bed, he confirmed each point of what they said one by one
<<According to a report from the Esperanto scout parties, the dark shroud that covers the continent is due to a character by the name of Daxild, an individual associated with the Annonrial Empire. What do you know about him?>>
Right before Azhdahak was unleashed and brought back, Esperanto scout parties raided the estate at the crater on Mt. Vaglar before managing to return home safely the following day. Among the things they left behind that the scout parties collected were documents written in a language that was similar to the common continental language. When the Soviet Armed Forces had the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs inquire the Qua-Toynians on the content of the documents, they were able to conclude that the language was one used in the southern world that closely resembled the Mirishial language. This information was consistent with the ogres' accounts that Daxild and his group were from the Annonrial Empire
Since Gromov nd Saffine were essentially VIPs in the context of the war, they received these reports way beforehand, right when they were initially brought up to the royal castle. The two naturally knew nothing about the Annonrials, with even the top brass of the Soviet Armed Forces admitting that they too only heard about them through the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a "nation to the far south". As for Daxild, the only thing they knew about him was his name
<<We too know nothing about them... Those bastards just suddenly showed up in our country, taking control of our warriors one after the other and taking our nation's treasure, Her Highness Princess Elya. Without her, our divine maiden, we'd be unable to prop up the magical barrier that protects Heiskanen from demonic incursions... I hate to imagine it, but the demons may be running rampant around our homes by now, causing untold death and destruction...>>
<<This barrier... Was it not able to prevent someone like Daxild from entering?>>
<<It seems they tore open a hole in the barrier that allowed them to pass through. They use all sorts of odd magical tools... Using one, they were able to control us. It was as if they were really the light-wingeds from the legends. Speaking of which, yours is the nation of the emissaries of the sun god, yes? According to our legends, you came to this world hoisting banners of bright red discs>>
<<I've heard about that legend from Saffine and the people of this kingdom. However, if you ask me or anyone back in my country, we've never heard of such a thing>>
Saffine: Oi, Gromov. What's he talking about?
Seeing Gromov and the ogre conversing for a long time, Saffine got curious as to what they were talking about. He then explained to her about how the ogres were simply controlled by an individual called Daxild from a nation that none of them knew much about and how they were forced to fight them simply because their princess was taken captive. He then added about how the ogres also knew about the sun god emissaries legend
Saffine: Huh. It's all weird. The ones who should have known about the Red Star God's emissaries should have only been the four races within the Alliance: the humans, elves, dwarves, and beastmen. How could the ogres have possibly known...?
When Gromov forwarded Saffine's question to Bahara, he responded with a mysterious expression as he gave his answer
<<The Alliance of the Races... We too know that name. When an expedition they sent into Grameus was turning back to return to the continent to the south, Philades, several of them lost their way in the middle of a blizzard. Our forebears, who were out hunting at the time, protected them. They brought them back to Heiskanen where they then settled. That's why our blood and our language have traces of yours>>
In other words, the comrades of the original settlers of the Esperanto Kingdom owe their lives to the ogres. Gromov, not knowing how much surprise this fact warranted, told the tale to Saffine and Valsas anyway, who were then shocked
Valsas: Amazing... This is a very important truth that is relevant to our history, Pavel. We must tell his majesty!
Upon saying that, Valsas immediately took his leave
<<In any case, Sir Pavel... I could only believe that it is fated that you saved us. If only the Annonrial Empire was right next door, we would handle it ourselves, but... I heard they're in a continent farther south than even Philades. We possess no means nor capabilities to cross the great oceans, let alone save our princess! So please! You're the only one we could ask of this! We'll present ourselves and our nation if you seek recompense for our request!>>
<<Please raise your head. I'm only a regular soldier; I possess not the authority to sanction or approve a request as important as yours. I will have to tell my superiors about it.>>
<<Forgive me, but you're already of great help hearing us out!>>
Even though they've talked for a long time, Bahara remained restless, so Gromov and Saffine took their leave to allow him to rest
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The two proceeded to the second floor. One of their main objectives was to talk with the ogres, but with that done they proceeded to the next one. Zamenhof XXVII and Saffine's parents have called for them. It was about Gromov and Saffine having an important role to play in the opening of today's victory celebration party. Since a rescue party and higher ranked Soviet personnel were showing up for the occasion, he wanted to refuse the role of being the "guest of honor", but after being ordered by Polkovnik Sergey Chabanenko to attend regardless, he reluctantly accepted it. The king and Saffine's parents seem to want to talk about something, but as of the moment he wasn't sure what it was going to be about
Gromov: Still, what's this 'important role' they're talking about...
Saffine: Ahaha... I wonder...
Hearing Saffine's terrible attempt at feigning ignorance, he assumed that she too was in on whatever was going to happen. When he looked at her with probing eyes, she looked away in turn
Gromov: Well, I guess it's all fine, but the brouhaha just doesn't seem to end...
Saffine: That's just the way it is, yeah? Esperanto almost ceased to exist but some lone outsider changed all of that. You better start getting used to being seen as the hero
Gromov: But I was doing all of that for everyone's sake, not mine...
What one person was capable of doing was of no importance. Precisely because of having experienced that mindset, he was very much opposed to him being celebrated. In reality, there were a lot of people who had far more to brag about than him. Cey, Zabir, Ranzall, Justide. All of them were more instrumental to saving the kingdom. Then, there was the demon Zelim. He believed that everyone should be celebrated and that him being in the spotlight was just wrong
Saffine: Yeah, and that's precisely the part of you that everybody respects
Gromov: H-Huh...
Seeing Saffine's warm grin strewn over her face, he felt his own face heat up
Saffine: Ah, right. I'll be changing for a bit so wait here
Gromov: Change?
Saffine: The fighting's all done and we're seeing the king, so I gotta change into something more appropriate, yeah?
Gromov: Alright. After all, you're going to be a princess now, right? I'll wait
20 minutes later, Saffine returned from changing. Seeing her beautiful form in a dress worthy of a princess, Gromov was taken aback. Having been used to seeing her in commoner clothes or her battle wear, he sighed in realization that she actually was a noble
Saffine: H-How do I... look?
Gromov: Gorgeous. Since this is my first time seeing you like this, I could say that this is a fresh and elegant look for you
Saffine: Ehh...
Happy that she was complimented by Gromov, she proceeded to the throne room in very high spirits
Throne room
"Presenting... Sergeant Pavel and Princess Saffine Ariazel!"
As guards opened the doors to the throne room, their names were called upon stepping foot inside.
Zamenhoff: Ah, you're finally here, Sir Gromov-our beloved hero!
Rovisa: Glad to have you here, Sir Gromov, Saffine
Zamenhof XXVII, Saffine's parents, and the present head of the House of Levi went to greet them. Off to the side were the chancellor, Cey, Mortes, Grius, Pentsy, Zabir, among others. Valsas, who had gone earlier, was talking to the chancellor. Saffine then proceeded to kneel in front of the couple that were the heads of the House of Ariazel except Gromov who simply greeted the couple with his Soviet military salute
Gromov: It is an honor to be in the presence of His Majesty, His and Her Highness, and His Highness...
Zamenhoff: You don't have to be so rigid around us. Come, let us be acquainted!
Gromov: Even if you say that... I'm just a regular soldier after all
Rovisa: Actually, that is precisely why we called for you, Sir Gromov
Rovisa interjected
Gromov: What could it be, if I may ask?
Rovisa: Have you already talked to him about it, Saffine?
Saffine: ...No
Saffine's face reddened as she lowered her head
Rovisa: Huh? You haven't brought it up?! What have you been doing these past two weeks?!
Saffine: But mother!!! You can't possibly expect me to tell him that!
As mother and daughter bickered, everyone, save for Gromov, smiled wryly. Not knowing what was going on, he carefully tried to interject and ask
Gromov: Uh... May I ask what this is about?
Rovisa: Fine. I'll be the one to explain
Rovisa then proceeded to reveal the fact that there was an addendum to Chapter 7 of the Gospel that Saffine told to him
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Excerpt from Chapter 7 of the Gospel "The World" by the founder of the House of Ariazel
In the far future, mindless enemies will appear from the darkness. These beasts will rob the light of those who have fallen, cursing them and turning them into puppets who fear not even death. The fallen will congregate their powers in the land where the fire sleeps, biding their time until the trumpets of destruction sound, at which point they return to Esperanto in destructive lust
When the hearts of men become clouded with hopelessness, a great whale will descend from the sky, and from the bowels of its corpse will be born forth a warrior guided by the light of the star. His gallantry will be a blessing from the gods, his prowess unmatched by any one in the kingdom. People will sing praises of him, calling him their "guided warrior". He will be the one to lead the valiant knights of the kingdom to battle
He will release the puppets from their curse, driving away the forces of darkness in a single flash of light. However, the forbidden seal of the fallen cannot be broken, not even by the guided warrior
Still, there will be no hint of resignation in the warrior's spirit, nor will he feel grief, for miracles will be their ally. Hearing the prayers of the guided warrior, the emissaries of the Red Star God themselves will once again grace the world with their presence, descending on the land of Esperanto. Divine flames beyond understanding will cleanse the earth of evil as a rain of light descends on the forces of darkness
Once more, the kingdom will feel the shine of sunlight, their long age of burdens, together with the shadows inside their hearts, forever cast aside as the age of light is heralded forth
Addendum:
Sons and daughters of Esperanto, welcome the guided warrior as your leader! As his spouse, the princess that was voided! With this, a strong bond will be established with the land of Great Motherland and it's allies, promising an eternal future of glory! When the time comes that darkness will descend on the world once more, the kingdom will be one of the pillars that keeps the star high
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Rovisa: That is Chapter 7 of the Gospel in its totality
Gromov was, to say the least, at a loss for words
Even a dummy could understand what the addendum was trying to say. In summary, Gromov is to become the king of Esperanto and take Saffine, the 'voided princess' of the Ariazel family that disappeared, as his bride. In addition, Saffine was well aware of this fact yet she stayed silent about it. Although she may have likely stayed tight-lipped about it due to her believing that there was no need to overly fuss about it and him being afflicted by Zelim's loss throughout the entirety of the post-battle period
Finally realizing that this was the reason why she had been so weird lately, he cursed his own languidness and weaknesses for failing to read the mood
Gromov: W-Wait! I'm just a commoner! Welcoming me as your leader, even if it's prophesied... Isn't that too much to ask?!, beside I'm a Socialists/Communists too!!
Rovisa: Fear not, Gromov! This isn't equivalent to us asking you to take the reins in running the government! We also don't intend to ask you that much either! Also, despite the Soviet Union being a communist country who really hates kings, nobles and things related to the kingdom, I heard that you also have a history of long-running imperial dynasty! And i heard that Fenn and Parpaldia still maintain their royal houses as a cultural symbol, we were actually thinking of adopting something similar to that with the three royal houses being relegated to a symbolic role while the government transitions into a socialist style one! and what's even the best, we Esperanto want to join your economic and defensive alliance called the New Comintern Pact
Gromov was even more bewildered but proud
He never expected that an off-hand remark he told to Cey could be taken this seriously
In essence, he was to become the symbol of Esperanto
Zamenhoff: I'm already fulfilled with my tenure as king. I am proud and pleased to have gone through heaven and hell with you in seeing this kingdom safe from the crisis. I think it's high time I step down and peacefully retire. Then there's Cey saying he doesn't want to be king and the Levis applauding the return of the Ariazels. It's already been decided that the next in line should be an Ariazel
Saffine's Father: This is also something I request of you, Sir Gromov, as Saffine's father. Please, take my daughter's hand in marriage
Rovisa: We never had a son. Saffine, our eldest daughter, will inevitably become Queen. We couldn't think of anyone other than you, Sir Gromov, to have as her husband
Gromov now wondered if Comrade Polkovnik Chabanenko had known of this when he ordered him to go. His feelings ran around in circles as he felt cornered by the sudden, unexpected developments. Something this important and he has to decide immediately... How awful
He was not leaderly material. He was merely a Soviet Sergeant that was born into an ordinary, commoner and peasants family and graduated from a slightly special technical college in Moscow. Servile thoughts such as him not having either special upbringing or panache plagued his mind. However, should he refuse this, there's the possibility it would leave a lasting grudge in the relationship between the Soviet Union and Esperanto. Still, he tried to search for the best and most sugary rejection he could think of as his eyes drifted toward Saffine
Gromov: R-Right! What of your daughter's feelings about this matter? I'm pretty sure there's someone more worthy than me that's...
Rovisa: Hm? You're saying Saffine's not enough?
Rovisa looked at him with a discontented expression, causing Gromov to falter even more.
Gromo: T-T-T-That's out of the question! She's gorgeous, brave, intelligent-an amazing, lovely person all around! Clearly someone like me is not adequate...!
Rovisa: Oh? So what if it was Saffine and us who insist that you are a match for her?
Gromov: Ah, well...
It felt as if he had just dug his own grave
Rovisa: What do you say, Saffine? Do you wish to have Sir Gromov as your husband?
Saffine: ...Yes
Red from her ears all the way to her face, Saffine nodded
Gromov: W-What?!
Rovisa; It looks like the decision is unanimous!
Smiles of agreement from Rovisa and the heads of the other royal houses sealed the deal. Civil and military officials around them cheered in awe as they celebrated their new king. The details of what had happened were swiftly transmitted back to the Soviet government and by the next day, the Soviet media was dominated by news of the Soviet Union establishing relations with Esperantoand Heiskanen, and also Esperanto began tk entered the process to become a socialist state and permanent member of the New Comintern Pact
After diplomatic relations were formalized, the Soviet Union then formally issued an apology for the crash of their Il-76MD-90A transport plane before commencing the removal of the wreckage. At the same time, Esperanto became an important base for Soviet survey and development expeditions into Grameus, allowing for the two countries to commence generous cooperation with Heiskanen. As for the ogres' request, this was promptly forwarded to the Soviet Ministry of Defense and the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs wherein they decided to commence an investigation into the matter as soon as a chance to make contact with the Annonrial Empire comes. As for Esperanto's establishment of relations with Topa Socialist Republic, there remains some resentment on Esperanto's part regarding Topa never making good on its promise in sending a relief force to help them out way back in the past but later research reveals that this was merely a misunderstanding. Since then, the two nations have been vigorous in their efforts to intermingle with one another, culminating into a relationship wherein one could call them the best of brothers in the New Comintern Pact
After the victory celebration party
Pavel Gromov was glamorously congratulated by his comrades in the Soviet Armed Forces, his superiors, his friends in Esperanto, as well as the people of Esperanto. Not only was he made to wear clothes and fittings he wasn't used to, he was also forced to give a speech towards his new subjects. Looking back, he realized that ever since he came to Esperanto, things haven't exactly been all that bad. As it got late, he returned to the castle to change his apparel. The inside of the castle was very much like the rest of the kingdom outside-lively and filled with lights. Still finding it weird from the past gloom and darkness that hung over the place, he went towards the throne room where he found the current king, Zanzas, the chancellor, and other officials sitting around a table celebrating amongst themselves while drinking in solemn silence
Zanzas: Oh? You're back!
Gromov: Yes. Since it was already getting late, I figured it was time to go home
Zamenhoff: Mhm. Things are about to get busy from now on so you better take care of yourself!
Already treating Gromov as part of his family, Zamenhof's tone and manner of speech had adjusted appropriately. While he was partly glad he was being received well, he still had some complicated feelings about the matte.
Zanzas: Ah, right! Do you remember me telling you that we have a national treasure that proves the existence of the emissaries of the Red Star God?
Zanzas's statement stopped Gromov
Gromov: Now that you mention it... Do you have it?
Zanzas: Yes, we do! Perfect timing too; me and the king were just looking at it! Come!
Getting closer to the table, the smell of mead and ale filled his nose. While it appeared that they were drinking high quality alcohol, it also appears that they weren't completely drunk from it either. Incidentally, he also realized that the people of this kingdom appeared to have unexpectedly strong livers.
Zanzas: Here
Zanzas handed to him a magical photograph sandwiched between two clear glass plates. Initially hesitant to get his fingerprints on it, he was then told that the glass plates were a later addition so it mattered not.
Gromov: Hm. What an exquisite photogra-hm?!?!
Gromov's eyes widened as he further inspected the magical photograph, which according to Zanzas was taken using a magical contraption
Gromov: What am I looking at...?!
Zanzas: When crisis befell the alliance, the god of the elves prayed to the Red Star God, who in response sent down her emissaries. This is a picture of one of their divine warships and their iron dragons. Our forebears, using time-delaying magic which is unfortunately now lost to us, preserved this photograph taken in remembrance of the emissaries that came to save us. It appears that several were distributed to the officers of the alliance, with this one being one of them
Gromov: But that's impossible! This is clearly...
Reflected on the photograph were what appeared to be soldiers from the Red Army standing shoulder to shoulder with this world's humans, elves, dwarves, and beastmen with the Soviet flag being hoisted by one of the Red Army soldiers. What dominated the background behind them was a heavy tank and a warship that bore a striking resemblance to IS-2 model 1944 heavy tank, heavy tank produced by the Soviet Union in World War II and SN Sovetsky Soyuz, one of the four battleship in Sovetsky Soyuz-class that built by the Soviet Union in World War II too
After asking for permission, Gromov took a photo of the magic photograph using his smartphone. After he got back to the USSR, he sent the photo to his superiors, who then forwarded it to the Soviet government, who then treated its existence with absolute secrecy. Then, after the wreckage of a Yakovlev Yak-9 fighter was discovered in Qua-Toyne, the government commenced a long term investigation into the matter
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Indonesian:
Akhirnya selesai juga Forgotten World Arc ini, capek gua ngetiknya bjir dari Jumat lalu sampe Kamis ini
English:
Finally, this Forgotten World Arc is finished, I'm tired of writing this from Fridays ago until this Thursday...