A sudden assignment. And a great one at that. Marisse, at the dead of night, was told to survey Hesia's army. Or whatever that means. It was all quite vague, but this request from Hierd himself could not be turned down. It was at morning the day after that she flew, together with the duke and three adventurers.
"The commission, what's changed in the guild?" Started Grieg.
"We explore, protect, and help!" One of them blurted. "Though, after this and that happened, we do only exploration tasks assigned to us bi-weekly."
"What do you even explore in an already mapped-out world?" Questioned Marrise, keeping her eyes straight on the dirt-road ahead.
"Caves and abandoned places." Said the boy one, "we help the government with exploring these places, it's all eeky in there and we're sent out to map these caves before they come in and mine for stuff. It's fun living, especially when you hit a gold mine, triples our pay!"
"I've not heard of these mining operations from Hierd," Thought Marrise. "Though, Krimvald has a history of bad mines, we're out of luck with the better ores since Krimvald's lower land. Oh sorry, I meant Germany." She apologized to herself.
The three adventurers were all "Rank-A," colored Marrise surprise when she learned that the three were once aquainted with Hierd. Way before her coming here; the three were with the lord in the 'recon' turned subjugation task against barbarians in the Tria forest. To recount, their names were; Marie, Rodge, and Peters.
"Ma'am?" Questioned Marie, "Just us five on a mission to Hesia, I was told by the commission, that you were the lieutenant of a platoon?"
"I am." She replied bluntly, "this special mission doesn't require a platoon, and I believe that my soldiers need their due break after the rebel war that happened in Betelion."
"They participated?" Marie blurted, "but I thought Germany wasn't a part of that war?"
"We were…" Marrise was sweating, thinking of some excuse.
"Marie…" Groaned in Rodge, "we probably shouldn't be prodding in these things."
"Y-yeah, you're right."
The car soon fell into silence.
The road to Hesia was an estimated five hours, their butts'd hurt the first hour of sitting, so they planned to rest and excersize by that time. They were already halfway to krimvald's rubble-ridden capital, and still Unchean has been creeping up the road with the many still-under-construction houses that lined the highway.
So many construction workers and trucks carrying supplies, architecture and engineering were two of the most booming professions during this time of building. Hierd was planning to build the biggest, largest capital ever; Unchean! Grieg and the adventurers admired the passerby construction houses.
But this was were the fun ended. Just fourty minutes in, the cobbled roads digressed into the usual dirt road. The first bump woke the sleeping Marie up to a cry!
It was undubitantly a long ride, much too long for any meaningful comment to be thrown upon in their journey. So instead we focus on Germany.
Needless to say, under the months now that the alliance was formed, progress (the technological side) has increased. Because of the rise of trucks for merchant use, roads being less bumpy took precedent over the trade of products.
Already, Betelion and Hesia promised cobbled roads that'd stretch to proposed Highways that intersected the three countries. With the boost of road infrastructure came the rise of all amounts of truck and car remodels from Hesia and Betelion.
From the German University; scholars released their knowledge back to their country, and in droves, inventors and engineers swarmed factories to remake Germany's most prized of inventions. Hesia wanted to make ships, Betelion focused on cars.
Automobiles that focused on speed, trucks that were long, trucks that carried people instead of luggage! A lot of reinventions from Betelion and Hesia. The technologies themselves being adapted quickly into their medieval lives.
Though it has yet been menitoned, electricity's taken some manner of importance, more so in Unchean as it becomes the foothold of the alliance's trade. Generators lined the developed buildings, lighting up the inside of the buzz of incandesant light bulbs.
The pier itself, lined with so many lanterns that even in night, the sea was visible. And too because of the night being so flush with light, the stars became invisble, blending with the night's darkness. But no one had time to look at the stars, when all 'this' was happening on the ground.
Grinding back to Hesia, their ships. They hadn't made a physical ship in the span of the weeks leading up to 'now.' That's because of Auferstehen and financial issues. But ideas were springing up. The Giulio Cesare (Hesia's given battleship) was abused daily.
The navy was undoubtfully the most powerful thing the country had, more so because of the battleship. They were, as of that time, the first country to fully control a battleship. And that made them a furious country to play with. Everytime the Cesare docked the German port city of Geo, observers and journalists there write of the warship as if were it an eclipse!
The difference in design from the galleon, or even from the Atago was what drew people ogling over the battleship. And, if the navy wanted to draw treats over the many; the Cesare would bombard the far ocean, showcasing the might of the ship to the people.
An experience that is truly as once in a lifetime as an eclipse.
Because of the Giulio Cesare, Hesia's concocted up some nasty plans in their naval departments. To operate the battleship meant to exhaust some money to Germany. The fuel needed for the ship and the rounds it fires.
The monopoly was certain, that without Germany's help. They would not be able to power their most powerful ship. Finding 'oil' was their best bet. Then came the wild search for it, that fuel! Black soot, that stains the hands for three afterlifes! That's what the navy needed. But as the find continues still, they're left to draw ships for the future.
Warships were not really in their bulletin, what they needed most was transportation of their goods to and fro countries. They traded with Germany and Betelion, of course, but also other countries like Arsteli and Ruskan, which were distant neighbors of Betelion and Hesia further east.
And having reliable, fast ships were a need.
They looked to their scholars in the German university, finding out about boilers, ship designs, and so and few. They reeled in and drew in their papers, the most technologically advanced thing they could ever make. They called it; Lady Black.
A passenger-merchant ship that was a hundred and ten meters in length. A flush style hull, with two funnels at the middle and no superstructure, like the SS Georgia. It was planned during Auferstehen, and some time after was laid down.
Imagine the surprise on the traditional shipbuilders when the materials they received weren't wood and oakum, but steel and bolts.
( * )
"Hesia!" Yelled Rodge. "There it is!"
The passengers on board sighed in relief, the 'year-long' voyage to matyrdom was finally over. "That's not Hesia, well, it was, but now isn't." Marisse said with a smirk, she herself relieved of the trip's end.
"Yes," continued Grieg. "That is the port city of Geo, the once Hesian city, now under German control. Just beyond the mountain range is the city of Jane, where we'll commune for the time being while we wait for the Hesian navy to come."
The three adventurers looked on with curious eyes, the houses that climbed the steep mountain side were all destroyed, the aftermath of Atago's bombarding still so evident months later.
There was a bit of light traffic at the entrance, merchant trucks and some military vehicles. Marisse was next in line to enter, pulling up to the soldier guarding it. "Good afternoon," -the man's eyes peeled wide open staring at the driver- "Ma'am! You can go right on ahead!"
"Thanks!" Marisse rolled up the window and hit the pedal.
The port city was in a whole lot of busy. It's location became a hot spot in trade, with it being just a sea away from Unchean.
A quick right and a left, passing the adventurer's commission, and there it was. "Friedrick's bar."
The window into the bar, still so blatantly showing the cleanliness and the inviting atmosphere of a bar, though it was closed. She parked her car next to the entrance. "Come out everyone."
Her quintet waltzed up the steps and she knocked the front door. "Are we going to eat?" Questioned Peters, already rubbing his stomach.
"Yes, and we're collecting information." Marisse knocked a second time.
A rumble of footsteps came barging towards the door at the other side, opening, it was a waiter! "Ah, good afternoon ma'am. Please come in, we're just setting up."
Quietly, they made their entrance.
The place was clean, spotless. Looking up, there was a chandelier, a wire at the very top connected it with the electric bulbs. "Luxurious place." Commented Grieg.
"Would they like some food?" Questioned the soldier towards Marisse.
"Yes, please. Me too. But before that, I'm here for another reason."
"Ma'am, we're preparing the papers you'll need. When you're all wonders here, a platoon of soldiers'll be at the other side with the Hesian navy. Once you extract the necessary information, tomorrow the Cesare will dock here. With the platoon and the naval officer, you all will dock the ship as it makes a roundabout to their capital."
"I'll remember that." A pocket of sweat leapt down her head.
---
Making the way up the mountain was no big deal, the Germans had already paved a smoother and more stronger way, climbing both sides was an easy endeavour. Reaching the summit, the group took the chance to inhale in the scenery.
The city of Jane was impossibly big and urbanized. Buildings seemingly taller than the ones in Unchean were docking the ranks. And believe it or not, jam packed in that city were twelve thousand men and women.
"Why stay there when they could go back to their homelands?" Questioned Rogers.
"Why go out there when you're so near to Germany?" Answered Grieg. "Seriously, these people'll reach stardom when they get ahold of German knowledge. As I've heard; prep schools line the interior of that city. Training the children and teenagers basic mathemathics and whatnot so that when they get accepted into Germany's university, they'll actually pass the school."
"Or if they'll get accepted in the first place." Butted in Marisse. "The lord's done and made things competitive. Because of this, nobles, the line between commoner and nobility dulls every day. That's good. That's good for us."
After, they headed down.
Jane was a mess, a maze that they did not want to enter. Thankfully, the soldiers and the naval officers from Hesia knew about that, colored them surprised to see them waiting so diligently at the front gate.
Marisse leapt out the car and introduced herself; "Good Afternoon, Major, I am who was sent from the Headquarters."
"We know who you are, ma'am." The Major smiled, "I'm sorry but, you'll have to leave the car here, Jane's roads are too cramped for it to fit."
"Bummer."
A Hesian naval officer jogged up to the two. The man was quite tall, though his uniform didn't scream medieval; confusing Marisse at first whether he was a German officer or not.
"Good Afternoon, ma'am!" He bowed greatly, "I am the admiral of the Hesian navy, Kospch serving the first fleet."
Her eyes widened! Marisse bowed as low as did he, "G-good afternoon, sir Kospch. Pleasured to be aquainted." An awkward smile.
"We should be gettin' goin'" the admiral intervened. "We have lots'a talk about."
There was an abrupt commotion happening inside the city, for there was a platoon of soldiers, with their own naval officers mixed in; parading themselves onto the crowded streets of Jane!
Their presence brought immidiately questions for the betterment of their safety. Surely not another war had broken up again? Surely not.
Making their way up the swindly pathways of Jane, they rested their sights once they saw the manor. Entering, the hot bodied urban sprawl had leapt away. And the seemingly market-like environment they trekked inside in was gone. Replaced by a cold manor.
Marisse sighed in defeat, something about this manor was too familiar.
Down a hall and into a doorway, the platoon dragged theirselves in with their foreboding presence. The high ranking officers sat themselves down with equally straight and robotic mannerisms. Down one side the table were Hesia's bestest of Naval officers, and on another was Marisse, the Major, and Grieg.
The difference of numbers, nervewracking.
The admiral cleared his voice; "We thank you for your gift, and the cooperation in maintaining the Cesare for our navy. For that we send our deepest regards to the chancellor of Germany and wish to maintain this relationship forever more."
"That being said…" He continued, clasping his hands together looking at the three with stern eyes. "We are well aware with the efforts that Germany is making in finding ores for their production of goods."
Marisse's eyes sharpened, "Regarding that?"
"Regarding that." Kospch groaned, "we wish to enter a little bit of a trade. In exchange for five mines bountiful in ores and whatnot, we wish to have a major discount for the supplies that maintain the Cesare. The armaments and fuel." He said boldy, looking at Marisse carefully, nervously awaiting the response.
"Ten mines."
His eyes flashed in amusement. "The five mines I mentioned are within five kilometers from our borders, any other mine lies further in Hesia, this'll complicate things between us." He smiled awkwardly.
"Germany requires many mines to keep it's production of goods, otherwise you won't be able to get the things needed to power your battleship." She inhaled deeply.
She had read the papers the waiter had given her at Geo, spies across Hesia had reported of their movements; "You are searching for oil?"
The naval officers gasped, so audible that you'd think that an incestual golden shower happened. "I-it seems we know many things between each other. Y-yes. Hesia is looking for oil to maintain the Cesare, mixed results in that finding for it."
Marisse grinned. "A month of free supplies, in exchange for thirteen of your mines, if these mines are full of the ores and materials we need and want, a month can flex to two months, or… To one week. This will be your final offer."
Kopsch hesitated a little, looking at his companions, he was forced to make a decision on the spot. "We will take it."
---
The rest of the conversation was not so dramatic. Marisse was there to survey upon Hesian's navy, not to contest it. It took three hours of talking to get anything. From it, she learned of their wants in making a ship; Lady Black, and their experiences with the Cesare battleship.
Anything else'd been said at the intro of eight hundred words. Repeating it now'd be a waste of time.
When it came for night, Marisse and her crew took in the guest rooms of the manor. But, that night was not going to be very peaceful. Not a moment after Marisse tucked herself into the subpar comfiness of the guest room bed; she heard what seemed like a thousand footsteps.
"Sound the alarm! Sound the alarm!"
She awoke in a flash; "What's happening!?" She murmured.
At another count; smaller caliber guns were firing!
The door burst open, it was the three adventurers barging in. "Ma'am! We gotta go!" Rodge cried, "we got intruders!"
Before Rodge could've entered, an arrow flew by them. "Impenetrable Shield!" A magical cast! A green hue blew in an uneven line before the door.
Immidiately, Marisse threw on her boots, not even attempting to throw off her night wear. She unholstered her Luger; aimlessly aiming at the door. "H-how many? W-when!?"
"It happened just now, ma'am." Marie blurted, "W-we don't know…"
She fired! The adventurers were in a shock; the sound highented their senses some way; Rodge boistered his sword and small shield while Peters stayed near Marie with his spear.
Marisse downed a man hitting the shield, the thing broke after two hits from that dead man's blade. What a weak shield. "Cover me!" -Marisse ran to Rodge, Peters escorting behind her- "We're running out, Marie, support us."
"Y-yes! Ma'am!"
"Shit!" Her mind darted thoughts, "I need to find Grieg, then the Major t-then… Whatever the hell's happening."
Storming off the room, they encountered an enemy.
He charged!
"Ma'am!" Peters lunged forward with his spear!
*Spsh!
The man cried out!
Marisse finished the job with a bullet to the head.
Charging onward the manor's halls, there were a horde of men in chainmail. Hesians? She didn't know. Neither her comrades. "Are you Hesian knights!?" Marisse yelled out.
They stopped in their tracks. "That's her! That's the German!"
"Guess not!" Marisse fired her luger.
Peters and Rodgers flew into the vanguard while retreating backwards. "Fireball!" Marie yelled out, flailing her wand out.
"Damned!" The men in chainmail backed off. "There's a magic caster!"
Rodge and Peters were clashing swords in the narrowing hallways. Marie's magical backup protected the two from sudden death.
Swish! The arrow missed Marisse's head by just milimeters. Her heart beated quickly, narrowly avoiding death wasn't supposed to be a part of her noble resume; nor anyone's really.
Swiftly, her arms grasped the doorway and lunged into the room. The adventurers quickly following suit. "We're jumping off the window!"
"What!? Ma'am we can't possibly…"
"Yes we can, we have to." Marisse busted the window open. To her shock; many German soldiers were gathering at the gate.
Seeing her climb out the window sill, they immidiately busted the gate down. "It's the princess! Get her down!" Shouted the Venit-Ille Black soldier.
The three were grunting, their sweat pouring in droves as they pushed the large wooden drawer to the other side of the room. The door being blasted on about by what seemed like the force of a hundred men.
Marisse fired a couple rounds at the door; her enemies at the other side backing away just a little before then continuing to barge in. The cabinet; dropped in just in the nick of time. The door had already been ripped of it's hinges. The drawer serving as the only barrier.
"Impenetrable Shield!" Marie casted her barrier.
With the combined effort of Rodge and Peters, the crowd of men at the other side needed to put more effort in their manhandling.
Slam!
Peters' spear went into the wooden panels. "Quick! Push the bed!"
Peters and Marisse slammed their pedals at full speed as they pushed the bed towards the drawer, it's cabinet doors already suffering many punctured holes as the opposing side thrust their spears willy nilly.
Marisse quickly turned her back for the window. Throwing her head out; "What's happening!?" She yelled.
"Rebels from Betelion!"
Her eyes glistened awake; "Rebels? Betelion? They came here? Why?" Pondering; pondering wasn't something she could do in that situation.
"We need help!" She cried out urgently; "those guys are trying to barge in to this room and they're close!"
"Bring me a ladder!" Yelled the Venit-Ille black soldier towards his platoon of soldiers. "Don't worry ma'am we'll be there." The man unholstered the MP40 he had strapped, the lightest gun he could've gave at the time.
With all his might, he threw the gun towards the second floor window. Marisse grabbing it by the barrel.
Barely.
She rocked the bolt; a round came off. Then the safety. On? She flicked it off. "Get back!" She shouted at the adventurers, struggling as the rebels were getting in limb by limb by the minute.
Without the adventurers actively blocking their entrance; the rebels barged in like a flood gate opening it's clutches! "Get this bastards!"
*Click!
The rebel's bodies all impaled with two, then four, then five, then all thirty-two rounds in that steel magazine. The harsh cacophony that came out of that barrel was so bittersweet.
The others out on that hallway quickly fled. For now. A round of gun fire! "Those guys finally came!" Marisse took a second before exiting (when the gunfire ended).
"Ma'am!" The soldier ran to her; "are you alright?"
She looked back, to the piles of corpses lined out her room. Then the exiting adventurers with tired faces and exhausted smiles.
"I think we're alright."
---
The report sent to Hierd scared him enough to let Marisse retreat back to Germany. On the Cesare, of course. It'd be the first time the battleship would come to Germany. It was to be celebration, covertly; Marisse's retreat.
Morning the next day; the massacre was evident and a note was left on the dining room table; it read. So grimly in fact;
"Death may not have sunk it's teeth onto that German. Germans. The devils of the earth. Bringer of all that is 'anti.' Hesia, 'Betelion,' Germany. Enemies of the true Betelion that has chosen to hide itself simply because of the flith that the devils have chosen to wring out of the poor countries. Death come to the three leaders! Death be to their devilish actions behind closed doors! May the Betelionic Republic of the People, rise on top after the calamity this Germany thinks it may wrought!"
The message was burnt the next minute. But history found it's way to Hierd's ears. Grieg was actually the first one to run out of the building; leaving the adventurers and Marisse behind. Though it was for good reason; for he called upon those German forces at the gate.
The naval officials were not spared from the wrath of the Rebels. Though the seniors lived, most of the other Hesian naval officers incured some amount of damage, three died from the onslaught. But all is well, the schedule of the Cesare was to continue without doubt!
Trucks climbed up and down the mountain range. From the summit could oone have seen the smoke erupting from the funnels of the Cesare at the far distance, not yet docked and swimming, taunting to everyone it's beautiful iron hull and flush triple and twin turreted guns.
Kopsch commented on the way down with the adventurers that; "If not for your country I would not have been able to see with my two full eyes that beauty. I thank you for that, truly."
Once down, there was no time to dilly dally. Already the Hesian sailors with the German soldiers boarded the Cesare, leaving an adieu to the people and journalists capturing this moment in their minds.
The captain of the ship was Admiral Jyatt. And with a brave and stoic voice; with too that manly physique of his; he climbed to the frontmost part of the bow. Outlooking the Cesare's observers; he prepared his excordium. "People from Hesia, and from Germany! Here see, here see, the battleship of the great country of the east! May Hesia rule it's lands with pride and may Germany's allies be forevermore!"
Jyatt's words reached Germany five hours before it could have been seen by Unchean's eyes.
Rising from beyond the Horizon. Germany opened it's waters for the Cesare. Her own K-3 iron sloops riding the waters waiting for the iron battleship of the east to dock Unchean's pristine beach.
It was that day, and that day entirely that the academy was shut down. The engineers, architects, students, and teachers. The common public. The journalists! They could not have stood by in their houses to look from their windows. They had to get their chances to look at it from a closer view.
Not even twenty minutes after the spotting of the ship from the horizon. Hazel port was full of observers. Not even Hazel port, even Unchean's city port was crowded with observers. To bar too many people from crowding themselves; the soldiers and sailors started to blockade the roads. Paytolls were erected; charging three silver for entrance. Of course the sailors and local business owners were let in. With much difficulty.
Nearing.
Nearing.
The Cesare with all it's beauty came endearing!
Postered on the midst of the ship were Venit-Ille black soldiers, their posture straight and strict as ever. Their STG-44s resting on their shoulders, staring at the skies.
Captain Jyatt's words reverberated from the newspapers and Journalists admiring the cold steel of the Cesare. She, seemingly dancing with the waves, a court dancer. Rocking with the waves with this grace that could not have been replicated by any other wooden warship. No galleon could replicate the fast yet steady up and down of the Cesare.
It's steel funnels, puffing it's jet-black smoke up into the air, the familiarity and smell of oil so nostalgic to the german sailors being pushed back and forward by the constantly moving crowd of onlookers.
As she chugged along the line towards her hold, Hazel port. Her captain screamed into the heavens! "The german people should get a look at the greatness of our guns!"
Without a second to delay. Hesian's sailors down below the decks of the battleship began turning the ship's front turret to face the sea.
Moments of excitement.
Turning and turning.
Each degree the people were anxiously, cheerfully awaiting it's beautiful release of power.
The three HE rounds were loaded into each barrel. A kerplunk as the rounds chugged itselfs into the barrel holds awaiting the go pin.
BOOM
"God!"
The people exclaimed excitement! The men and women in utter disbelief at the sound that 'cannon' released onto the world! No way that was a cannon! It really was and was not at the same time.
The merchants and other travelers from some place other could not fathom 'that' explosion. Did it even happen? They feared German technology somewhat, but if this country's influence and intellegence was so… Great… Then what of 'the' future?
It took the bit of thirty minutes for it to reach the dock. And every bit of that was so full of intrigue and curiosity. Journalists spent the whole time visualizing the ship in their minds, writing details for later. And some where even trying to draw and portrait it with paint. Though, the ship was too fast to picture a still painting.
While the sailors were busying themselves with docking the ship; Marisse slid out from the ship's latter half; away from the public view. Her three adventurers following close by.
Hierd.
Laying his back on a car. Seeing Marisse was like seeing a poppy in a field. Well… That's not what he visualized actually, he saw a cockroach crawling to him at full speed among a field of grasshoppers.
"Long time no see." Hierd glanced at the adventurers.
They bowed down low, "Lord." Marie flustered.
"And long time's see." Marisse peared in Hierd's view, probably because of her height that Hierd did not see her fully, her face was somewhat irritated. He wonders why.
"How was Hesia?"
"A nightmare, last night being an example."
"Rebels." He pondered a little; "If rebels are going to be an issue, then it looks like we're going to need to update our country. Right?"
"What're you suggesting?" Marisse crossed her arms.
"That Unchean be made better."