Summoning America

Chapter 53: New Cautiousness

Ragna, Gra Valkas Empire

A plump man smoking a cigarette rested on his office's windowsill as he surveyed the city below. He looked like a stereotypical American gangster from the Roaring Twenties, save for his apparel, which bore greater resemblance to the sleek German style of World War 2. He took a puff, grabbing his cigarette with two fingers as he thought about the video he had just seen.

A cheap monitor and VHS player sat on the table behind him — advanced technologies that the Americans considered anachronistic, or irrelevant enough to entrust to the Gra Valkans. He understood why. They wanted to prove a point and make sure that their point was able to reach the higher administrative levels of the Gra Valkan government.

Their concern had a solid foundation; if he had received this information via a simple report, he wouldn't have taken the Americans as seriously. Their population and economic data appeared similar to the entire Gra Valkas Empire, including the colonies that were left behind on Yggdra. The claims were unbelievable, but gained credence as videos of their cities and industries came into view.

The introduction into American culture was followed by an analysis in Earth cultures and a timeline outlining their technology and world history. This was the segment that Cielia had painstakingly emphasized; the segment that had brought irrationality to a generally calm, calculating official. He remembered her pleas, begging for a pacifist approach, or at least a reconsideration of Gra Valkan expansionism. Even Dallas, who was normally arrogant and supremacist, had begun to express doubt. This was unsettling.

He remembered Dallas' brutal diplomacy with the Pagandans. While they were already too ignorant to acknowledge the Gra Valkas Empire as anything but barbarians, this preconception was further exacerbated by Dallas' conduct. He insulted their leadership in the heart of Paganda, leading to a mad dash to the Grade Atlaster as the delegation retreated from the palace. Tensions subsequently increased, culminating in a war and a decisive Gra Valkan victory that fueled their already inflated egos.

And now, the balloon edged closer to the pin. Gesta's frown deepened as he studied the clips of warfare and the associated technology, which appeared equivalent to weapons fielded in Yggdra. Images of the Yamato-class surfaced, surprising Gesta as he analyzed the intricacies of its design philosophy. As a proponent of gunboat diplomacy, he was well-acquainted with the gunboats at his disposal. The vessel in the video was astoundingly similar to the Grade Atlaster, prompting Gesta to wonder if any more coincidences existed.

"No... that can't be," he muttered, squinting at the American vehicles. "They look just like weapons in the Kain military!" He gasped aloud. "Does that mean our contingencies and strategies against Kain will work against the Americans?" He asked himself.

The video continued, explaining the course of World War 2 with quick summaries for each theater. As the Pacific Theater came to a close, quotes surfaced. Written in the Gra Valkan language thanks to translation efforts over the past several months, the words were clearly understood by Gesta.

Finally, he saw why Cielia was so adamant about pushing for peace, even suggesting a non-aggression treaty with the Americans. Finally, he saw why uranium was such a prioritized material in his talks with the neutral Havur Kingdom. His government's desperation in keeping Kain influence out of Havur was not due to strategic geographical positioning; it was due to their abundant supply of heavy elements. For Gesta, the flash of light on the screen was like a lightbulb turning on.

As he reflected on his past assignments in Yggdra, he recalled a moment when Emperor Gra Lux issued him a personal order to prepare an ultimatum for the Divine Kingdom of Kain. If his empire truly had access to weapons like this, then the war would have been over before it started, and Yggdra would have been firmly under their control. A consideration then entered his mind. What if both sides had such weapons?