Summoning America

Chapter 73: Esperanto (2)

Kingdom of Esperanto
Southern District

King Esperanto's head spun from the rollercoaster of emotions he had experienced in just a couple hours. Earlier in the morning, he was informed about an escalating buildup of hostile forces outside the Kenshiva Valley, which placed the nearby Kals district in grave danger. Then, he received news of an unknown party of humans and a single elf roaming the wilderness beyond civilization — unheard of ever since the founding of the kingdom itself. What's more, they claimed to be from Topa and even offered assistance to fend off the monstrous horde that was targeting Kals.

He now found himself in the local keep, absorbed in a meeting with these foreigners. Three men sat across from him: Ambassador Meyer, Captain Baker, and an elven knight — Sir Moah. Together, they represented an expedition from a country near the continent of Rodenius, hailing from the United States of America. Curiously, the ancient texts never mentioned a vast landmass near Rodenius, convincing Esperanto that their ludicrous claims may be true.

The elf explained, "According to our ancient texts, the legendary hero Kenshiva returned to Topa several months after their initial departure. He told us of their success in defeating the Demon Lord, and the sacrifices of his comrades. The Alliance leaders at the time asked Kenshiva what became of his escorts – Esperanto's army. He said that he ordered the army to return to Topa. That is when the Alliance began its searches. Kenshiva dedicated his final months to retracing his steps in an effort to find Esperanto's army, to no avail. After Kenshiva's passing, the alliance continued searching for years, but eventually had to stop, in order to preserve resources for the rebuilding of civilization."

"That is... incredibly fascinating. We thought you had abandoned us, or worse, perished," he remarked. Although he was interested in these newcomers, he did not allow himself to be distracted. Following a brief pause to digest the new information, he swept aside his inconsequential questions in favor of tackling the exigent situation at hand. "I would indeed like to learn more, but there are more pressing concerns at the moment, as you have mentioned earlier. You expressed a desire to aid in our defense, yes?"

"That is correct," Ambassador Meyer said. He nodded to Captain Baker, who then produced several photographs of the monster encampment. "These images were taken several hours ago, and it looks like they're preparing to move within a day. With your permission, we want to eliminate this threat before proceeding with our original mission of establishing relations with you and your people."

Esperanto looked at Mortes, who muttered under his breath, "Your Highness, we can't be so quick to trust these people. For all we know –"

Esperanto cut him off, holding up a hand. "I know, I know. These people could be part of some elaborate deception masterminded by Darkshield." He closed his eyes, releasing a deep breath as he considered his options. "Hmm, if we rule out bringing them inside the walls, would it be acceptable to have them reposition to the Kals district by skirting along the edges?"

Mortes maintained his concerns, but agreed to the compromise with heavy reluctance in his eyes. "... That sounds reasonable. If they do turn out to be in league with the forces of Darkshield, then I would prefer to fight on a single front rather than two fronts."

"It is settled, then." King Esperanto turned to face the foreigners. "You have our permission to provide aid. However, you cannot pass through our territory. You must remain along the outer boundary of the wall."

Ambassador Meyer leaned over, whispering to Captain Baker, "Is that possible?" He remembered that the kingdom itself was situated next to a mountain range, the terrain of which could impede transportation.

"Honestly," Baker answered, "I don't think so, Mister Ambassador. We could get close, but at some point the trails and paths are gonna be too narrow to fit the vehicles. It'll take hours to get around, if it is even possible at all."