The Eighth Empire

Overwhelmed With Reality

Day 21 Month 12 Year 1640
Gra Valkas Hideout, Kure, Japan

Under the starry night of the winter season that fell into Japan, the Gra Valkas Intelligence Group began to compare the information from the book that was purchased beforehand and the latest military information of the Gra Valkas military. They were surprised when almost all of the information of Gra Valkas military was similar, even both of their old equipment and the prototypes. 

Naguano at the state when he couldn't swallow the truth. It would take a couple years to compile the entire list of equipment of their military, both older and the prototype. And here, the Japanese have the entire compilation and used it as educational information. Claiming that there was a leakage was unlikely, since they were only a year since the sudden displacement of Gra Valkas Empire from their homeworld, Yggdra. 

Things get stranger as they encounter some military equipment that they have never seen, like the majority of Imperial Army Air Forces aircraft. In Gra Valkas Army, their aircraft – save for Vega twin-engines bombers – were the same as the Navy with some change on the landing gear, making them slightly lighter and more maneuverable than the navy counterpart. However, that book showed that the IJA has a completely different aircraft with different armaments than the IJN counterpart. Naguano understood that could complicate the logistical perspective, leading Japan into a difficult situation.

Gra Cabal noticed the stressed Naguano, approaching the group and asking a question. Naguano immediately replied toward the crown prince himself. 

"Then tell me the problem" said Gra Cabal directly at Naguano.

"Yes, your majesty. There are too many things that we both cannot accept and understand. Like, how could our military technologies are comparable to them seven decades ago according to that book"

Gra Cabal understood that feeling, the same one when they visited the Kure Maritime Museum. He and others needed to act as respectable tourists to not draw attention of both the security and other tourists. 

"And all of them are the same as ours?" 

Naguano took a photo on the table and showed it to the crown prince. 

"For example, this is the prototype of our newest tank"

The photo itself was Warhound, a tank armed with a 7.5 Cm tank gun that was based on Model 60 Field Gun that was fielded by the Gra Valkas Army. He then took the book on the table and showed the picture of Type 3 Chi-Nu.

"This Japanese tank was called Chi-Nu. Noticed the similarity on the silhouette, turret, main gun, tracks, and wheel configuration"

The Type 3 Chi-Nu itself was similar at the point it was a perfect copy of the Warhound tank. Gra Cabal raised his eyebrows, surprised by the both images that were literally the same thing. Since the Warhound was a prototype, only some people in the military knew this. But Japan not only knew this tank, but also had the detailed specification of the Warhound tank.

"No way. Even it was a leak, the possibility to leave our mainland is too small"

"Indeed, your majesty. However,"

Naguano flipped the page of the book, showing a photo of Hayabusa from the Imperial Army Air Forces. 

"Isn't that an Antares? Or A6M Zero?" Gra Cabal asked.

"Unfortunately, no, your majesty," replied Naguano. "This is Ki-43 from the Imperial Army. It might look similar, but it has some slight design differences, notably the wings and the fuselage. Performance-wise, it notably similar if not better than the A6M Zero, saves for the range and the armament"