Into The Horizon: An NHS Fanfic

Chapter 17: A Better Future

September 13, 1898.

The news of Zaratosthra's arrival shocked not just the Federation, but also the prisoners. The army prisoners knew they could be executed for surrendering, but the navy prisoners are ecstatic and believes their emperor has come to save them and make the enemy submit. However, this could not be farther from the truth.

Inside the castle of Entia, Zaratosthra follows behind and William and his guards lead the way into the meeting room of the castle. In the middle of the round table, a large radio equipment is hanging from the ceiling, providing the transceiver for the other monarchs' castles for long distance meetings.

With Zaratosthra sitting at the closer end of the table and William sitting in the far end, their escorts stood behind them. Upon the activation of the radio, the other monarchs has also sat on their castles and started the meeting. This is a private frequency and only accessible to the radio of the castles, but ofcourse, the Forceful Bypass and other means of radiofrequency hacking from modern countries can still be present.

"For the opening of this meeting, our members shall include the monarchs of Entia, Thria, Valkia, and the representative of Havik. Due to the sudden nature of your.. visit, the monarchs have no time to come together in a single place and as such the meeting has to be done like this. I hope you understand."

Zaratosthra nods, "I do, and I have no complaints. I have come here to discuss terms of peace between our two nations, the return of my people held as prisoners, and a possible trade relation with your nation. In exchange, I would like it if we do not need to pay war reparations, since we have suffered more casualties and losses."

After his words, the radio crackled, the voice of Maria, Queen of Thria, comes "I have no problems with that, but we must know - why did you attack us?"

Zaratosthra looks at William, "At first it was just about figuring out what occurred in this area after a large mana storm occurred. When we heard that of our scouting force being destroyed, their commander, Regeland Frost, saw it as an offense by a nation of this world or the existence of an untamed sea behemoth, and thus decided to go with two fleets. When one turned out to be the case, and he tasted defeat at the hands of what he saw as inferiors, his pride could not take it."

Zaratosthra sighs, and looks directly at William's eyes, "To be truthful, our Annonrial nation had been too loyal to and deluded by the legends of the Ravernals, and the marvels of their technologies. My people did not think of defeat, and the shock of it broke their common sense. I was the same when you are affected by my attacks.

"The belief on the Ravernals blinded my people, and myself too until recently. Their return is coming, and I realized that their return would spell enslavement and death to my people, so I decided to do a purge."

Zaratosthra stops for a moment before continuing, "Our navy has the most hardliners when it came to Ravernals. My change of heart will cause a mutiny and open rebellion once revealed, so after Frost's defeat, I took each and every Ravernal zealots from all branches of my military and sent them here to die. Ofcourse, the force also included innocent lives, but a few wounds to purge the cancer is necessary. Part of me believed that those who surrender will be those that would care more about their families and lives than their faith in the Ravernal. It took me until now to complete the purge in the government, and to completely execute the Ravernal Church."

The monarchs turned silent at his words, pondering whether to believe him believe him or not.

"You amuse me, Zaratosthra was it?" The voice of a young woman from the line of Havik came, it is Eleonora, as Beatrice is once again away for a diplomatic mission up north. "You say that a few sacrifices is needed, but with your power, shouldn't you be able to trample them in the first place without sacrificing anything? With absolute power you can just destroy those in your way, why don't you?"