Trapped in Another World With No Magic

Chapter 104: The Goddess's Gift

Sundenelle stares at the report she was just given from her messenger. She feels sick to her stomach. She asks wearily, "Who else have you told of this matter?"

"No one, your Imperial Majesty. I returned as soon as I saw the state of... Fort Twilight."

"How could this be?" asks Byleathea, the only other one in the room with Sundenelle and her loyal guards, as well as the messenger. "What manner of attack could annihilate a fortress the size of Fort Twilight?"

"I don't know, but there are signs that the attack came from the east."

"Explain," replies Sundenelle.

"The destruction was spherical," explains the messenger, drawing a circle on the map of the continent around where Fort Twilight used to be. "But, here, in the northeast, there was a conical trench, like the land was melted away by some powerful heat."

"Could it be the dragons?" asks Byleathea.

"I wouldn't know, my Lady."

The senior of the two guards in the room replies, "If I may, your Illustrious Highness?"

Sundenelle nods at him, and the guard answers, "From the description, I don't think it's possible for the dragons to reduce a fortress to such a perfect spherical crater, if the young messenger's words are to be believed. And, I hear the voice of sincerity."

Sundenelle nods. "I agree as well. The burns in historical paintings and drawings depicting the destruction caused by dragons leaves remains of the structures. They don't waste effort on over-destructive carnage. Certainly not enough to make such a deep crater." She traces a circle around the drawing of the fortress. "You're certain the crater was as deep as it was wide?"

"Very near so, your Imperial Majesty. Though, with the scope..."

"Of course..." She traces her finger along the map, stopping at a dark spot that represents the Citadel. "Then, what became of Daniel, I wonder? He said he would remain long enough for a reply."

The Empress's mother murmurs gently, "Your Grace, there is no force in the east capable of such destruction. It is most likely that the otherworlder had his dragons annihilate the fortress to use as an excuse to declare war anew."

Sundenelle traces a circle idly around the Citadel on the map, thinking. The guard speaks again, "That does make the most sense. I don't even know of any demon kin capable of such destructive force. I doubt even the Strylak of legend could destroy a fortified installation so completely."

The younger guard asks, "Could it be that the Fievegal -er, the self-proclaimed Fievegal-, have angered the Strylak?" He bows at Sundenelle, adding, "Forgive me, our illustrious Empress, for validating the upstarts." She doesn't respond, hearing the words, but still too deep in thought to acknowledge anything.

"The Strylak does indeed hold sway over the whole world," replies Byleathea. "But it is a legendary beast of the deep sea." She gestures at the flag of the Empire in the room, where a depiction of the Strylak is embracing the whole world. The Strylak has a somewhat shark-like appearance, but is more specifically a polypus like a squid, with long arms and big, intelligent eyes. It is believed from the legends that the Strylak is a highly intelligent creature, potentially even more intelligent than Senn, the elven sage or the eldest dragons.

"No," states the young Empress suddenly. The other four stop their discussion and look at her, with the two guards standing straight at attention.

She looks at Byleathea. "Recognized or not, they don't need an additional attack to justify war. We know one other being capable of such power, whether he revealed it or not." She narrows her eyes as she looks at the map to the northeast of Fort Twilight. "Otherworldly power."