The American In Another World
Chapter 23: Realization

San Diego, California

Kaios hummed in pleasant shock as she looked at the cold air inside. Thinking about the Tear-based ventilation system in Esthirant, he wondered how 'AC' Americans work. For a country that claimed to have no magic at all, they could definitely mimic the effects created by magic. Is this really the potential of science?

Raita takes her to an elevator, where one of the hotel's staff shows her how to operate. The machine is simple: all they need to do is press a button to reach the floor they want. Kaios immediately thought of the towering tower at Esthirant; this 'lift' would be quite an innovative and desirable tool for such a tall building. The numbers on the button were unfamiliar to him, but bore an interesting resemblance - one he could not identify. He looked towards Raita who was studying the American numerical system.

After a few minutes, Raita seemed satisfied with her knowledge and, comparing the button with the slippage in her hand, pressed the corresponding floor number where their unit was. With a slow jolt, the elevator climbed upwards, drove faster and then calmly slowed down as it reached its destination.

"Oh my goodness" said Kaios, her knuckles were white from holding the fence. “Taste... freak.” She immediately let go, a little embarrassed that she overreacted to something that Raita did not seem to be affected by.

"Hmm?" ask Raita.

"That's not a problem" Kaios said indifferently. They got out of the elevator together. “So, Raita. Where's the room?”

"It was just around this corner," he said as he walked to the door, a key card in hand. With a soft beep, the door opened and he opened it, walking into a cooler environment than in the hallway.

The temperature of the air shocked Kaios; although she was familiar with the technology itself, she did not realize how cold the American air was. Parpaldian cooling technology is erratic, limited to the purity of the magic gems that support their Tear system. Although the magicians themselves could cool the entire room to a drastic level, they could only maintain this magic for a few minutes. Kaios finally began to understand how advanced these 'barbarians' were.

He looked around the room, somewhat unimpressed by its small size, but at the same time interested in the design and facilities available. Although small, the room had a certain elegance. Then something caught his attention. “Ah... Raita?”

"Yes sir?"

"Is there only one bed?"

"Yes. They have no other choice, ” Raita said with a mischievous smile.

Kaios blushed. "Very good…"

While Raita unloads the luggage, Kaios checks the room. The bed was satisfying, even better than the best bed the nobles in Ethirant could afford. The washroom contained some foreign objects, but he recognized the lotion and the toothbrush. After studying objects and picture cards related to their usefulness, he moved to the bathtub.

Observing the frills like the hose above with great curiosity, he turned his knob. The taps below flow with water, and are expected to begin filling the bathtub. “Hmm, not much difference there,” Kaios said to herself. He then pulled the pin into the tap itself, and was shocked as his head was drenched in cold water. "Oh!" He retreated backwards in surprise.

Raita rushed in. “Mr Kaios, are you okay?”

“Yes, Raita.” He took a white towel and dried his head. “I can see the potential of this device with respect to hygiene. Their pipes must be amazing if every household is equipped with something like this.”.

Compared to the Parpaldian plumbing, which is only installed by Esthirant and a few other major cities, American plumbing seems to be much more developed. Even the water system in Esthirant still can't heat the water before it comes out of the tap. There are some smart innovators who come up with heating systems that use red magic gems, but no one can afford to market them. With a sense of unease creeping through his mind, he reasoned, assuring himself that these facilities were most likely limited to wealthy establishments like this hotel. Still, what if he's wrong?

He came out of the restroom and walked back to the main room, where he was attracted to the black mirror on the wall. "What a strange mirror" he said. "It's weird how the one in the restroom is an ordinary mirror, but this one is so dark."

Raita looked back while sorting the clothes on the bed. “If I remember correctly, it is not a mirror. It looks similar to the screen of the dome building: they display moving pictures.” He scanned the perimeter of the screen, finally finding the remote. “I don't really remember how to use this device; the man just explained it a little.” He pointed to the power button. “I know that this button is used to power the device, and the arrow is used to navigate through different 'channels' as he calls them. Here, try.”

The screen turns on when he presses the red button, immediately displaying the menu. He played around with the arrow for a few seconds before understanding how the device worked. Intuitively, he thought that the circular center button allowed him to select items on the screen, and he clicked on a random channel: ABC News.

The screen demonstrated a sudden change as the image changed from a menu to a scene from Qua Toyne almost instantly. Kaios reminisced about her time in the Holy Milishial Empire, noticing that the American broadcaster was similar to the Milishial newscaster. As the man discussed economic policy and industrialization, Kaios ignored, wondering if the United States could even surpass the Holy Milishial Empire in terms of technology.

Across the Middle Continent, the Milishial magic screen was heralded as a technology that was almost at its peak. Displaying moving images in color and very smoothly, they easily outperform the black and white screens of some other countries that are advanced enough even to imagine such a device. Although relatively large, the magical viewer allows real-time transfer of visual data across great distances, even beyond the abilities of the Agarthan witch. However, the screen in front of him was almost entirely flat, like a mirror. The resolution is also clearly superior, with brighter colors.

Raita, seeing Kaios gawking at the screen, chimed in, "Master Kaios?"

"Oh," she flinched from her trance. Sighing, he lamented the superiority of the American magic audience. “Dioperated with magic or not, this device clearly dwarfed the device even from the Holy Milishial Empire. The air show we saw in Esthirant was an informative first impression — warnings not to provoke them. But with this,” he pointed to the perimeter of the room and the skyscrapers outside the window, “proven that they have a greater industrial capacity than us. I used to think that we could defeat their fleet, but now, I realize that this is impossible. I just hope Miss Remille doesn't antagonize them.”

——

Esthirant, Parpalid Empire

"I believe that the transaction is buried?" A feminine voice asked, the silhouette of her figure was highlighted by the light in the background.

“Yes, Miss Remille. None of these items can be traced back to you, or the Imperial Family, ” said a man as he bowed deeply.

"Good," said Remille. "When can I expect 'pirates' to start?"

“They're going after Amanoki tomorrow night, Miss Remille. It won't be long before Fennese comes crawling back to use in exchange for protection.

A sinister sense of dizziness flowed through Remille as she eagerly waited for the result of her efforts. “And for their previous impoliteness.Please direct the 'pirates' to cause as much chaos as possible as they plunder the city. I also heard that the Americans presented the King of Swords with some products from their homeland. Find this if possible, and bring it back for analysis.”

——

Amanoki, Kingdom of Fenn

After the demonstrations from the Parpaldians and Americans, news of the Military Festival spread throughout the 'barbarians' region'. Since the witnesses were all high-ranking officers and other trusted people, the incident was taken seriously. As the festival shrank by the day and its participants finished, Fenn saw a significant influx of diplomatic personnel, all looking for ways to get in touch with the United States.

They are told to wait for the next arrival schedule — science ships named USS Intrepid and its bodyguards. As the ship docked along the Amanoki coast, they were instantly mobbed by diplomats from different countries, all filled with anticipation that had been cultivated for days. After a few hours, the storm subsided and diplomats agreed to wait for another ship, which would come in a week to help get things done.

The Intrepid moved away from the dock after loading supplies, but stopped, which intrigued the Fennese spectators. In the distance, dozens of newcomers appeared to be waving black flags. They besieged the bay in such numbers that it was impossible to escape.

——

The USS Barry

“Captain, we have about thirty unidentified ships surrounding us. I thought Fenn wasn't at war with anyone? Master Chief Barnes wondered.

Captain Winslow frowned as he analyzed the radar. "Now, where did these people come from?"

A radar technician replied, “Master, magnetic storms and bad weather are common around here. They must have been past.”

“Hmm..Kovich, open channel to Intrepid . They are still around the dock; have them contact the Fennese people, if they expect visitors.”

"On it, sir."

While they await Intrepid's response, the unidentified fleet sails inward, approaching their position. Fearing an incident, Winslow called his boss. Knowing as much as he knew, they left the situation to his discretion and emphasized the security of Intrepid . As the ship got closer, Winslow felt even more worried. His anxiety peaked as soon as he saw the flag of the ship.

“Say, black flag... Are they pirates?”

"It seems so, Captain," said Barnes.

Winslow scratched the back of his head, thinking of his next action. "No response from Intrepid ?"

Kovich replied, “No, Sir. They're still on their way to the beach. They're a little far.”

"Suckhead." Winslow clenched his fists. Taking a deep breath, he considered his options. Trying to escape could potentially harm the lightly armored Intrepid, especially given the potential for the enemy to be armed with cannons. However, they were slow enough that if he could break through one end of the blockade, Intrepid might be able to escape and escape. Of course, if the impulse came to push, he could have annihilated all the ships, but he also did not want to inadvertently cause a diplomatic incident.

Taking the decision, Winslow ordered his ship forward, to issue a warning. Maintaining a distance of four kilometers, he ensured that the ships in that line were beyond the range of battle. “We may have to bring one of the communication where next time, huh? Anyway..” Winslow turned his attention to the blockade. “Unknown ship, you are interfering with the maritime activities of the United States Navy! Make a gap so that our ship can pass!”

Winslow noticed the ships in front starting to turn. He heaved a sigh of relief, which then got stuck in his throat as he realized that the ship had not turned to give way - they turned around to open fire! Smoke gushed from the side of the ship as the cannonball fell away from its target. “Fuck shit... All hands, get ready for battle! Does Intrepid form next to Benfold . Sink all ships in front of us, but hold the missile.”

The Mark 45 cannon in Barry's bow turned to face the lead ship and then fired. His shell pierced through the layers of wood and iron of pirate ships, came into contact with their ammunition depots and ignited them. With a tremendous explosion, the main pirate ship turned into confetti, showering wood and other debris onto its comrades. Barry retreats while firing, making sure no counterattack can reach him, but Winslow realizes they are running out of water; they retreat to the shoreline and the other blockade is currently approaching their position.

In the open ocean, this would not be a problem. With the agility and range of the Arleigh-Burke class, they could fight until the ammunition ran out. However, they now had little room to work; they could easily destroy all thirty ships, but not before either of them could get close enough to fire on Intrepid . Seeing no alternative, Winslow allowed the use of missiles.

While the Mark 45 weapons annihilated nearby ships, dozens of missiles soared overhead, engulfing the destroyer in smoke. Ten missiles were headed for the booster pirate ship, which had passed dozens of merchant ships, fishermen, and Fennese patrol boats.

The survivors of these fallen boats witnessed retaliation when what looked like meteors hit the pirates, wiping out their ships with a smoldering calamity. The force of the explosion was so great that the hull was unrecognizable; as a result it consisted only of driftwood and burning debris. Those who had been to the Military Festival immediately saw the connection between the American ships and the destructive force that befell the pirates. They are content with the retaliation that punishes the pirates, but are also afraid of the power that America has.

To annihilate the vanguard ships so easily, how powerful were they?

——

Esthirant, Parpalid Empire

Remille held her head as she thought of the same question. If it was a simple report, he probably wouldn't have believed it, perhaps even reasoned that the bastard pirate had simply run off with their talented ship. However, he watched the entire scene unfold through his crystal viewer. 'The 'pirate' he hired to attack Fenn, due to bad luck, made contact with American military ships. They were then inevitably annihilated by a small escort consisting of only two ships.

Fortunately, he made sure that the pirates could not be traced back to him or the Imperial Family. But anyone with a brain can most likely pinpoint the source of this heavily armed fleet, which appears out of nowhere and boasts technology that only a state like Parpaldia can produce. He wished Americans were too indifferent to this world and assumed that they were actually pirates without investigating the matter.

Regardless, the entire mission was a disaster. Because of the heroic actions of the Americans (although their assistance to Fennese was not intentional), his plan most likely ended up pushing the barbarians further into American influence. Worse, he sees no possible plan to fight America. If two of their smaller warships can do this to a fleet strong enough to destroy an entire country, then what can their entire navy do?

Minutes passed, turning into hours as he held his mind. Finally, he experienced a moment of awareness: Parpaldia could not challenge the United States directly. If there is, now is the time to act. To prevent the barbarians from falling into the hands of the United States, he decided to conquer as many barbarian states as possible as quickly as possible, albeit with great caution. He did not want the same mistake as Louria — he did not want to inadvertently declare war against a country that already had a defense agreement with America.

With this in mind, Remille marks Parpaldia's next target: Altaras Kingdom.