The American In Another World
Chapter 43: The Fall of Esthirant
Esthirant, Parpalid Empire
A stoic darkness fell on the young face of Emperor Ludius, his eyes emitting uncertainty for the first time since his childhood. His worries gradually fade away as he ascends the throne, but now resurface when he finds himself faced with a problem he cannot solve. Born into power, he always does things as he pleases. This aspect of his life was not only preserved, but also reinforced by the fact that the Parpaldian Empire was the strongest entity in Philades. The sense of superiority fostered made Ludius want more, and he expanded his goal from the domination of the Third Civilization Region to the rest of the world.
His ambition caught the attention of Remille, a beautiful noble from a prominent imperial family. Together, they develop a close friendship, causing Ludius to give Remille the top spot in his kingdom. Because they had similar ambitions, Ludius considered him the most suitable for handling international relations. The longer the two worked together, the closer their relationship grew, or so Remille thought.
Now, as he looked into Ludius' eyes, he wondered if he cared more about him, or about his strength. The only worry reflected on his face was Parpaldia's dwindling strength and the possibility of victory. He noticed a strong determination in his eyes, driven by the rejection of defeat and the desire for revenge. Realizing himself in Ludius, he realized that if he did not break away from this dangerous path, he might lose everything to the Americans. In turn, he would lose everything as well.
Emperor Ludius sighed, walking towards his subjects as he prepared his words. Shadows danced around the room while his footsteps echoed throughout the underground complex.
Remille turned around, seeing that all the members of His Majesty's inner circle were now present. He analyzed their behavior, feeling the tension from their overly stiff posture. Do they realize anything serious about their fight against America? Or are they just nervous, afraid of retaliation for failing to fend off invaders?
“Arde, what's the latest report?” Ludius asked in an irritated tone.
“Your Majesty, we have lost the Imperial Capital Defense Base. There's nothing left of him. The same fate also befell our headquarters in Duro, as well as our defensive installations along the port. My unit has cleared a part of the city adjacent to the port and is currently waiting for an enemy landing. It seemed that the enemy had stopped their attack. They may be preparing a diplomatic message.”
“Hmph, call to surrender? Well, they must have been very stubborn to continue down that path. Director Kaios, have you received any communication from Americans?”
All eyes were on Kaios. Many seemed tensely anticipating, including Matal, Arde, and the Director of Foreign Affairs. Elto in particular started to fidget, clutching at her clothes to prevent herself from being too nervous. Remille wondered why everyone was so tense, suspecting that Kaios was up to something. He looked towards the imperial guards, who slightly adjusted their positions. For him, they also felt the changing atmosphere of the room and prepared for the sudden development.
"I have," Kaios spoke. “They demand our surrender, and will allow us to maintain our independence, provided we agree to their terms.”
Emperor Ludius' expression inched towards anger. "And what are these terms?"
“We must pay compensation for the damage done to the Altaras Kingdom, liberating all the states that are our followers, demilitarizing, abolishing slavery, he said, and signed a major economic and strategic deal that benefits America.”
"How arrogant are they, asking so much?" Ludius wondered aloud, unaware of the irony of the situation. “They have not even set foot on our land, and they have already requested the destruction of our identity and the confiscation of all that we have built. Let the Americans know that we will never give up!”
Kaios shook her head. "Your Majesty, I beg you to review the situation."
Ludius raised an eyebrow. “Speaking against your emperor?” She smiles. “You should have been excommunicated or even executed, but your insubordination intrigues me. Continue."
The guards stepped forward once, ready to bring their rifles into action. The room became silent, becoming so quiet that Remille thought she could hear the beating of people's hearts. Time slowed down, as if the fate of the Parpaldian Kingdom would be decided right now.
“They have not even set foot on our land,” Kaios started, “But they have rendered our entire navy useless, grounding our surviving wyvern units, <TAG1>, and destroyed our most fortified base. They achieved all of this without losing a single life. Then how, Your Majesty, can we hope to win? We are in consensus here on the futility of this conflict.” He gestured to his surroundings, referring to the other person in the meeting.
Ludius' anger subsided, replaced with confusion. "Supreme Commander of Arde?"
“Kaios is telling the truth, Your Majesty. As I hate to admit, our troops are nothing compared to Americans. I doubt that even the armies of the Mirishial Holy Kingdom can be compared.”
Ludius pondered Arde's confident answer. “So...who is allied with Kaios?”
In response, people slowly began to gravitate to Kaios' side, lining up beside her. First, Arde and Matal. They were followed by Directors Elto and Rius, then other administrative personnel present in the room. Only Remille stood beside Emperor Ludius. Remille is the only person Kaios has never spoken to. Nonetheless, he could see hesitation plastered on his face. His influence, combined with pressure to make decisions, clearly affected him.
"Remille .." said Kaios, gesturing for her to make a choice. “Esthiant has still not been damaged by war. Let's keep it like this.”
Remille looked at Ludius, her eyes asking for answers.
“Whatever choices you make here will be your own. I'm not going to interfere with your decision making.
Later, he recalled photos of American cities and a magical broadcast from the Mirishial News Network. The pieces aligned; he could no longer live in denial. It was clear to him that if he wanted to save the Parpaldian Empire, then he would have to side with Kaios.
On the other hand, doing so could cause him to part with Emperor Ludius. His actions made it difficult to determine which answer he liked, so Remille could not choose one based on desire. Forced to choose objectively, he reluctantly takes the most logical decision: he joins the Kaios camp. He walked over, turning his head as he approached the other side of the table. Ludius barely reacted, only sighing a moment later. Remille began to regret her decision, her mind fighting with her heart.
Ludius stared silently for a few seconds, neither side could say a word. Deep in contemplation, Emperor Ludius spoke, "You don't believe in the power of the Parpaldian Empire," he raised a finger and pointed to everyone standing beside Kaios. “I can understand why. We have suffered loss after loss, without even being able to strike back at the enemy. However, we have something greater than their military might: determination. Their weapons are not cheap. Eventually, they would get tired of their invasion, and would agree to a peace treaty that did not greatly benefit them. We will fight in every building, every street, until they realize that we will never give up on them! I'm saddened by your actions today, ”he said, looking at Remille. “However, it is understandable that those with weak wills will succumb to fear. At least, I hope it is fear, not treasonous intent. Guards, take these cowards out. They are hereby stripped of their rank, but free to go otherwise.
The guards moved forward, weapons ready. It seemed like they were executing Ludius' orders until they stopped beside Kaios' group. Like statues, they stood still.
Emperor Ludius became suspicious, “What does this mean? Aren't you going to carry out your emperor's orders ?! His eyes swirled as fear crept within him. He hopes this isn't part of Kaios' plan.
"No, Your Majesty." Kaios clenched his hands and raised them, signaling the guards to take up their weapons. “I'm optimistic, hope you can reason. Unfortunately that's not the problem.
Ludius scoffed, leaning forward on the table as he faced Kaios. "So, your secondary plan, if you fail to convince me, is to stage a coup?"
"Yes. I intend to end this war between us and America. Continued fighting will only make the Parpaldian Empire lose its prestige and power.”
Ludius remained silent as he thought of a way out of the coup.
Kaios notices Ludius' plan and realizes that she is not convinced enough to surrender peacefully. He bid, “You know, Americans once fought and defeated a great empire in their world — Empire of Japan. Despite these imperial atrocities during their war, the Americans allowed the emperor to retain his title. Your Majesty, you will be allowed to maintain your position as Emperor, although the influence may be small in the coming years.
Ludius lowered his head down. "So so. I suspect this whole complex is full of men loyal to you?
"That assumption is true, Your Majesty."
Ludius laughs. “So you've thought about this carefully. Good work, Director Kaios. Hope you know what you're doing.
“Don't worry, Your Majesty. The Parpaldian Empire will continue as grand as ever, if not more.”
——
Arlington, Virginia
"Mr President!" A voice called out from the Pentagon.
President Lee turned around, his hand on the handle of the fridge as he searched for the source of the sound. He found Steven running towards him, waving.
"Good news?" Lee asked as he pulled out a can of Coca Cola from the fridge.
“Master, the Kaios coup succeeded! He had Emperor Ludius issue an order to retreat and surrender!”
Lee grinned, “Yeah, that's amazing! Send word overseas soon. Oh, thank God!” Lee breathed a sigh of relief. His fear of a prolonged guerrilla war disappeared. Concerns about the loss of people from Parpaldian disappeared from his mind, causing him to feel more confident in his election in the next period. Not only did he have a smooth economic recovery, but he now also had two victories without any casualties.
"I'll do it soon, Mr. President."
After Steven left, Lee sat down on a nearby sofa. He lifted his can into the air, toast to the ceiling. “God bless United States.”