The American In Another World
Chapter 47: American Diplomacy (2)

On the way to Washington DC

Phiam grinned while reviewing the textbook Baeluno had bought. Reading his titles out loud, he skimmed through the books to see the topics they covered. “Basics of Design, Differential Equations in Engineering, Introduction to Thermodynamics...Well, this is what we need!”

Baeluno grinned, proud of himself. “Thank you, Minister. Whatever I can't carry, I take notes while I'm in the library. I understand now why we should take this English course. Officer Arpana also get some magazines, ”she nods towards the blonde-haired fairy.

Arpana spreads the magazine on the table. “This,” he said in a rude voice, pointing to a small group, “details the military technology of the countries in Elysia and compares it with references on Earth. For example,” said, while showing a page with a picture of knights in armor and a detailed figure of medieval weaponry, “The uncivilized countries most closely resemble Terran humans about five hundred to six hundred years ago. They call it 'Middle Ages'.” He then flipped to a page showing the Parpaldian ships of the line, with a very similar looking ship beside him, waving a different flag. “Their medieval era was then followed by a period of scientific progress and industrialization, which gave birth to the weapons we see parachuted by the Parpaldian Empire — sorry, Republic, today.”

"And how long has this been?" ask Baeluno.

“About three hundred years ago, although they had already started developing firearms and cannons a century earlier. After this period, it seems that their rate of technological advancement is growing exponentially, ”dia turned the page again, now analyzing Mu. “They compare Mu with their 'Interwar Period', which saw the development of mechanical units for warfare. Their analysis of Mu's plane seems similar to the one we have, but their analysis of Mu's ground troops.

The four men crowded around the magazine to see what Arpana was talking about. Rydorka pointed to a picture of a tank. “I don't remember You having an armored vehicle like this..”.

Phiam voiced his concern, “Should not. At least, as far as Siwalf knows. According to him, Mu's land vehicles are generally light and used mainly for transportation.”

“A armored fortress like this could pose a significant threat to infantry,” Baeluno said. “With all that armor, it must be power-hungry. I can't imagine how many magic gems we would need to operate such a beast, or how big of a machine we would need to use.

“Seeing the picture, there seems to be a way out. Perhaps we can learn it from those books,” Arpana pointed his thumb at the pile of textbooks behind him.

“Maybe,” said Baeluno, his mind was already thinking.

Arpana goes back to the photos, “It also seems that repeated firearms are starting to spread widely. This could be something Siwalf wants to investigate, ” he said, referring to a machine gun image.

"I'll send him a message as soon as we get back to Runepolis," Phiam nodded.

Arpana, realizing that the magazine was not even halfway through, flipped to the next section. "The Gra Valka Empire?" He raised an eyebrow.

"The Gra Valka Empire?" phiam, curious about how Americans can obtain information about this far western country, and why. “The distance between America and Gra Valkan is — jeez,” he cut his own greeting after seeing photos of battleships and Yamato-class monoplanes. "This can't be true.. forty-six centimeters main weapon?!"

"Minister, did you say forty-six?" Baeluno hurriedly scanned the text to find the exact number. "Are you sure? Maybe we didn't learn English correctly — oh, it looks like I was wrong.”

“I was just as shocked when I first saw this information,” I am Arpana. “However, the shock here is not comparable to what I experienced while reading the last part.”

His mysterious comments attracted everyone's attention. Obviously, there are still pages left — too thick to be a cover word or a credit section. “There is no way they can do analysis on the Ancient Sorcerous Kingdom,” Rydorka said with a hint of despair.

"NO. This analysis is more of an..unexpected surprise.” Arpana turned the pages slowly and dramatically.

Gasps filled the cabin as all of Arpana's comrades took a step back in disbelief.

"Annonrial Empire ?!" Phiam almost shouted. “The same barbarians who attended the World Leadership Conference and only brought sailboats?!”

Baeluno reads the caption under the image of a large aircraft shaped like the Mercedes-Benz logo. “This unidentified flying object resembling an alien aircraft carrier was found in the mountains of the Annonrial Kingdom. The technology level of the aircraft shows a stark difference compared to other engines we found.”

“What is it...” said Rydorka, his voice vibrating.

"Pal Chimera" said Phiam.

The group sat in silence, with only the constant hum of a magical machine filling the air. It was all they had to accompany their thoughts of shock and pure consciousness. These emotions then developed into defensive curiosity, as they became suspicious of the Annonrial Kingdom's intentions. Why do they hide such technology?

Finally, Phiam broke the silence. “Make sure this magazine is our top priority to analyze when we get back home. Arpana, what's the other booklet about?”

“This other magazine seems to be analyzing the animalia species and the plants present in Elysia. I don't know what a 'Mordor' dragon is, but it looks like they're somewhat familiar with the magical creatures we have here.” He flipped through the pages of the species catalog, stopping when he reached the orcs and goblins. “It seems their understanding of orcs and goblins is somewhat different, with depictions of orcs that tend to be green-skinned. However, they know less about demons like Nosgorath.” He points to a page depicting the evil Christian devil — most common perceptions among Americans — and demons in other references, including various fantasy worlds.

“Interesting,” Rydorka murmur. “It is quite interesting how effective their weapons are against such creatures, despite having little knowledge about them.”

Arpan shrugged his shoulders. “They need something to kill a warship. Not surprisingly, the same weapons that can kill warships and armored construction are also very deadly against monsters.”

The Mirishial nodded in agreement.

Arpana continued, These other “Magazines gave us insight into their views on magic. These people were miraculously incompetent, but somehow had documentation worth an entire civilization on the matter.

"Hmm?" Phiam distills references to magic in every historic Terran culture. "How is this possible? Magic has been documented for thousands of years, even leading to their current state, but none of them show any magical sensitivity. It... weird.” He scratched his head while flipping through the pages of the magazine.

Rydorka offers a suggestion, “It's possible that their people were once capable of magic, but some sort of event stripped them of their abilities. Their lack of magic gems seems to indicate that they are from a world without such materials. Without magic gems, this branch of humanity most likely lost their alignment with mystery.”

They accept Rydorka's excuse, humming in agreement before returning to study the magazine in silence.

“First Gra Valkans, and now America. And even Annonrial... What will this world be?” Phiam is desperate.

Rydorka analyzed the situation, “The emergence of the two summoned countries is definitely related to the return of the Ancient Sorcerous Kingdom. As for the Annonrials, I don't know why they hid their identities for so long. Maybe you can ask the Americans about the Annonrial once we get to their capital?

“That's a good idea,” Phiam said, a little relieved now that he has some action.

Washington DC

The Mirishial family stared out the White House window as they waited for the American President to meet them. The vast landscape was in contrast to the dense urban environment they had seen in San Diego. Here, nature blends with classical architecture to create a beautiful nature reserve — suitable for men as strong as the President.

“Love, right?” A voice appeared behind them.

Phia turned. "Oh, President Lee!" He shook his hand. "And you must be Vice President Coleman," he said, greeting the man beside Lee. “I'm Minister Phiam of the Mirishial Holy Kingdom. Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine" Lee said. "Let's sit in a comfortable place, okay?"

The men walked into the Oval Office, exchanging greetings and light flattery as they walked. “You know, Minister, I've been looking forward to this moment for a long time. You are heralded by every nation as 'the strongest in the world'. Pretty impressive title.”

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

“Ah, Mr. President is fine,” Lee said as he opened the door of his office, where several others were waiting.

“Alright, Mr. President. I appreciate your kind words. Our status was not easily achieved; after the fall of the Ancient Sorcerous Kingdom, we had to rebuild. And we rebuild. As a sign of friendship, I offer you some gifts, ”Phiam beckons Rydorka, and he puts a heavy box near the table.

Phiam took out a colored box, opening it to reveal a neatly arranged magic gem, each of a different kind. “We realize that your people are new to Elysia, and may also be new to magic. Therefore, we have prepared an enhanced selection of magic gems — accompanied by an introductory guide — to help you familiarize yourself with the staples of this world.

President Lee and his entourage approached the colorful gemstone, admiring its beauty. The stones seemed to be emitting their own light, reflecting the mysterious energy stored within.

“What a marvellous,” said a man in glasses and a white coat.

“Dr. Holden, what do you think of this?” ask Lee.

The stereotypical-looking scientist pushes his glasses up as he bends down to examine the gem. “This specimen is much more sophisticated than we have ever encountered before. I won't be able to say anything conclusive until we run tests on this, but just from the looks of it, I think my department will be able to expand our current understanding of magic by a significant margin. He stepped back after finishing his thoughts.

“Thank you, Doctor Holden. So, Minister Phiam, can you decipher why these gems have different colors? I am very curious.”

“I think this topic is more suitable for Mr. Baeluno.”

Baeluno stepped forward and started his lecture on magic gems. “Color on the gem represents its function. Red is generally associated with fire, and hence, red magic gems are used for everything related to heat. In contrast, the blue magic gem is associated with water. Yellow is energy, green is life, and so on. Each case comes with a guide detailing the purpose of each gem and the examples of its use.

"Hm," the American gave a curious expression.

“Thank you, Mr. Baeluno,” said Phiam. “The box also contains other trinkets from our society, ranging from clothing to basic magic tools. Oh, and I definitely can't forget the magic screen and calculator.”

Rydorka placed the magic screen on the table and installed the receiver beside it. “Unfortunately, the necessary infrastructure for this device is not available here, but you can use it in Philades, where we have several transmission stations.”

Phiam nodded, wondering why they were carrying the screen. He glanced at the Americans involved in the light conversation — at least they seemed fascinated by the device. He walked up to the box and took out a computer-sized object, offering it to Lee. “Mr President, I want you to personally receive this gift. This is one of our latest calculators. I realize that it is not comparable to the calculator you have,” Phiam said sadly, “But it should still provide insight into our magic-based civilization. Or at the very least, it will be a beautiful artifact to decorate your table.”

“Thank you, Minister Phiam,” said Lee. He received the gift, his hand almost fell due to the weight of an unexpected object. He quickly fixed his position and laughed at him, "Geez, this thing is quite heavy!"

“Not as light as your smartphone, but we will get there,” Phiam smiled.

"Oh sure! You know, we would love to exchange knowledge.”

Phiam suppressed the dizziness that developed within him. Lee's offer was exactly what he was looking for. “I would greatly appreciate further discussion on that, Mr. President. As a civilization with a greater understanding of magic, I feel that interacting with a civilization that has a strong understanding of science is a very mutually beneficial arrangement

“I agree with all my heart, Phiam. I'm assuming you should contact your employer before proposing anything, so I'd like to offer this gift to you, for faster communication.

Steven walked over, offering the box-shaped object to Phiam.

Lee explained, “This is a radio with a range of several hundred miles, which should be able to contact our relay station on the southern island of Cartalpas. After our discussion, Steven here can show you how to use it.”

After completing the gift exchange, the two groups moved to discuss the World Leadership Conference.

Phiam started, “ Our second reason here is to officially invite the United States to the World Leadership Conference.” He handed out a paper describing the event in detail. “In short, this meeting is a conference held every two years, towards the end of the year. Any country may come to witness the discussion, but only eleven countries are allowed to participate actively. Of these eleven, five are repeat members, anyway, if you will. These five countries were each superpowers, although the two had recently been replaced. We want the United States to come in place of the former Parpaldian Empire.”

"Question, Minister."

"Yes?"

“So this conference...Are there any other constraints binding? Or is it just a gathering of world leaders?”

Phiam, not understanding Lee's question, answered as best he could. “Ah... This is just a meeting of world leaders.”

Lee hears the uncertainty in Phiam's voice and explains the context behind his question. "Oh great. I ask because Earth has its own version of the World Leadership Conference, that sort of thing. It was a permanent body known as the United Nations. A story for another time, I guess. Anyway, thanks for the invitation. Since this is just a meeting between leaders, I do not need to bring proposals to our legislature. I accept your invitation, "Lee extends her hand.

Phiam shook his hand. “Welcome to the superpower league, Mr. President.”