Summoning America

Chapter 42: Global Shift (2)

Cartalpas, Holy Mirishial Empire

The bar's patrons erupted into excited, prospective discussion as the MNN camera crew inspected the various merchandise.

The first items to be inspected included general stationery, items such as paper and writing implements. Although these common objects were unable to draw any reactions from the Mirishial crowd, they were viewed as undeniably reliable products, and some merchants from less technologically advanced nations considered purchasing them for their homelands.

The interview glossed over basic goods and products such as exotic condiments, which piqued the interest of the wealthy who could now commission new dishes from their chefs. The pieces of clothing displayed were also fashionable and of good quality, convincing some to seek American clothes.

Finally, the interview began to rise to a climax as more interesting products were unveiled: luxury goods.

A merchant attempting to sell Mu's watches in the United States had once spoken of the superior quality that American products boasted. Having brought back none of the items he described due to their exorbitant cost, not many people believed him. Having heard stories of American success in Philades, some became curious about his claims and went to see for themselves. Those who doubted the merchant remained behind, scoffing at these 'outlandish' claims until now.

The first feature that caught their attention was the jewelry embedded into the watches. They looked like luxury watches from Mu, except slimmer and much more well-crafted. Sheets of paper placed near the products themselves designated costs, with an estimated price in pasos helpfully placed beside the price in dollars.

Several drunken merchants had to rub their eyes, performing double-takes as they scanned the prices in disbelief. Mentally converting pasos into their respective currencies, they realized that such prices could be compared to those of entire merchant vessels. One 'Rolex' watch, according to the information displayed on the screen, could be worth as much as tens of pounds of magic gems.

Cheaper models were analyzed, granting relief to those who were hoping to acquire a piece of American technology — which were already developing into symbols of status, potentially dethroning counterpart products from Mu. No longer did the wealthy desire Mu's watches; they now desired American watches.

After a close inspection of the American luxury goods, they moved on to the final section, which was filled with strange contraptions and devices that seemed alien to the Elysian viewers. Although they seemed alien, subsequent explanations shed light on the objects, revealing them as nothing more than scientific counterparts to devices common within the Holy Mirishial Empire.

The first analyzed object was a flashlight, which was logically explained by the ambassador. The device emitted light, but used batteries rather than magic gems. For the magically incapable, this device represented a remarkable improvement from torches.

The next object was a fan, followed by an air conditioning unit. Much like their Elysian counterparts, these devices provided cooling services, although some were puzzled as to why the air conditioning unit had an exhaust. Could this be a sign that the Americans weren't as technologically advanced as many had claimed? Some were inclined to believe this, considering that even the Parpaldians had air cooling devices that emitted no heat.

Many of the devices weren't that surprising, with colored television and radio being demonstrated. However, the true enigma arrived as they viewed the more advanced electronics. The phone was quickly displayed as a device capable of contacting others from a long distance, not unlike a manacomm. Unlike a manacomm though, these 'phones' were also capable of advanced calculations via an integrated 'calculator' program, capturing images and video, and other functions.