Summoning America

Chapter 48: Moving Forward

Runepolis, Holy Mirishial Empire

Pleasant sunlight shone through the tinted glass windows of the main altar of Albion Castle, bathing the entire room in an ethereal golden glow. This design aspect allowed for an atmosphere where it truly seemed as if the gods themselves had descended to bless this room. Kneeling in the center with his eyes closed and hands holding magic gems, Emperor Mirishial remained still, silently uttering prayers to the gods.

In the midst of his prayers, his ears twitched imperceptibly, leading him to finish his thoughts. As he spoke the final few phrases to his prayer, the magic gems died out. Their glow diminished as they began to fade away, dissolving into an ethereal mist. Mirishial then opened his eyes and without turning, commanded, "You may speak now."

"Your Excellency," the man behind him spoke with a barely noticeable shakiness in his voice, "I've just received word from the delegation we sent to the dragonfolk in Eimor. They've made use of the magic gems we gave them, and their seers," he said, pausing to regain his composure, "have determined that..." He gulped. "The Ancient Sorcerous Empire will be returning in less than two decades."

Silence befell the room as Emperor Mirishial swallowed the information. He stood up, asking, "Do we have a more accurate timeframe, Liage?"

Liage nodded his head, but soon realized that Emperor Mirishial couldn't see him, as his back was still turned. "To a small extent, Your Excellency. Their best estimates place the return of the light-winged bastards around fifteen years from now. They anticipate an error bound of three years."

Mirishial sighed. He finally turned around. "So, the time has finally come upon us... Do we have any word from Siwalf or Phiam?"

"Yes," Liage bowed as his emperor's gaze graced his presence. "Minister Siwalf's delegation disembarked from the Galatine in favor of a quick return from Otaheit International Airport. They are waiting for us in the Foreign Affairs' main conference room. Minister Phiam's delegation left the United States yesterday, but had to resupply in Altaras for more fuel. They should be arriving in several hours."

"I see. Have Minister Siwalf prepare his discoveries and reports while we wait for Minister Phiam to return. Summon Ministers Pao and Brinston; I think they may find these reports... informative." Emperor Mirishial walked past Liage. "In the meantime, I have an urgent meeting to attend to."

——

Castle Albion, Imperial Office

Standing alone outside the door, Emperor Mirishial placed his hand on the cold, metal handles. He hesitated, finally letting some of his emotions leak out into the world after bottling them up for so long. He sighed heavily, and allowed no more of his feelings to manifest as he quickly steeled himself and entered as if nothing had happened.

Inside, two men awaited him. In a rare moment of transparency, they both had their white masks removed, revealing their identities. One of them, a brash, middle-aged human by the name of Hirkane Parpe, represented one of the most important figures in the entire Holy Mirishial Empire. As the director of the Mirishial Ancient Arms Department, he exercised control over ancient weapons left behind by the Ravernal Empire.

An aging elf sat across from him, his appearance very much resembling that of a professor at a university. Serving as the director of the Mirishial Preparations Department, Birkburn led the Holy Mirishial Empire's defensive operations with regards to the Ravernal Empire. He managed budget constraints and allocated resources in order to prepare for the inevitable return of Elysia's conquerors — duties that have grown increasingly important as of late.

"Your Excellency," they simultaneously got up from their seats and saluted Emperor Mirishial.

"Let us get started with this meeting," Mirishial said, his urgent action reflecting the magnitude of the imminent threat. "Our envoys to Eimor have discovered that the Ravernal Empire is returning in around fifteen years. Due to this, I will be opening up our treasury to expedite our preparations. Birkburn, coordinate with the Ministries of National Defense and Military Affairs. Prioritize research and the construction of our new weapons: the Orichalcum Class, the Alpha-4, and so on. Hirkane, this may be the time where we can start to forego secrecy in favor of faster results."