Summoning America

Chapter 93: Insight

Ragna, Gra Valkas Empire
Gra Valkas Bureau of Information

Naguano scratched his head as he reviewed the most recent after action report from the Battle of Groun Sea. The strange interference phenomenon had struck again, rendering Gra Valkan radar and radios useless. And again the opposing force was equipped with weapons far beyond their technological level. At first, he and other researchers analyzing the battle chalked it up to a very coincidental magnetic storm or solar flare, but for the same phenomena to happen again, during a major battle no less? There was only one possible explanation: the Americans were involved.

He looked up from his desk, seeing his colleagues sifting through the same documents he had in his hand. None seemed to bear any expression other than boredom. He stood up from his seat, ready to ask one of them, but decided against it and instead went directly to his boss with the findings. He navigated around the floor until he arrived at his boss' office, then knocked on the door three times.

"Come in."

With a soft creak, Naguano opened the door. "Mister Heimdall?"

His boss' aged scholarly face lit up, "Ah, Naguano! What do you have for me, lad?"

"Sir, I think the Americans are interfering with our conflicts in the Sonal Kingdom and the Nigrat Union."

"Why, that's a bit tangential to your task, is it not?" Heimdall pointed out.

"Sir, I do believe it is related." He offered a report to Heimdall, who began looking through it. "My analysis of the enemy's weapons suggests that they have purchased technology from the United States."

"Oh? That's quite a bold accusation there, lad. Do you have evidence?"

Naguano shrugged, "Well, not directly, sir – not unless we've captured any guns from the Sonalians or the Nigrati."

"We haven't, not to my knowledge," Heimdall confirmed.

With a nod, Naguano continued, "Descriptions of the weapons that the Sonalians are purported to be using match the descriptions of American light arms. I've listed the specifications of the weapon used by the Sonalians here, and compared it with the specifications of the M2 Browning here. The rate of fire, along with recovered bullets, really point to the two weapons being one and the same. Plus, it would explain the sudden appearance of technologically advanced weaponry in the hands of nations that are equipped with muskets and flintlocks at best."

"Well then, I think you're onto something! Looks like we're going to have to fight these natives as we would an equal, eh?"

"That would probably be the consensus, yes, sir." The heavy grip on Naguano loosened. With this news finally realized by the higher-ups in the military, he hoped that the lives of his countrymen wouldn't be haphazardly thrown away.

Heimdall nodded slowly, appalled by the implications of such weapon sales. "Still, that means we've got a bigger issue on our hands. Why are the Americans selling weapons to these natives? Do they want to test new tactics, or do they just want to slow us down?"

"Sir, I don't think they're testing anything. From what I can gather, these weapons are outdated by American standards. The Browning is decades old."

The outlook for the Gra Valkas Empire's plan for expansion grew ever dimmer, paralleled by the grim look on Heimdall's face. "A proxy war," he sighed. "The Three Great Generals and the Emperor are not going to like this... Do we know what items the Americans have sold to their puppets?"

"So far, they've sold machine guns, rifles, other basic firearms, anti-tank guns, explosive charges similar to dynamite, and naval mines."

Heimdall scribbled a note on a spare piece of paper. "Okay. Can you write up a report on these items?"