Armed Enlightenment Book 1 (Practice Story [My other stories are better])

Esthirant Palace Raid

It was the next morning after the catastrophic bombing raid of the Papaldia Empire capital of Esthirant. The black billowing smoke on the remains of the Capital Defense Base continued to rise.

An emergency meeting was held involving all of the country's top management officials that will determine the fate of the empire as a whole.

The people participating included:
•    Emperor Ludius
•    Remille, a member of the imperial family
•    Supreme Commander Arde
•    1st Foreign Affairs Department Head Elto
•    2nd Foreign Affairs Department Head Rius
•    3rd Foreign Affairs Department Head Kyeos
•    Governing Board Director Baars
•    Financial Department Head Mooly
•    Aides for each department were also present

Before the meeting began, a document containing all information discovered about Japan until now was distributed. All of the officials scanned the material, which had been put together by the 3rd foreign affairs department.

The information, arranged in chronological order, was summarized from their first contact with the Principality of Kua Toine in Rodenius, claiming to be from another world.

In the same year of April, the Kingdom of Rowlia invaded the Principality of Kua Toine, igniting a war between the two countries. Japan joined the war as an ally of Kua Toine. In the Great Naval Battle of Rodenius, the Rowlian navy lost over 1,500 ships and suffered catastrophic damage to their wyvern fleet. In a land battle west of the castle town of Ejey in Kua Toine, Rowlia's vast ground forces were completely annihilated through unknown means and the kingdom fell the following days with their king arrested.

The empire sent the imperial oversight army's eastern fleet to punish the Kingdom of Fenn, but its wyvern lords were shot down and ships-of-the-lines except for one, were destroyed out on sea. This was the empire's first clash with and the appearance of the Terrans who were at first thought to be Japan.

After successfully putting the Kingdom of Altarus under Papaldian rule, the imperial army was forming yet another invasion force. At the same time, 200 allied citizens in Altarus were captured and executed by order of Remille, the acting 1st Foreign Affairs Department Head with further orders to hunt down anyone in hiding. Enraged by this action and to take responsibility, the Japanese declared war unbeknownst to them and with the Terran military, attacked the imperial naval forces headed for Fenn and destroyed them. A few days later, a preemptive night attack was conducted hours before liberating Altarus in the following two days with the help of resistance movements.

What followed next was the bombing of the capital, destruction of their navy, and war industry.

"First, I will summarize the military's current status." Supreme Commander Arde stood up to speak.

"Our main naval forces have been decimated. Only twelve dragon carriers survived from our main forces, for a total of fifty first-class ships. In the oversight army, there are twenty-two ships in the eastern fleet and thirteen ships in the western fleet. Overall, our combined navy consists of eighty-five ships in total. Compared to before we fought Japan, we have lost over ninety percent of our navy, a staggering reduction."

Sweat trickled down Arde's forehead. Even with their remaining naval forces, they were still far more powerful than any other nearby country in the Third Civilization. But, considering how quickly Japan and the Terrans obliterated their main naval force, they could only perceive it as a pathetically small and insufficient force.

"I'll move on to our ground forces. One of the imperial military's large bases has been destroyed, the Imperial Capital Defense base. They attacked us from the sky with explosive projectiles on a scale so large that we would never have imagined was possible had it not actually occurred. In the event that future bases are constructed, we have learned to consider the downsides of concentrating too many assets in one location, but it seems unlikely that this lesson will bear any fruit before the next battle. Because the capital's defenses and strategic infrastructure have been weakened to such an extent, we will be withdrawing our troops from all territories and reassigning them to the capital's defense. The capital is of the utmost importance, so I have already issued an emergency withdrawal order using my authority as Supreme Commander. However, be aware that even with these troops, it is impossible to replenish the Imperial Capital Defense force to the level it was at prior to the attack."