Summoning America

Chapter 74: Founder's Prophecy

March 11, 1640
Kals District, Kingdom of Esperanto

Having been invited to see her father, Saffine ogled at the passing views from within one of the Emissaries' machines. The ride was, unlike those experienced with horse-drawn carriages, relatively smooth. Despite that, she took advantage of whatever bumps the vehicle encountered and pushed herself against the charming young man she sat beside — an 'American' who identified himself as Captain Isaac Baker.

Spurred by a burst of confidence, she eventually leaned on him, asking him questions about himself and the Americans. He claimed to be the captain of one of the Emissaries' units, telling tales of vanquishing demons in Topa, helping conduct the complete annihilation of the Demon Lord himself, and fighting off a corrupted mage on a faraway island. The more he spoke, the more parallels she drew with the Founder's Prophecy.

Dating back to the establishment of the kingdom, the prophecy originated from the first king, who expended his body's vast mana pool in his deathbed. He was purported to have outlined the entire kingdom's future in seven chapters, six of which had already occurred in perfect detail. Only the seventh, titled 'Salvation', was yet to occur.

The final chapter detailed the return of the Emissaries, among which stood a valiant leader — a captain of a unit that defends the kingdom against apocalyptic demon hordes and a titanic dragon known to legend as Aji Dhaka. This captain would then go on to cast an ancient bombardment spell to obliterate the dragon with one fell swoop. With the threats vanquished, the first king prophesied the kingdom to enter a new era of prosperity. Meanwhile, the captain himself would return to his homeland, bringing home a maiden. Although not much was said about the captain's features, Saffine had absolute certainty that Captain Baker was the fabled captain, and she was the maiden.

Saffine's obvious swooning became a significant topic of tease for Captain Baker, who felt consistent jabs from Nakamoto, who was seated to his right. Without uttering a single word, he could sense Nakamoto's giddiness, and felt as if he could read his mind. He maintained a straight face as he talked to Saffine, using every ounce of his marine training to fight the alluring beauty of the blonde, blue-eyed elf.

Thankfully, a sudden jolt saved him from testing the limits of his mental and emotional resolve. He instinctively reached to his left to prevent Saffine from smashing into the driver's seat from the unexpected deceleration, causing her to blush heavily.

"We're at the town hall, sir," the driver called out.

"Alright," Baker said. He exited the vehicle and in a gentlemanly fashion, opened Saffine's door. Together with Meyer, Moah, Esperanto, Mortes, and Justide, they headed for the town hall.

Inside, several figures stood over a large petri dish filled with bluish blood and what appeared to be a shattered necklace. Seeing King Esperanto enter the main conference hall, everyone stopped what they were doing and bowed.

"As you were," Esperanto announced. "Captain Mortes, please inform them of our intentions."

"At once, Your Highness!" Mortes faced the council members and Doctor Balthus. "We come to Kals escorting the Emissaries of the Star God, who are here to aid in the defense of the district. Councilmembers, please follow Knight Justide here to discuss logistics and allow for the seamless transport of the Emissaries' equipment to the gate."

As they left, Doctor Balthus noticed his daughter and embraced her. "Saffine, darling, what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you, Father!" She replied happily. "That, and the Emissaries wish to talk to you about your studies."

Doctor Balthus bowed toward the Americans with reverence, asking, "What is it you wish to know?"

Captain Baker stepped forward, "We heard about your research, Doctor. If there's anything useful you can tell us about what we're up against, I'd gladly appreciate it, and so would Captain Mortes and his men."