Note: This work is entirely fictional and belongs to the Alternate History genre, utilizing historical characters and events in a fictional context. All content is a product of imagination and does not reflect reality or any political or military stance.

The story contains sensitive elements such as violence, large-scale warfare, tense political conflicts, and alternative historical depictions. It is not suitable for readers under 16 years of age or those who may be psychologically affected.
Continuing to read implies acceptance of all controversial elements within the work.

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Velsai Palace.

The news of the Russian army's successful landing and their continuous expansion of control had forced the entire Papaldian machinery to operate at full capacity for the first time in a long while. This created immense pressure on the staff, who were accustomed to handling only light and routine tasks.

The empire's delayed response in coordinating troops to the battlefield was largely due to the fact that most of its forces were concentrated elsewhere, leaving many areas thinly defended. This situation had essentially put the empire at a disadvantage in terms of public relations. Somehow, prominent news channels from other civilized regions had learned about what was happening here and were continuously reporting on the battlefield. There were even rumors that war correspondents would soon arrive to conduct individual interviews.

Phillip read through the reports, feeling as though he could vomit blood. Simply put, they all highlighted the disadvantages of the empire's military tactics against the enemy. The information provided evidence that no matter what strategies were employed, they were futile against the enemy. The Russians frequently used aircraft on the frontlines, combined with armored vehicles like the Mu cars—it seemed everything the Russians had originated from Mu but had been modified for warfare.

A description of the enemy's appearance was recorded via manacord through manacom by a soldier before losing contact. The content was as follows:

"That thing appeared in the distance, like a giant iron monster, roaring with deep, muffled sounds as if the earth was trembling beneath its feet. I don't know how it moved—its massive armored wheels crushed the ground and rocks, leaving deep tracks that nothing could conceal. On its body, a long metal tube, like a dragon's tail, slowly turned toward us, cold and menacing.

When it fired, it felt as though a bolt of lightning had struck the ground—the blinding light and deafening explosion left me dazed, and the ground beneath my feet shook violently. This kind of power... it couldn't possibly be something created by humans! The magical spears of our mages only sparked weakly against its thick iron shell, as if they were mere needles.

I don't know what to call it—a creature? A enchanted vehicle? Or a weapon of the gods? All I know is that its presence was enough to make our entire army tremble, for there was nothing we could do to stop it."

This information established a national-level threat, as such a weapon was being wielded by what they considered barbarians, escalating the severity of the situation. Phillip continued to read through the reports—they were all equally bad, with no significant improvement in sight. Many counterattacks had been launched, but they were only small-scale, while larger forces remained in the capital, unable to depart for various reasons—primarily logistical issues.

Adding to the headache were the adventurers—hired by Louis but causing some trouble for the military, who now had to manage them while planning the next steps. The incidents caused by the adventurers were diverse, ranging from disturbances to outright brawls between groups. Such incidents had significantly tarnished the military's image.

Phillip was furious with Louis' decision in this matter—his respect for Louis had plummeted because of this unnecessary complication, though it wasn't entirely without merit. The adventurers, when considered in terms of combat, did have some advantages in complex terrains and high mobility. Phillip skimmed through other related reports—one in particular caught his attention—a report on two D-rank adventurer groups, Voro-12 and Rys-21.

He looked into the information and activities of these two groups to see why they warranted a separate report. These groups hadn't been around for long and weren't high-ranking, but they were known for being willing to take on any task as long as the pay was fair. Because of this, they had been enlisted by regional commanders to manage other adventurer groups.

And it had been surprisingly effective. The violence and assertiveness of these two groups had intimidated many others, preventing further disturbances. There was also a mention that these individuals had used Mu's weapons—helping security groups in the capital maintain some level of control and preventing a rapid decline in security. As a result, many officers wanted these individuals to directly participate in battles on various fronts, but Phillip had a different thought—a precautionary one for the worst-case scenarios.

He immediately used manacom to contact the security commander—to summon these individuals.

"Security Commander of Wick District? Quickly, call these people here for me..."

...

Outside the palace.

It had been a short while since the war began, and the activities of both sides were noticeably slow by theoretical standards—in reality, it should have been faster than they anticipated, as the nation's strength would not allow a prolonged war with such an opponent.

The media usually preferred to report on a swift, one-sided war to maximize viewership. But this could also be the nation's strategy in the eyes of the international community to achieve a favorable effect—the most beneficial effect being the defeat of a superpower to gain prestige and establish dominance here. Once achieved, the obstacles to external economic development would no longer be as challenging.

And if the prediction followed this direction, the nation would likely prolong the war to achieve its goals—both as a way to build reputation, soft power, and to consolidate hard power on a broader scale. This also partly explained the military's sluggishness, and if so, a naval battle would soon take place, as it was the most effective way to demonstrate strength without directly deploying troops while still inflicting significant damage on the enemy.

These analyses were running through Vorosimorsk's mind as his group and Kavkaz's moved inside Velsai Palace—their purpose was to meet the emperor. Though he had somewhat guessed the purpose, for safety, he had instructed everyone to remove the national flags from their uniforms. After all, the military would display many national symbols, so any association would put them at a disadvantage.

"Captain, you're too quiet. Stop overthinking and just feel the grandeur of this place," Kamarov said, walking backward to talk to Vorosimorsk. He looked at the pensive captain, a bit puzzled but not too concerned because "old people are like that."

"Ah, just some predictions," Vorosimorsk said, "you don't need to worry."

"We're going to meet the emperor, and I'm not comfortable with that at all," Kamarov said, disliking the attention this brought. But every situation had to be anticipated, and this was no exception, though it was the least acceptable scenario.

"Kamarov, we're entering a place that requires decorum. Be serious," Petrov frowned.

"Alright, no need to remind me. I know what I'm doing," he said, glancing at their guide. The man was very composed but couldn't hide his unease. It was an unnatural reaction—due to what they had done in the past few days—it was very attention-grabbing.

"I wonder what we'll have to do," Kamarov added.

"Who knows, but whatever it is, we should be mentally prepared," Rompev said.

The others joined the conversation. First was Kavkaz.

"The Papaldian Emperor—a ruler of a vast territory, how will he handle the war?"

"There are many possibilities, but there's little evidence to suggest this emperor is incompetent—the war is progressing quite steadily, even if the advantage is leaning toward us," Aleksandr said. "But defeating an unstable nation like this doesn't bring as much benefit as we thought, does it?"

"No, not necessarily," Vorosimorsk said. "Knowing that a nation like this, after losing a war, would lead to a complete collapse. But whatever happens, we'll still have to see how the government chooses to handle this nation."

The two groups continued talking—their hushed tones made it difficult for the guide to hear their conversation; though he couldn't hear anything, he guessed they were discussing the emperor—the one who had summoned them, so such a reaction was natural.

After being led to a room with two guards outside, the guide knocked and opened the door, ushering the Russians in. Inside were several government officials, and the emperor himself was seated at the center of attention. Upon seeing the Spetsnaz group, Emperor Phillip stood up with a welcoming demeanor, inviting them to sit.

On the pre-arranged chairs, the room was lavishly decorated, with hand-painted murals and light from crystal chandeliers reflecting off the walls, creating a radiant space. However, the atmosphere in the room was far from comfortable, with tension and wariness evident on the faces of the imperial officials.

Vorosimorsk and his team entered with calm confidence, but their sharp eyes scanned the room, assessing the situation. Phillip, still smiling, raised his hand and began speaking, his tone cautious but with a hint of encouragement:

"Welcome, guests from afar. I am Phillip, Emperor of Papaldia. I believe you've already heard the reason for our meeting today."

Vorosimorsk, chosen as the representative, stepped forward, responding in a composed yet sharp tone:

"Your Majesty, I've heard, and we'll see what your side can offer us. Our actions, attire, and equipment have surely caught the attention of everyone in this room, haven't they?"

The atmosphere in the room tensed as the response was given. Phillip, after a brief silence, got straight to the point:

"As you know, the current situation of our empire is not in a good state. The Russian army—those who dare to defy the empire—are attacking, and since we haven't been able to move troops to the main front, we're forced to bring the army back here and then launch a major counterattack."

"I don't think you should beat around the bush like that. We prefer straightforwardness," Petrov interrupted.

Another person in the room, angered by Petrov's attitude, stood up and shouted:

"You D-rank adventurers dare to speak on equal terms with the Emperor? Let me show you your place..."

"Enough," the Emperor barked, stopping the officer's words as he noticed the adventurers tightening their grip on their weapons—especially the B-rank mage girl.

"Ah, before we discuss the main matter, I have a question," the Minister of Defense asked, his face thoughtful as he observed their attire. The outfits, though slightly different in some aspects, were overall of the same type. "Your attire, it seems quite similar to that of the Russians, doesn't it?"

Hearing Louis' words, the others in the room also paid closer attention to their clothing. It did bear a striking resemblance to the enemy's military uniforms, creating a sense of suspicion throughout the room.

Recognizing the suspicion, Vorosimorsk quickly defused the situation before it escalated. "That's because we're from Mu—wealthy families who once served in the high-ranking military."

"Does Mu really have such attire?" Louis pressed further.

"Of course, it's a secret, but it's being developed for this new type of weapon."

The people in the room gasped as they looked at the weapons, which were completely different from what they knew of Mu. If they could acquire such weapons, it would significantly boost the empire's strength—potentially turning the tide of the war in their favor. Vorosimorsk guessed their next move and immediately shut it down.

"But if you're thinking of asking the Mu government or stealing these from us, let me make it clear: These weapons are top-secret in Mu, and we went through great lengths to obtain them and had to leave the country and region. So, don't even think about messing with us, or you'll become a beehive."

Vorosimorsk's words heightened the tension in the room, as the people there interpreted his tone as defiant and uncooperative. Such behavior was unacceptable in an environment that demanded loyalty like Papaldia. However, Phillip had a different perspective.

Since the people before him were adventurers but had also served in Mu's military, they likely had experience dealing with similar enemies. The words of the apparent leader suggested that Mu was aiding Russia. If true, Mu—after years of economic competition—had decided to shift to military proxy warfare. This was an unfavorable scenario for Papaldia, as Mu would suffer little to no losses while testing new weapons and weakening the empire.

It was a good plan, but it didn't mean Papaldia would be defeated, so assassinations from this barbaric nation were a plausible scenario alongside the war's developments. A group of adventurers willing to work for money and familiar with the enemy would be a good choice in the current situation. With these thoughts, Phillip decided to hire these individuals to protect him.

He stood up and addressed the adventurers. "Now then, I understand. Would you like to become my personal guards? I'll ensure you have a good life here."

Vorosimorsk looked thoughtful. It was a good idea. Having the enemy close without their knowledge was highly advantageous and could prove useful in the future. He hardened his tone, looking seriously at the Emperor, and said, "We'll consider it."