Note: This work is entirely fictional and belongs to the Alternate History genre, using 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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The march of the Russian army continued until they reached a town. Stopping in this town was not part of the plan, but it remained to be seen how the residents would react. Rompev was on a tank with his team, looking at a sign with the town's name. Perhaps that was the name of the town. The sign read "Sparksville." "Maybe that's the name of the town."

At this moment, the entire armored convoy had arrived at Sparksville. From above, Rompev could see the Renaissance-style houses. However, most of them were wooden with plaster. He looked in and thought he was in some impoverished rural area.

Colonel Vorosimorsk turned to remind everyone: "Alright, team, we have some work to do here. First, we will go in and gather as much information as possible. I won't repeat where to do that."

Everyone nodded. As the armored convoy stopped outside the town, the Russian soldiers received strange looks from the residents inside. They were all wondering what was happening, leading to their speculations.

"Who are they?"

"What kind of uniforms are those?"

"And those flags. Are they robbers?"

From here, he could also hear those words. He stepped down with his teammates. The convoy had only stopped in front of the town, so he thought it wouldn't cause any chaos. The Colonel moved towards a man he recognized as the commander of the brigade.

Vorosimorsk approached, raised his badge, and said, "Colonel Vorosimorsk. GRU Spetsnaz team leader here to carry out a designated mission."

"Lieutenant Ivanov. Commander of the 7th Armored Brigade. How can I help?" Lieutenant Ivanov asked, somewhat surprised by the presence of a Spetsnaz team, especially from the Military Intelligence Directorate.

"We will go in to gather information. While we are inside, you should refrain from entering the town. The reason should be clear to you. Permission granted."

"I understand. You may proceed." Lieutenant Ivanov nodded, agreeing with Vorosimorsk, then turned to speak with the others.

Back with the team, Rompev was fully equipped with his VSS, and upon seeing his team leader return, he announced, "Alright, let's prepare to go in, and remember our objective."

The whole team nodded in acknowledgment. But for now... The residents were still there. Although fewer in number, many were still curious and stood watching. After all, he, as a sergeant, had to focus on the mission.

The team entered, still receiving curious and anxious glances. He should pay attention to that. They walked along the dirt road; the houses here didn't have many notable features apart from the Renaissance architectural style of some buildings.

"Are we going there?" he asked someone next to him.

"Of course. You probably joined the team after the orders were given, right?" Rompev nodded. The teammate replied, "We need to create an identity here. Although we don't know if it will be useful."

That person laughed; even though the expression was hidden by the mask, he could sense the excitement of being here. A new experience; it was strange but also very interesting. Vorosimorsk led the way, turning back to remind them: "Don't say anything that draws attention."

"Understood," Rompev replied seriously.

"Understood." Meanwhile, the teammate next to him responded nonchalantly, showing no signs of taking it seriously.

After some time walking around with their absolute prominence, he felt quite pressured but was also very attentive to the residents here. How to put it? It was too unique, yet still familiar to the current youth. The residents here, besides humans, they also encountered... people with animal features and anthropomorphic animals? That was quite unique.

It felt like he was lost in some fairyland. The only downside was that they were holding automatic weapons that could attack them. His emotions were quite chaotic now. The others seemed very amused, while the team leader remained serious in every action.

They approached a place with a sign that read "Adventurers' Guild." His emotions were even more chaotic inside; it was still too hard to accept what was happening. "Alright, Rompev, you need to focus more. Try to maintain a stoic expression."

At first, he joined Spetsnaz without thinking he would face such strange things. At least his face remained serious despite the chaotic emotions since entering the town. Vorosimorsk looked at everyone and spoke: "Before we go in, I will distribute something to each of you. Just in case we encounter any trouble."

Then, Vorosimorsk took out four small bags from his backpack. "These are bags of gold coins; this is the common currency, so it will be easy for transactions. There are a total of 16 gold coins here, equivalent to over 300,000 RUB."

After saying that, each person took their bag. Rompev grabbed his bag; with such a large sum of money, they wouldn't have to worry for a while. But coming here, while their main mission was to assassinate King Rowlia, did seem a bit contradictory. This made him ask his team leader.

"Captain, what's the purpose of this?" The Colonel looked at Rompev with his question. He answered without hesitation: "We will have to operate in countries when our diplomatic staff arrives there. Both to gather information and to seize opportunities beneficial to us. In general, we will still receive supplies through national military groups and will not return until ordered."

"So basically, we are going on an adventure while gathering information about this world?"

"You catch on quickly," the teammate next to him replied.

"Alright, if you understand, then let's go inside." The team leader spoke, moving towards the door, with the others following behind.

Vorosimorsk pushed the door open and stepped inside. The first thing they encountered was equally strange looks, no less than outside. Rompev entered last and glanced around. All the people were in their twenties.

Along with some relatively special individuals. If judged by what the kids today like, it had to be said that it was outrageous. The team leader approached the reception desk. He knew what to say, so he didn't have to worry too much.

As for the receptionist, she was quite flustered by the four figures in front of her. What they wore was too strange compared to the other people coming in and out. The receptionist had to evaluate these individuals herself. From their appearance to their demeanor, they were very different from the others, creating a very special impression.

The receptionist observed the four men appearing from the entrance. They wore dark uniforms, looking very neat and serious. Their clothes looked different from the everyday attire she saw in this area, with black and gray details. These men said nothing, just stood there looking around, making it seem like they were evaluating every adventurer present.

Moreover, it seemed they were carrying some heavy and complex items, although the receptionist couldn't identify exactly what they were. Sometimes, the light reflecting off those items highlighted them, making them look even more unusual. They also carried some large equipment that the receptionist couldn't recognize, but everything seemed very important to them.

Overall, these four men created a strong impression of seriousness and discipline, unlike the ordinary people she usually encountered in the area. Their demeanor and actions made the receptionist feel a bit uneasy, and she couldn't shake the feeling that they were very dangerous, just based on their appearance. The chill ran down her spine as they began to walk towards her.

The first one to approach her had a quite muscular build and was the tallest among them. He stepped up to the reception desk and said, "May I ask what the registration procedure is here?"

"What?" she replied, flustered. She didn't expect someone with such a strange appearance to speak like that. In a serious tone, he repeated, "I mean, we want to register as adventurers and inquire about the registration process."

"Oh, yes. I'll get the forms out first. You need to fill them out truthfully and then wait inside for the practical test." She nervously took out four forms and handed them to the person in front. He took them, and she continued, pointing to the door on her left: "Please go inside. After completing the form, submit it in the designated place."

Vorosimorsk was now briefly looking over the form, not paying much attention. He followed her instructions, signaling to the others, and then stepped inside. He thought it was just a bureaucratic procedure, so he didn't pay much attention to what was inside.

But once they entered through the door, he was taken aback by what was happening. A group of young people from different races was struggling with their forms. Others also entered and saw the scene. Rompev was quite astonished by this setting. But they didn't pay much attention to them, as everyone here was dressed strangely, so he didn't mind.

"Alright, you all fill it out. It's not difficult. Just a formality. If there's anything hard to say, discuss it among yourselves... Go to that empty table over there."

Vorosimorsk handed the forms to each person, and they walked over and sat at a round table. They began writing what the form required. First was Rompev. He started filling it out. The first thing was his name; he wrote his name as Rompev Yuryevich Destra, 31 years old. The latter part was about skills. It was quite confusing, but basically, it was about marking his skills on a scale from poor - average - good - very good - excellent. First was archery. "I wonder if a sniper can be considered... But never mind, it's still shooting, and since I'm classified as a sniper, it surely won't be lower than good," he thought as he checked that box.

Next was close combat. He suddenly remembered the days of sparring with other GRU Spetsnaz members. It was indeed a torture, but he rarely won even though he had quite good physical strength compared to others. Alright, close combat skill, average. Next was potion-making. No need to think much - poor. The remaining sections related to educational background, such as the ability to understand difficult vocabulary, where he studied, work experience. At the end, there was a score from 1 to 100, used to summarize the above in a number.

It was quite amusing because when he looked around, they were still struggling to read the words, let alone their educational level. He quickly completed his form. The others also finished, each self-assessing as follows:

Vorosimorsk Vasilyevich Solomon: 95 points. Petrov Pavlovich Chekhov: 91 points. Kamarov Ilyich Korolyov: 86 points. Rompev Yuryevich Destra: 80 points.

"Wow, really? Everyone is that confident?" he said, gradually showing a rather awkward expression.

"Alright, kid, we're being honest, so keep that stoic face you had before. It suits a sniper like you," Kamarov said. He pulled down his face shield to reveal a smile. It was clear he wanted to show off, and Rompev didn't bother to say anything more. The answer was reflected in his eyes.

"Good, now where do we submit this?" the team leader spoke up. They suddenly realized they had forgotten to ask where to submit this. Rompev also understood why many people expressed condolences to him when assigned to this team. Aside from their highly rated combat skills, their adaptability was quite poor. Yet they were still formed into a Spetsnaz team.

Rompev looked around and saw another counter with a large sign that read "Submit Here." He pointed towards it and walked over. "Over there."

The others stood up and followed him. As they approached that counter, they received a remark: "You guys look suspicious. And that black stick too. Especially that guy, the back part is quite eye-catching."

"Alright, sir. We just want to submit this and don't want any trouble," Petrov said as he stepped in front of the person. That person didn't care and took their forms, glancing over them. He looked quite astonished at them. "Three names? Are you nobles or something to have three names? Don't tell me you..."

"Please don't jump to conclusions. Three names are part of our culture and have nothing to do with it. Just do your job," Vorosimorsk said, cutting off the person's next words. He looked at them with annoyance and then took out four cards, saying:

"I see you all are good at archery, but you don't have bows. Those things must be your weapons? Anyway, take these and go outside to do the practical test. There's one more round today, so do well."

"We know. Now take this and go to your respective tests." Vorosimorsk took the items and walked outside, specifically to the back of this place. They stepped outside and saw a training ground.

Rompev thought the Adventurers' Guild wasn't that bad. This place had a relatively strict system and process; while it couldn't be considered a good military training ground, overall, it was quite decent.

Kamarov looked around and said, "Alright, whoever is good at something should go to their test."

Petrov looked towards the archery area and pointed in that direction. "Over there, but don't act like we're good at anything else. It's not fun."

"I'm not joking," Kamarov said, putting his hands on his hips and tilting his head towards Petrov, showing he didn't care about that.

Vorosimorsk cleared his throat and said to them: "Come on, they are the elite soldiers of the nation, so show your abilities."

After saying that, Vorosimorsk and his teammates walked to the archery test area. Most of the participants here were humans, but there were still... From his perspective, they were exactly what the kids today liked. People with animal features, apparently they were called demi-humans.

As they approached the test area, they immediately received looks as if they were strange creatures. But if judged correctly, they could be considered aliens here. Whispers began to surround them.

"What weirdos are those?"

"I don't know. I can't recognize where those outfits come from."

"Don't those four look like the army in front of the town?" one person spoke up.

"Really? Then doesn't that make them quite suspicious?"

"I think so too. But those four look taller than the people outside, even though they do resemble them. But their demeanor is very different."

Those words kept echoing, and the team had no intention of responding or retaliating to those remarks and just stood waiting. It seemed the sound of those words would continue, but it didn't. Someone spoke up, causing everything to fall silent. Rompev looked towards the source of the voice and saw a man in his sixties, but still quite muscular.

"Good afternoon, newcomers. I know you all have been and are excited. But to do this job is not simple. We always have certain quality requirements, so everyone must ensure they have the capability." He looked around and caught sight of Rompev's group, glancing over and speaking.

"It seems we have some quite special individuals today. I am Edstarphil, the supervisor here, and please perform well in this test."

"So, his name is Edstarphil. He seems to be an experienced archer," he thought as he followed the others to the testing area. They arrived at a place with targets, and from what he observed, the distances were 18m - 30m - 45m - 70m, and the farthest was over 100m. This place indeed had high standards. But that wasn't the issue.

Since they arrived last, they would test last. And there were quite a few participants here, so they would have to wait a long time. As they just sat down, the first person stepped up with his bow. He shot at each target, hitting the 18m and 30m but failing at 45m. That could be considered a good performance as he shot quite well at the first two targets, both close to the bullseye.

But it was a pity that after that, the initial success turned into a failure. The next archers were all poor. No one stood out, and for them, this entire test was meaningless, and they just needed to complete this place to leave. But he was also very curious about the culture of this world.

Vorosimorsk next to him suddenly received a notification from outside that they were the same. Basically, they would camp overnight and have to leave early tomorrow because they didn't have time to stay here. That was to be expected, as they were in a war, and war spared no one.

He focused back on the competition, and now he noticed that there was someone next to Edstarphil, a girl with dog ears. It suited her innocent face, or perhaps the ears gave her that face. Anyway, she was reading the names of each person, so they would probably be up soon. And when he looked back, the next person just went up and failed at the 18m target.

"How pathetic," he said. Petrov, who was watching intently, looked at him upon hearing that. He knew he had just said something wrong, so he quickly apologized. "Um. Sorry."

"You don't even know what you're apologizing for, do you?" Hearing this from Petrov made him unsure of what to say next, as it was indeed true. He had nothing to say. Petrov then said, "You're showing arrogance, and that doesn't suit a Spetsnaz. Or should I say what a Spetsnaz should have?"

Hearing that made Rompev realize what he had done wrong and quickly spoke seriously about what he had been taught. "Yes, sir. A true Spetsnaz must have: Discipline, loyalty, teamwork, patience and resilience, calmness and self-control..." Rompev took a deep breath and continued.

"... Flexibility and adaptability, confidence and decisiveness, professionalism, a spirit of sacrifice, integrity. Those are what a Spetsnaz needs."

Petrov listened to those words with pride and praised him, but also added: "You're really serious, but it truly doesn't suit our team. You should learn to be more cheerful."

"Yes... Maybe." He lowered his head as it was quite disappointing, but it didn't matter much.

At this moment, they didn't know that they were being watched by the girl with dog ears, and her face was quite serious, showing interest in them. Edstarphil stepped beside her and asked, "How many people do we have left?"

"Six people. Among them are those four." Edstarphil looked at Rompev's group with a relatively impressive expression. They gave off a very professional vibe, as if they had been fighting for a long time. But demeanor alone wouldn't enhance their abilities, so he wanted to test their skills. "Call one of them, anyone will do."

"Alright, then... Kamarov Ilyich Korolyov, please step up and perform your test." She announced, causing Kamarov, who was sleeping, to hear and stand up quite tiredly before walking to the position.

Kamarov raised his AK-104 into a strange stance that caught the attention of the others. Edstarphil and the girl with dog ears were quite surprised by that stance. Quickly, the sounds of gunfire erupted, startling many people and drawing their attention. The echoes filled their testing area with the sound of the gun.

When the gunfire stopped, Kamarov looked at them and said, "I'm done, permission to leave."

When they looked at Kamarov, they saw he had returned to his spot with his companions. Edstarphil had to pay special attention to these individuals, so he signaled to call the next person. The girl understood and read the name, while he looked at the targets. They all hit the bullseye, and the farthest one was very close.

"Vorosimorsk Vasilyevich Solomon, next."

This time it was the largest man with the longest stick, which was black with an orange tip that looked like wood. He stepped up to the position and took a stance like the others.

Vorosimorsk didn't like this style. Because the PKM wasn't suitable for use as a precision weapon, but he would try his best to hit. Each shot rang out slowly but was still very loud compared to Kamarov's AK-104. After five shots, Vorosimorsk stopped, looked at them, and said, "Permission to leave."

Edstarphil continued to signal the girl to call the next person, and he looked at the shooting position. This time, they all hit the bullseye, indicating that the person was very experienced. The next person was also called up quickly.

"Petrov Pavlovich Chekhov. Please proceed."

Petrov, hearing his name, stood up, walked to the position, and didn't forget to turn back to Rompev and give a thumbs up, which Rompev reciprocated. Edstarphil and the girl noticed this and could tell the two seemed quite close.

Petrov quickly took his position with his AK-103 and shot at the targets without hesitation. The continuous sounds rang out and ended after exactly five shots. Petrov finished and quickly returned to his spot without saying anything more.

Edstarphil assessed this person as quite reserved and only expressed himself through his actions. He didn't pay much attention and remained focused on the targets. And just like before, they all hit the bullseye, only slightly off compared to the previous person. He continued to signal to see how this last person would perform.

"Rompev Yuryevich Destra. Step up."

With that call, he knew it was his turn. He quickly walked up to the position with his VSS. He calmly aimed at each target and fired. Edstarphil was extremely surprised by this individual. The weapon this person carried was completely different from the other three; it didn't make the loud noise like the others but was very subdued, like someone speaking softly. Five shots were done, and he bowed to the man and the girl. The girl cheerfully waved back.

After that, with the last two, this test was concluded, marking the official end of the day. He saw the group of four standing and talking to each other. Edstarphil turned to the girl and said, "We need to find out the background of these individuals. You come with me."

He was very suspicious of all four of them. What kind of weapons were those? They looked very mechanical, as if they came from Mu. And above all, how did they have them? With that question, he walked faster.

Meanwhile, in Rompev's group, each person was praising one another. "Well done, Captain! That damn machine gun of yours was quite accurate," Kamarov said.

"You too, even Rompev performed very well," Petrov chimed in, slinging an arm around Rompev.

Rompev chuckled and said, "You're the same, senior. Everyone is better than me."

"Alright, rookie. Let's find somewhere to wait; I've heard we have to wait a long time," Vorosimorsk said, looking for a place to sit. Suddenly, a voice called out to stop them.

"Hey, I want to ask you guys something."

This made the whole team turn around. Vorosimorsk calmly said, "What is it, sir?"

Edstarphil looked at them and spoke: "Follow me, and we will talk in my office."

...

They were led into a room that seemed to be a place for him to work and relax. It wasn't too remarkable; it was a classic office. Edstarphil invited them to sit on a nearby long bench.

Once everyone was seated, he greeted them: "As you all know, my name is Edstarphil. But for ease of conversation, please call me Willberg."

Vorosimorsk pulled down his face shield with a cold expression, looking directly at him. The others gradually adopted similar looks. Just when it seemed things would escalate, Vorosimorsk spoke up with a question: "You must be wondering about our weapons?"

"You know but still followed me?" His eyebrows lowered, indicating he would only ask about it, so he didn't hide anything, as it wasn't worth hiding.

"Do you know Mu?"

"Of course," Edstarphil replied.

"Our weapons were ordered from Mu. Their prices don't just stop at 'expensive.'"

Edstarphil looked at Vorosimorsk's face, which showed no change, as if he had anticipated this and prepared for this situation. Mu was always famous for its differences. Instead of focusing on magic, Mu showed that science was the truth. But this was still quite hard to accept in many places where magic was the focal point.

But with what had been demonstrated, it was indeed no joke. But with those outfits... Still, Vorosimorsk was the one to speak first. "As for the outfits, please don't misunderstand. As mentioned, we ordered them from Mu. Isn't our name indicative of that? And those outside the town don't take orders from us. But if someone dressed like us were to be attacked, then nothing would happen, right?"

That was true; they all had three names. If they weren't nobles, it wouldn't be natural; perhaps they were nobles from Mu. Engaging with people like this would bring no benefit, so he wouldn't be foolish. Therefore, he decided to switch to a more amiable tone. "I see. Then let's consider it a misunderstanding. What can we do to make amends?"

"We need you to complete the procedures for us to become adventurers. Quickly, please." Petrov spoke up. Their time only lasted until tomorrow morning, so they couldn't waste time.

"We will do it quickly. Tonight, we will finish it, so please wait until then." Edstarphil said with a smile.

"Thank you. To avoid further tension, we will take our leave."

The whole team stood up and left the room. The girl with dog ears walked in and asked, "Is there a problem?"

"No. But they seem more elite than a group of newcomers. They might have retired if judged by their speech and demeanor."

"With those outfits, they must have done a lot of dirty work, right?"

"Maybe. But for now, let's avoid conflict with them."