18 City of Lights

-- Late Autumn of 1454 --

A blue coach with its wheels touching the ground, strikingly entered into one of the bustling and thriving city in the Kingdom of Summerwyn.

The Duchess had narrowly escaped the inspection in the city gates, but she nonetheless continued to go to the city because she wants to eat.

As the blue coach enters inside the city gates, the duchess gazed in the surroundings. Only to see the major changes in the city.

It was early morning and the sun had just risen, but there are strange-looking newly-erected structures that seems to functioned as light in the streets.

The street light's covered one or three boulevards in the city, the street light's we're primarily in french-neoclassical style.

It was given as a present by the Queen of the United Kingdom to the city.

upon seeing the city lights earlier, she began to wonder how did he city achieved such a thing and wanted to see more places in the city if it developed from more than she thought.

'The lights earlier we're amazing, I think I'm getting enthusiastic and i'll want to see more in the city, i hope this does not disappoint me' she thought to herself,

After driving in the boulevards of the outer city, she decided to enter the more inner parts of the city. She ordered her coachman to drive randomly in the city.

Upon entering the City's mains square, she could see a flag that she didn't seen before. A huge flag with red, white and blue as colors of the flag are hanging in the ceremony. A ceremony is being celebrated, the "1st State Visit of Her Highness, Queen Anne of the United Kingdom"

-- Mayor's Palace, City of Lincliff --

Just as the same time the Duchess had been touring the city in secrecy, a conference is being held in the Mayor's Palace. It comprises with the presence of British visitors and the City's local officials.

In the room, the 5 important officials from the City of Lincliff are sitting in the right side. While the British side, are 5 important people too.

Meanwhile, the Lincliff officials are still waiting for the arrival of the British visitors in the conference.

In the room, is a slogan saying "Long Live the British-Summerwyn Treaty of Friendship!". The main reason of this conference was, a small group of British investors are beginning to seek places to invest in the city. This is of course, to the delight of the city will hugely accept it with open arms.

And after a moment, the long time of waiting is finally over. The Palace servants had informed the officials that the British visitors had arrived in the entrance.

The doors of the conference hall and finally opened, the door revealed the presence of the Queen and her bodyguards. With also businessmen who wants to trade with the City of Summerwyn.

Queen Anne exchanged greetings with everyone in the room and proceeded to sit in her seat. The British sat in their chairs. The British side was comprised with Her Majesty, and 4 major corporations from the United Kingdom.

On the Lincliff side is the Mayor and Vice mayor 2 military officials and the City Secretary. The City Secretary stood up and began to host the 1st British-Summerwyn Trade Conference.

"All Right, Ladies and Gentlemen. We are all thankful for the visitors and participants who attended this conference. We are finally opening the first-ever British-Summerwyn Trade Conference! Please may all of the participants enjoy and relax in this event." The Secretary remarked,

"Ok so, as part of the Treaty of London on the year of Sergian Calendar 1543, and the year of our Lord, Gregorian Calendar 2019. The Kingdom of Summerwyn had granted a royal charter on British companies and allowed all British businesses and corporations to establish business in the Kingdom for the mutual benefit of both. The Kingdom also granted the British also several other concessions but not territorial, except for the military bases leased in the Kingdom so that the British military can extend its operations in the continent. And, as everyone knows in this room. The Kingdom of Summerwyn has been attacked by the Continent's foremost military power. The Empire as we speak had captured the Fortress of Reńaiss south of Gardenia and is currently besieging Sienna since the last season"

The British investors we're shocked and rethink their decisions onto investing in Lincliff.

'would the British Military be able to stop them?' the investors thought to themselves and critically rethink their financial decisions.

"But, the Kingdom of Summerwyn's Royal Army, had been able to halt their advance for a season and it is currently fighting until the last man in Sienna with the British alongside them," the Secretary added,

"But if Sienna falls how won't Lincliff be next?" said one investor,

"I doubt that the country will be able to last, but if it did fall; Lincliff would be the Kingdom's last stronghold" a General from the Kingdom of Summerwyn replied,

"So... won't that waste our money right? Lincliff has been rapidly modernizing through British help. But if we would just fall to the Empire. I might just retake my investments there rather than falling into Imperial Hands" one investor replied,

The room became silent after that, the officials had thought that the investors only wanted profit but they also would like to see the finest products from the United Kingdom to arrive in their shelves.

The introduction of the British of modern goods from Earth had proven to be popular to the inhabitants of this world. Basic commodities like food became the first products to be exported by the United Kingdom. Specifically, food chains and convenience stores began to pop up in small numbers in the city.

But, the temporary lost of source of oil had been the reason for restriction and limited expansion of British stores into the continent, as there would be no source of electricity if they would build a business establishment in the continent.

But recently, huge reserves of coal we're found in the Mountain ranges of Gardenia. The British had sent an expedition earlier to the site where they thought there would be a lot of oil reserves, but the "Black Water" the locals claimed not just revealed a huge source of oil, but also a lot of precious metals we're uncovered in the mountain ranges. The British would began to take huge interest in the region and would do everything to take that precious material called coal.

Coal had fueled the power of the United Kingdom ever since the days of the Empire. The British Empire was not just fueled by its massive territories stretching from the cold ranges of Canada to the rivers of Bengal until the hot wilderness of Australia. But is also famed for the birth of a modern industrialized country. Britain had paved the previous world the way of Industrial progress. The Industrial Revolution that the United Kingdom contributed to Humanity, had been an influential event on the previous world and shaped the next age of humanity's advancement.

Capitalism and Communism both had been the offsprings of the Industrial Revolution, though its initial ideas can be traced for ages. They began to dominate the stage in this new era, but in this new world. Where everyone is fighting and magic also dominates the study of the continent. What age could possibly appear in the continent.

After a few moments of silence, the Queen grabbed everyone's attention and said,

"Everyone, please calm down. All of us please be res assured that everything will go well. The British Military might not be able to fight with full capacity due to problems in our resources. But, i am assuring all of you that the Empire will not win against us. Remember Summerwyn, Italica, Esterloch and the United Kingdom had agreed and formed a strong bond with each other. We must not sacrifice our deep faith and trust in each other in such a small thing. I believe there is a way to resolve this issue that we can all agree with," the Queen said,

Everyone felt the Queen's warm responses despite where the conference is heading to, but the Queen has a point. It will not be helpful for them if they argue, so they tried to reach a realistic win-win situation.

"hmmm, how about we launch an counter-offensive against the empire?" the summerwyn general asked,

"that seems kind of possible for the British Military, but the ever-increasing number of Imperial soldiers had doubled after the British Diplomatic Mission had arrived in the Empire" one investor replied,

"Our objective is to liberate Summerwyn and secure the frontier in south of the mountain ranges of Gardenia. And finally recapturing Reńaiss" one of the investors replied,

For the investors and British interests, their interests lies solely on the rich untapped resources on Gardenia. The mountain ranges is currently under Imperial sphere, technically they can't occupy the mountains since there are no settlements nor military forts there but, the settlements that surrounds the south of Gardenia are occupied by the Empire

Though, it was only confirmed on the southern side, the northern side is filled with dense forests and there are barely any settlements there. But, the investors proposed building a military fort under British guidance and they will possibly also conduct guerrilla warfare in the region if Sienna falls.

"All right, let's discuss about profits now" one of the investors said,

Thus, the conference resulted into various treaties and investments onto the city of Lincliff, the British Monarch, Queen Anne voluntarily sent engineers using her own fortune to build a coal-power plant in Lincliff as soon as possible.

And, the Queen personally called the general in Sienna HQ and other top-ranking military officials to review the possible military strategy the conference had made earlier.

-- Main Plaza, City of Lincliff --

it is now high noon, the Duchess had spent eating her lunch in a cafe nearby in the Plaza called Starbucks. She avoided eye contact with other people as possible and discreetly went to her coach after ordering her lunch.

"One Mocha Frappuccino and Croissant for take-out for Ms. Rose!"

as she heard her alias, she immediately went to the counter and walked towards the door of the Cafe.

she slowly walked onto her coach and ate her lunch as they set out for Sienna. she gazed in the surroundings of the heavily-modernizing landscape of Lincliff, there she could see new things that she never saw before.

It's as if though Lincliff is not devastated by the current war, she could see the difference from Gardenia and Lincliff.

"I wish my people could also experience this growth as well.. new sprawling structures that are beautifully made. Tasty food and drinks like this, which is surprisingly cheap!"

she was baffled as she drank her frappuccino, she wondered how such a tasty drink could be priced inexpensively?

She felt something wasn't just right, she thinks everything was not made by Summerwyn.

She had therefore conclude at that point, that a new country called "The United Kingdom" is emerging from nowhere.

"I must hurry up to Sienna" she said,

She immediately ordered her coachman to make it to Sienna as soon as they could.

"I hope my cousins are all safe, god please help them and have mercy to those who sinned." she prayed deeply,

The duchess prayed as she looked in her window gazing the famous mountains of Gardenia.

-- Ophelburg Palace --

In the streets, the Imperial Ducal flag was raised. The Ducal Flag was favored by the people and the Duchy. The Ducal flag was a flag with the rose as a main symbol to it. The Ducal Flag represented the Independence and break-away of the Duchy of Ophiel against the Emperor.

-- outside the walls --

bombards fires one by one, the walls began to tear apart. But a sortie inside the wall halted the siege's progress. in the meantime, a camp was set up by Zachary.

"Damn! the city's walls should have fallen already! All of you prepare the bombards now! we will launch a surprise night attack later this midnight!" Zachary firmly said to his men,

a total of 25,000 men which belongs to the Imperial Army are besieging the Duchy of Ophiel's Capital, Ophelburg

Meanwhile in the Imperial Palace, the Emperor was worried but he didn't knew why, he and his court knew that the country which calls itself "The United Kingdom" poses no real threat at all, but despite it. the British delegation that arrived a few days ago had made a mark on him.