Reincarnated with the Country System

Chapter 26 Unidentified Flying Object

03—10—1560 WC

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Rider Al soared high above the northeastern skies of the Kingdom, mounted on his wyvern. The vast emptiness of this region stretched endlessly before him. To the east lay only the glimmering expanse of the ocean, its waves catching the morning sun. His mission was routine yet critical—patrolling this remote region to ensure no surprise incursions by the Lativa Kingdom's forces. The recent skirmishes had made such vigilance necessary, especially in areas as isolated as this.

"Odd..." Al muttered, squinting into the horizon. His wyvern's sharp instincts seemed to have detected something as well, its wings beating with slight hesitation.

Far ahead, a speck appeared in the distance, no larger than a grain at first glance. Al tightened his grip on the reins. As the object approached, his unease deepened. It wasn't another wyvern—that much was clear. It moved too steadily, too precisely, without the rhythmic wing flaps characteristic of flying creatures.

"What in the Queen's name is that?" Al whispered. He activated the enchanted communication device strapped to his arm, sending a report back to headquarters. "HQ, this is Rider Al! Unidentified flying object spotted. Currently moving in to investigate. Location: northeastern skies, altitude 3000 meters."

Closing in, Al could see more details. The object was massive, its structure unnatural. Four rotating contraptions on what appeared to be wings propelled it forward with an unnatural hum, the blades spinning at a speed that blurred them into invisibility. Lights blinked rhythmically on its body, as if marking its presence. His wyvern instinctively veered away, struggling against the pressure of the wind stirred by the object's passing.

"HQ! The object is unlike anything I've ever seen! It's... fast, faster than anything in the sky. I can't keep up!It's heading toward Patro. Repeat, the object is moving toward Patro!"

Back at headquarters, Al's report sent the command center into chaos. Officers barked orders, messengers scrambled, and the atmosphere grew tense. Something that could even outrace a wyvern was headed for the economic center, Patro. If it was attacked, that would stain the prestige of the military.

"Third Wyvern Squadron, prepare for immediate deployment!" the commanding officer bellowed. "The target is approaching Patro at high speed. Shoot on sight!"

Governor Pakaya sat at the head of the council chamber, his expression grim. The incident in Patro had shaken the province's leadership. An unidentified craft had violated their airspace, circling their most important city with impunity. The military had been powerless to stop it, and its origin remained a mystery.

"The craft was faster than a wyvern and flew at an altitude we cannot reach," Pakaya began, his voice steady but heavy with concern. "It bore no recognizable markings, no banners of any known nation. What do you all make of this?"

One of the intelligence officers raised his hand. "Governor, according to our intelligence, the Venus Republic, the second largest country in the North and a High Nation, has developed a flying device that is similar to this unknown object. Their latest prototype reportedly reaches speeds of hundreds kilometers per hour. However, the craft sighted yesterday far exceeded that, likely traveling over 400 kilometers per hour. But..."

"But what?"

"In the far north of Venus, there are reports of a rising power, a new Super country. It is expanding its borders, by annexing neighboring countries. They have named themselves the Magnus Empire and have declared war on a coalition of small and medium-sized countries on the same continent, according to intelligence reports we received yesterday. Their weapons are completely unknown to us."

The room fell silent. Magnus was distant, its conflicts seemingly irrelevant to them. Yet, if this craft was a product of their technology, it posed a terrifying threat.

"However, they are very far away. Even just considering our distance from Venus, it is already more than thirty thousand kilometers. It is hard to believe that the object of this event could come from there."

The meeting circled back to the fact that they simply knew nothing. In any case, tensions with the Lativa Kingdom continued, forcing their nation into a constant semi-emergency state. This new incident was just an added headache for the leadership. If the object were an ally, simply making contact would be sufficient, so to deliberately perform a hostile act like invading their airspace meant that the chances of this being an enemy were quite high.

At that moment, a young official from foreign affairs burst into the meeting, completely out of breath.

"Governor Pakaya!" he exclaimed. "We've just received a report from the navy. This morning, off the northern coast, a massive sea vessel—260 meters long—appeared without warning. A delegation claiming to represent a nation called the 'Bernard Empire' made contact."

The room erupted into whispers. Pakaya raised a hand, silencing them. "The Bernard Empire? Who are they?"