Austronesian Empire, Imperial Majapahit, Aceh, Banda Aceh, Inside A Barracks In Aceh
First Year Of God, Second Day, First Week, First Month
Even as of now, Melian is still astonished at how such a horseless iron carriage is moving, and more of that, she was actually felt marveled at its smooth motion and remarkable comfort. Moreover, the crystal-clear glass panels that could be raised and lowered beside each seat only added to her awe.
Such a magnificent craftsman should be able to do it, yet it seemed like the humans were able to mass produce it, because as far as she was seeing, almost all these carriages had the same flawless glass on them.
For such a thing that requires extreme care and control to be able to be mass produced. Just how they were able to do it?
Though she should have expected it since, advancing in technology means being able to mass produce stuff in a much easier way, after all having advanced in technology would require a massive amount of resources. The mold of the carriage is much more sophisticated at first glance. Such angles and measurements would require extremely precise tools and measurements that were far beyond what she had imagined possible.
After the iron carriage entered the city, it was extremely surprising for Melian to see that every house and building was illuminated. There were even some buildings that were tens of stories high, and she wondered how they were even able to support such a humongous structure? The lights on every structure were bright and pure, almost angelic in their clarity.
As she looked at the streets, Melian now understood why the city was so heavily guarded. All over the streets thousands of men, women, children, and elderly were being treated in countless white tents marked with the same red cross. She also noticed trucks transporting people who appeared injured or traumatized.
It seemed to her that these might be refugees from other cities, seeking refuge and medical care in a place equipped with an enormous amount of medical supplies to aid millions.
The iron carriage soon stopped in front of an immensely tall structure, which appeared to be the main headquarters of the military base. As Melian gazed through the glass panel, admiring the magnificent buildings, she was too absorbed to hear the conversation inside the carriage, preoccupied with the views that had led her to this destination.
The other iron carriages diverged to different locations. Observing them from a distance, Melian marveled at their size, each spanning several meters in length and standing about three meters tall.
Inside the other carriages, she saw the faces of her fellow Elves, each displaying a range of emotions and reactions while staring at her. Some were smiling, others had a look of concern and all that stuff. As of now, she could gauge who among them were on her side and who were her enemies. Regardless, she felt assured by the blessing of the goddess, which she possessed as undeniable proof of her divine favor.
Just earlier, a mark had appeared on her hand. Having a mark on the hand means that you indeed receive the blessing of the Elven goddess, which would mean she gained the favor of the goddess and was now considered the legitimate ruler of her nation. Any opposition to her would invite the wrath of the revered deity whom they worship so much.
Melian moved forward the tall structure as the soldiers escorted her. Since she was able to communicate with the humans, and was willing to negotiate for trade and possibly an alliance, she is now considered an important person to the Austronesian Empire. This status ensured she and her people would receive better treatment than before.
With a firm heart and resolve, she moved forward. Even though her entire navy was decimated, it is much better to be given the chance to reform the degraded system in her country and secure a better future.
Upon being escorted to the building, she was greeted with a door, more specifically a door made of glass, which she had never seen before. She would never have thought that a glass could be used as a door, yes, a door. In her homeland, glass was a rare and precious material, demanding extreme craftsmanship to produce, and the idea of using it as a door was unimaginable. Here, it seemed, glass was abundant enough to be used even for such purposes.
As she approached the glass door, one of the soldiers escorting her noticed her wide-eyed stare and couldn't help but comment.
"Impressive, isn't it?" the soldier said. "Not something you see in your place, correct?"
She nodded, still marveling at the craftsmanship. "In my land, glass is rare and precious. To see it used as a door is quite strange."
"We've heard from the soldiers escorting you that you can speak our language. Is that true?" he asked.
"Yes," Melian replied calmly. "How I learned it might be obvious to you."
"I've also heard that you are the queen of a nation that we've first contact with?"
"...Yes," she confirmed.
Murmurs spread through the room as the soldiers exchanged surprised glances, clearly shocked to hear her speak their language very fluently. It became apparent why she was brought to this building, and the atmosphere shifted to one of warmer reception.
The officer smiled and extended his hand. "Well, welcome to the Austronesian Empire, Your majesty."
Melian stared at the extended hand, analyzing the welcoming gesture.
"Oh, I apologize," the officer said, withdrawing his hand slightly. "I assumed you knew what a handshake was."
"I do," Melian replied, "At least, I have seen versions of this."
The officer explained the basic principle of their gesture meeting, which was surprisingly simple. Melian accepted the handshake and shook his hand softly.
"It's nice to meet you. My name's Colonel Jefferson Blake."
"Florian Melian Shelberry," she introduced herself.
"You know, it's surprising to see something out of a fantasy story right in front of my eyes."
"What—" Before Melian could respond and question his meaning, the sound of gunfire shattered the moment. The building shook, and everyone instinctively ducked.
"Stay here," Jefferson ordered, but Melian was already moving toward the door. "Hey, did you hear what I said? It's dangerous out there!"
"I must see what is happening," she insisted, pushing past him.
Outside, Melian could see numerous flashes of light over the first layer wall outside of the city and heard roars of demons filling the air. She spotted an injured soldier being treated by what seemed like medical staff and hurried over, kneeling beside him, but a medic tried to stop her.
"Wait! You can't just—"
Ignoring him, Melian uttered a few words and placed her hands over the injured part of the soldier.
The medical staff were initially alarmed, worried that her actions might further endanger the soldier if someone doesn't know the proper way of holding pressure to an injury. But then, as if a miracle had occurred before them, Melian's hands began to glow with a green light, and the soldier's wounds started to heal and close at a visible rate.
The medical staff dropped their equipment and held their breath as they witnessed the miraculous event that was transpiring before them.
"Unbelievable," one of them whispered. "How did you...?"
"No time to explain," Melian said. "There are more who need help."
Melian continued healing the wounded soldiers and civilians inside the base as fast as she could. Everyone watched in awe, viewing her as if she were an angel sent from the gods. Some like religious people murmured prayers of gratitude, while others such as atheists simply stared in disbelief.
They all knew that they were in another world, but who would have thought that angels also existed here physically? Melian, however, dispelled these assumptions, urging them not to become complacent and reminding them that she was an elf, not an angel.
A deafening explosion shook the walls, and Melian heard screams and desperate pleas for support coming through the communication boxes of the commanding officers.
"This is too bad. It seemed like the humans were being overwhelmed. I must help them somehow."
With a determined look, Melian looked into the direction of the battle. Uttering a few words, she summoned what seemed like a sword, which glowed with a golden hue.
As soon as she manifested a magical sword in her hands, her right leg bent abruptly as a faint light enveloped her legs.
Boom!
In the next instant, the ground quaked as Melian dashed toward the battle like an arrow fired from a bow, covering tens of meters in less than a second.
Witnessing this inhuman feat, many people who saw it for the first time could not help but stare in shock.