The morning sun was already high when the UEN convoy entered the palace grounds.
The carriages rolled to a stop at the courtyard, where rows of royal guards stood in formation.
They didn't move or speak, but only watched. Their discipline shows everything, their face is filled with respect, but also caution.
Reku stepped out first, followed by Halden and the security team. The air felt heavy. The translator hum with sound as it adjusting its systems to the local language.
Everyone can't help to notice that everything about this place was meant to impress it's high walls, carved statues, and banners of gold.
No one spoke as they moved through the marble corridors of the palace. Every footstep echoed faintly against it's polished floor.
Servants bowed as they passed, some whispering, others simply staring. The team kept formation. They had been briefed, no sudden movements, and most important no signs of aggression.
When they reached the great doors of the audeance chamber, the lead guard raised his hand.
"Envoys from the United Earth have arrived!," he said loudly in his native tongue.
The doors opened slowly, revealing the throne hall beyond.
The hall was large and filled with people. Nobles, officials, and scholars lined both sides, their faces unreadable. Some curious, some cautious.
The ceiling rose high above, decorated with murals of kings and wars long in the past. At the far end sat the King himself, dressed in simple but regal robes, surrounded by his advisors.
Reku stopped at the center, offering a short bow. a formal but equal gesture of diplomacy, not submission.
"Greetings Your Majesty, I am Captain Jubari Reku" Reku said. The translator repeated his words clearly in the local language.
A quiet murmur spread across the room. The envoys had been the talk of the city for days, but seeing them in person was something else.
Their uniforms, their gear, even the translator all of it felt unreal to the nobles.
The King leaned forward slightly. "We have heard many things about you, Envoy Reku,"
he said.
"Stories of ships that move without wind, and weapons that burn like the sun. Tell me, what are you really?"
Reku answered calmly.
"We come from a distant world called Earth, under the banner of the United Earth Command. We are explorers and diplomats, not conquerors."
The translator's tone was smooth, almost too perfect. It drew whispers from the nobles.
The idea that a machine could speak their language so flawlessly unsettled them.
The King's advisor who goes by the name Lucien, an older man with gray hair, stepped forward. "Explorers who carry weapons," he said.
"Who destroy fleets without mercy. How do you explain that?"
Reku kept his expression neutral.
"We were attacked first. Pirates ambushed our convoy near your waters. We responded to protect our people. That is all.
The advisor narrowed his eyes.
"And these pirates do you claim they were sent by us?"
Reku shook his head slightly.
"No. But they were organized, better armed than common raiders. We suspect they had support, perhaps another nation."
That last line drew more reaction. A few nobles whispered to each other; one even frowned deeply. The King raised a hand, silencing the hall.
"Then you do not come for vengeance?" he asked.
"No, Your Majesty," Reku said. "We come for dialogue. To know more about this world. And most of all peace."
The King studied him quietly for a moment. "Peace," he said.
"A word many use, few honor it. Very well. Let us speak."
The discussion began slowly. The King asked questions, about Earth, the UEN, and why they had come.
Reku answered in short, careful sentences. He spoke about cooperation, about technology that could help both worlds, and about how the UEN preferred diplomacy before conflict.
The King listened closely. His councilors whispered after each statement, debating among themselves. Some seemed interested, others clearly doubtful.
At one point, Reku decided to show something small.
He pulled a small metal case from his side and placed it on the table near the King's dais. When he opened it, a faint white light glowed from within, a portable solar lamp.
"This," Reku said, "is a simple tool from our world. It turns light into energy, and energy into light again."
The King's eyes narrowed slightly, then he leaned forward. The light reflected off the polished surface of his throne. Around the hall, quiet gasps filled the air.
One scholar spoke out in disbelief, "It shines with no flame."
Reku nodded once. "No magic. Just science."
The King turned to his scholars. "Can this be true?"
They shook their heads slowly, unsure. The King looked back at Reku.
"Our world has many faiths, many fears. You show us something that could change both."
Reku replied softly, "Change is not what we bring, your Majesty. Understanding is."
For a few moments, the hall was silent. Then the King smiled faintly, a small, cautious smile.
But the calm didn't last.
A sudden voice cut through the hall. "Lies!"
Everyone turned. A noble in ornate armor stepped forward from the line of advisors. His face was red with anger.
"This is witchcraft! You bring cursed light into the King's hall!"
The guards moved slightly, unsure whether to intervene.
Reku didn't move. "It's not witchcraft," he said evenly. "It's a tool, nothing more."
"Enough of your tongue, foreigner!" the noble shouted. "I will not let this insult stand!"
Before anyone could react, he drew his sword and took a step toward Reku.
The UEN guards moved instantly, rifles half-raised but not aimed. No panic, no shouting just pure decipline.
Reku raised his hand, signaling them to hold.
The King's personal guards rushed in, tackling the noble to the ground. Followdd by the sound of steel hitting the marble floor echoed across the hall.
"Stand down!" the King's voice thundered.
Everything stopped.
The noble struggled, still shouting about demons and heresy, but the guards held him tight.
"Remove him," the King said coldly. "His foolishness will not shame this court further."
The man was dragged out, his voice fading down the corridor. The hall stayed silent.
The King turned to Reku.
"You have my apology, Envoy. Our court still holds men who fear what they do not understand."
Reku nodded once. "No offense taken, Your Majesty. Fear is common when meeting the unknown."
The King's expression softened. "You speak with patience. That is rare."
The meeting continued. The interruption had shifted the mood but the earlier suspicion now replaced by quiet respect.
The King ordered parchment to be brought forward.
"I have decided," the King said. "You will be recognized as official envoys of a foreign power. You will have protection and freedom within our lands while we learn more of you."
Reku inclined his head slightly. "That is acceptable. We also recognize your kingdom as the rightful authority of this region."
A scribe wrote quickly while the translators confirmed every line. The agreement was simple, mutual recognition and a temporary peace until both sides learned more about each other.
When it was ready, the King pressed his royal seal onto the wax. Reku signed digitally on his tablet. The two signatures, one from another world, one from this.
marked the first true diplomatic act between them.
The hall remained quiet as the moment settled in.
The King looked at Reku again. "You come from far away. I cannot yet tell if your arrival is a blessing or a warning. But for now, you will have our cooperation."
Reku answered, "Then we'll honor this trust, Your Majesty."
The meeting ended soon after. The King rose from his throne, a signal that the audience was over.
The guards stepped aside to let the delegation leave.
As Reku turned to go, the King's voice stopped him.
"Envoy Reku," he said. "Your machines and your light, they are strange. But so were we, once, to those who came before us. Perhaps history repeats itself."
Reku nodded. "Perhaps, Majesty. But maybe this time, it ends better."
The King gave a faint smile. "We shall see."
Outside, the air felt lighter. The delegation walked back through the palace halls under escort. The nobles watched in silence, some with respect, others with suspicion.
When they stepped into the courtyard, the sunlight hit hard. It felt different, not warm, but heavy, as if the weight of what just happened was pressing down on everyone.
Vega one of the member of the UEN guard finally spoke. "That could've gone worse."
Cole besides her snorted quietly. "Could've gone better too. I saw three guys almost reach for their swords."
Reku gave a small, dry smile. "And none of us had to shoot. That's already a win."
The others nodded. They climbed into the carriage as the guards saluted from a distance.
As the carriage started to move, Reku looked back at the palace one last time.
For a moment, he thought he saw the King standing at one of the high windows, watching them leave.
He said nothing as the convoy moved out. The streets were busy, merchants shouting, children running, people staring at the royal carriage passing through their city.
The translator recorded everything automatically. Data logs, audio, visuals, all of it would be sent back to Horizon for analysis. But Reku didn't think about that now.
He just watched the capital fade behind them.
Vega spoke again, quieter this time. "Think this is the start of something good?"
Reku didn't answer right away. "Depends," he said finally. "On whether they see us as partners… or as a threat."
No one replied. The convoy drove on, sunlight reflecting off the armor plates.
In the distance, the palace stood tall over the city, the place where, for the first time, two worlds had spoken without blood.