Daybreak:Alpha Chapter

Chapter 3 -

Kaede hardly noticed as the maid Marina brought her dinner in. Her focus was still transfixed upon the scroll-like magical map, each hand holding one of its rollers.

Vintersvend's 'World Expedition Map' -- labeled in bright gold letters on top -- was unlike anything she had ever seen. The map stretched no more than a Hyperion pace (76.2cm/30") in width and half as much in height. It displayed twisting rivers and jagged shorelines in an amazing amount of detail, all in vivid watercolors soft to the eyes. Furthermore, when Kaede tried to look closer, she discovered the the map could actually zoom in or out at her will, with lines shifting and colors rolling across the parchment to as fine as 1/10,000 scale. At its maximum zoom it even displayed topography markers and elevation lines.

The map also had a tiny red 'current location' marker. An extra semi-transparent overlay covered all within fifty kilopaces, displaying weather effects like the wintry mix of sleet and rain descending upon the northeast.

Yet despite the impressive display features, the map was woefully incomplete. When zoomed all the way out, Kaede could see the huge masses of cloudy gray that represented terra incognita. Narrow lanes cut across the far oceans of the world, but the interiors of the Hyperion and Eurypha continents were unknown, not to mention most of Asia's equivalent in this world.

Kaede's fingertips also stumbled across a concealed button hidden in the right scroll roller. Pressing it out of curiosity, she could feel waves of ether pulled from her and into the map. The magical power requirements were enormous, straining even the rate that Pascal could resupply her through the familiar bond. But the reason behind it soon proved apparent as the map began redrawing its contents within a fifty kilopace spread.

This is an actual map of Vintersvend's travels! Kaede confirmed at last. The reason why it was so detailed yet incomplete was because the late Admiral had to journey to each region for the map to magically scan and plot the surrounding lands.

"Kaede, stop doing that here."

Her eyes were still dumbfounded as she looked up to meet Pascal.

"It's charting the surrounding lands! And even recognizing the nearby villages!" her wispy voice muttered in awe.

"I figured as much, hence I told you to stop it," Pascal repeated with even more authority, although for a moment Kaede saw hints of a cringe in his brows.

The tremendous ether consumption by the map could not have escaped his notice.

"If you are going to run a scan, do it outside, preferably on the roof," Pascal scolded her "Cartography magic has pitiful efficiency when used indoors. You are going to drain me out with a mapping tool that powerful. Besides, dinner is already here and it is in the way."

Looking to her side, Kaede finally noticed the maid Marina giving her an impatient glare.

"Sorry," she rushed to close the map scroll before putting it away in the messenger bag slung behind her chair. With the table space before her no longer blocked, Marina was at last able to place her meal down.

How the mouthwatering waft of the Sauerbraten could escape her notice was an even bigger mystery.

Kaede also didn't miss the disapproving look from Majordomo Karsten. But then, her mere existence at this table seems to offend him in some way -- possibly because she was dining with a Landgrave and a Princess as though they were equals.

Although Kaede had to admit that she did feel rather out of place. Despite the Keep's austere external appearance, Pascal's father had the public areas inside built and decorated with no expenses spared. The opulent dining room exemplified this with its huge crystal chandeliers and life-sized paintings. It was fit to host even state banquets, which it probably did from time to time when the King visited, or the Emperor, or even both.

Maybe after all the Dukes and Princesses and Kings he had waited, serving me food is beneath him, she mulled.

It wasn't uncommon for those who serve the wealthy and powerful to considered themselves a station above peasants who lived outside such grace, which applied just as much for a modern plutocracy as it did for the aristocratic 'Ancien Régime'.

It was as if pride itself was contagious.

With a quiet sigh, Kaede closed her eyes to take a deep breath, relaxing in the aroma of the fine cuisine.

After over two weeks of 'beef jerky stew' and other bland army foods, Kaede was more than happy to leap back into the bosoms of civilization... even if it meant a return to social stratification.

"I have missed this so much," Pascal reflected her own thoughts from the head of the table as he breathed in the smell of his cheesy beer soup.

"Why couldn't you just manage your own food during the campaign?" Sylviane asked from her seat across the table from Kaede.

"The army's policy is no special treatment with anything concerning logistics," Pascal explained. "We have too many nobles in the military. If everyone demands this and that of their own, even the most efficient supply train would be burdened down. So to remove any potential conflicts, the founding King Ferdinand wrote it into the Writ of Universal Conscription that everyone receives the same bland rations in the field; with priorities based on military rather than social rank if supplies fall short of needs."

"I think that was wise of him. After all, logistics is not only the backbone but also the ball and chain of warfare," Kaede appraised, modifying yet another famous quote down for her own needs.

Her Russian half was particularly educated in this. Popular opinion might think that the infamous Russian winter was the destroyer of conquering armies. But in truth, both Napoleon and Hitler's invasion failed because their logistical preparations were woefully inadequate for such extensive campaigning. By the time either reached Moscow, their men were already lacking in food, ammunition, shelter, and fuel. Under such conditions, any harsh blizzard would take its toll, let alone a Russian one.

Hence why the only outsiders to succeed in an invasion of Russia... were the Mongols.

With her napkin set in place, Kaede prepared herself to dig in. Her Sauerbraten beef roast was flavored with red wine and raisins in Rheinischer style. She also had potato dumplings, asparagus with Hollandaise sauce, and as always -- more sausages, even as a side.

I swear Weichsel has a wiener obsession, she commented to herself. Her fork raised and ready.

"Not so fast," the Princess stared with disapproval. "I don't know how your world's God prefer it. But here in Hyperion, prayers first."

Kaede put her utensils down again with a heavy sigh. At times like these, she had the urge to ask for a colander as 'proper religious headwear' to voice her silent protest.

But then, she doubted the Almighty -- whatever form he or she might take form in -- would approve of her being disrespectful of others practicing their own faiths. After all, there was no holy text that claims 'thou shalt be an intolerant cur'; not even the Abrahamic ones, despite the popular notions of its more zealous believers.

----- * * * -----

"Are you actually religious at all?" Sylviane asked as her fingers gracefully cut her meat into slivers, before offering one to the phoenix perched atop the back of the adjacent chair. "I don't think I've ever seen you pray on your own accord."

"The Flying Spaghetti Monster encourages us to express our God-given free will and see to the health of our conscience, unchained from the yoke of any unnecessary religious indoctrination."

Kaede completely made that up. She didn't read any of the supposed 'holy texts' from the Flying Spaghetti Monster. But at this point, she was far too deep into the joke to back out of it.

Pascal would find out some day... when she was in the mood to explain it all.

"I still find it hard to believe that God could be named with such wording, even by a religion as heathen as yours," the man himself added before replenishing his own mouth with alcoholic foods.

"Maybe there's a fault with the translation magic," Kaede shrugged back.

That evoked an inward frown from Pascal as he considered his own work. But the knowing gaze that stared back from Sylviane meant that the Princess wasn't deceived for one second.

I need to be careful around her, Kaede warned herself. Career royals are far too good at reading people.

But at least this time, Sylviane dropped the topic without a word. Instead, she turned towards her fiancé:

"You're also not used to dealing with weird religions. After that blasphemy I once heard from an Albigese priestess, I'm sure people -- even the sane ones -- are capable of chalking up just about anything."

"Albigese?"

Kaede had stumbled across the word several times in her readings. But as Weichsel banned all unsanctioned religious material, she didn't have a clue of what that word meant other than being synonymous for heretic.

"They're an established Trinitian Heresy in the Kingdom of Garona," the Princess explained without even an attempt at holding back her derisive tone. "They believe that the Old Testament and everything written within, including the creation of the world, was the work of the Devil."

"Crazy fools," Pascal jumped in on the mockery himself, before adding a little fairness:

"Although you have to admit, the Holy Father did change quite a bit between the Old and New Testaments. He was so vengeful and full of wrath in the older tales -- the very antithesis of our merciful Savior."

"Which father doesn't change for the better, when they experience the raising of their own child?" Sylviane replied with ease. "Though I can see why the Albigese might interpret it so, given how the old Holy Father might clash with many of Hyperion's teachings about virtue and sin. Hypocrisy is always seen as the work of the Devil, after all."

Which explains why the Church is full of it, Kaede lashed back in the safety of her own mind.

"But the Albigese also believe that we're all actually angels cursed by the Devil, doomed to reincarnate in our sinful bodies instead of facing judgment at the end of our lives -- now that's too much to swallow, even for me," she finished before delivering another sliver of beef for chewing.

"I'm surprised you have to deal with them at all," Kaede added with her own food paused in midair. "Isn't Rhin-Lotharingie a Trinitian realm?"

"Only predominantly," the Princess sighed, relieving some deeply buried exasperation. "I wish it was wholly Trinitian. It would make my job much easier."

"The Empire of Rhin-Lotharingie was born from a coalition of rebellious forces who rose up against the Holy Imperium's attempt to enforce Trinitian conversion," Pascal noted as he stirred his thickening soup. "When an empire begins like that, its laws and rulers must learn to deal with religious factionalism from the very start."

"Quite. Religious Autonomy is one of the few common laws within the Empire -- the regional lords are allowed to choose their own religious leanings," the Princess clarified. "For example, there are several duchies within the Kingdom of Gleann Mòr that still openly worship the Northmen's pagan gods, not to mention the druidic minorities in the Kingdom of Ceredigion."

"Practicality over piety then," Kaede noted as she stabbed a sausage. "No wonder why the Pope dislikes your country."

As she brought her fork up and bit into the sausage, Pascal froze in his seat, his turquoise eyes focused upon her with an incredulous stare.

"Kaede -- what, are you doing?"

"Eating a sausage," she answered, rather bewildered at the sudden shift in behavior.

I guess I forgot to cut it first. But still...

There was no reason to stare at her as though she spontaneously turned into an octopus, except it only grew worse when she brought her fork up for another bite.

Even Sylviane was staring at her now, although more annoyed than astonished. Meanwhile the Majordomo Karsten -- who had been pouring some wine for the Princess -- looked a mix between flabbergasted and horrified.

"That look is kind of... obscene."

Without actually biting down, Kaede pulled the meat from her lips and examined it.

"It's a sausage."

"Way too many inappropriate undertones, apart from being just plain rude," Pascal chided.

What, because I have a sausage sticking out of my mouth?

"I used to do this all the time," she defended herself, even as the wiener was set back down to the plate for knifing.

"Maybe as a man. Never do that as a girl in public,"

Pascal ordered in that stern, final voice of his, to which Kaede put her hands down as she heaved a heavy sigh.

Girls have way too many things they have to watch appearances for.

----- * * * -----