The Celestial Galleon "Light of Veneris" glided smoothly through the misty skies, its golden sails catching the windless void.
Then, the voice crackled through the ship's magical amplifiers.
"Unidentified fleet, this is the Bernard Empire North Ocean Fleet. You are entering sovereign waters. Identify yourselves immediately."
The language was foreign—sharper, more clipped than the sacred tongues of his homeland—but the Translation Sigils woven into the ship's runes did their work. The meaning became clear.
A challenge. A warning.
Raihan frowned. The Bernard Empire? He had never heard of such a nation. Were they vassals of some forgotten kingdom? The gods had not spoken of another empire in this direction.
He turned to his second-in-command, Knight-Commander Solas. "Respond. Inform them we are emissaries of the Ancient Holy Empire, here on divine mandate. We do not seek war—but we will not be denied passage."
