[Completely new chapter (kind of) of the 'It'll Be Alright In The Long Run' Arc]

-Not recommended for anyone unfamiliar with drills or much of the military lingos-

Also join me diškord pls: https://discord.gg/UqgavrsYUd

...

Barminde, Tilenogtyve... a city that isn't officially recognized as the capital by their own country, but de-facto is with the Parliament being there, where policies and laws are given out to answer the need of the Federal Republic.

But besides that, Barminde would serve another purpose other than being one of the economic centers, and that would be where the Defense Forces Day, or 'Forsvarets Dagen' in the local language, otherwise simply known as 12th of April Parade will be held.

And today is 12/4/2017.

"Come on..." said Hark to their room's door "We would not want to waste anymore time here!"

The Esterrian Royal Party had some good rests after taking another ship to Tilenogtyve and a car to further West into the right smack at the center of the Southern part of the state where Barminde lies.

"Have some patience will you?!" yelled out a muffled Velstra "We will be out eventually!"

The male noble sighed before then, he slowly walked over to the Prime Minister who is also just waiting at the hallway.

"What's with girls taking a lot more time than they should?" spoke Hark "I swear it shouldn't take this long..."

"Well that's the thing, dear Hark" answered Gessel "It's simply for the sake of beauty, I mean if we suppose that we cut that time down to 'necessary', then Her Majesty wouldn't look as gorgous would she?"

"I guess you are correct about that one... still, I cannot help but just feel annoyed about the waiting time when it happens"

The Esterrian PM let out a smirk before then looking away, taking a deep breath at the same time. Upon doing so, he would drift away to another thought.

'...Flashia has done some impressive feat on that day...' he thought to himself '...Let's see how their military is...'

...

The Defense Forces Day is an occassion of utmost importance for the military forces of Flashia as it celebrates its founding, and the history that subsequently followed. They have been hard at work especially for this year, not only in preparation for the march, but also the defense overall.

Forsvaret Central Command HQ "All service branches, priority message from the MoD" the briefing of the big day now has been kicked off "As part of the Defense Forces Day, our day, the Luftforsvar is to dispatch fighter jets to patrol the airspace of the country as well as putting air defense systems on the ground at the ready"

...

Somewhere in Agevær A battery worth of surface-to-air missile systems, or SAMs for short have now been deployed. Using a type of missile that is more for getting launched off of fighter jets, these AASAMS aren't exactly their most far-reaching, but it's probably the best the Luftforsvar got given the threat they face now that bizarrely enough, wyverns and dragons exist.

"Neigh-Soot-91, going on a CAP on the planned flight route"

"Copy that Neigh-Soot-91, proceed with the task"

In the meantime, a few fighter jets would also take off from a few airbases in the island state to join in the effort, patrolling the clouds further away from their ground counterpart.

...

"...The Navy are to keep an eye out on the sea, and if possible, complement the Luftforsvar for air defense"

Out from the coastlines, both existing and new, warships of Flashia have been particularly very active ever since that sudden transfer that cut off all contact from the world they grew to know and love.

With the nature of this alien world now opening up to them, being of an imperialistic, gunboat diplomacy-happy mess, the Marine as they're often domestically known have been scrambling to cover and defend the even vaster seas.

Corvettes, frigates, destroyers, amphibious assault ships... all the types of warships are out there in one form or another, all tasked with the same mission, sending helicopters and V/STOL aircrafts for patrol... All except for the submarines, they're just chilling in the docks for now.

...

"The Land Army and Home Guard is to be put on alert for any incursions on the ground and respond accordingly..."

Kormland In the state of which citizens of Animaatland literally calls 'South Cousins' in the Annish* language, at least informally, a G-Wagon would cruise along a road close to what would've been the border.

"I just find it crazy what was once our border with our neighbors like Newberslawnia is now... just water" said the driver of the Home Guard "I mean, they were there before, but before anyone knows it, they just went four-oh-four on us!"

"That baffles me too..."

Areas like these would've been the jurisdiction of the Border Guard, but seeing that that same border became non-existent overnight, the jurisdiction of this area alongside others have been transferred to the Land Army, the Home Guard and the Coast Guard.

"I still don't understand what's going on... it feels like a fever dream..."

"Aside from some hiccups... I think we'd be fine...ish"

"You're saying that like we're gonna get fucked over even further..."

As to what happened to the Border Guard themselves, they're either converted into the Home Guard or merged into the Coast Guard. It should be noted that it and the latter isn't part of the Defense Forces, at least as of current. They would be merged into the DF should war is to arise, but they're not in a war just yet so they just kept them as that.

...

"Remember the parade is meant to increase the morale of the populous. Lest anything else happens as there could be unbearable consequences. End of message. In summary, get to work and let's get this show done"

"Luftforsvar's already working on it"

"Marine* copies"

"Ground Forces roger"

...

Some time passes... In the afternoon, after everyone got their lunch, crowds would gather at the Ungehjerter Square to see the soldiers of the Defense Forces march down the square.

Amongst those crowds are the Esterrian party who originally came to how Flashia looks like in person to see the military in their own eyes.

"I can't believe it..." muttered Laurie "...We're going to witness them in person!"

The Head-of-State of Flashia, who has the modest title of president would be seen walking up to the stand after inspecting the present troops. From there, he would be joined with other officials as well as high-ranking military personnel.

After awhile, an echoing voice sounded out on the crowd in a language of the same roots but different. And then the message was repeated in a language that the Esterrians and the Civilized World could understand:

"All rise for the National Anthem"

After that, a short delay before a tune is played by the trumpet, and then the drums rolled in and soon after, everyone, civilian and soldiers sung the verses.

"Du gamle, du store, du håbets ild, Fra østen til vesten, dit navn lyder! Du smukke land af det frie og det vild', Mit hjerte vil være med dig, land af dyder. Mit hjerte vil være med dig, land af dyder!

Dine minder ar blevet nedfældet i tiden, Og din skønhed har været kendt af mange! Jeg sar frem til din skæbne og din fremtiden, Dit lys, din grønne og din fuglesange. Dit lys, din grønne og din fuglesange!"

[Set in the melody of 'Du gamla, du fria', aka Sweden's National Anthem]

"What a lovely and spirit-lifting tune..." commented Velstra "...Say Your Majesty, would you also want something like that?"

"I suppose so" said Marie III "I could use some uplifting melody like that in this trying time..."

The music has settled, and the president would walk forward to the stand. He then puts both of his hands on the stand.

"Good afternoon, those present at the parade grounds and those who watches via televisions from across the Federal Republic" the president has begun to address to the crowds.

"As we all might have known already as of recent, the Federal Republic of Flashia has undergone a strange predicament, so strange that it stumped even our best experts.

I of course am talking about our beloved country being transferred to what seems to be a completely new world, completely cut off from everyone we know of and anything foreign-related disappearing without a trace as a result. We do not know where we are, we do not know what does this world has to offer. We certainly never wanted this to happen, and yet here we are.

I know some of you might doubt the purpose of the Defense Forces, thinking that the budget allocated for them should be spent on something more important. I don't blame anyone for this as it's true that we have been living in peace in recent years without worrying about our lives. But I must emphasize this, that peace is only possible is because of the Defense Forces, not to mention that it kept Flashia surviving to this very day in many occasions.

Our military as we know it have been around since the 1600s, although back then, we were under a very different system of government. And since then, it had fought many wars in history, to defend the Federal Republic and to keep the peace.

Now, here's a question for everyone: What will Flashia be without the Defense Forces? What will the country be without them fighting in the Webtana War? And what will we be during the Global War without the Land Army, Home Guard, Luftforsvaret and the Navy? For that, I will give my answer.

If the Defense Forces simply does not exist, what we have and what we are would have been unimaginable decades ago, and our future would have been very much uncertain. If the Land Army, or the Ground Forces for that matter did not exist, we would not have been able to fight off numerous invasions on land. If the Navy was never a thing, Agevær, Animaatland, Gladahjuland and Tilenogtyve would have fallen into dark days. If the Luftforsvar never took shape, our land would be devastated beyond comprehension.

No one is born for war, not even the toughest, and we do not wish war on anyone else. But unfortunately for us, we live in a reality where there always be someone will brazenly attempt to take away what we have, that being our sovereignty, our freedom and our peace. As the saying goes: 'Si vis pacem, para bellum', if you want peace, prepare for war, a saying that remains true, especially now.

This is the reason why the Defense Forces are so important in our lives, even if one is not aware of it, especially now in this world that we know nothing about. This is the reason why the Defense Forces continues to be modernized and strenghtened.

Although we do not agree on everything, the Defense Forces have tried in all its power to defend the rights of Tilenogtyveans, Gladahjuls, Ageværans, Annish, Kormians, Kawagrzmots, Nexuciats, Satkians, Cerniacs and Kiralsians. And we do not even have to look too far to see such examples.

In 2005-2008, together with our allies, the Defense Forces had fought off the onslaught of the invaders from the Hatemean Kingdom. And further into the past, we fought the Global War, even further, we emerged victorious against a war with the Eastern Promaxian Empire and so on.

All of these wars and conflicts have one thing in common, and that is the fact that we had defended our territories from those enemies we faced. That being said, all of them had come with a cost, being the lives lost in all of those fightings.

I will reiterate this, we do not seek war, we never have for years. As I've said before, nobody is born for it, but for those who wants to take away our freedom, we will be there to the last for it.

And today, in the afternoon of 12th of April, we are here to celebrate the achievements and victories of our Defense Forces against the aggressors throughout history, to celebrate the lives of the soldiers who gave us all. Thank you"

A round of applause would be briefly given up as a conclusion of the speech.

"They really have been through a lot haven't they?" commented the mage of the Esterrian group.

"They really did indeed" replied the Prime Minister.

"Such a short yet concise speech of their history..." commented the very young Queen.

A short pause would take place until the shout and the subsequent shots of cannons were heard in the background. Then upon the cannon subsiding, another shout was given and the band started working up with another song.

"Another one?" questioned Velstra.

[I'm just going to skip this one since as of writing, I don't have the lyrics for it, but the melody is the one from Uz Maršala Tita]

And once again, the music would then subside at the end, and quietness takes over until who is seemingly the Parade Commander in grey suit, black pants and a green beret shouting out some more orders.

The formation of three different uniforms that he would lead would execute slope arms, and turned to their right.

[BGM: Lejr Reveille March]

A fanfare would play as the column would start moving, turning around and go past the large flag, then turning around again before the other columns of the same uniforms, just separate.

And speaking of uniforms, the first ones have grey suits, black pants and green berets as mentioned, while the ones tailing them wears one in black and white and some blue which makes it clear they're the Navy ones from looks alone. And lastly, following them from the rear is the formation in a darker shade of grey on both top and bottom and with a cap of the same color with a different emblem but still the same cross displayed. The leading would have yellow belt and aguillette and the rest of the green berets.

All the while marching in a more unique way than seen in Gestrae in perfect sync and the leading fours with their flag on a pole and swords swung like a pendulum to the belt level.

[For reference: It's a mix of German arm swing and Polish low goose step]

They then shortly stops with the commander in the grey and black uniform with turning around and stepping to the sides and began shouting another series of command.

The first got the others to straighten their legs from a parade rest, the next would subsequently see them putting their black and relatively short guns with bayonets attached to slope arms with said arms laid on their side, and after that, they swiftly swung around to their right in unison.

After all of that was done, the one who commands the parade contingents returns to his position where he was, before then another command:

"Kvik, MARCH!"

[BGM: Dronning Ingrids Hønnormarch (Referred by another name in-lore)]

And the marching continues again, this time with the entire contingents moving along and the flag taking the lead, marking the start of the actual fun part.

"It finally started..." Marie III uttered

Carried by six men of their uniforms side-to-side, 2 grey-black, 2 Navy and 2 darker grey also executing eyes right, the flag marched along while an echoing voice narrates what's going on in a different language, before another would repeat it in the ICL, or Builtish as they call it:

"As the flag of the Federal Republic marches along, following just close is the representative company from three branches, those being the Ground Forces, Navy, and the Luftforsvar respectively..."

"Luftforsvar?" questioned the mage "That's a new name... what is it?"

"If I have to guess..." replied the Queen tapping her chin while looking up "It probably has something to do with that incident..."

"Now that I think about it..." the Prime Minister then spoke up "It really seems that this Luftforsvar just by name alone is inadvertently directly behind such trouble back then..."

After the big formation combining the three branches, the next three separate columns are the honor guards of the same trio, just a bit bigger than their respective counterparts. As usual, each of them has a leading quad carrying sword and flag at the middle.

Here, the differences between the arms that are sloped on the side to the shoulder is pretty clear, especially with the Navy as they have a completely different design.

"Interesting how these branches uses different weapons from each other..." commented Velstra.

"Perhaps to differentiate between them even further?" Hark added.

"Perhaps... They also appear shorter too"

"Some kind of magic is involved I might guess?" Laurie joined in.

These formation would make way for the ones in completely different set of uniforms, having their eyes front again after getting past the stand. The way the small arms are display is different as well, being put in a very much unusual position, held out right in front of the chest, barrel pointing upward to their left, the right gripping the stock while the left is free to swing as normal. Bayonets are still seen at the end of the barrel though.

It seems the firsts are of Ground Forces judging by the weapons they sport that are also seen on their grey suit counterparts. These guys however wears a less eye-pleasing pattern of 3 shades of green and brown on their uniform with rigid, rather straight sides instead of the one from Gestrae could think of, not to mention the size of these 'blobs' if one could call it that and the amount.

There's also another differences, the four leading personnel of each column generally isn't armed with anything, only a flag was held between 2 behind their respective sole leader who salutes the crowd as they went.

"Now, wearing the rifle green berets before the stand..." announced the narrator again after the one in their native language "...are troops of the Motoriseretjæger, the first infantry corps to be mounted on vehicles which played a significant role in the Webtanan War"

"If I'm understanding this correctly" said Hark "It seems that this Mo-to-ri-se-ret-jij-ker** is similar to those infantry on self-propelled carriages like the one La Ferdina has?"

"That would be wonderful to hear knowing that our newfound ally does have something that a superpower has..." noted Gessel.

"The question is... how much?" questioned Velstra.

While the sound of what seems like a big singular footstep continues with another column this time with black berets taking the motorized's place, the announcing echoing voice yet again speaks in the native language before switching back to the ICL again:

"The next marching formation as you can see here is the Pansarjæger troops. Originally formed to hunt tanks as their name suggest, they evolved to much more than that and later playing an irreplaceable role in the Defense Forces in recent memory and today"

The Esterrians could not wrap their head around what 'tank' actually refers to in this case, but the fives quickly assumed that it's quite a threat, after all why would they be originally formed to hunt them?

There wasn't much to comment here as other than their berets color, there's basically no difference between them and the other ahead of them.

"Following up is the Home Guard marching down the ground" as berets in brown came in sight "The Home Guard has been important in the occasion of wartime and peacetime, not only in supporting the main forces in territorial defense, but also help the local population to cope and deal with hard times"

"Such different weaponry..." commented Laurie.

The contingent this time utilize a significantly longer weapon at a more standard length with green handguard, grip, stock and a tubular device on top of the receiver.

"With how the tubes are mounted..." inquired Hark "...Could it be an optical device of some sort?"

"Most likely yes" an answer was given by the Esterrian Prime Minister "I wonder why such a thing isn't mounted on their other weapons though..."

"I wonder that too..." added Velstra.

Those with brown berets would have their time as the main for a brief moment before they have to make way for another different column right behind them.

"Here, we are now seeing the Military Police. In addition to upholding order, the MP also enforces laws within the Flash Defense Forces, making sure justice is rightfully served for even the most high-ranking officers"

"That sounds oddly similar to our Disciplinary Corps..." commented Hark.

"Disciplinary Corps?" questioned a confused Laurie "That's the first time I've heard of that name"

"They have been around for a long time dear Laurie" replied Gessel "They just do not specifically appear in the news that often"

The military police with red beret here doesn't seem to be armed with anything. No swords, no guns, but it can still be assumed that they will be armed with something in reality. For now though, the red berets would march past, and it would be the crowds, among them are the Esterrians that would have their eyes on them.

By the way, these are the same guys that are providing security for the parade ground, just with brassards with a big 'MP' in white.

It would not last long though, with another formation coming along the ground and them eventually marching past. This time, they're armed with the same kind of weapon used by the Land Army, but even shorter.

"That's such a short barrel!" Hark exclaimed in response of such a sight "How are they're going to hit something with it?"

"We just have to see..." refuted Gessel "After all we do not know their full capabilities just yet"

"That is correct" replied the Queen "This may sound absurd, but I believe that those muskets they have could be more far-reaching than what they appear to do"

"The formation with maroon berets are the ones from the Faldskærmtropper, more specifically. The Tropper here are very much capable of easily dropping into the rear of the enemy's front from the air, be it day or night"

It's the from the air part that intrigued the Esterrians the most. The concept is not unheard of, as the second strongest superpower utilize such troops. However, never have there been anyone else the strongest that has such capabilities, not even Gestrae.

On another note, much to the confusion of the Esterrians, they had just noticed that this contingent marched a lot more casually***. Enough with the Airborne though, it was time for another to enter the spotlight, that being those of navy blue berets.

"The Marine Assault Units are a rather small but formidable forces of the Navy. Not only do they protect our warships from inside, they're also responsible for storming beaches as seen in the opening days of the liberation of Southern Flashia"

Finally, the more prestigious troops that the Esterrians have an equivalent of has appeared.

"...I just noticed the boxes on their guns is directly behind the trigger" commented Laurie the mage "...Unlike the others where it is in front"

"Now that you mentioned it..." responded Gessel "How did I not noticed it at first?"

Those rifles are slightly different but definitely the same type as the one held by the Navy, with the only differing factor being the fact that the upper part at the front is rectangular as opposed to the somewhat pentagon-shaped one.

"It's so short as well..."

This current formation of Mariner was then succeeded by another one directly following up by another formation, this time returning back to the green berets as seen previously, and this time, it's back to the guns of the actual Army.

"These are the Cadets of the Ground Forces Academy marching past now. These personnel are in training to be the commissioned officers of the Land Army and Home Guard, forming the essential bloc of leadership"

"Speaking of which" said Velstra "How good would their officers be in the context of Gestrae?"

"I've said it before" replied the Esterrian Prime Minister "But we'll just have to see"

The marching comtinued on with the next formation consisting of the Navy ones judging by the exact same weaponry seen sloped on the Navy's Guards shoulder. And this time, they wore navy blue from their caps to the bottom.

"The counterparts of the previous cadets would be the one from the Naval Academy as seen here. Like the Ground Forces, they train and will eventually become officers, just at sea"

"Well would you look at that" spoke Hark "There's finally a formation that does not use that pattern"

"When you think about it, it makes sense" refuted Gessel "I mean... why would you want to blend into the grass in the middle of the ocean?"

"Ah, so that is its purpose..." the Queen remarked on her realization.

After the personnel from the Naval Academy, it was time for that same pattern to come back around again. However, the berets did not come back, but instead, sidecaps were worn. It seems they're from the Land Army too except...

"Now marching on the ground are the ones from the Luftforsvarets Academy"

...They weren't.

"Chosen as the aviators of the future, they will be the ones that keeps the airspace of Flashia safe from any enemy elements"

"It seems that I guessed correctly" said the Queen in a little bit of delight.

"Huh... I expected some more berets..." spoke Velstra.

As the parade went on, their column was superseded by the other one, that being the same kind of weapon used by the Land Army, the same pattern, but seriously geared up with helmets that strangely leaves the sides exposed and small-sized body armor.

"The troops you're seeing now are soldiers of the 55th Cavalry Regiment, an elite unit of Tilenogtyvean origin that is responsible for rapid response alongside others"

"Does that mean we're seeing one of their most elite unit here?" questioned the Queen.

"It seems so" said Gessel as a reply.

"They don't even have bayonets for their guns..." commented Hark on the glaring absence of the blades sticking out of the muzzle.

The geared up troops would march past the stand, and following up the line is the march of even more flags. Led by a flag in red with a white cross with the vertical lines placed to the left, judging from the fact the flag of Kawagrzmotia is present, they're the formation of the state flags, even the announcer confirmed this.

"...So many flags..." said Hark with a visible delight in his eyes.

"Oh no, he's gonna do it isn't he...?" muttered Velstra.

The personnel with the flags like many others would march pass the stand and gradually make it out of vision. But this time, no formation on foot would follow.

"Huh, that is all?" Marie commented on this.

"Perhaps there is more to it" answered Gessel.

The Esterrians and the crowd would wait it out for a little longer after the foot march gone away. But it would not take them longer for the faint strange sound of the air being rapidly chopped up would reach their ears with the band also switching up.

[BGM: Randers March]

"If you were to look up" spoke the ICL announcer after the native one "You could see the sight of the helicopters flying by"

"Helicopters?" wondered Laurie with the Esterrian group then looking up. And much to their surprise, they were met with the sight of some peculiar designs of flying creatures in formation with wings spinning so fast, its outlines are completely blurred.

They were wyverns... but not wyverns, at least the kind they know of. All they know is that those are the source of the chopping sounds.

"Up in the skies above is flights of the UH-1Ys. Mainly responsible for carrying and dropping off assets and soldiers, it has gained itself the name of Venom, for perhaps the fact that it dropping off personnel directly behind the enemy lines is like venom taking effect in its victim"

"Transport by air?" commented Gessel "Now that's something I never thought possible"

The helicopters would fly past with the Esterrians and much of the crowd's eyes following them in awe. But the show must go on with different helicopters (although with glaring similarities even in first glance with the Venoms) with strange devices such as the green tube with holes carried under the wing.

"And for helping in inserting the Venoms in, the AH-1Z Vipers would be the one that bites. Sporting enough firepower to make a lot of craters, this type of helicopter would be the nightmare of foes on foot with their only hope would be not getting shot at by them given certain conditions"

"I do not know exactly what they are yet" commented Velstra "But it seems that I should not get on the bad side of those things"

"I wouldn't want to either" added Hark.

The formation of the aircrafts named after a snake would fly past, allowing those below some time to admire them before different and even bigger helicopters entered the scene.

Unlike the 2 flights from before, instead the number of 5, there were only 3, perhaps owing to how large the thing is.

"The big aircrafts you're seeing now are the Merlins. Although mainly operates in-land with the Land Army, the helicopter is very much capable of transporting even more troops and other cargoes from there or from the sea with an amphibious assault ship"

"So they can do their thing from the sea?" pondered Marie III.

"It seems so Your Majesty" answered Gessel.

After the big choppers, it's back to 5 aircrafts around the size of the Venoms with completely different designs.

"The Lynx may not look that much, but this type serves an important role in the Navy in terms of detecting the hidden dangers at sea and effectively deals with them"

"So it's not just the Army that uses these so-called helicopters but also their Navy?" commented Laurie.

"I thought that was obvious just by the 'Sea Stallions' alone but yes" replied the Esterrian PM.

The Lynxes would go on to fly past above the grounds and in comes... nothing, there was no other aerial formation to come. They waited and waited for awhile with confusion slowly taking place. And then, a flash of blue light struck their peripheral vision, bringing their attention back to the ground.

There, the Esterrians would see three vehicles forming a triangle slowly leading the way, flashing a pattern of blue. And behind the vehicles reveal a lot more of what seems to be self-propelled carriages previously thought to be only in possession of Kingdoms Union states.

"We now resume the ground march as the military police cars are leading the way" said the announcer.

[BGM: Rosenborg March (Referred to by different name in-lore]

"So it has not ended just yet..." Velstra commented "They're just giving it some time..."

Behind the vehicles of the MP are perhaps one of their most conventional design, at least compared to Kingdoms Union Gestrae, featuring an overall boxy design, 4 doors and apparently a top hatch as personnel in the same palette of colors and a cap would stand on top, saluting as they went past.

"The Multifunktionkøretøj may not be the vehicle one thinks of when it comes to military matter, but they truly are a multi-purpose vehicle. Even amongst the armored units, you will almost guaranteed to find them as they fill in the job that the tanks can't"

"I suppose they're general purpose then?" questioned the Prime Minister.

"I suppose so" the male noble responded.

The formation of 3 columns and 3 rows would slowly crawl past the stand and then enters a similar design but even taller, armored (as apparent by some elements of the design) and armed with the gunner surrounded by an arrangement of shield.

"Whether it be mines and anything that takes vehicles out of commission, the Scouts would still stand. Built to resist explosions from underneath, they protected the soldiers inside while in deployment abroad"

"They went out to other countries before?" questioned the Queen.

"Well, they did say so..." replied Velstra.

"So what about the resisting explosions? How did they do it?"

"I have no idea" said Hark "But I suppose we'd have to find out by ourselves"

They both nodded in agreement.

The rows of the tall armed vehicle would roll past to make way for an even bigger carriage. These again have a crewman on top saluting, and it sports a sharper, intimidating design and 6 wheels.

"Dear gods, they have the audacity to put 6 wheels!" exclaimed Hark.

"Perhaps they have some more power into it?" question the PM.

Carriages, even the self-propelled carriages of the Kingdoms Union Gestrae typically don't do more than 4 wheels as they added weight that current crystals could not account for. But here, Flashia here got the 6 wheels going seemingly problem-free, not to mention the size, which spawned more questions in mind about it.

"The Pansartransporter 'Pasi' serves as the backbone of the Motoriseretjæger and the Marine Assault Units. Entered service during the Cold War and still serving, the Pasis have transported troops to wherever they're needed and in the process protected them from outside fire"

"...In essence, it's like those carriages that I have heard of?" questioned Velstra, to which Hark nodded.

The 3 rows and 3 lines of these 6 wheeled vehicle stayed around until they have to pass the spotlight to another, which added another set of wheels.

"Oh dear, it seems this is going out of hand..." the queen interjected in response to what her eyes are seeing.

"Here we have the APC of the Pansarjæger. While the Pasi was very much capable on their own, they were soon realized that much more was needed for the Jægers that accompany tanks. Thus the vehicles were developed and entered service with some delays where they'd become the main transport method of the armored units' infantry to keep up with the tanks they accompany"

"I thought they were supposed to hunt them, not joining them?" commented Hark as he got confused about this whole Pansarjæger thing.

"The announcer did say that it has evolved to become much more than that" Gessel refuted "Perhaps this is what she means..."

"...Good enough for me, but why 8 wheels?"

That question would go unanswered while another came in to replace the 8-wheeler. Featuring what looks like to be a head with a tube and a funnel at the end looking up, this one has even more wheels totaling up to 14 not counting the other ones that are above the ground with a rather strange propulsion method, only being able to be described by the Esterrian as the Caterpillar movement as it was reminiscent to one.

"The Pansartransporter K 92 is a force multiplier to the Pansarjæger" the announcer continued "Considered one of the best in its class, the vehicle can transport an infantry squad and directly support them on their way with its powerful 40mm autocannon"

"Auto... cannon?" Velstra was baffled by such nomenclature "What is it? Like cannon that fire consecutive rounds on its own?"

"I think you might have described it yourself..." the Esterrian Prime Minister added.

"I'd imagine it's somewhat weaker though" Hark then joined in "Considering how the world works, I'm guessing that would balance the thing out"

"Wait..." Laurie spoke up "What are those things behind them?"

The things behind the Pansartransporter were unimaginably big with each of their tubes pointing up and head slightly to the right. And after a short time, the boxy design is finally unveiled in its full glory, also sporting 17 big wheels not counting the other pairs that aren't touching the ground. Again, it used the 'Catapillar' to move itself.

They were true monsters to be behold as the grounds below them began to shake.

"By the gods, what are those?!" exclaimed the young queen.

The spotlight was passed to whatever those are, and soon after that, the announcer echoes her voice again:

"The Pansar 82 is a rather old main battle tank but still holds up even to this day. With the 120mm cannon, the tank is capable of resolutely destroy the enemy while also being able to take a very heavy beating"

"...So now we have an actual mobile cannon..." Hark muttered.

"Indeed..." Gessel nodded "I wonder how it is used and how it would do against those slavers though..."

As the columns of these behemoths pass by, what is perhaps the formation in the same layout of its improved variant has entered the sight. Notably featuring a new 'head' with a big wedge at the front although with the same design cues in other places and improved body.

"The Pansar 82A2 is still the same as ever, but now it is very much capable to withstand even much more abuse with improved armor on the turret and its hull"

"Ah, so it's actually called a turret!" exclaimed Hark.

The improved tanks slowly rolled along the ground to allow the crowds to appreciate the looks of the armored menace while the ground continued to shake all along.

"That reminds me..." Velstra realized "How heavy are these things? How are the roads still standing and how do they even power themselves?"

"I honestly have no idea..." was the answer she'd get from Gessel.

It is truly a sight to behold, but nonetheless the parade must go on. They would have to be subsided by a different variant, or at least it seems to be. It used the same chassis as the Pansars, but with a much bigger turret with 2 small guns mounted on both sides pointing straight ahead.

"The Mobil Luftforsvarkøretøj 90 is a true marksman in terms of shooting down enemy aerial assets, providing a small envelope that protects tanks from the threat above"

"If I'm getting this right..." Hark muttered "...They're capable of shooting down wyverns?"

"It seems so" the Esterrian Prime Minister replied "The question is however, how effective is it really when it comes to that?"

The smaller guns were the catalyst for the doubts surrounding the Marksmen. Unless there was something that could help, the effectiveness of this specific vehicle type is questionable in its intended role. But then again, much of the info regarding Flashia is unknown to them, so no one would jump into conclusion here.

What is definitely for sure though, is that the spotlight would once again be passed to the next vehicle on the line. It's the exact same one of the Pansartransporter K, but this time with a big dome on top of its he- turret.

"The Mobil Luftforsvarkøretøj 97 is the Pansarjæger's equivalent of the Marksman. As the anti-air variant of the 92 K, this kind of vehicle is just as capable of shooting down air targets with the gun coming a full circle from anti-air to infantry fighting vehicle gun then back to anti-air again"

"Huh, so the gun was originally built to kill wyverns..." Gessel mumbled to himself.

The dome especially stood out for the Esterrian group as they wondered what purpose it serves being mounted on this vehicle. They tried guessing what it would do for the vehicle, and they came up with... nothing.

They could not come up with a logical conclusion as to what it is simply because the design itself is too vague.

While it seems like the big guns has passed with the smaller ones being highlighted, they soon find themselves wrong as the next vehicle had an even bigger cannon.

"Oh gods..." the Queen was very much shocked "How do they keep getting away with having such a thing?"

The cannon is complemented by a relatively big turret and is secured by a suspender built onto the hull of whatever this is, and just looking at it would put any other cannons in Gestrae to shame. It still seems retains the overall size of the Pansars, although this time the total number of wheels on the ground would be reduced to 12, bizzarely enough.

"The Pansarartilleri 10 hailing from Kawagrzmotia can be described as an amalgamation of different systems built into one. And it's an amalgamation that hits hard as it provides a very effective indirect fire support for the frontlines"

The Esterrians could only stare in awe at the self-propelled artillery systems.

"I-Indirect fire?" muttered Hark "Like they can strike targets from faraway without seeing them?"

"Providing that they do have another pair of eyes somewhere there..." replied the Prime Minister "I... suppose so..."

The artillery would gradually crawl past to make way for a formation of trucks with each 2 lines pulling different types of artillery system behind them.

All of those have one thing in common, and that is their size, which is the same as each other. However, most notably the one at the rear seems to possess a very long profile.

"I'm guessing that these are lighter and towed version of these guns?" questioned Gessel.

Other than that though, there isn't really much to say about them, not even the trucks themselves as it's pretty much normal for certain Flash vehicles to have 6 or more wheels at this point, though it's still quite impressive.

The parade would go on with a more conventional type of vehicle... in terms of the number of wheels, everything else isn't. The vehicles here seem to resemble more like horses made out of steel owing to its small size and how the operator is getting it to run.

Speaking of the operators, for each vehicle, there are 2 men in the same kind of green pattern used in their military with gears on including body armor, pouches and helmet, although the latter actually partially covers the ears unlike the one used by the Cavalry unit.

One would obviously be riding the iron horses while the other faces directly behind holding the service rifle.

"The All-Terrain Vehicles, ATV for short are one of the most important asset that the Motoriseretjæger in terms of reconnaissance duty. Their small size mean they can navigate through tight spots whilst still being able to nimbly retreat"

"It seems that these ATV are very mobile no?" Laurie commented.

"Possibly so, indeed" Hark would answer the mage.

"I just wonder how do they actually perform though..." muttered Marie III.

After the march of the ATVs, a singular military police car with the blue lights on would be tailing them, followed by the foot march of a lot of flags of Flashia that would finally conclude the ground march.

It's still has not ended just yet though, with a buzzing sound being heard from the skies. And when they looked up, they immediately met the sight of the grey iron wyverns flying in formation.

[BGM: Tivoli Polka (Referred to by different name in-lore)]

"The PC-21 may not be the aircraft that one would think of when it comes to the Luftforsvar. Nonetheless, it holds a vital role as an aircraft that future fighter pilot trains on on top of also being an asset for close air support"

As it turned out, the airshow has continued with the buzzing trainer aircraft adorning the red roundel and a white cross taking the initative. With not much to say and more into appreciating the overall aesthetic of the aircraft, although it is still striking that they have something that the 2 strongest superpowers have, they would fly past the ground.

At this point, another type of aircraft would enter the scene, this time giving off a constant roar that gets louder and louder as it approaches closer and closer.

"The L-39 Albatros we are seeing here is similar to the PC-21 in the sense that it trains the fighter pilot of the future. The difference is that it's jet-powered and faster"

The Queen in her teenage subconsciously twitched in shock with her eyes widened.

"J-J-Jets?" she muttered "D-Did I hear it right?"

"You are not mistaken Your Majesty" replied Gessel "They are indeed, jets as bizzare as it seems"

This world of magic has jet aircrafts being introduced by the world superpower recently, so the concept is not that strange for them. What is very much peculiar however, is that another country, not to mention one that lies outside the Civilized Regions.

Fighter jets were seen as would be valuable on the current battlefield of the Havenklein War, but owing to the nature of the jets and situation between them and the Kingdoms Union, the Commonwealth's chance of getting one is zero.

However, this changed everything. With the fact their new ally possesses jets of their own now known, they inched closer to procure one. Even if they don't, they were sure that they will win the war against those who are against the abolition.

For now though, the royal group would marvel upon the jet trainers as they flew above them. To see one in their own eyes is quite an experience to remember.

"...It sounds... scarier than I anticipated..." the Queen mumbled

And following after the Albatros was another formation of a different type of the roaring jets in white. Gessel squinted his eyes in response to them entering his visual.

"...Are those...?" he quietly wonders to himself.

The incident before Flash peaceful trip to Esterria still lingers in the minds of those who were there to see it, most notably, the roaring dragon with the wings not flapping at all.

Although it was going too fast to be made out in detail, its silhouette blurred by the limitation of the eyes, the Prime Minister's mind clicked, somehow recognizing them as the same kind that did a round above Einskirka much to the fear and confusion amongst the populace.

"The F/A-18 Hornet is the right arm of the Navy's Air Service, getting its designation from the roles it can take on without sacrificing the other capabilities, that being fighter and attack and the nickname from the simple fact that it stings hard"

"So it can strike ground and achieve air supremacy at the same time?" the Esterrian mage inquired.

"It can do those at once?" the Queen joined in "...If that's true, that means they could change the tide of the war in a blink of an eye, is that right Mr. Kiel?"

Marie would turn to the Prime Minister who stood stunned at the fighter jet. Slightly annoyed, she would bump into his arm.

"Huh?" Gessel would snap out of it "...Oh, right Your Majesty..."

The Esterrian head-of-government would the resume on observing the Hornet flyby.

'Could it be their navy actually paid us a visit not once, but twice?' he thought to himself.

With the show still going on, the wasps would also have to make way for another formation. Like the Hornets, it's in white, unlike the Hornets, it only has one vertical stabilizer and a seemingly reversed placement of the wings on the body if one could call it that, making it an eye-catcher for the fives.

"Despite the ongoing rivalry, it's the Gladahjulish Gripen that would protect the clouds above Tilenogtyve. Born as a fighter, attack, and reconnaissance aircraft, hence JAS-39, this aircraft is the mainstay of the Luftforsvar featuring a low maintenance requirement while still being effective as a weapon of the skies"

Ignoring the mentioned rivalry for a bit, they could not believe what they have heard. Fighter jets, even by those who barely knows anything about military are widely considered a delicate piece of equipment, so the claim of not requiring that much in terms of maintenance is outlandish to say the least.

"I do not know about you..." Velstra spoke up "But this is just simply getting ridiculous..."

Nonetheless, it is still noteworthy as with the other jets that have made their own appearance, perhaps even more so with the more unconventional wing layout.

With the jets went by, it was time for a more conventional bird in black.

"The F-15E Strike Eagle is the more recent iteration of the great Eagles that reigned the skies in multiple continents across the world we used to know. Whether it is only armed with a bomb or the target being in outer space, nothing could be safe from being its prey"

"Outer space...?" Laurie muttered.

Pretty much every Esterrian present here is baffled about what outer space even is, but still the message is clear, even though it sounds rather absurd.

"A bomb shooting down something that flies? Impossible!" Hark retorted.

To be fair to them though, the new world has never seen a pegasus getting shot down by a bomb falling right smack into it somewhere in the desert.

The ongoing airshow would then proceed to pass the spotlight to another kind of aircraft, this time it's back to the turboprops and this time, it comes in 3 instead of the number of 5 the previous formations took. On top of these turboprops is what seems to be a bar of some sort serving an unknown purpose...

"The S 100 Argus can be seen as the all-seeing eye of the Luftforsvar. With the radar mounted on top, it can see multiple targets from far away in a wide area and relay that information to friendly units"

"What kind of magic would make this possible?" questioned Velstra.

"I've heard about Magic Invisible Light-Emitting Detector" answered the Prime Minister "It could be what that bar is"

Magic Invisible Light-Emitting Detector is an ancient tech revived by recent efforts of the world superpower. It differs from the normal Magic Detector is that it can also pick up non-magic signature.

"I still do not believe that Flashia has such a tech though" Hark added.

"You never know, there's always a possibility..."

After the Argus had buzzed past the ground, a moment of quietness were allowed for a period of time before the sound of the high-pitched roar resumes once more.

9 aircrafts adorning a paint job of dark red and a white cross similar to one of the flags seen before. The aircraft here seems be different in design from all other jets here as well.



And they're discharging smoke in 2 different colors: the lighter shade of red and white in such a way it would resembled the flag of Flashia as a whole if it was of pale structure instead of bend that it takes form of.

The Esterrians could only gaze upon the spectacular scene without saying a word.

"The F-16 Fighting Falcons were the fighter jets that were donated to our forces during the Reunification Wars, and although there is not that many left in the Luftforsvar's inventory, history has not forget its contribution, and its legacy to lives on with the Flying Vikings of Tilenogtyve"

They could not fanthom to speak a word, as they continued to look in amazement to the closing sequence of the parade.

"...We really found gold with this republic..." Marie mumbled to herself.

...

"Okay, so it's probably going to be around 6k for this" - me before going overboard and write more than 8k instead

*Marine (Def form: Marinen): Tilenogtyvean, Ageværan and Gladahjulish (Swedish) name for the Flash Navy. **In Dutch (Esterrian), the ij is a digraph for the dipthong which is pronounced like 'ei', as in "Ei, jumalauta!" ("No, goddamnit!" in Finnish) and Raiden Ei. ***Under Prussian doctrine, light infantry do not goosestep, which btw is why the Bundeswehr doesn't do the 'Paradeschritt' (as they define themselves as such) outside a certain military band.

(21/6/2024): Replaced the Sea Stallions with Merlins.