Chapter 35: The Impression
The dreadnought’s roar still echoed in the minds of those who had witnessed it.
The Gulf of Valencia, once tranquil and overlooked, now bore the smoking crater of an island that no longer existed. The uninhabited islet—Cala Negra—had been reduced to flaming debris in under three salvos. Aragon’s naval flagship, Santo Dominio, had done in ten minutes what it once took fleets hours to achieve.
Foreign observers had stood aboard escort vessels and smaller cruisers during the demonstration. Now, just two days later, their dispatches had reached the capitals of Europe—and the world had begun to panic.
Inside the War Office in Madrid, Alicia laid out a stack of telegrams on the strategy table.
"Londale, Glanzburg, New Vienna, and even Orosk have all sent follow-up queries," she reported. "They want to confirm what they saw. Or, more likely, they hope it wasn’t real."
Regent Lancelot remained seated at the head of the table, arms folded, brows knitted in thought. Around him, the senior ministers and military officials of the realm had gathered again—General Montiel, Minister Vellasco, Admiral Tormes, and Mirena d’Aurelion herself.
The Admiral, once known for his disdain of Lancelot’s early naval policies, now stood silent in awe of what had become reality. He had been aboard Santo Dominio during the trial. He had felt the deck lurch, had watched the elevation motors align with mathematical precision, had listened to the bellow of each 305mm gun as it fired with mechanical grace. The admiral’s pride was now genuine—his dread had only grown in the aftermath.
"They never believed we’d leap this far ahead," he muttered. "The Britannians still talk about triple-expansion steam engines as if they’re miracles. And the Francois..." He shook his head. "They thought their coastal batteries were enough."
"They’re not," Lancelot said firmly. "Not anymore."
Mirena leaned over the table, adjusting her spectacles. "We used a modified cordite mixture for the powder bags. Maximum velocity per shell: 820 meters per second. Armor penetration test on steel plating was... devastating."
"Distance to target was?" Vellasco asked.