GATE

Thus the JSDF Fought There!

(ゲート 自衛隊 彼の地にて、斯く戦えり)
Volume 08
All Out Attack
(2nd half)
Takumi Yanai
(丸山くがね)

Story Description:
When a portal from another world appears in Ginza, Tokyo, a legion
of soldiers and monsters emerge to attack the city. Thanks to their far
more advanced weaponry and tactics, the Japan Self-Defense Forces
(JSDF) easily repels the enemy, passes through the gate and establish
a forward base of operations to force the Roman-styled empire of the
other world to open peace negotiations. Yōji Itami is a JSDF officer
sent to investigate the other world, where magic, dragons and elves
are real, using his knowledge of fantasy stories to make his way in
this new environment.

Original Story can be found here: Link

Chapter 5
Night fell as the sun set.
The reed-like plants had their roots in the river and rose to roughly a
man’s height from the surface of the water. Imperial troops stared at
them from their boats, paying attention to the rippling and splashing of
water.
They reached out with their torches, seeking to shed the light of their
torches on whatever was drawing near. But the lotus-like plants were like
a curtain that prevented the light from spreading too far.
On a moonless night, the light of the torches made the piled-up weeds
and sedge grass that surrounded the fortress even more visible. It was not
uncommon to see these things clumped up everywhere, thanks to the
current. For that reason, the troops could not study them for too long.
“Oi, let’s go.”
In response to the somewhat impatient voice of his comrade, the
Imperial trooper said, “I want to take a closer look, hang on…”
He leaned out from the boat, studying the darkened bank opposite him.
“Must have been a fish jumping, right?’
“Too loud for that.”
“So it was a big fish. If we stop every time we hear a splash, we’ll be
patrolling forever. Plus, there’s alarms strung up around here. If we set
them off by accident, we’ll never hear the end of it from the vets.”
The fact was, whenever a patrol boat touched the alarm triplines, the
soldiers had to waste their time falling in.
If they only did it once or twice, they could be forgiven for simply being
diligent. More than that and the excuse would not hold up. In addition,
this was the middle of the night. Anyone woken up for a false alarm
certainly have something along the lines of “Who’s that stupid
motherfucker who set the alarm off” for whichever luckless friendly had
done it.
Life in the military could be very complex. It did not pay to have the
veterans’ eye on you, or perish the thought, their anger.
The Imperial soldier paused to think, and nodded to his comrade before
turning away.
“Alright, let’s go.”
And so, the patrol boat with Imperial soldiers aboard continued to their
next patrol waypoint.
Are they gone?
Kenzaki poked his head above the water’s surface, and gestured to the
pile of weeds in front of him.
At a closer look, said pile of plant matter was actually a well-
camouflaged face belonging to Matoi, painted in shades of dark and light
green. The only clue that it was actually a face was the two white eyeballs
within it.
Matoi scanned the area around him, and gave a confirmation signal.
“That was close.”
After patting his chest in relief, Kenzaki returned to his work near the
barricades.
In truth, taking care of the triplines around them was not difficult.
Neutralizing them followed the same principles as silencing a tin-can
telephone; in other words, one had to hold the vibrating string in place.
Specifically, they would embed a bamboo rod into the riverbed and then
run the tripline on top of it. After that, they could cut through critical
parts of the alarm network. However, his hand had slipped and the rope
had fallen into the water. That sound was what the Imperial troops had
heard.
After verifying that the patrol boat was sufficiently far away, Kenzaki
continued sawing through the palisade.
 Fortunately, sufficiently waterlogged wood made hardly any sound when
sawn through. Before long, he had cut through one of the logs that
formed the palisade.
Still, the hole he had opened was only 30 centimeters across. In order
for Kenzaki and the others to pass through in full battle gear, they would
need to cut through another log, forming an aperture of 60 centimeters.
Kenzaki continued his work, and cut through another log.
He pasted a pale green fluorescent sticker on the parts of the barricade
he had sawn through to mark it.
Everyone was in camouflage uniform, and their bush hats dripped with
water. The M4 carbines they carried were not standard issue in the JSDF.
Some of them did not carry guns, but bows instead.
Finally, Kenzaki surveyed his surroundings warily before giving Matoi
the signal and moving in.
Matoi — who was tasked to stay behind — returned to his rubber dinghy
hidden among the lotuses. After that, he peered through the night sight
of his 50 BMG rifle and observed Kenzaki and the others as they
advanced.
***
“Be more careful! Check out any movements you notice!” Centurion
Borhos, Primus Pilus of the Imperial Army, bellowed at tonight’s sentries
lined up before him.
“Even the sound of fish jumping out of water?”
“That’s right. You will root out and capture any fish who try to disturb
us with all your hearts and souls.”
Perhaps they thought it was a joke, so the men laughed. However:
“What’s so damn funny? Huh?”
Borhos glared angrily at his men, his serious expression unmoved.
The laughter stopped immediately. Then, one of the new soldiers
nervously raised his hand and said. “Commander… there’s something
that’s been bothering me.”
“What is it?”
“I just came back from patrol.”
“And? Speak up, Trooper Terry.”
“There’s something I want to show you.”
What the young man showed the centurion was a stick connected to a
tripline. Several other lines trailed into the river from there. Terry
brought his torch near one of them, and told Borhos to take a closer look.
“And what’s the problem here?”
“The day before yesterday, I was tightening the lines so as not to get the
alarms wet, so…”
“At a closer look, one of the lines was loose, and the part of the web it
was secured to had sunk into the water.”
“I see.”
“At first, I thought it might have come loose over a couple of nights, but
it would seem the same thing happened to other triplines. That was
pretty weird, and it stuck with me.”
“When did you discover this?”
“Just now.”
“Good. Well done.”
Borhos patted Terry on the shoulder in praise.
“Assemble all the duty sentries! The enemy has entered our perimeter!
Notify the commander right now! This is an emergency!”
***
Much like the waterside, the sandbars were covered in man-height
vegetation. Hidden among them was Oshino, peering through his night
vision optics. He flashed a signal behind him to let the others know he
had spotted the objective.
“There… Major Izumo, over there. The cage in the central plaza.”
“There” was a place roughly 200 meters from where Izumo was hidden.
The cage was in the center of the plaza.
Still wearing his night vision gear, Izumo produced a laminated picture
from safekeeping, using an infrared torch to verify the target’s identity
before looking at the cage again.
“Cheh, I can’t see his face.”
The captured man lay down in the wooden cage. He seemed to be
sleeping, and his knees covered his face, so they could not confirm his
facial appearance.
“What should we do?”
“Stick to the plan. We assault after verifying that’s our man. Until then,
we wait.”
“Still, if he’s sleeping, then he won’t lift his head until dawn. It’ll be
light by the time he wakes up.”
“Our objective is to rescue the kidnap victim. Do you honestly think we
can do something embarrassing like extracting a fake? We only have one
chance to verify him, so take care.”
A tall team member peered out from behind Izumo.
“Boss. You basically need to wake up that guy, right?”
It was Delilah.
She was dressed in camouflage fatigues and disguised in the same way
the rest of the team was. After covering up her ears with a bush hat, she
was almost indistinguishable from the rest of the men. That said, the
curves of her body betrayed her femininity. After all, no man had such an
ample bosom or slender waist.
“Do you have something in mind, Delilah?”
Delilah produced a fish sausage from between her cleavage. She bit
open the top, and then stood up like it was the easiest thing in the world.
“Leave it to me. If it’s going over there and waking him…”
“You can’t do that. Hang on, wait, hang on.”
Izumo and the others frantically tried to stop Delilah, who had already
gotten to her feet.
Delilah was good enough that she could operate alongside the Special
Forces Group. Her movements, alertness, awareness, enemy-tracking
ability, close combat proficiency and other skills were superior to that of
any man in the SFG. While she only used the bow and the sword, the need
for noise discipline made them superior to firearms in the present
circumstances.
Unfortunately, she had a fatal flaw.
That was to say, she did not fully consider the consequences of taking
action. She had not acted independently, so there had been no problems
there, but in contrast that implied that someone had to keep an eye on
her and micromanage her.
“We have to hole up here. If we get close, we’ll end up as the proverbial
fish in the barrel.”
(TL Note: the CN proverb is 瓮中之鳖. There’s a story behind it, go
Google it)
“That’s right. You need to worry a little more about your own safety.”
Kenzaki and Oshino scolded her for her carelessness. As Oshino had
said, Delilah paid little heed to her personal safety. However, Delilah
seemed to have something to say, and puffed up her cheeks even as she
munched on the sausage.
“Still, didn’t we come here to rescue that person? We won’t do that by
sitting on our butts here.”
Izumo lightly patted Delilah on the shoulder.
“That’s true. But charging in recklessly is a one-way trip. We can only
take action once we’re sure that person is Matsui-shi. Until then, we have
to be careful. Got it?’
“So that means it’ll be fine as long as I go, right?”
“Are you kidding me? ‘We’ includes you as well.”
“R-really? So I’m everyone’s comrade?”
“That’s how I see it, but do you think otherwise?”
Izumo nodded, followed by Kenzaki and the others. Delilah bowed her
head and quietly replied, “I’m sorry. I didn’t see it that way earlier. I get it
now. So as long as I don’t get close to him but wake him up, it’ll be fine?”
“That’s right. Well, as long as you can do it.”
With that, Delilah withdrew an arrow from her quiver. She did
something to the tip, and then nocked it to the bowstring.
“Oi, oi, what are you doing?”
“Taking off the arrowhead. That way, he’ll wake up once I poke him.”
As Delilah explained her actions, she drew the string back.
So that’s it… seems a little rough, but for all we know, it might actually
work.
Izumo studied the target through his night vision optics as he directed
Delilah.
“Don’t hit the head. That’ll make a high-pitched noise.”
“Got it. I’ll aim for the shoulder or waist.”
Warrior Bunnies did not need night vision equipment to find their
targets in the dark, probably because their innate night vision was very
good. Then there was their enviable arm strength, which could easily
draw a bow to hit a target within 200 meters.
Before long, Delilah had spotted her target. She held her breath for a
moment, and then the bowstring twanged, sending an arrow forth.
A muffled impact rang out from the distance.
The sleeping male lifted his head in surprise, rubbing his sore shoulder
and looking around fearfully in an attempt to figure out what was going
on. As he saw that face, Izumo was certain.
“Umu, that’s right. He’s Matsui Fuyuki-shi.”
His hair was messy and his face was frail. His looks had changed
dramatically, but they still fit the image of “what he would look like after
being thrown into a cruel environment”.
The members of the SFG rose as one.
Advance and secure the objective. That was their aim. However, Delilah
gestured for them to “wait”, which made them halt.
Though they had their doubts, they went to one knee again. They warily
formed an all-round defense, covering their arcs of fire with their
weapons as they waited for instructions.
Before long, they saw the reason why Delilah had halted them.
Soldiers bearing torches suddenly appeared, reinforcing the security
around the cage.
In addition, they began deploying numerous smaller search parties,
which started investigating the area around the plaza. If this kept up, the
riverside where they were hiding would soon fall under their search
radius.
“This is bad,” Izumo sighed as he realised they were being pushed
towards a dead end.
“No need to worry so much. Time to assault,” Utsuta whispered.
Oshino replied, “That’s not all of them. If it’s just us falling back we
could assault, but don’t forget the hostage.”
“That’s right. Dammit,” Utsuta muttered.
“What should we do?” Kenzaki and Imawano asked as they looked
toward Izumo.
“Observe first. Why did all these guys pop up at once? I want to find
out… Delilah. Listen to them.”
 “Understood.”
With that, Delilah took off her bush hat and closed her eyes, her bunny
ears standing up.
Her keen sense of hearing picked up the conversation Izumo and the
others could not hear.
“Centurion Borhos, the men have been assembled.”
“Good. Once in position, begin a thorough sweep of the vicinity. Do you
understand?”
Without Delilah’s acute hearing, Izumo and the others observed the
enemy’s movements through their night vision optics.
Delilah told them what the soldiers in the monochrome images were
saying, and so they learned about the enemy’s situation.
Soon, a bulky man who did not look like a common soldier emerged, and
began speaking to the man who looked like the leader.
“What are you all doing up so late, Primus Pilus?”
The man speaking was probably a high-ranked official. The Centurion
took on a keen bearing and replied, “Sir, we have detected signs of enemy
intrusion and we are tightening our security, Godasen-kakka.”
“-Kakka?” Oshino asked.
“Might be command staff,” Izumo muttered.
“Signs of intrusion, you say. Were you the one who discovered them?”
“Yes, sir. Trooper Terry reported when he found something amiss with
the triplines. I verified the abnormality myself and concluded that it was
a sign of enemy infiltration.”
“Are you stupid?”
“Have I erred in judgement, sir? My responsibility should have been to
stay watchful against enemy infiltration and capture or destroy the
enemy.”
“Have you fished before?”
 “I am a soldier, sir. I have not indulged myself in childish games like
fishing.”
“You son of a bitch, are you trying to pick a fight with all the people of
Japan who love fishing?!”
Oshino seemed quite upset, possibly because fishing was his hobby.
“I thought you would feel that way. You see, I like fishing, In particular,
I like bait fishing. I delight in seeing the fish flop around helplessly on
the hook when they’re caught. I like it so much that I often consider what
sort of bait I should use to trick the fishies. Well, that’s about how good
my skills are. To me, you’re making an amateur mistake. You place the
bait on the hook and release it into the water. Then, the fish nibbles at it.
Amateurs will immediately pull the rod up impatiently.”
“Sir, you feel that my decision is comparable to such a course of action?’
“Indeed. With such tight security, won’t the enemy slip off the hook?”
“I feel that it would be better to cast a net once we know there are fish
in the pond.”
“With normal enemies, that would work. However, we face a foe with
sharp teeth that can chew through a net. Thus, your men are now in
extreme danger.”
“Then what should we do?”
“Call your men off for now. Do not put anyone around this cage. Wait
for the fish to near the bait, and when the enemy swallows it, raise the
rod in one go. If you understand, go change your troop assignments. Do so
now!”
The gathered men were issued orders to disperse.
“Alright, get lost!”
After being given these dismissive orders, the fired-up men soon lost
their drive and began grumbling. Some returned to their barracks while
others returned to their original posts.
“Sorry, it was too noisy so I couldn’t make the rest out.”
 “Ahhh, it’s fine. You were a great help.”
With that, Izumo put Delilah’s bush hat back on her head, at the same
time head patting her as a reward. He was not very gentle, which made
her pout, but she still smiled shyly and looked away.
“Then, what should we do next?”
Izumo looked around for opinions. Kenzaki replied:
“All we can do is stick to the plan and perform a split assault, right?
Team Two will launch a feint while Team One rescues the target. If we
execute it well, we’ll be able to retreat successfully.”
Oshino, Utsuta and Imawano concurred.
Now that time was limited, they had no other choice. However, Izumo
did not think that plan would work. The reason was because he had seen
how the enemy commander looked. The man looked very impressive and
fighting him would result in a lot of casualties. Izumo’s instincts told him
that more than half of the fourteen people here would not make it back
alive.
Of course, that was not a problem. Each of them here was prepared to
make the ultimate sacrifice. However, Izumo felt that any operation
which assumed the loss of any of his men was a form of negligence on his
part. Success achieved by luck, the will of the men and sacrifice could
hardly be considered a success.
Izumo suddenly recalled a subordinate from a past training exercise,
similar to this one. Unlike all his colleagues who had failed and died, he
was the only one who had managed to save the hostage.
If he used the strategy that man had employed, it might work.
However...
“Still, even so…”
He was highly averse to copying the actions of that man. After all, what
that man had done transcended the boundaries of mere cunning and
veered squarely into the realm of the despicable. No right-minded person
would ever be able to do such a thing.
However, if he had to go up against a commander like that, such a
morally repellent tactic might be the only way to overcome this situation.
If it succeeded, they might be able to retreat without loses. If it failed,
they could always fall back to the assault plan.
He felt it was worth giving it a go.
“There’s something I want to try.”
Izumo laid the plan out to the others. As he had expected, they all
seemed reluctant to consider it.
“I hate fishing!”
After receiving Godasen’s orders, Borhos had dispersed his men from
the plaza. However, with the night ending and the sky starting to light up,
he found it difficult to continue waiting. Unable to contain his
impatience, he paced back and forth, looking toward the bait in the cage,
then turning in place like a bear. This cycle repeated itself over and over
again.
Given his tension, the expected response was, “You’re not suited for
fishing, you should give it up.” Even a newcomer knew that no matter
how many lures one put down, one would not catch anything if one paced
around them.
“If you asked me what I hate most, I’d reply that it would be bait
fishing! I can’t understand how he can calmly say things like that!
Doesn’t he feel sorry for the fish? They’re surely thinking ‘Mmm, that
looks yummy, looks interesting’ when they go for the bait, but turns out
there’s nothing there! It’s a con! A sham! It’s too much! And then instead
they find a hook waiting for them! Does he have any idea of the depths of
despair they’re being plunged into?!”
Borhos cursed like he had been a fish in a past life. He passionately
declaimed the feelings of the miserable fish on the hook to his men.
“The enemy should have infiltrated this place after dark. Is that right?”
 Upon hearing that, Trooper Terry nodded while the rest of him
remained ramrod straight.
“Yes, sir.”
“And we’re waiting for the enemy to take the bait, am I correct?”
“Yes, that’s right, Centurion.”
“Then why hasn’t the enemy shown up? When the sun comes up, they
won’t be able to escape under cover of darkness. Is the enemy really that
stupid? Could it be that they’re a bunch of cowards who came all this
way here to gaze admiringly upon the bait in the cage? To think even the
Commander would make an error in judgement!”
The soldiers who had to bear the Primus Pilus’ wrath looked unhappy,
but all they could do was suffer in silence.
“That would be a mistake, Centurion.”
There was an unexpected response to Borhos’ furious ranting. It was
Godasen’s voice.
“The enemy is far more cunning than we expected.”
“Commander-kakka?!”
When they turned to look, they saw that Godasen was surrounded by a
group of men in speckled green uniforms, in front of the others.
His hands were tied and a sword blade pressed deeply into his throat.
Godasen shifted forward uneasily, as though being forced by the person
behind hmn.
At a closer look, the reason why he could only shuffle forward was
because his ankles had been tied together, probably to keep him from
fleeing.
Borhos and the soldiers advanced, pointing at them and shouting:
“You filthy, despicable bastards! Have you no shame?!”
“Well, we haven’t bathed or changed since last night, so filthy would be
appropriate. Sorry about that.”
 With that, Izumo indicated that they should make a path.
“If you want your commander to keep his life, then please release my
countryman in the cage to us.”
The Imperial troops shrank back as they heard the threat, but Borhos
stood resolute and shook his head.
“Fat hope!”
“Then your commander’s chances will be slim indeed.”
“Borhos! Save me!” Godasen shouted.
However, the centurion replied, “Your Excellency, a moment please.”
Then, he continued his threat: “If you dare kill the Commander, I’ll have
you hacked to pieces!”
As if to prove the truth of his words, the soldiers around them
simultaneously nocked and drew their bows.
Looking around, there were more archers or crossbowmen than
infantrymen with sword and shield. A closer look revealed many catapults
and ballistas waiting in the wings.
It would seem the Imperial Army had gained much experience in the
running battles with Japan. Primitive weapons could still be a threat in
great numbers. In all likelihood, the Japanese would not be able to
achieve overwhelming victory like before if they attempted an assault.
Izumo strove to mimic the thoughts and tone of his ex-subordinate and
told the enemy:
“Well, being hacked to pieces just won’t do, so we’ll guarantee that we
won’t take his life.”
Still, he felt that it was not a good imitation. It was too hard to copy
Itami, after all.
“Good man. Looks like you have some sense. Then, let his Excellency go
and surrender. If you do that, we won’t kill you. You’ll be treated better
too.”
 Izumo desperately wanted to give the Imperial commander an honest
answer, but if he did that, negotiations would immediately break down.
He had to give the impression that there was still room to negotiate,
while blustering off the other side’s demands as though he did not care
about the danger he was in.
What should he do now? How should he think, how would he answer?
That man would surely mess up the tense atmosphere with his playful
attitude.
Izumo struggled to recall Itami’s words and deeds.
“Well, that would be a pain, No, no, if that happened, we wouldn’t be
able to finish our mission.”
“Forget your mission, then. We’ve stationed an entire legion at Tanska
to capture you. Currently, they’re converging on this location.
That much was true. The troops were pouring in from all directions.
Izumo and the others were trapped like rats in a cage. The situation was
getting worse and worse.
“Alright, so what will you do?”
“How about this? We’ll give a bit of the Commander-kakka back to
you.”
In the past…
The scenario in that exercise was to recover a hostage being held by 50
SFG troopers.
Izumo and the others racked their brains and attempted a rescue, but
since it was an exercise, the opposition knew when the attack would
come. Thus, it was very difficult to surprise them.
The electronic tones indicating the deaths of his team members rang
out continuously from their simulator gear, informing Izumo of the
unshakeable reality of their defeat. The training instructors chalked this
up to the operational conditions, saying, “How could anyone launch an
actual surprise attack during a training exercise?”
 However, Itami had pointed his gun at the SFG commander who had
come to inspect the training exercise and taken him hostage, then
requested an exchange of hostages.
“Release the hostage, or I won’t be able to guarantee this man’s safety.”
Of course, they could not accept such a request. The OPFOR team
commander ignored Itami’s request. It was training, after all. Even if
Itami said he would harm the hostage, the fact was that he could not
carry it out. Thus, they disregarded him.
And then, before the eyes of the SFG members, Itami proceeded to
cruelly pluck the remaining strands of the SFG commander’s hair one
after the other. Everyone knew how much the Commander cared about
his ever-dwindling hair, how he bought expensive hair-growth tonics and
tended it carefully. They knew that a gentleman would not go anywhere
near it.
Yet, Itami was the opposite. JGSDF safety standards were extremely
high and the actions that could be taken in training were very limited.
Since the SFG had been chosen from the larger body of regular
servicemen, there was no way they could not have known that. They were
already pigeonholed into the mindset of “This is training”. Thus, what
Itami had come up with was to launch a surprise attack on that mindset.
As they witnessed his cruel actions, the SFG members grit their teeth in
resentment and anger, on the verge of crying out in despair. “Here, I’ll
give you back a bit of him.” When presented with a few strands of hair,
the OPFOR commander’s face was a picture of utmost misery. Thus,
crushed by the thought of “did he have to go that far” and driven by the
desire to protect the thinning strands of their commander’s hair, the
OPFOR had no choice but to accede to Itami’s request.
Of course, the umpires ruled that his attempt was “successful”. Because
of that, the commanders and even the men underwent a change in
mindset. The most important thing now was, “We are the SFG. Nothing is
true, everything is permitted.”
Itami, the man responsible for this, received both a commendation and
“special considerations” from the SFG commander… in other words, he
was forcibly enrolled in a series of comprehensive long-term training
courses from which he could not possibly escape.
Izumo and the others had not copied his methods exactly. This was
because plucking a few strands of their hostage’s hair would not make
much of a difference. Still, that was one way of doing it.
It was for that reason that Itami’s actions had been deemed “effective”,
even though they had raised much debate around them.
“A bit? What did you say, a bit?!” Borhos was confused by what those
words meant.
“Now, which finger would be best?”
Delilah’s tone was sunny and cheerful as she directed that question to
Godasen. Shocked, Godasen practically shrieked at the Warrior Bunny
holding a sword on him: “What, what are you doing? What are you going
to do to me?”
Delilah’s eyes narrowed, and she asked:
“I was asking which finger you could do without. Hurry up. If you don’t
decide soon, I’ll start by chopping off your right thumb.”
“Stop, please stop! Please!”
“Well, if you return the Japanese man to us, you won’t need to suffer.”
“Paul, Borhos, save me!”
A bitter expression came over the Primus Pilus’ face as he replied:
“Your Excellency, please bear with this. We can’t fall for their scheme!”
“Look, he’s telling you to bear with it. Well then, pick a finger.”
“But, but why? Please, save me, I’m begging you! I’ll give you the bait,
just stop!”
“Well, let’s start with your right thumb, then~”
With that, Delilah pressed the edge of her sword to Godasen’s right
thumb.
 “I, I’m right-handed. At the very least, start with my left ring finger!”
The fact that he did not pick the little finger was proof that he was a
quick thinker. When humans held bat-like objects, they used the little
finger to stabilize their grip. Losing the little finger was third only to
losing the thumb or index finger, and it would make life very difficult.
“Guwaaaaaaaaargh!”
So great was Godasen’s pain that the tears flowed freely. He screamed
like he was going to wear his throat out.
Delilah looked to Borhos. “See? We’ll return a bit to you,” and tossed a
slim white object out at him.
The object rolled to a halt before Borhos. As he took it in, he bellowed,
“What have you done, you bastards?!”
“Hey, you wanted him back, so we gave him back. Now, give us back our
countryman.”
“You savages! You barbarians!” the Imperial troops cried in unison.
Izumo and the others were bathed in a storm of invective. However,
Izumo nonchalantly continued:
“Looks like one wasn’t enough. How about a couple more?”
“Next will be your right ring finger, and then your left middle finger,
then your right middle finger, and then your right ear. Well, the ladies
won’t be falling for you anytime soon, but it’s better than being
inconvenienced in other ways, right…?”
Izumo and Delilah laid out the dangerous situation Godasen was in. The
combined terror and pain was too much for Godasen, and he passed out.
“Oh dear. I was hoping he would be able to walk under his own power.”
“Well, if we’re going to drag him, why not chop his legs off to save
weight?”
Hearing this, Borhos was at his wits’ end. Still, all he could do was
protect Godasen’s life.
 “So we’ll return this Japanese man’s finger to you as—”
Just as Trooper Terry moved to carry out Borhos’ orders, the hand
holding his sword was blown away and he collapsed to the ground.
The surrounding soldiers were spattered in his blood. They backed away
with terrified looks on their faces, because they realized that the Japanese
had not done anything. Looking around, they did not see any trace of the
enemy either. All they knew was that they had been attacked from a great
distance.
That was Matoi’s sniping. He had moved to a vantage point where he
could overlook the entire area and had been studying the situation as it
developed.
The Imperial soldiers made a path for Kenzaki, unwilling to fall under
the barrel of his M4 carbine.
“It can’t be helped. We can’t let the Commander-kakka be hurt any
further.”
Unable to think calmly and clearly and forced to a decision, Borhos
ordered his men to “let them pass” as a sweat cascaded down his back.
The SFG troopers clustered up as they approached the cage in the
center of the plaza.
The Imperial troops backed away from Izumo and the others, their
bows still nocked and drawn.
Once they reached the cage, Kenzaki and Oshino broke the lock and
addressed the man inside using Japanese.
“Are you Matsui Fuyuki-kun?”
“...Yes, I am,” came the Japanese reply.
There was no doubt that this was their objective. Now, all they had to
do was retreat. Just then, a new voice hailed Izumo and the others.
“Alright, men of Nihon. Put down your weapons and surrender!”
That voice belonged to Oprichnik Dulles.
 Dulles was wearing his elegantly-made kobold mask and cut an
impressive figure. He strode before Borhos as though he were the true
officer commanding here.
“The Commander-kakka is a man who values his public image. If he
knew you let them go like this, he would surely blame himself. The
responsibility for the failed operation will surely fall upon his shoulders.”
“So? What about it?”
“Do you not understand, Primus Pilus? We need to consider the
Commander’s feelings. In order to prevent his family and vassals from
being dispossessed and forced onto the streets, tell your men to disregard
everything and capture them!”
However, the soldiers glanced at Borhos, as though looking for
confirmation on whether or not to make a move.
Dulles grew impatient with the insubordinate soldiers and shouted,
“Seize these men! Did you not hear me?!”
However, the situation was far too prickly. As though mirroring the
men’s thoughts, Borhos replied: “Oprichnik Dulles. The Commander-
kakka distinctly begged us to ‘save me’.”
“You are mistaken!”
“No, I am not.”
“You seem to have misunderstood the Commander’s intentions. I am
certain Godasen-kakka would surely say ‘It’s alright, don’t worry about
me, just get them!’”
“No, no, I clearly heard ‘save me’.”
The soldiers nodded one after the other to indicate that they had heard
the same thing.
“Then, I order you once more — arrest these men!”
“We can’t do that.”
“Do you wish to be purged?”
 “Oprichnik-dono. I am the Commander’s subordinate.”
“But the Commander has become a hostage and has lost the ability to
make rational judgements. That said, I am now the highest-ranking
commander present.”
“I agree that the Commander can no longer think rationally. However,
the chain of command passes through him, and not through you,
Oprichnik-dono. When the commander is absent, authority falls to the
second-in-command. When the second-in-command has not yet arrived at
the scene, then the Primus Pilus becomes the commanding officer.”
The soldiers were hard-pressed to veil their discomfort at the power
struggle playing out before them.
Under normal circumstances, Borhos would be right. But anyone who
angered an Oprichnik might find themselves being purged. Rather than
get involved in the details, it was better to give in to the other party. One
could consider that a humanitarian reason. However, the Primus Pilus
was a stubborn man, and he could not adapt that well. He was not in the
habit of bowing and scraping to those in authority. His men considered it
both a strength and weakness of his, which was also why they approved
highly of him.
While all this was taking place, Izumo took advantage of the dispute to
order Kenzaki and Oshino to grab the kidnappee. They were preparing to
flee.
Borhos saw this and shouted, “Wait! Stop right there, you lot!” But he
was distracted by Dulles shouting “That’s enough, listen to me!”
Kenzaki and Oshino took this opportunity to escape the cage.
“Who gave you permission to flee?!”
“What? I figured that since you had forgotten about us, we could go
back.”
“I’ll deal with you after I settle this. Wait there until I’m done. Do you
hear me?!”
 Perhaps it was a habit of his, but Borhos ended up pointing his index
finger at Izumo and the others while he was speaking. Of course, none of
that constituted a reason for Izumo to stay, so they flatly denied him.
“Ahhh, well, to be honest, I don’t really have time for this, so I’ll make a
move first. As you can see, the kidnappee’s kind of frail. Then there’s the
bleeding from the Commander-kakka’s finger. We can’t stop it. He might
die if we don’t treat him.”
“What’s this? How could you disregard him like that! Stanch his
bleeding!”
“Well, we tried performing some first aid, but it’s not enough. That’s
what’s happening now, no?”
Delilah replied in a tone that was calculated to grate on his nerves.
Frustrated and angry, Borhos could only click his tongue loudly.
“I understand, it can’t be helped. If you guarantee you won’t harm the
Commander-kakka any further, I’ll let you pass to the main gates. Once
there, you will release the Commander-kakka at once!”
“Oi! Borhos! Do you know what you’re doing?”
“Please be quiet, Oprichnik-dono. This concerns the Commander-
kakka’s life.”
“You’re letting us proceed to the gates?”
Izumo looked like he was willing to agree to Borhos’ terms.
“Correct. We can concede that much. You will release the Commander-
kakka once you reach there. How about that?”
Dulles shook his head, unable to believe what he was hearing. Even if
the regional commander had been taken hostage, he could not help but
think of them as weak for actually negotiating with the enemy.
“It can’t be helped. If we don’t do something…”
He glanced to one of his men behind him.
Surprise flickered over the faces of Dulles’s men, but then they said,
“It’s our turn,” and drew back their bows. The bowstring creaked as it was
pulled taut, and they took aim in the direction of Izumo and his group.
“Alright, it’s a deal, then. We’ll clear a path for you to the main gates.
Oi, you lot, stand down. And then get the physician. We must treat the
Commander-kakka immediately once we recover him.”
After Borhos gestured, the soldiers moved in unison, like mechanical
dolls. In an instant, they had formed a corridor of men leading to the
main gates.
Izumo could not help but be impressed by their drilling and
coordination.
“They may be enemies, but they’re pretty damn good.”
As he had expected, this man was a dangerous foe. Anyone who could
direct his troops so well with a single order must have extraordinary
command ability.
However, as Izumo muttered to himself, a pair of arrows streaked
toward Godasen. Delilah immediately batted aside one of them with her
sword, but the other sank into the hostage’s chest.
The pain from the hit woke Godasen, and his cries of agony rang
through the plaza.
“Dammit! Go go go!”
Izumo and the others wasted no time in counterattacking. They threw
grenades into the Imperial army’s formations and blew apart the walls of
men. Smoke grenades went everywhere, instantly veiling the surroundings
in a heavy curtain of white smoke. The sounds of gunfire and explosions
flooded the plaza.
“Fall back! Fall back! Who, who loosed those arrows?!”
Borhos bellowed loudly as his men died one after the other, in order to
keep them from falling into chaos. The troops fled in all directions, as
though afraid of being enveloped by the smoke.
Elsewhere, the SFG troopers hiding in the smoke did not have it easy
either. Arrows flew from all directions and peppered Izumo and the
others.
Within moments, several men were on the ground.
“This is bad. But that means it’s my turn!”
The first person to react effectively was Delilah.
She used Godasen as a human shield, and did not flee, but charged into
the ranks of the Imperial infantry.
As the Warrior Bunny blitzed the Imperial battle-line, they could not
bring themselves to shoot at Godasen. That was all Delilah needed to
reach them. Unable to switch to their swords in time, they were cut down
one after the other by Delilah’s flashing blade.
“That stupid bunny! She charged in recklessly again!”
However, Izumo shouted, “Follow Delilah!”
The unwounded members assumed their formation, Utsuta leading the
way. He covered Kenzaki and the others, who were moving the wounded
SFG troopers and the kidnappee, and then they launched their own
assault.
Izumo might have called Delilah stupid, but she seemed to be having an
easier time surrounded by enemies. All she had to do was swing at
everything that moved. In contrast, the Imperial footsoldiers were having
a hard time. Delilah was surrounded by their own people, after all. They
hesitated in shooting, afraid to wound their comrades. Even if they hit
her, they could not hurt her severely. In the end, the Imperial losses
mounted.
And then, the SFG troopers were fighting as well. Their forward push
threw the Imperials into chaos and trapped them between a rock and a
hard place.
“At them! You will not retreat!”
Dulles bellowed at the soldiers and waved his sword from a safe
position.
 When thrown into confusion, the right decision would be to temporarily
fall back to regroup and restore order. However, Dulles was very angry at
his orders being overruled. He desperately tried to countermand Borhos’
orders to pull back, which only added to the chaos.
As Izumo watched this from afar, he picked up his radio handset.
“Archer, this is Caster. Are you enjoying the show from there? If you
can, put a few rounds downrange for me.”
His reply was a crisp “Roger”, and then it happened.
Dulles’s head — covered by a kobold mask — was suddenly gone.
There were no holes in it, nor had it split. It was simply that everything
above Dulles’s neck had vanished, pulverized into scraps and fragments
of flying meat and bone.
It had happened just as the angered Dulles was about to stab at Borhos.
The sheer impact of the event stole everyone’s eyes, and they froze in
place.
A direct hit from an anti-materiel sniper rifle’s 12.7mm rounds tended to
do that to human heads.
The decapitated man collapsed to the ground. Dyed red from the spray
of Dulles’s gore, Borhos’ mind briefly shut down. Only after wiping off the
face full of blood and looking down at his carmine hands did he realize
what had just happened.
He looked around. Then, he discovered Godasen’s body lying beside an
Imperial soldier, near an expended smoke grenade. He ran closer and
realized that although he had passed out, the arrow had only struck his
shoulder, so there was not much damage. The stump of Godasen’s finger
was bleeding, but his life was not in any immediate danger.
“Cheh. I fell for it, huh?”
“Centurion! The enemy’s fleeing! Should we pursue?”
After the men around him asked him that question, Borhos finally came
to his senses and gave his orders.
 “No need for that. We anticipated that something like this would
happen, so we had troops placed in ambush nearby. They never had a
chance to escape in the first place. Our priority now is to aid the
Commander-kakka.”
Borhos called out the nearby soldiers and ordered them to move
Godasen. Then he ordered: “Sound the bugles! Have the ambush troops
move in! We will trap the enemies like rats in a cage!”
“Enemies at Point C too!”
“We’ll change evac point to D!”
“Hurry!”
The tension on the scene filtered through the wireless connection.
There were some in the Chinook who grew afraid as they heard this.
There were some who grew impatient and uneasy. And then, there were
those who were silent in order to control the pounding of their hearts.
“O-onee-sama. Are you alright?”
A shuddering, panting Rory nodded to Giselle. If she were on the
ground, she would probably have charged out. However, she had to stay
here. If she stayed here, she could reach the ground sooner.
The Chinook began to descend. If one looked carefully, they could see
the battle taking place in the distance.
“This is Hayabusa, descending on Point D. Status report!”
“Hayabusa, you say? Good name. We should be able to make it back no
matter what happens. This is Caster, moving to point D. Enemies are
popping out from everywhere, we’re having a hard time.”
Itami poked his head out from under the pilot’s armpit and shouted into
the pilot’s mike.
“Avenger here. Caster, any wounded?”
“Yo, long time no see, Avenger. Glad to hear you’re still the same. We’ve
got more hurt than unhurt. What do you have in mind?”
 “We expected that, so we brought a pretty nurse along. She loves
casualties and she was going on about ‘I don’t care if they’re dying or
their heads are falling off, all victims belong to me’. If we don’t give her
casualties, we’ll become the next casualties.”
“That nurse of yours sounds like a real maneater . How come all the
women you meet are like that? Kuribayashi’s cute, but scary too.”
Apparently, any date with Kuribayashi would involve passing by a dojo
or boxing ring, and she believed in passionate engagements with her
partners. Apparently, winning such an engagement would result in a
delightful prize… but sadly, nobody had won that prize so far.
(TL Note: the JP uses 突き合い, which sounds like 付き合い. The first
refers to sparring, the second refers to dating)
“Wouldn’t you want to be eaten up by a beautiful woman? Just make
sure you all come back.”
“Ahh, leave that to me.”
Itami turned back to brief his men and the local collaborators.
“Our mission is to secure the landing sight. Once the SFG troopers get
aboard, we’ll dust off immediately, so don’t stray too far from the
Chinook. Kurokawa, there’ll be casualties galore as you just heard, so I’ll
leave their treatment to you.”
“Do I look like some sort of maneating ogress to you?”
Kurokawa cracked her knuckles as she glared at Itami.
“I, I said a beautiful nurse, didn’t I? That’s okay, right? Right?”
“Right you are. Prepare yourself.”
As she spoke in a menacing, ogrish tone, Kurokawa picked up the
defibrillator paddles for her portable Artificial Electrical Defibrillator
(AED) unit and pointed them at Itami. Sparks flew between them, as
though promising electroshock therapy for him.
“If possible, I hope the professors and Pina-denka can help with the
wounded too. And Rory…”
 “What is it?”
“Our mission isn’t to kill them all, but to clear an escape route.
As Itami told her not to miss the chance to pull back, Rory shrugged
and replied, “I got it.”
***
“Ambush troops in Point D!”
“We can’t change the plan now. Force our way through!”
“That’s too reckless!”
“That’s what it means to be SF!”
The rear hatch opened, and the chopper’s downwash swept into the
cabin like a typhoon.
As the helicopter hovered near the surface, the monsters, demihumans
and Imperial footsoldiers gathered around it. Some of them were poorly
equipped. It would seem they had pressed mercenaries and gangsters into
service as auxiliaries. Even so, there were enough of them to make
extraction tricky.
“Open fire! Keep firing!” Kuwabara ordered. In response, Kurata and the
others fired madly.
And in front of them, black blossoms bloomed.
Rory leapt from an alarming altitude, her skirts fluttering in the wind.
The instant she touched the ground, her halberd reaped a wide circle of
enemies.
“Cover her! Fire! Fire!”
Kurata and the others opened fire on Rory’s flanks as she carved a
crimson road through the foe.
During this time, Itami was looking for the rescue team.
He saw four men bearing a stretcher.
Covering them were about ten men with M4 carbines pointed in all
directions, gunning down the Imperial troops in hot pursuit.
There were those among them who were leaning on their comrades’
shoulders, probably from wounds, but everyone looked exhausted. They
seemed to be trying their hardest to run, but all they could manage was a
brisk walk closer.
That being the case, why not go out and get them? Having decided that,
Itami turned to Tuka and the others as the helicopter landed and shouted,
“Alright, let’s go!” and charged out.
With covering fire from Kurata and the others, combined with Yao and
Tuka’s arrow fire, Lelei shouted, “Go!” and explosions cut down the
arrows flying through the air towards them.
“Professors! What are you doing? Don’t follow me!”
The troubling thing was the fact he was being trailed by unarmed
civilians.
“What are you saying? Don’t take us for doddering dotards!”
Youmei, Urushibata and Shirai took over the stretcher from Kenzaki
and the others. “Good, let’s go!” they said, as though carrying luggage.
Thanks to them, Oshino and Kenzaki were freed up to join the fighting.
The cameraman lugged his camera to film the sight of the SFG troopers
being pursued by the enemy, while Nanami yelled into her mike, “And
now the JSDF’s special forces troopers have returned. There look to be a
lot of wounded — aaaaahhhh!”
 An arrow flying from behind her struck the Chinook’s rear rotor and
was reduced to dust, which landed on Nanami.
Katsumoto pulled Nanami back and hid her behind him.
Lelei’s funnels flew forth again, exploding in mid-air.
“Gramps! Headcount!”
 After seeing the SFG troopers scramble aboard the Chinook, Itami
shouted, “Alright, we’re dusting off! Everyone, come back!”
On Itami’s command, everyone rushed back in. Even Rory — whom he
was afraid would not return mid-slaughter — ran back, clutching her
halberd.
“All aboard!”
As Kuwabara shouted that, the Chinook left the surface once more.
Looking back into the depths of the helicopter’s cargo compartment, he
could see Kurokawa inserting cannulas into the arms of the wounded
men, one after the other. “Alright, next! Alright, next!” she shouted, as she
went from casualty to casualty.
“What, what’s she doing?”
Pina had been pressed into service as a tourniquet tyer, so as to make
the wounded troopers’ veins more visible. She had no idea what Kurokawa
was doing. After all, treatment to her meant stopping blood loss or
dressing wounds. However, Kurokawa was simply poking her casualties
with a needle.
“Circulation secure! Hamilton-sama, please help stop their bleeding!”
When performing first aid during an emergency situation like an
accident or a natural disaster, the most important thing was to ensure the
integrity of the circulation system. Once too much blood was lost, the
casualty’s blood vessels would collapse and there would be no way to
insert a cannula. Thus, saline solution was used to maintain blood
pressure and prevent hypovolemic shock. In addition, one could infuse
drugs intravenously through the cannula, which made treatment easy.
Of course, there was only so much one could infuse through the radial
veins, so if the need arose, they might need to infuse through one of the
bigger veins in the chest instead. However, there did not seem to be
anyone who required such treatment among Kurokawa’s casualties.
“Yo, Itami, I don’t recall seeing you work this hard even when you were
under me...”
 A tall man patted Itami on the shoulder.
“It’s been awhile, Major Izumo. This time, we’ve got civilians in
attendance and a film crew present, so I wanted to show them how cool
we can be.”
Behind Izumo, the other men of the SFG — covered in mud and grass —
presented themselves to him. Among them were Kenzaki, Matoi, Utsuta,
Oshino and Imawano. Then there was someone with sleek curves, for
whom the term “man” was not appropriate. She bounded up ahead of the
others.
A pair of arms wrapped around Itami, and he was briefly baffled.
“Boss Itami! It’s been a while!”
“Hey, isn’t that Delilah? What are you doing here?”
Indeed, it was Delilah. Delilah — who had once worked in Arnus’
cantina — was now dressed in camouflage fatigues and her bunny ears
were hidden under a bush hat. Nobody would have equated the two unless
it was pointed out.
Izumo spoke on her behalf.
“Working with the locals has produced excellent results. You’ve done it
yourself, haven’t you? So, Yanagida told me to make use of this
bunnygirl.”
Delilah had been put on trial in a Tokyo courthouse for what she had
done in Arnus, and she was sentenced to probation.
She did not complain about her sentence given what she had done to
deserve it, and meekly accepted the court’s verdict. That said, she could
not return to House Formal or the ALC’s cantina. With nowhere to go,
Delilah decided to atone for her sins by taking care of Yanagida. Once he
returned to the frontlines, she had become a local collaborator.
“I got rid of the person who tricked me!”
“That’s good. But are you alright? Physically, I mean.”
“Aw, everywhere from my waist to my ass is damaged goods now. I can’t
say ‘Don’t touch it, it’s not cheap stuff’ any more. Want to see? You can
touch too, if you want.”
With that, Delilah suddenly began pulling off her belt, so Itami
hurriedly stopped her with a “wait wait wait”.
“You’re doing okay, right?”
“No, that’s because the doctors were amazing. He fitted me with
something called ‘titanium’ to replace my hipbone. It took me a month to
learn how to walk again.”
Itami was quite surprised by the fact that she was bouncing around
barely a month after such major surgery, but Delilah simply went on
gushing about the efficacy of Japanese doctors.
“Well, it does ache a little. Still, it’s great. I’m better off than Master
Yanagida.”
Delilah replied that she would accompany Yanagida all her life to atone
for her mistakes.
While they had this conversation, the cameraman turned his lens on
the freshly rescued kidnappee. Nanami extended her microphone to the
person on the stretcher.
“Can you tell us your name?”
It would seem his captors had not fed him properly, but his face was
skinny and his lips were split. Even so, he panted and replied:
“Matsui… Fuyuki.”
“How do you feel about being rescued?”
“Am, am I rescued? Can I go back? Can I go home, back to Japan? This
isn’t a dream… this isn’t a dream, is it?”
This was not the answer Nanami had expected, but she decided to let
him continue speaking, because those words came from his heart. After
that, Nanami squeezed his hand and said, “Yes, you can go home. You can
go back to Japan.”
 “But why?!”
Nanami directed her impassioned plea at the news director.
This was because she had not been allowed to report on the material
she had collected in the Special Region: on the Apocryph, the
earthquakes, the stellar distortions, as well as the recovery of the kidnap
victim.
Of course, she had asked why they were not releasing this exclusive
scoop. No, one could say that it was her duty to ask why. After all, she
had not gathered her material by herself; her cameraman, the SFG
members of the JSDF, Professor Youmei and the other academics had all
come together to help her put it together. Not publishing it could be said
to be disregarding their hard work and the (in some cases literal) sweat
and blood they had put into it. It was nothing short of corruption.
She was not sure if the news director understood this, but he did not
look Nanami in the eye. Perhaps he was feeling guilty. Instead he gazed at
the ceiling and muttered to himself before forcing out an excuse.
“Instructions from the top. They said that they didn’t want to startle the
affected person. There were problems with Noriko-san because people
rushed to present her first, so they’re waiting for him to recover first.”
“And that means covering up something that affects every single person
in this country?”
“We’re not covering it up. We’re simply prioritizing other big news.
Timeslots are limited, and I decide how to fill them. That’s what they call
freedom of the press, right?”
“Yet you have the time to broadcast B-list gourmet and pet owner
specials?”
“These are important news items too. The audience will be stressed out
if we do nothing but report exciting news.”
“Then what about the abnormalities in the Special Region? It’s a big
matter that concerns the existence of the Gate and it won’t harm our
political neutrality.”
 “The Special Region… the Special Region, huh… well, you might say
that, but the Special Region is not just a matter of global interest, but the
focus of an impending expansion, no? The nations are coming together
and looking to the Special Region with interest. Share prices are going up
as well… I don’t think we ought to put a damper on this good mood with
news like that.”
“You dense motherfucker!”
Nanami kicked the wastepaper basket beside her.
Of course, it would have been stupid to actually do that. Instead,
Nanami had meekly replied, “Okie, I get it,” and left the director’s office,
before taking her anger out on an innocent wastepaper basket in the
hallway. She had been wondering why someone would put a wastepaper
basket in the hallway for some time now; perhaps it was there for people
to vent their anger, she mused.
“None of that shit even matters!”
However exclusive a scoop might be, it was worthless if it did not get
published. Nanami pouted as she returned to her desk, dropping herself
onto her chair like she was going to pulverize it with her butt.
“Son of a bitch. If you’re going to be like that, then I’ll—”
Nanami looked at the cameraman seated opposite her, and extended her
hand.
“Sunagawa-kun, please give me the memory stick with the Special
Region video we put together.”
“Don’t see why not,” the cameraman said as he produced it from his
desk and gave it to Nanami.
“What do you want it for, anyway?” he asked.
“Do you have to ask?! Won’t it be a shame if things ended like this? I’m
going to upload it to a video-sharing site.”
“Oi, that would be bad!”
The cameraman reached out to get the stick back.
 However, Nanami had already stuffed it into the cleavage of her ample
bosom, twice the size of others. “How so? He’s not reporting it. What
difference does it make?”
The cameraman could not bring himself to reach out for the stick. If he
touched her by accident, he would be branded as a pervert. He would be
excommunicated from society. Therefore, he tried to talk Nanami over
while saying, “Calm down, calm down.”
“There should be a reason why the higher-ups aren’t releasing this,
right? If you share this online, you might end up getting fired.”
“Fire away, then, not like it’s a big deal. I’d rather quit a shitty station
like this!”
“What’ll you do after you quit?! It took you so long to become a
presenter! Think about the consequences!”
“I’ve thought about it already. Sunset industries like TV stations are on
their way out!”
“Oi oi oi. You two are getting really heated up over there. I heard all the
dangerous things you said, you know.”
The man addressing the feuding pair with acid tones was Komurasaki.
“Ko-Ko-Komurasaki-san?!”
“What‘s someone from another TV station doing here?” Nanami
blurted.
“Don’t be so cold. Didn’t we go to the Special Region together? I heard
you came back, so I came to visit you. Looking at you, it seems you did a
pretty good job.”
“It’s all wasted, though. They won’t broadcast it.”
“Well, I expected as much. It only makes sense.”
“What! Why?!”
“Isn’t it obvious? Their business plan is to increase their TV viewership
and paper circulation numbers by fanning the flames of anti-government
sentiment. Thus, any news regarding the Special Region will be calculated
to tie into international or economic issues.”
“Do, do they think they can get away with suppressing the media for
material gain?”
“It’s not a matter of getting away with it. If it doesn’t sell, they won’t do
it. In Japan, there might be some slight differences in the content of TV
programs and newspapers, but ultimately, they cover the same things and
have the same inclinations, no? The reason for that is because something
is guiding them in the same direction.”
“So you mean there’s a human factor involved?”
“Indeed.”
“Who on earth could do such a thing?”
“Who? If you have to ask that question, then you fail as a newsmaker.
Take for example, who are the clients of the TV station?”
“The audience.”
“Wrong. The TV stations have never treated their audience as
customers or whatnot. Their true patrons are the sponsors who pay them.
However, the sponsors are generally content to pay up and not care about
the details of the programming. Now, who handles those details?”
“The advertising agencies.”
“Precisely. The advertising agencies say, ‘We’re planning so-and-so
program; want to invest in it?’ and thus they draw investors. Therefore,
the sponsors are mainly concerned about whether the program is
beneficial to their advertisements and not the actual content.”
“But, could it be, how could it be, the ad agencies…”
“Papers and the like would not have survived until today without
advertisements. It’s easy to imagine how the papers can’t publish
anything which would make the advertising companies look bad, but the
same goes double for TV programming. The advertising agencies have a
lot of say in what sort of shows get made.”
 “So all this is the result of deliberate action by the ad agencies?”
“I told you just now, didn’t I? If you have to ask ‘who did it’, you fail as a
newsmaker… Alright, I’ll discuss this with you. Come with me.”
“I’ll pass on that. I need to upload this…”
“Like I was saying, you can do it after listening to me!”
***
“How about here?” Komurasaki said as he picked another location.
“We’re still at work,” Nanami answered. However, a glance outside the
windows revealed that it was night time. Time flew by when one was
working hard.
Komirasaki and Nanami stood up, heading for a nearby pub.
“Welcome!”
“Let’s start with beer and peanuts. We’ll order more later on…”
After that exchange with the shop attendant, they took facing seats in a
booth, and then Nanami asked:
“Komurasaki-san, are you alright? Fuku-san, Matsu-san… I’m sorry for
your loss.”
As fellow representatives of the media to the Special Region, they were
all comrades. Nanami expressed her condolences over the deaths of
Komurasaki’s colleagues.
“Thank you. Why don’t you offer up some joss sticks to them next time
round? They were worried about you, Kuribayashi. I’m sure they’d
appreciate it.”
Komurasaki downed the beer that the waitress brought him in one gulp.
“Now then,” he began, with a serious air that would better fit a
university lecturer.
“Let’s start from the beginning. This entity called the mass media is like
the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages. At that time, the church
proclaimed itself to be the intermediary between God and Man, with
exclusive power over the interpretation of the Bible, as well as possessing
the power to excommunicate those who defied their power and even have
them put to death as heretics. Such was their power that they could even
threaten kings and emperors, themselves the leaders of the secular world.
Why could they do that? Because they controlled the hearts and minds of
the people. Similarly, the Japanese media has free reign over the people
and thus the approval ratings of the government. By making minute
adjustments in their content and spreading it broadly, they can tank the
approval ratings of the government. Though the media does not claim to
be God, they still have the power to demonize those who defy them and
even topple the mighty from their positions of power. Those who are
denounced as heretics will be ruthlessly cross-examined and harangued
by the media — like inquisitions of old — and if they cannot give the media
satisfactory answers, they will be hounded to death by the same questions
over and over again. If they keep quiet, their silence becomes tacit
acknowledgement of their sins, and thus they are branded as heretics.
With that in mind, having a microphone shoved in your face is equivalent
to being confronted by all your sins and ugly moments, being played over
and over again. It’s like being burned at the stake, and indeed, sometimes
it’s nothing less than a witch hunt.”
“And as an inquisitor yourself, you’re one to talk?”
Kuribayashi turned a doubting gaze on Komurasaki.
“Well, calling me an inquisitor is flattery. Although it’s true; to some
extent, I do count as an inquisitor.”
Komurasaki punctuated his statement with a large mouthful of beer.
His mouth ringed in foam, he continued:
“Still, Kuribayashi. There was a reason why the religions back then
went hysterical.”
“Why, what was the reason?”
“Because the Renaissance was not a sudden thing.”
The religious bodies of the time realized that the people were starting
to become intelligent.
 They realized that the mindless little sheep of old would no longer obey
them, and thus they became nervous and uneasy, launching their
inquisitions and witch hunts. They condemned those who doubted the
faith and attacked them, then framed them as heretics and had them
murdered.
“The reason is simple; because they fear the people. At that time, the
worldview of the faithful and what the people observed in reality were
already starting to diverge. Are you familiar with the trial of Galileo? No
matter what the tribunal ruled, the world still moved. They knew that
point well, but the Church could not accept this. In order to make the
people believe what the Church said, they had to stir up the people and
constantly create a sense of unity.
They attacked their scapegoats with criticism, creating a unique form of
unity in the form of mass hysteria. It was similar to the religious mania
felt by celebrants in festivals. Thus, they prowled around, looking for
people to attack. They rewarded informants and practiced torture, and
those who confessed because they could not endure the torture were
deemed guilty. As for those who staunchly denied their wrongdoings,
being able to withstand torture was proof enough that they were witches,
and thus guilty. With that logic as a forethought, they carried out their
sentences.”
“Ah, but in the end they shot themselves in the foot.”
Nanami recalled entertainment shows where artistes with questionable
conduct were repeatedly hounded with all sorts of inane questions.
“And that led to the reformation of the churches?”
“Exactly. Even in this information age, new religions move in the
shadows, threatening the original media. As the power of religion
declined, people’s minds were freed and the Renaissance flowered in full.
Similarly, today anyone can spread their opinions widely through the
Internet. Thus, people have no need to express their views through the
filter of the media and obtain their news. The people are slowly drifting
away from the media and the views they espouse.”
 As Komurasaki described the revolution of the Internet as a prelude to
throwing off a dark age, Nanami interrupted:
“As more sources of news appear, the value of each individual source
degrades. It’s true that the Internet was useful in overthrowing Middle
Eastern dictators, but those were basically revolutions targeted at
removing people. They paid no heed to what happened after removing the
people in power. The dream that all will be well after the bad people are
gone caused all sorts of tragedy.”
Komurasaki nodded, as though to say, so you do get it after all.
“What? I always thought you were a fan of the Internet, Kuribayashi.”
“It’s because I support it that I understand its limits and dangers. People
are drawn by the news they like and form an opinion, and from then on
their confirmation bias leads them to view all new evidence as further
support for their beliefs, while disregarding evidence to the contrary.”
“In other words, all the news in the world won’t reach someone with
different values from yourself.”
“Do you know how many blogs there are out there which aren’t read by
anyone? The same applies to Twitter; famous people have fans, but hardly
anyone ever reads messages sent by average people. Those are on the
level of friends exchanging diaries; they’re hardly newsworthy. They’re
little more than babbling to themselves.”
“That’s right. We need something with impact or interest to draw
peoples’ eyes to what they’re not familiar with. Martin Luther King once
said, ‘I have a dream’, and those words had a great impact, but if some
guy around you said the same thing, the people around him would reply,
‘Oh really?’ and essentially ignore it. Thus, the messages important
people send are more powerful.”
“I feel that is the purpose of the media.”
“It’s just like you say. In truth, the news the media reports gains
authority and power. Anyone would write off ‘I saw a god’ as some
teenage girl’s delusions, but once the Vatican corroborates it, it becomes
a miracle, and that girl becomes a saint. That should be it, right?”
“Komurasaki-san, wouldn’t you be better off as a university lecturer?
You certainly sound like one,” Nanami replied.
“Well, the fact is that people have asked me if I wanted to become an
assistant professor… no, let’s not talk about that. My point is that
someone in the media has to be fully conscious of their power. The
Vatican will not casually endorse any old happening as a miracle. The
decision to do so is born from thoroughly investigating the circumstances
and the consequences of such an endorsement.”
“In other words, it’s a deliberate order, then?”
Nanami sighed. She did not approve of that sort of thing, because it
implied that the person who gave such an order was doing so from a
position of power.
“In this internet age, news flows like a mudslide, and vast quantities of
information are sent out every moment. But simply sharing information is
not in itself a good thing. Wasn’t there a case where a lot of diplomatic
problems resulted after someone set up a site which leaked state secrets?
Because of that, a group of people had to start considering how to keep
their information from leaking out. The idea is to carefully vet
information before releasing it, but the Internet makes this troublesome.
Censorship and regulation is not very effective either. If you ask me, the
purpose of the media now is to criticize, evaluate, dismiss and provide
legitimacy to information sources.”
“Now, assuming there’s vetting of content and a decision-making
process on whether or not to release specific pieces of news… then who
decides what stays or goes, and what criteria do they use? If it’s the ad
agencies pulling strings behind the scenes like you said, then all we
television people have to do is obey them, right?”
“Which brings us to our point,” Komurasaki said.
“Of course, as members of the press, we are motivated by all sorts of
mindsets and values. We collect information based on these motivations,
we process them, and finally we broadcast it. And the prime motivation
for the ad agencies is financial.”
“In other words, what sells and what turns a profit, right?”
“Correct. So they follow the mood… or rather, they follow the trends,
eagerly chasing their asses. They write reports which follow the state of
the world, and turn their mikes on events which excite the masses and
make them heard. This is the reason why they get ratings and their news
sell. Because of that, they have agreed to seal off news which runs
counter to these trends which they have invested heavily in. Their
objective is to avoid putting a damper on positive economic trends.”
“Cheh,” Nanami clicked her tongue. “Komurasaki-san, you don’t seem
to see it their way.”
“The first thing I consider is “fear”. Events which lead to rapid
development and change make people afraid. Thus, I regard criticism and
analysis of everything I see to be a basic component of my working
attitude. Criticism is natural. I use a critical eye to attempt to remain
neutral.”
“Can’t you just stick to the facts?”
“Well, that would be ideal. But realistically speaking, it’s impossible. If
you write an article that’s pro-government, even once, the government
personnel will reach their hands out to you and say ‘pleased to make your
acquaintance.’ Did you know that a sizable amount of the Cabinet’s
secret budget goes to the press?”
“I know of examples to the opposite. There are news shows where
critics are paid speakers’ fees for a single appearance which exceed what
we make every month, by backers whose funding has the opposition in a
panic. And all these critics do is endorse their respective politicians.”
Komurasaki did not deny this, but smiled coldly.
“That’s not all. Organizations linked to other countries also make
payouts like these.”
“What, what do you mean by other countries?”
 “I mean all of them. If you think it’s only one, you’d be sorely mistaken.
America, China, Russia, South Korea, North Korea… the whole lot. One
can obtain funding and various considerations and conveniences from
them. Once you become addicted to the heady feeling of access to these
things, extracting yourself will be a tricky task indeed. As time passes,
these people end up dictating the contents of the programming. Japan’s
media is now ruled by these people.
“My friends of the past have all fallen to that dark path,” Komurasaki
said. “And in truth, I’m the same. I was sent here by someone else to
persuade you.”
“That’s terrible. No wonder you knew so much despite me saying
nothing.”
“Hmm. That’s just how the world works. This trend has also led to
people asking me to be an assistant professor. Still, there are pieces of
news which exceed our predictions.”
“What are those?”
“Things like the scoop you have. Things like footage of a Chinese
fishing boat colliding with a patrol boat. These things have an
extraordinary impact on people which view them. In the past, people
laughed at the idea of the Chinese threat. But after that footage was
made public? People started feeling the threat of China. Footage like that
can have a decisive impact on the state of the world. Even the fiends in
charge can’t control that.”
(TL Note: On the morning of September 7, 2010, a Chinese fishing
trawler, the Minjinyu 5179, collided with Japan Coast Guard vessels in
disputed waters about 12 km northwest of the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands.)
“Was that why my scoop was suppressed?”
“Ah, that’s right,” Komurasaki nodded.
“Several days before the footage of that collision was released on the
Net, it was secretly delivered to the media. Yet, the broadcast departments
ignored it, so the person who provided it had no choice but to release it on
the Internet. The person responsible at the broadcast department claimed
he dumped the memory stick with the footage without viewing it, but do
you actually believe that?”
“It makes no sense. If he thought what he was getting could be a big
scoop, it would be impossible to just throw it away without viewing it. I
know I would.”
“Right? In my opinion, someone on top felt that letting it get out would
be very bad news. The problem is who exactly felt this way. Now that his
plans went up in smoke, that person is now frantically searching for the
offender.”
Nanami was so shocked that she could not close her dropped jaw.
“Similarly, I think someone feels that this kidnap rescue operation is
bad for business. Consider the successful recovery of a civilian kidnapped
and taken as spoils of war. If this made the news now, government
approval would instantly soar. Wouldn’t all their previous efforts go up in
smoke?”
“So they’re suppressing my scoop too?”
Komurasaki nodded heavily, and ordered another beer.
“The people on top seem to think a change in power is desirable, so
they’re supporting the opposition, but if the opposition has no ability to
influence policy, then who will be responsible?”
“Ahhh. See, the important thing to them is not whether what they do is
right or wrong, but whether it personally benefits them. Didn’t I say so
just now? Their involvement goes very far. At this point, their objectives
aren’t so much playing kingmaker as weakening Japan’s strength. To
these people, what they want is a group of ineffective, powerless
politicians leading Japan.”
“How could this be! Then, what have we… Komurasaki-san, now that
you know this, what have you been doing?”
“I’m doing what I always do. I critique everyone, no matter who they
are. How’s that, my convictions are still firm, no?”
 Komurasaki smiled in a self-deprecating manner. Nanami gasped in
surprise and asked:
“People who do nothing but criticize end up not taking any
responsibility at all.”
“Correct. Criticizing everyone ends up being effectively the same as
agreeing with everyone. You don’t have to get involved or take sides, so
you become the fulcrum on which the balance turns. Strictly speaking,
it’s similar to the Imperial Rule Assistance Association…”
WIth that, Komurasaki took another big swig of his beer.
“Among the current opposition, there are a lot of people who are
famous, but not for doing anything special. These are all people who
elevated themselves by pointing fingers at the failures of others. People
with that mindset will immediately panic once they have to bear the
responsibility for failure and frantically blame others for their mistakes.
‘It was the guards’ fault. It was all my adjutant’s fault. It was all the fault
of poor leadership by the previous incumbent, and so on. Excuses like this
were heard then, they are heard now, and they will be heard forever. And
you know what? The ultimate target of their hate is the people. It’s not
my fault. The people chose wrongly and this happened. Pol Pot did that.
He felt he was right, and chose to educate everyone in the country in the
way he liked. He did that by killing everyone who dissented against him.
“Knowing this, you’re still going to be a critic, Komurasaki-san? When
all the people hear is criticism, they’ll end up having no faith in anything
around them. How will you take responsibility for your attitude of ‘it
won’t do, it’s not perfect so it’s no good’?”
“I know that. Nobody believes people like me anymore,” Komurasaki
sighed.
“You reap what you sow,” Nanami muttered before gulping her beer
down.
“What I wanted to say is, even if you have something you want to tell
the world, the interplay of power and influence will constantly get in your
way. The ad agencies, your superiors, the reporters’ club, foreign national
influence… all of these weave a complex web of relationships and power.
We cannot do as we please.”
“Then, what do you want me to do, after learning all this?”
“Amidst this tangled web of relationships and ties, I have chosen to
become a critic, in order to free myself from any particular viewpoint.
That’s the only way to avoid becoming mired in subjectivity. But what
will you do next? You have to decide. You can choose to tread in my
footsteps, or you can choose to blaze a different path. There are many
options and you may select from all of them.”
“You want me to become a Martin Luther?”
(TL Note: Reformed the Christian Church in the 16th century)
“How could you be anyone that great? Still, ah, you could become one of
his supporters, no?”
As Komurasaki said this, he handed Nanami a slip of paper.
“What’s this?”
There was a URL written on it.
“Take a look. It’s quite interesting.
When she lifted her head to look again, Komurasaki was gone.
She looked around, but there was no sight of him. Then she heard a
door closing behind her. When she looked back, she saw Komurasaki’s
back fading through the window glass.
“Oi, oi… is this a dine and dash? You want me to pay?”
Nanami looked at the bill, as if ‘tuition fee’ was written on it and cursed
bitterly.
***
The URL Komurasaki had given Nanami was a blog which gathered
news about the Special Region. It had been founded by a certain
“Meganekko”... who turned out to be Noriko.
After returning home, she booted up her computer, connected to the
Internet, and then stared at her monitor.
“This is amazing…” Nanami muttered
There was a lot of information there about the Special Region which
had not been reported in the media, as well as raw commentary from the
residents of the Special Region. Sadly, there were few visitors and the view
counter hardly moved.
The blog also featured video that had obviously been taken by amateurs,
demihumans of the Special Region.
She had started this blog because she desperately wanted to share the
truth which the media did not report about. However, because she had
not made her news interesting, it did not attract the eyes of the public.
Perhaps if Noriko had used her real name — made famous by magazines
and mass communication — she would have received a lot of publicity.
However, she had used a pseudonym instead, possibly because she
detested gaining attention in that way.
When Nanami saw this, she felt that someone else had stolen her ideas
for what she wanted to do. At the same time, she realized that even if she
had done it herself, it might not have gone as smoothly as she had
imagined.
Suddenly, she remembered what Komurasaki had said about
eliminating the various influences at work in the world of reporting.
“Video. Explosive, impact-filled videos have power. However, it’ll take a
lot of work to make the public watch videos which don’t have that
quality. What should I do?”
Nanami began to understand why newsmakers would meddle with
news, to distort and falsify it. And then she realised the reason why the
editors — even if they did not go so far as to twist or fake news — would
exaggerate it.
However, she could not do that. She did not want to do that.
“These are the facts. The facts should be spread without being colored
by emotion.”
Nanami picked up her cell phone and silently dialled a number. It was
well into the night and the person she was calling was most likely asleep,
but Nanami did not care.
“Ah, Noriko-san. It’s been a while.”
***
Several days later, Noriko’s blog made it onto a lifestyle news variety
show.
“I want to talk about a few interesting things in the Special Region.”
After hearing Nanami’s explanation, the director said, “Well, it’s not a
bad thing,” and gave his approval.
This decision was made to win her over, perhaps because he felt guilty
about suppressing an exclusive scoop. In fact, he felt that the news on
Noriko’s blog was nothing much, little more than a presentation on the
Special Region’s culture and practices.
However, once she had everyone’s attention, she released the gruesome
sight of the black mist swallowing everything on Noriko’s blog.
It struck a chord with the viewers, and they loudly demanded to know
why such important news had not been reported.
The TV stations and newspapers frantically began their coverage. Their
repeated reporting drew all their sources from Noriko’s blog, because to
do otherwise would imply that they had known about this beforehand but
kept quiet.
And so, people finally learned about the oddities happening in various
parts of the world.
Chapter 6

Itami Youji stood at rigid attention, wearing a neatly-ironed uniform

that he had just taken back from the dry cleaners. His neck felt itchy,
probably because he had forgotten to remove the dry-cleaner’s tag inside
the collar. Still, the circumstances compelled him to remain still. That
was because several of the highest-ranking members of the JGSDF were
seated before him.
Itami was but a junior officer in the JGSDF, and he had not even spoken
to the majority of these people before. Thus, simply standing in front of
them was a great source of stress for him. In addition, this was not a good
place for him to be standing. After all, this was the Prime Minister’s
audience room, covered in a red carpet which made his hard leather
shoes feel like they were sinking into the ground.
The massive wooden door radiated an aura of gravitas. The sound of
approaching clamour came from the other side.
As he had expected, the people who came through were Prime Minister
Morita, Chief Cabinet Secretary Kogure, Foreign Minister Kanou, Defense
Minister Natsume, among others.
“Thank you for waiting.”
With that, Prime Minister Morita sat down on the sofa.
Kanou, Natsume and Kogure took places around him. Morita’s eye
turned to Itami and he asked:
“You wrote this report, didn’t you?”
“Yes. That’s correct… is it bad?”
Morita stroked the twisted black frame of his glasses and flipped open
the cover of the document he held.
The politicians sighed in unison. Everyone glanced at each other, and
then looked to Foreign Minister Kanou.
Kanou was the only person here who truly understood him, who was his
comrade. However, even Kanou looked uncomfortable, and spoke to Itami
in leaden tones.
“Well, it’s not just bad. It’s very bad… your report is filled with good
news and bad news. In all honesty, we have no idea how to respond to
this. And then there’s a veritable mountain of issues we have to address.
Thus, we invited you here, because everyone wants to speak with you.”
 Kanou flipped through the file he had in hand.
“Let’s start with something simple. Thank you for undertaking the
resource survey of the Special Region. The oil fields there are of startling
proportions. Resource-wise, the mineral samples you’ve brought back are
amazing finds. The researchers were grinning from ear to ear about them.
If all goes well, we will no longer use the word ‘rare’ to describe them
anymore. This is truly joyous news for our nation. Well done.”
“Thank you very much.”
“Next is the problem of the black mist that was blown up all over the
Net… that Apo-somethingorother. We asked Youmei-sensei, but he didn’t
quite understand it.”
“I don’t quite get it myself.”
“And then, there’s the mysterious cloud spreading from that Kunaptai
place in the Special Region. The TV stations and newspapers ignored it at
first, but they can’t ignore it anymore, and it’s caused quite a furore.”
“It’s Kunapnui, sir. And yes, if it continues spreading, the Special Region
isn’t going to be a very fun place for anyone.”
The gathered people furrowed their brows at Itami’s phrasing. “Not
fun” was one thing, but the report had stated “complete biological
extinction”.
“Still, its relation to the Gate is unclear.”
Chief Cabinet Secretary Kogure tossed the copy of the report onto the
table before him.
“The report says this phenomenon was caused by the Gate. Is that not
enough?” Prime Minister Morita answered.
“Of course not. Don’t you think this might have been cooked up by the
people of the Special Region to drive us away? Basically, they’re trying to
link a natural disaster to the Gate.”
I see, that does make sense. Itami felt it was quite convincing.
“The person who said this was not an ordinary person, but a god.”
 “Let’s not speak of them as gods. That party is always talking about
cults and whatnot, it’s a pain in the ass. Plus, the diplomats from
religious countries are making a stink about designating living, breathing
people who can speak directly as gods.”
(TL Note: That party refers to the Japanese Communist Party)
“Is that from the time I was summoned before the Diet? It would seem
everyone here’s had a hard time.”
“Well, for monotheists, they can close one eye to other religions
worshipping in some place they don’t know about. However, the idea that
we, the authorities, would recognize someone who can actually speak of
their own accord as a god makes them very upset. ‘That’s not God, the
true God is our God’ and then they start trying to interfere in things.”
“But this is Japan, isn’t it?”
“It’s for diplomatic reasons - please understand. This has sparked
debates on the existence of deities. It’s not a matter of ‘abandoning the
Buddha and paying the gods no heed’,” Kanou said.
(TL Note: 仏ほっとけ、神構うな - acknowledge the gods, but do not revere
them)
“But then, what should we call them?”
“Espers, maybe?”
“Haaa… because they have special abilities? And then, there’s the
explanation given by those espers...” Natsume said in frustration.
“Don’t you think that makes them sound even more suspicious? It’s like
those TV specials about finding people with superhuman abilities.”
“Ubermenschen?”
“Do you think this is some kind of kids’ sci-fi anime?”
“Oracles?”
“That sounds less believable and more suspicious.”
“Fairies?”
 “As in, fairy tales?”
“Gods, then.”
“...I guess that works best.”
“So in the end, we’re still going with that?”
“Not like we’ve got better ideas. Let’s just use that term for now. When
the Diet makes its official reply or when we have to commit this to
official documentation, we’ll let the bureaucrats think up something.”
They looked forward to the imagination of the bureaucrats who had
changed the Flame Dragon’s name to “Special Region Type A Dangerous
Beast”.
“All right, we’ll do that. Let’s move on,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Kogure
said.
“Now, where were we? Right. America and the EU have gathered a great
deal of money and manpower in preparation to explore and exploit the
Special Region. These efforts have ground to a halt ever since these
abnormal phenomena came to light.”
“Share prices have plunged and a crash looks imminent. The lobbyists
pressured into exploring the Special Region by their backers have been
caught off guard and can’t hide their confusion any further.”
Morita took the cue directed at him.
“Why did it end up like that?”
You don’t even know that? Chief Cabinet Secretary Kogure seemed to be
saying as he looked at Itami.
“Simple. They’re starting to worry that they won’t make a return on
their investment in the Special Region. If the Gate has to be closed, then
the huge amount of capital they’ve committed will go up in smoke, no?
However attractive that place might be, the investors will still be
hounding them for some kind of return.”
“I see…”
 “Of course, not everyone will be able to accept that. There’s a lot of
annoying people who are decrying this as some sort of scheme, that we’re
trying to monopolize the Gate and whatnot. These people even say that
there’s no link between this abnormality and the Gate. Never mind that
we haven’t released an official statement yet.”
Itami could only nod in response.
“...Well? Do you think you’ve fallen for an Imperial trick?”
Itami shook his head at Kogure’s question.
“I don’t think so. If they do have the ability to trigger a phenomenon
that’s as lethal as the report says, then there would be no need to do it
there. They’d just hit Arnus and be done with it.”
Itami felt that if it were some sort of unconventional weapon (as in,
nuclear, biological or chemical), the Empire’s first target would be Arnus.
“Still, isn’t Arnus ‘holy ground’ to them? Perhaps they feel they cannot
pollute the land with such methods.
It would seem Chief Cabinet Secretary Kogure thought that the
Apocryph was some kind of Empire-created threat.
However, Itami felt that it was nonsense. The word “threat” was
meaningless if it could not be explained in terms that others could
understand. In addition, if the Apocryph could be deliberately triggered,
then the Special Region Expeditionary Force would have to fundamentally
reconsider their approach to combat. Depending on their circumstances,
they might need to consider a general retreat. The consequences of such a
phenomenon being generated in a concentration of JSDF personnel were
too hideous to bear considering.
After one of the uniformed men seated nearby pointed out exactly that,
Kogure amended his statement by saying, “Of course, I have considered
that it might just be a freak natural occurrence.”
“However, minute changes in stellar alignment have also been detected
here. Recently, Mt. Asama has also become active again. Perhaps the
Apocryph is spreading somewhere on this side of the Gate as well.
Concluding that it has nothing to do with the Gate is extremely
dangerous. Even if we are not certain about the details, I hope we all
agree that something has to be done.”
The Prime Minister, the Chief Cabinet Secretary, the JGSDF generals
and the others launched into fiery debate.
Kanou — who was uninvolved — addressed Itami.
“...Ahhh. And so, opinions from all over the government go back and
forth.”
“What a headache.”
“Indeed. The bigger headache is the proposal submitted by the Arnus
Living Community.”
“Eh?”
This was the first time Itami had heard of anything from the ALC.
They should have discussed it with him before bringing it up with the
Japanese authorities, so a sense of detachment — or was it surprise? —
welled up within Itami.
“What sort of proposal was it?
Somewhere along the way, everyone present had turned to look at Itami.
Some were even leaning forward. The fake smiles on their faces made him
very uncomfortable.
Prime Minister Morita spoke in a grave tone.
“Miss Lelei La Lelena, who once came before the Diet as an expert
witness, seems to have mastered some sort of technology concerning the
Gate. She has also said that in exchange for certain conditions, she could
assist in the reopening of the Gate.”
Itami’s jaw dropped.
“This, this is the first time I’ve heard of this. What are the conditions?”
“Firstly, they want us to accept the closure of the Gate. Well, if the Gate
can be opened, then it can be closed. That’s fine.”
 “After that, she wants us to curb the spread of technology and
knowledge into the Special Region. The implication is that the Special
Region has its own values, culture and mindset, and rapid changes in
them are not a good thing.”
“I see.”
“Then, the next condition is…”
“Yes, that’s the part which is giving us the headache,” Kanou cut in.
“What, what is that?”
“Simply put, they want us to give them the JGSDF commander 1st
Lieutenant Itami Youji.”
“Ehhhhh… me?”
“Yes, you.”
Kanou punctuated the reply with a nod, and it froze Itami in place.
***
People’s Republic of China, Beijing - Zhongnanhai
“Chair-Chairman Dong. I am here to submit my report.”
Liu’s voice was off-key and hoarse.
It was not just his voice. He stood ramrod straight, his feet and hands
trembling as though exposed in the bitterest cold. Sweat poured off his
body like rain, and as a result the collar and armpits of his suit had
changed color.
It was hot and intensely embarrassing. He knew he made a disgraceful
figure. However, given the location, it could not be helped. After all, this
was a special place.
Liu belonged to the National Strategy Department, an important
component of the Chinese Communist Party, which sought to dominate
Chinese people across the globe. However, the people seated before him
were the six most important people in the Party. The imposing aura of
dignity and gravitas they radiated made Liu feel his hands and feet were
several times heavier than usual.
“Speak, then.”
Dong Dechou — in his centrally-located Chairman’s seat — verified that
the person before him was Liu, and then addressed him in a serious,
formal tone.
“Ah, ah yes. Please, peruse this data.”
Liu opened his report and urged the bigwig before him to look through
it.
His hope was that if everyone looked downward, he might be relieved of
his tension. However, the elders — led by Dong — did not look away from
Liu. They were carefully scrutinizing the man who had just spoken. This
was because they felt that they understood people better than they did
printed words on a page.
Of course, the speaker would end up feeling like he was being
interrogated. But at the same time, it gave an air of seriousness to the
proceedings, where levity and foolishness were not tolerated. Thus, while
unpleasant, the speaker’s tension improved the quality of the discourse.
Liu swallowed to moisten his throat before launching into the meat of
the matter. However, his mouth felt as dry as a desert, and his tongue was
like a dessicated sponge, refusing to yield up the slightest bit of moisture.
When he swallowed, it was like gulping a mouthful of sand.
“There, there are reports in Japan a-about various oddities taking place
due to the existence of the Gate. The news and media tried to quash this
story at first, but now they are releasing articles criticising Prime Minister
Morita for not taking action against it…”
“We do not need reports that we could obtain just as easily from the
newspapers. You are not mere collectors of information, but espionage
agents. What do you suggest we do in response to these developments?”
Chairman Dong replied sternly, sounding like a denouncement.
In response to that merciless criticism, Liu practically screamed his
answer:
 “I, I feel that Japan is trying to monopolize the Special Region using
these changes as an excuse! Thus I strongly advise against linking these
changes to the Gate. Instead, we should advocate that a peaceful, perhaps
international utilization of the Gate is in the best interests of the
Japanese people. To that end, we will push our message forward through
the news and the media. At the same time, if we begin interfering with
avenues of peaceful resolution, the public opinion of the Japanese will
eventually turn towards us.”
“Let’s get this straight. There is no such thing as friendship among
nations. We might make the enemy believe such a thing exists, but we
must never hope for it ourselves.”
“A-allow me to correct myself. We will make sure they refrain from
endangering the interests of our nation.”
It was for this purpose that China solicited investments from foreign
enterprises, opened its markets, and dispenses resources. Once these
enterprises set up shop in Japan, they and all the Japanese people working
in them would become hostages, thus limiting Japan’s thinking, actions
and choices.
“How goes the infiltration of the news and media. Will they act as we
desire?”
“The journalist exchange agreement is proceeding well. They are self-
censoring reports that are damaging to our country. They have cultivated
the attitude of limiting exposure to anti-Chinese articles. There was a
demonstration in Tokyo, about 4000 strong, against our country, but it
passed without notice. This is arguably the ideal situation for ourselves.
In addition, we have reminded the leaders of the companies which
sponsor news channels and variety shows about the proper way to handle
information concerning our country. They are keenly aware that if they
wish to do business in our country, they will need to demonstrate their
friendliness and willingness to cooperate.”
“Oh, that’s good. These must be the fruits of your labor. Still, it seems
somewhat sedate. I would like to see your plan for increasing the intensity
of the situation.”
“But, but, suggestions like that would contradict the responsibility I am
tasked with.”
“I know. Taking grand actions may end up putting all our previous effort
to waste. Even so, we may have to take them to protect our interests, so I
want to hear what you have to suggest.”
“That, that means, we’re going to put on a show of force to intimidate
Japan?”
After all, the Japanese media would have no choice but to air anti-
Chinese news items if China decided to use gunboat diplomacy on Japan.
For instance, if they did not report about the fishing boat colliding with a
patrol boat, that would lead to the Japanese people losing all faith in
them.
They had already worked to ensure that if anything happened, the
media would not air anti-Chinese articles, but instead let it fade out of
the public eye as soon as possible.
For instance, during the poisoned gyoza incident, as public interest in
the topic began to wane, they trotted out women and children approving
of good Sino-Japanese ties and published news items approving of
friendliness and peace. Then, they interweaved news of capturing and
dealing with the culprits in between the coverage of other big events.
Before anyone knew it, all the blame had been pushed onto those people
and the matter was at an end. Then they loaned out a panda or two and
everyone was friendly with them again.
With this system in place, they could minimize the impact of many
things, be it the Chinese police department’s reinterpretation of events,
apologizing for blaming Japan for everything, and even the lack of
compensation for affected industries and victims. When dealing with
Japan, they covered up their mistakes and left things at that. This was
China’s basic attitude towards problems.
Still, there were limits to how far that could go. For instance, if they
actually tried to intimidate Japan with a show of force, that would stir up
anti-Chinese sentiment in the Japanese people. Their reputation in the
international community would also sink like a stone. If they did this and
ended up crippling themselves for small gains, recovering from these
setbacks would take a great amount of time.
That was precisely what Liu feared.
“If you think a show of force refers to military power, then you are
mistaken. Gunboat diplomacy and the like are relics of the past century.
We will make war in a brand new battlefield, and thus win the rights to
the Special Region.”
“What, what would that be?”
The female secretary waiting in the corner advanced in silence and
handed a bundle of documents to Liu.
Liu swiftly scanned through the topics.
“We call it, ‘Operation Ginza Red Flag’.”
Chairman Dong Dechou smiled to himself as he said so.
Liu gave it an once-over, and then he blanched.
“But, but… I don’t think the US and the other nations will approve of
this… it seems far too risky.”
“It’s fine. There’s not need to worry. Justice does not exist in the
international community; only national interests. As long as your
interests coincide with the other nation, you may do as you please. This is
reality… all right, come with me. I’ll introduce you to our guests, because
you’ll be working with them in the future.”
“Them?”
“Indeed,” Dong Dechou said as he rose from his seat and led Liu aside.
There were several men waiting in the antechamber.
“This is Mr. Balanov of the Russian Federation. And this is Mr. Lucre
from France. After that we have Mr. Brudges from England. Mr. Hwang of
North Korea. Mr. Kim from South Korea. And finally, the US Presidential
Secretary, Mr. Bremy.”
 Liu shook hands with everyone Dong introduced, but he still gasped,
“The Americans too?!” in an unbelieving tone.
He was so tense that he did not notice his voice going off-key.
“Correct. In this, we are in agreement. Does that not mean that we
should work together as well?”
“Yes, yes, that’s right.”
“Of course, this is not an ironclad working relationship. We are all here
for our own reasons and we must leave for our own reasons as well.
Similarly, the conditions for continued cooperation are quite strict. We
must take action boldly and carefully.”
“Yes, I believe that is so.”
“The reins for this operation must be placed in the hands of an
excellent commander. Thus, I hope you will be the overall coordinator for
this operation. Will you accept that position?”
This was an offer Liu could not refuse, so he bowed crisply in
acknowledgement. Upon seeing this, Dong Dechou smiled smugly.
“Now, Japan will be fighting on all sides.”
(TL Note: the term is 四面楚歌, referring to the battle of Gaixia)
Ibaraki Prefecture, Kasumigaura
Itami stood on the shores of the lake, looking up the sky and the huge
fluffy white clouds floating up there.
He saw a speck of white in the endless azure. He heard the sound of
engines from the distance. When he raised his binoculars and looked
through them, he saw a civilian propellor plane.
“Oh!”
Through his binoculars, he saw several red and white-striped points
scatter from the civilian aircraft, taking flight into the clear blue sky.
These points were currently falling towards Itami’s current location.
They were falling so fast that he could not track them through the
high-power magnification of his binoculars. Thus, Itami put them down
and waited until he could see them with the naked eye.
A moment later, kite-like objects bloomed into existence one after the
other. They then drifted slowly towards him.
Itami did not look back to Yao standing behind him, but said:
“It’s a long time to stand here while craning your neck. You don’t have
to keep hanging around.”
“No. I want to be by your side.”
Itami felt a little embarrassed by Yao’s words, and he scratched his
head while saying, “really now”. To him, those words could be taken as a
vow of eternal companionship.
“Forget it, she was probably just exaggerating.”
To the long-lived Yao, dating Itami for life was hardly a big deal.
Perhaps it would only feel like a couple of years to her. Just as Itami was
thinking about that, Yao suddenly asked:
“Do you find me bothersome? I sometimes fail to get a hint; if you wish
to be alone, please, tell me.”
“It’s not like that.”
“Wonderful… although, everyone’s flying quite well.”
Yao looked to the sky and then a shiver ran down her spine, as though a
cold wind had blown.
“I keep thinking about what would happen if the parachute didn’t open,
or if the straps broke, or if the wind blew me into the lake, and so on.”
Because I have bad luck. Yao squeezed the 50 yen coin Itami had given
her.
Itami understood how Yao felt, and nodded.
“I wonder why everyone’s having so much fun?”
“It’s natural to think that way. It looks pretty boring from down here.”
 In truth, skydiving did not seem very impressive to onlookers. Perhaps it
would be different if there was a team of professionals performing
aerobatics and a cunning array of stunts, but Itami and Yao were merely
waiting for the skydivers to make landfall, so it was very boring.
That said, that was only because they could not see the airborne
skydivers with their naked eyes.
Pina descended through the air, held from behind by a professional
skydiving coach. When she saw Itami, she waved her arms
enthusiastically at him.
“Itami-dono~!”
They landed in a glide. Once she touched down, Pina ran to Itami, all
smiles and beaming like a child.
“It was awesome, so awesome, Itami-dono! To think such wonders
existed in our world!”
“Your, your Highness… this isn’t our world…”
Hamilton had landed alongside Pina. She approached them on shaky
legs after thanking her coach.
“Right. This is another world… ahhhh, there’s so many wonderful
things in this world. Why was I not born here? The moment when we
passed through the clouds was lovely!”
Following them, Rory, Tuka and Lelei landed.
After separating from their skydiving coaches, they eagerly babbled
about how wonderful it felt to walk through the sky. Even the typically
quiet Lelei’s eyes were glowing, as though to show her delight.
“Aren’t you jumping, Itami-dono?”
“Nah, I’ll pass.”
“Could it be that even Itami-dono, one of the renowned Men In Green, is
afraid of jumping? ...Well, Hamilton whined a lot on the way up, but she
seemed quite happy once she was airborne.”
 “...You didn’t think she was just scared speechless in the air?”
“Then, did you find it boring?”
“No. It was truly a wondrous experience.”
Hamilton placed her hands onto her chest as if she was replaying her
feelings in her mind.
“Although, before we jumped, I still couldn’t bring myself to believe
how a chunk of metal could float in the sky.”
At that time, Hamilton looked like she was on the verge of crying and
screamed “How scary”.
“Say, say, Itami-dono, how about joining us next time? Hey, what do you
think?”
Itami sensed Pina was bugging him in order to fly again.
“I appreciate your kind offer, but please permit me to refuse.”
Itami wanted to impress the cost of skydiving upon this Crown
Princess-sama, who had no idea of the meaning of money.
“Why is that? Do you dislike accompanying me?”
“...In all honesty, I just don’t understand the appeal of this sort of
thing.”
As Itami fumbled around for an excuse, Yao was chuckling behind his
back as she covered her mouth.
“Do you know something?”
Tuka — who looked happy, like she had just waltzed with a wind spirit —
pressed Yao for details. After Lelei and Rory joined in as well, Yao
muttered, “I can’t say this out loud” before whispering to them.
“In truth, Itami-dono is afraid of heights.”
“Ahhhhh! You promised to keep it secret! And you’re scared of heights
too!”
In response to that, Yao proudly puffed her chest up.
 “Indeed, I fear heights. But that is because my luck is bad and leads to
accidents! I’m not afraid like you are.”
“Let’s get this out of the way first. I can ride in helicopters or transport
planes. I’m very familiar with rappelling, and I’ve done my share of
combat jumps. I’m just afraid of Wyverns.”
“Oh? Really? Then who was the one hugging me and screaming back
then?”
“Ah, well, I was holding tightly onto Yao, but I was afraid of the
Wyvern…”
“Then why didn’t you go skydiving?”
As Rory and Tuka pressed him, Itami mumbled, “Er, I er, because, of,
uh…”
“Pret~ty fishy~”
“Were you lying about parachute jumping? Father, take some
responsibility here.”
“It’s not a lie!” Itami wailed, before narrating his black history to them.
 “I did jump. Really. But I hated it, so I clung to the jumpmaster and
refused to let go. In the end my commander and the jumpmaster went,
“Get your ass out of here” and they kicked me out the door.”
The fear of heights could take many forms. In Itami’s case, he feared
having nothing to hold on to. Ropes were fine and anything he could hold
onto would be acceptable. But without them, his fears would surge forth.
 It was only natural to wonder why someone like him could have a
paratrooper badge, but there was a reason for that.
After people shouted “What kind of SFG trooper doesn’t have a
paratrooper badge?!” he had been shoved off a perfectly good aircraft five
times and obtained it. Naturally, there were still some SFG commanders
who still resented Itami for it.
Whenever he tried to run away from things he did not like, people
would point at the badge of his chest and scold him, “Aren’t you a
Ranger?! Aren’t you Special Forces?!” Even so, Itami still tried to flee those
unpleasant tasks. Eventually, one of Itami’s previous commanders handed
down the secret of controlling him.
“You can forget about ever taking leave again, particularly at the
beginning and end of the year and during summer!”
“Ehhhhhh! But why?!”
“If you don’t want that to happen, act like you deserve that badge on
your chest!”
Indeed, it was because of these experiences that Itami no longer wore
his badge on his uniform.
If not for the Ginza incident, Itami would probably have been forcibly
enrolled into free-fall courses, at which point he would seriously have
considered a change in vocation.
However, the girls found this aspect of his terribly entertaining. He was
the ideal target for their bullying.
They teased Itami about how he did not join them because he could not
understand the joys of the sky.
In the end, Itami had to cajole them into moving on, saying “Hurry up
and change, time’s right and we need to get in the microbus.”
Next, they would be heading to a Ministry of Defense research institute.
Once they left Kasumigaura airport, black limousines surrounded their
microbus from all directions. It begged the question, “what kind of VIP
would ride a microbus, anyway?”
As she saw this, Rory muttered: “I remember what happened the last
time came here…”
Lelei, Tuka and Pina nodded.
“Well, that was because our movements were leaked to one and all, so
everyone’s eyes were on us…”
In response to Itami’s words, the man in black seated at the seat beside
the driver’s turned around, saying “Sorry about leaking your location to all
and sundry… it’s been a while.”
Itami asked the man addressing them: “Who’re you?”
“You can’t tell? I’ve lost a lot of weight.”
The man — who resembled Dr. Shinigami from Kamen Rider —
introduced himself as Komakado. He had been their point of contact with
the local police when Itami had first led his group to Tokyo.
“Ohhh! It’s been a while. What happened to your waist after that?”
“Ah, how shall I put it… My cane’s a part of me now.”
Komokado glared hatefully at the halberd Rory was holding. Seeing how
a young girl like herself held it with such ease, he had decided to snatch it
up unawares. In the end, he had sprained his waist and given himself a
hernia, resulting in an ambulance call.
“Well, let’s just forget about it.”
“Aye. Well, I understand. Still, I heard that security preparations are
being handled by the police this time. Komakado-san, you’re from
Intelligence Branch; what are you doing here?”
“Ah, my secondment period is over. I’m a department chief in the Public
Security Division now.”
“Oh! You’ve risen through the ranks. Congrats.”
“No no, that’s largely thanks to you. We managed to round up all the
foreign spies in Ginza in one fell swoop…”
 “Really?’
“Really. If you didn’t notice, then never mind.”
Komakado chuckled as he said this. For some reason, it sounded like a
villain’s evil laugh. He seemed kinder when he had been plumper. His
bearing now had a negative effect on his image.
One could see the reed-choked shores of Lake Kasumigaura through the
windows. The technology institute was further down the road. Komakado
paused briefly to bring his digital communicator to his mouth.
“Status report.”
“Intersection here, everything’s fine.”
Reports streamed in from various location. It would seem they had
taken very tight measures, given the prior leaks. After acknowledging the
reports, Komakado looked at Itami.
“There’s a fundamental difference between the level of security now and
last time. We’ve even had policewomen cosplay as the girls here and sent
them strolling around with someone who looks like you to Akihabara or
Nagata-cho. There’s another microbus behind us as well.”
Komakado pointed behind himself as he said this.
“I haven’t even been told the reason you’re here. Why are you here?”
“To conduct a Gate-opening experiment.”
Itami was momentarily confused over whether to tell someone who had
not been otherwise informed. Just for once, he wanted to say, “that’s on a
need to know basis, and you don’t need to know”, or some other similarly
overacted line. However, Lelei, who was sitting to the side, shattered
Itami’s fantasies with her simple answer.
“A Gate-opening experiment? You mean to say that men can make
portals between this world and others?”
“It could be.”
Komakado looked like nothing in the world could have shocked him
more.
“Unbelievable…”
Everybody in the world understood the utility of the Special Region. If
word got out that there was a way to freely open a way to the Special
Region, and that the strange phenomena plaguing the world could be
eliminated, everyone in the world would reach to Japan for a handout.
“You need to be very cautious about this information. Do you
understand me?” Komakado told the policeman driving.
“I, I understand.”
“You are not to speak of this to anyone; not your parents, your siblings,
your girlfriend, your superiors, nobody. Do you understand?”
“I understand, sir!” the policeman practically shouted in reply.
“Good. Then, we’ll have the decoys head toward Ginza as planned.”
In response to Komakado’s order, the microbus trailing them turned left
towards Tokyo, taking a lot of police escort vehicles with them. Even if
someone pursued them, the long motorcade would be very distracting and
they would probably not notice the microbus moving ahead of them.
“Now, even if someone is observing, it’ll look like the VIPs from the
Special Region are returning to Ginza after skydiving.”
“Wouldn’t that be nice~”
Rory’s nonchalant reply was laced with sarcasm, and Komakado smiled
back to her, unwilling to admit defeat.
“Well, I didn’t think it would be settled so easily. The path ahead is kind
of uncertain.”
In fact, the space behind them had cleared up now that the heavy police
escort had vanished. There were no more cars on the road besides the
ones that occasionally passed them from the front. Rural roads would be
like this outside of traffic jams.
Before long, they could see the Ministry of Defense Research Institute.
It was comprised of clean white buildings on an open field. They were
actually pretty big structures, though the sprawling surroundings might
have given viewers a false impression.
The microbus did not enter through the main gate, but took an unpaved,
narrow road that was something like a trail running between rice paddies,
and thus it entered the grounds from a side gate. Perhaps it was because
his tension had been running high, but when the side gate closed,
Komakado exhaled deeply.
“Hooo… Well, nothing happened this time.”
Yup, very tense.
The microbus entered an area surrounded by buildings.
Men in black were gathered there, awaiting Itami and his entourage.
“You’ve come at last, Lelei-san. Everyone, did you enjoy your leisure time
in the air?”
Prime Minister Morita, Secretary Kogure and the others stepped
forward, each shaking Lelei’s hand.
“Thank you. I had a lot of fun thanks to you,” Lelei replied primly. After
all, she had heard that their entertainment had been paid from the Prime
Minister’s pocket money. While it was more likely that the money had
been drawn from a secret government account, stating that the PM had
paid for them would change their impression of him. It was a truly
devious maneuver.
Tuka thanked them for their warm reception, and expressed her worry
that they were imposing upon them. In response, Morita smiled and said:
“Hardly, hardly. Such petty matters pale in comparison to your
importance. Ahahaha~”
There was no anger in his laughter. Had he really dug into his pockets
for them, Itami wondered.
Kanou approached him and asked, “How about them? Did they have
fun?”
 “Aye, they did.”
“If we can make them associate this enjoyment with cooperating with
Japan, that’s a win for us. That’ll be their motivation to open the Gate.
Same with your matter.”
“...Ah, Kanou-san. Are you serious about that?”
“You mean, handing you over to them? We haven’t decided that yet. It
comes after we settle the matter of the Gate.”
Itami patted his chest and sighed in relief.
“If we have to close the Gate, I was thinking of ordering you to gather
information in the Special Region, while taking charge of that Lelei girl’s
security.”
“So you want me to be another Lieutenant Onoda?”
Near the end of the Pacific theatre of World War II, when the IJA was
retreating, Hiroo Onoda-shi had been ordered to stay on Lubang Island to
collect information. After the war ended, he continued his lonely crusade.
About 30 years had passed before his former commander informed him
that World War II had ended and personally relieved him of duty.
...The Gate was closed, and the Special Region Expeditionary Force of
the JSDF was no longer there. But Itami remained by himself. And after
the Gate opened again, decades had passed.
Itami’s body went weak as he imagined that future ahead of him.
“I hope you can consider it with an SF trooper’s mindset. Don’t these
plots appear in light novels? Time passes differently for astronauts due to
the Urashima effect and so on. Even so, the MC boldly sets forth, for the
sake of all mankind.
They would probably receive someone like Kanou with a WELCOMƎ
sign or something. That would be a nice trope. For an otaku, paying his
entire life to serve his nation would probably be par for the course.
“So nobody’s going to ask my opinion?”
“Didn’t I say this was an order?”
 “But you’re the Foreign Minister now, Kanou-san.”
“Very well. Then I shall issue that order in the name of the Prime
Minister’s Office. If need be, I can get Defense Minister Natsume and the
Joint Chiefs of Staff to sign off on it as well. Or will I need to continue
down the chain of command until I reach your immediate superior?”
“Can I hand in a resignation?’
“We won’t fire you and we won’t let you quit either.”
“I’m glad you think so highly of me, but I think you’re overrating my
abilities. Work, to me, is mainly there so I can have fun. I’d rather avoid
situations where I’d have to miss out on Comic Markets. You know how
their stuff sells out in a flash.”
However, Kanou paid Itami no heed as he continued:
“The fact is, the organizers of the Comic Markets have been saying that
they have many copies of sample doujins which they want to donate to a
national art museum. However, we need to vet the content first and sort
them by their content. So we’re planning the construction of a repository
to hold the anime and manga which are an important cultural legacy of
our nation.”
“So you’re building a public facility like that, huh… well, you may want
to build a shrine to manga, but the moral guardians will whine about it
being a state-sponsored manga cafe. And… well, what does that have to
do with me?”
“In any case, I wanted to say that if you were worried about losing
contact with us during your time in the Special Region, you don’t have to
worry. All the doujins released during that period will be stored there for
everyone to read. Who knows, you might be able to spend years binging
on the archives.”
“Really?! ... Ah, I mean…”
Itami’s sudden shriek of excitement had drawn everyone’s eyes. After an
incredibly fake cough, Itami’s voice dropped an octave.
 “Kanou-san. You must have forgotten because you haven’t been to those
markets. You must have forgotten the feeling of joining a long queue,
wading through the sweat and passion-laden sea of humanity with both
hands, strolling past the booths and being approached by people asking
you to ‘please have a look’, as well as the joy of flipping through doujin
pages and savoring the beautiful cosplayer girls.”
“What are you talking about? To me, the Special Region seems like a
never ending Comics Market. Doesn’t that passion burn in the Special
Region — specifically, in Arnus?”
“...Eh?!”
“You should know that, right? Isn’t living over there more comfortable?”
“That, that’s not…”
That’s not true, Itami wanted to say, but in the end he could not finish
that sentence.
He knew he was being baited by Kanou, but he did not feel Kanou was
wrong. At the very least, he was waiting for the results of this experiment
because he was afraid that he would not be able to come and go from the
Special Region.
If Comics Markets could be held in the Special Region, he might
consider moving there, like Kurata had.
“You’re an important person to them, so they’ll try to find some way to
stay in touch with Japan for your sake. You’ll have to wait a while to
weather the time storms or earthquakes or whatnot and wait for them to
calm down, but only this time round. After that, the opening and closing
should not be a problem. I understood that much from her explanation.”
With that, Kanou inclined his chin toward Lelei and the others, who
were walking along the corridor.
“Still, isn’t that very bad?”
“Frankly speaking, it is. But if this goes on, we won’t be able to invest in
the Special Region any more. So I think it’s best that we hash it out right
now, at this time.”
“Still, we’re not sure if the Gate can be successfully opened…”
“Precisely. Everything turns on that. That’s what the experiment we’re
conducting is meant to prove. In addition, there are many things we need
to discuss with the ALC, as well as how secret we’re going to keep it. If
the US and China and whoever find out, they’ll probably demand the Gate
be opened on their side. That being the case, that girl Lelei is now a
national defense secret. However, if we keep it a secret, mentioning the
closure of the Gate will incur massive opposition. Once that happens,
we’ll have to hint to the other allied countries that we can open the Gate
again. That part will be a very delicate balancing act.”
“Indeed.”
“Still, it’s not all bad. We might be able to travel to worlds other than
the Special Region. Of course, we have to consider how best to do this
while taking into consideration Gothic Lolita-san’s warning to strictly
regulate the spread of knowledge and information here into the Special
Region. When you think about how the North American colonists
annihilated the Native Americans’ culture and practices, her point starts
to make a lot of sense…”
Itami and the others listened to this explanation as they walked, until
they reached something like a huge hangar.
It was a vast, windowless space, roughly four to five stories tall, with no
windows. It felt familiar to Itami; it reminded him of the Tokyo
International Exhibition Center.
(TL Note: I.e. the Tokyo Big Sight at Ariake, where Comikets are held)
However, he did not see folding tables there.
“Ah, it’s a Shinshin.”
(TL Note: This refers to the Mitsubishi X-2 Shinshin; an experimental
aircraft.)
There was a mockup of an experimental stealth fighter here, as well as
kinetic kill vehicles designed to interdict medium-range ballistic missiles,
among other things.
Technicians in white one-piece coveralls stood at the edge of this
testing ground, arranging cameras and machinery to surround a central
platform.
The floor was covered in tapes marking off squares in a grid pattern.
A frame of white ropes — resembling a jungle gym — hung in the air,
also forming a grid pattern.
They brought Lelei to the center of the elevated platform. There were
familiar faces among the researchers near her.
“Ah, Professor Youmei.”
“Ohh, you’re here. I heard they were going to conduct an experiment
concerning the Gate, and I was beside myself in anticipation, so I came
over promptly. Although, it seems to be some sort of top secret matter
and I had to sign an oath of some sort… the point is I can’t talk about it
right?”
Urushibata and Shirai were there as well, waving to them.
Elsewhere, a female technician was attaching electrodes to Lelei’s head
and various parts of her body.
Lelei did not seem to mind. Instead, she eagerly asked, “What are these
for?” and nodded as she received her answer.
As the preparations proceeded apace, the government officials — headed
by PM Morita — gathered around as well.
“It’s rare that we’re all gathered at a place like this,” Itami muttered.
After all, the people here were the sort he would normally only see in the
papers and news.
“Idiot, it shows how important this experiment is.”
Following Kanou’s words, Defense Minister Natsume added, “The
handling of the Gate will shape Japan’s future. Should we preserve the
Gate or close it temporarily? The opposition will surely use our response
as a talking point.”
After that, Morita growled his annoyance.
“Why not make her existence public? That way it’ll make persuading
them much easier.”
“Please reconsider, Prime Minister! The situation will deteriorate if that
happens.”
“No, I don’t meant officially. I mean, through rumors and other such
channels. Something like, ‘We have acquired the technology to open
Gates’ or something similar.”
“In other words, our official stance is that we know nothing?”
“Correct.”
Even so, that would be a very dangerous development. It would lead to
all manner of conjectures, and might worsen the situation.
“We will begin the experiment shortly. All personnel to your
instruments and stations. Five. Four. Three…”
Everyone watched Lelei with bated breath.
Lelei closed her eyes, and incanted a monophonic verse which sounded
like a pigeon whistle.
“Please look, the subject’s brain wave patterns are showing surprising
changes.”
“The amplitude is off the scales. It’s as though she’s having an epileptic
seizure… to think she could remain conscious through all this.”
“Probably because it’s limited to part of the cerebrum.”
Not every part of the EEG display was flickering wildly. Other parts
showed no changes at all.
“...Two. One. Contact!”
With the merest of movements, Lelei opened a Gate to another world
before the onlookers.
 ***
It looked like a pool suspended in mid-air.
One could still glimpse the scenes of this world through the other side.
It was only when one drew close that one could see it. In other words, it
was like a glass windowpane. Its surface rippled slightly; unlike glass, it
appeared visually soft.
“Is that the Gate? It seems much different from the one in Ginza.
Smaller, too.”
“The stone structures were built to stabilize and anchor the Gate. This
is the true form of the Gate. I can’t sustain it for long with my power
alone; this much is my limit...”
The researchers nodded and said, “I see…” as they heard Lelei. They
approached the surface, bringing their faces closer to investigate.
Someone blew at it, to see if it would raise ripples on its surface.
However, there was no reaction. Whatever caused those vibrations had
nothing to do with air movement, they reasoned.
Youmei swiftly produced a long rod.
“Allow me to take a look… hm.”
He poked the tip of the rod into the rippling surface, and then slowly
pressed it in. The rod met no resistance, but vanished where it contacted
the interior of the surface. He pulled it back, and found that its length
was the same, with no changes.
“I see…”
However, nobody dared touch it, or look past the other side. This time,
they prepared a camera on a long boom and inserted it. It might have
been that the other side was too damp, but the video signal they got was
blurred and whited-out, so they could not make out much.
“Hang on.”
One of the technicians sprayed something on the lens to ward off
condensation and then inserted the camera again, but they got the same
results.
“Maybe it was obscured by mist?”
If that was the case, they would have to send someone over to take a
look.
The onlookers traded meaningless dialogues like “You go,” “No, you can
be first.”
Behind the white-clad men, Itami approached Lelei.
“Lelei. Where did you connect to?”
“I don’t know. I picked a world close to us.”
“Is it different from the Special Region… from your world, Lelei?”
“You can’t open multiple portals to the same world.”
Lelei explained it by saying that a tangent only ever touched a circle at
one point along its length.
“I see, so does this mean you can link the Special Region to our world?”
“However, I need a marker to find a particular world among all the
others…”
Following that, Youmei said, “Let me handle the groundwork for that.
We’ll use a pure crystal, without any imperfections. The more valuable,
the better, and it needs to be an ancient object. I guess we could mine
something like that.”
“I see…”
After Itami said that, he casually approached the Gate and said, “I’ll
take a look before sticking his head in.
The sight of a man’s body missing its head from the neck up was highly
disturbing to the onlookers. The severed… that is, the remaining portion
of the neck looked like a sectional slice of a human specimen, which only
added to the effect. One of the female researchers saw this ghastly sight
and immediately fled to the corner of the experimental area with her
hand clutched over her mouth.
 “Huh, looks like medical science has progressed once again,” someone
mused.
“Not just that. Surgery is going to become something truly incredible.”
Itami had no idea that the insides of his body were on review. Instead
he muttered, “Where is this” and stepped forward, and his body
disappeared from the sight of his audience.
Before long, a pale-faced Itami stumbled out the portal and shouted,
“Lelei! Close the Gate now! Now! Now! Now! That world’s really fucking
bad news!”
“What happened?”
Kanou’s question echoed the thoughts of the gathered politicians.
“There were eggs about this size… all lined up in a row, and when I got
near them, they opened up like buds…”
Itami stumbled over his description of the human head-sized eggs,
arranged in neat rows on a sticky floor.
As they heard this, the faces of the technicians and the politicians
blanched, as they imagined the SF film which matched Itami’s
description.
“Terminate the experiment! Lelei-san, please close the Gate!”
“Security! Converge on Experimental Area Four! It may be too late!
Hurry! Hurry!”
“Too late! Seal the entrances and exits to the building! Everyone, please
be prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for Japan’s sake. Contact the
people outside — tell them that if communication with the interior is
interrupted for more than 24 hours, they are to destroy this building
immediately. This is a direct order from the Minister of Defense.”
As Natsume thunderously addressed the entire building, Lelei tilted her
head in bafflement, but complied with the request and stopped
maintaining the portal.
The translucent membrane before her vanished in an instant.
 At the same time, an earthquake rocked the facility. It was roughly
magnitude 2.0. Since the shocks were not that great, Itami paid it no
heed, but instead turned to Lelei.
“...Haaa… haaa… haa… Lelei, don’t open portals to other worlds for the
time being. Especially that world. From now on, do not ever link to it.
We’ll all be doomed.”
In that moment, everyone realised that they could not blindly make
contact with unknown worlds.
Since it had ended without incident for the time being, they breathed a
sigh of relief. But the matter did not end there.
“Oh, oi, what’s this?!”
Two heavily-muscled men in black lifted him up by the elbows, while
two more grabbed his legs, for a total of four people controlling his limbs.
Looking around, he saw many people in white and men in black
surrounding him in ranks. Their blank faces were like machines, and the
lack of humanity frightened him.
Natsume coldly stated: “Begin examination immediately. We must
verify if he has been infected by any parasites!”
Itami was dragged to the corridor.
“No, I, I’m fine! There’s nothing stuck on me! It’s true! I, I’ve been
framed!”
Itami thrashed and screamed, but that only made the people present
even more suspicious.
“Why framed?”
Natsume had no idea, and so Kanou replied,
“Well, that was the promise I made to him.”
Sherry learned about this news while playing with Myui at the
Emperor’s side.
Since she was familiar with the young heiress of House Formal, the
Emperor had put them together and said, “You two should get along; your
ages are close, after all.”
The aged Emperor was delighted to see Myui and Sherry playing
together by his side.
Being weak and ill, the Emperor was practically bedridden. It would
seem he compensated for his immobility by watching the girls playing
energetically in the distance, and it calmed his heart.
Myui — who had been orphaned at a young age — seemed to enjoy
playing by the Emperor’s side. He felt like her grandfather. Thus, she
visited the Emperor’s bedchamber almost every day, sometimes reading
stories, sometimes reciting poems. Of course, Sherry was not one to let a
chance like that go by. In the guise of a child curious about politics, she
asked the Emperor questions or let him speak, looking for a chance to
fulfil her ambitions.
“Your Majesty. This one feels that continued resistance to Zorzal-sama
is only possible through cooperation with Nihon.”
“I feel the same way too. Still, whether with Nihon or with our own
people, we cannot pledge alliance rashly. Do you know the reason why?”
“Yes. This is because yesterday’s enemies will not be today’s friends.”
“Correct. Thus, we must sign a peace treaty first.”
“Then, what do you think of early peace talks?”
“It is difficult to say at the moment. We name ourselves the official
government, but in truth we only rule over a portion of the Empire. We
cannot even pay the compensation Nihon demands of us.”
“Thus, Zorzal-sama is an obstacle to that. But the help of Nihon is
needed to eliminate Zorzal-sama… it is like locking a box’s key inside it.”
“Precisely.”
“Would the Nihonjin consider reducing the amount of reparations
demanded?”
“That would be difficult. The Nihon ambassadors seem quite smug. We
will need to cool their head down to get them to make concessions to us.”
“Are the elections in Nihon such an opportunity?”
“It is hard to say. The candidates speak boldly to gain the support of the
people. Anyone who speaks without confidence will find it hard to be
elected. Because of that, their terms after the election might be stricter
than before. Thus, if we concede to them, their demands of us will only be
more severe.”
“Still, will the people of our country not be delighted to know that we
are guiding the war towards its end?”
“The question now concerns the terms on which the war ends.”
“In other words, the challenge is to concede within the Empire’s
capacity to give in and thus secure the ambassador’s approval, then? Why
don’t we hold a triumph for them, then? We cannot give them anything
material, so let’s offer them fame.”
“Oh, I see. A triumph, then. But what if it decreases faith in the power
of the Empire?”
“Can we not restore it by defeating Zorzal-sama?”
Just then, a knocking came from the door of the Emperor’s bedchamber.
Sherry and Myui hurriedly burrowed under the Emperor’s bed.
The fact was that their presence there was a secret to everyone around
them. Earlier, when Count Marx had found them, he shouted, “Why are
you taxing His Majesty’s weak constitution further?!” The Emperor had
already given his approval, so it should have been fine, but the imperial
physician disliked children and assumed the Emperor felt the same way,
and his directions had been given with that bias in mind.
Thus, whenever someone came by, the two of them would conceal
themselves. However, their hearts soared, like they were playing a prank.
The Emperor seemed to indulge in their joy at hiding.
However, this time it was Count Marx and the head maid of House
Formal who came.
 “Your Majesty, your servant has received news of a matter of grave
import; I wish to swiftly make my report.”
The two seemed to be in a panic. They advanced before the Emperor
and began speaking.
Panache, who had been assigned to collect information in Arnus, had
sent a report over. It stated, “There have been verified sightings of the
phenomenon known as the Apocryph.”
In Japan, people were still discussing the link between the Gate and the
phenomena. The debate over whether or not to close the Gate in order to
prevent the spread of the Apocryph was currently in progress.
However, the Emperor smiled and said, “It hardly bears mentioning.”
The eavesdropping Sherry felt the same way. After all, Japan had not
received anything from the Empire. Even if they decided to close the Gate,
it would only happen after they had received compensation from the
Empire.
“Pina said nothing, didn’t she? She must have felt that there was
nothing to report.”
“Also, there is more alarming news. This is a personal letter from
Hamilton-dono to Panache-sama.”
This time, it was the head maid’s turn to speak.
“Hamilton? ...I believe she is Pina’s personal assistant.”
Why did the head maid know about that personal letter? The Emperor
wondered worriedly.
“Is it better if I did not ask how you obtained it?”
The head maid fearfully bowed and replied, “I pray you will not be
offended.”
“According to that letter, Pina-denka has lost all passion for politics.
Thus, even important information now languishes within her hands.”
“What sort of information is that?”
 “For instance, that a certain magician who lives in Arnus has received
the power to open Gates from the Queen of the Underworld, Hardy.”
“What?!”
The supine Emperor suddenly bolted upright. After the two of them
carefully eased him into a sitting position, he asked again to see if he was
hearing things.
“If that is so, then the situation is grave.”
Sherry also felt that something bad had happened.
This was an untimely occurrence for the official Imperial
administration. More to the point, the same applied to her. This was a
highly classified matter concerning the government of Italica. In other
words, just knowing about it was very dangerous.
Of course, since Myui was here too, the life of the heiress to House
Formal would probably be guaranteed. However, it was quite likely that
they would be sequestered for a long period of time.
That implied that she would be separated from Sugawara. It was a
situation she desperately wanted to avoid. To Sherry, it was nothing less
than a matter of life and death.
“What’s the matter?”
Sherry raised an index finger to silence Myui, who knew nothing of what
was going on. After that, she decided to crawl out from under the
Emperor’s bed so as not to be spotted by the head maid and Count Marx.
If she left the bedroom and ran to Sugawara’s side, at least she would not
have to be worried about being separated from him.
However, just as she was about to emerge from under the bed, Emperor
Molt’s hand rested lightly on Sherry’s shoulder.
“You wait here a bit.”
Count Marx and the head maid glimpsed Sherry’s form and mouthed
“Dammit”. Their eyes were downcast, and it was obvious that they were
considering the elimination of the witness. But then Myui revealed herself
too, and the head maid’s face went pale. If she were to do to Myui what
she planned to do to Sherry, she would be committing treachery.
“Hang on, hang on.”
As though sensing the head maid’s thoughts, the Emperor raised a
finger and stopped her with a “Don’t be hasty.”
“Do you know who this magician is and where they are? Can you get
them under control as soon as possible?”
The head maid replied with a sour face: “Regretfully, I am unaware of
both their identity and location. However, Pina-denka might know…”
Count Marx said, “Your Majesty. Judging by the Nihonjin’s thinking, if
they can open the Gate at will, they might lean toward minimizing the
risk to themselves.”
“So we must swiftly treat with Japan and settle the matter. Who else
knows about this in Italica?”
Marx and the head maid looked at Sherry and Myui.
Thus, the Emperor bade Sherry rise to her feet.
“Judging by the way you were planning to leave, I believe you
understand the gravity of the situation.”
“...Yes.”
Sherry shrank into herself, like a child who had been scolded for a
prank.
“Tell me how severe it is.”
There was no point hiding things now. Sherry shared her opinion as
requested.
The legitimate Imperial government could continue resisting Zorzal’s
forces thanks to the presence of the JSDF. If the JSDF was not there, the
militarily inferior legitimate government would be destroyed by Zorzal’s
armies, and the pro-peace faction would be purged once more.
What if the pro-peace nobles heard about this?
 “Rather than perish with their countries, they would scatter to the four
winds and throw themselves upon Zorzal-sama’s mercy. The Imperial
government would thus be dissolved.”
“Umu. It seems you understand,” the Emperor nodded.
“Then, can you accept being placed in confinement and having no
contact with anyone else?”
Sherry had anticipated those words from the Emperor, and so she raised
a finger to interrupt the Emperor.
“I have a solution.”
Surprised, the Emperor asked, “Oh? And what is that?”
“Make up swiftly with the Nihonjin and beg them to help us defeat the
Zorzal faction. Then, we will agree to any terms they state, contingent on
us taking back the Imperial Capital. Of course we will ask them to reduce
the reparations due, but I am sure they will accept us turning over mines
and territorial deeds in exchange. In this way, they might not need to
close the Gate, or even if they do close the Gate, they might leave troops
with us.”
“Oh, and why do you think that?”
“This is because being able to open the Gate again is a risky gamble for
the Nihonjin. They will surely consider that they may lose contact with us
forever after closing the Gate.
The fact was that Sherry had worried about precisely this sort of thing.
Since she did not want to be parted from Sugawara, she had been racking
her brains for a solution. If there was nothing else, she planned to cling to
Sugawara’s thigh and beg him to take her to Japan, but that was a last
resort.
“We will not be giving them portable currency, but territory and
privileges. The more we give them, the greater a shame it will be to
abandon them. That is human nature. I also believe that they will work
together with us to defeat Zorzal-sama in order to turn these promises
into a reality.“
 Though she risked admonition for her words, the Emperor nodded
heavily.
“I see.”
It would seem that he was in a good mood.
“However, Nihon is a threat to the Empire. If they do as you say, the
threat will forever remain by our side. What do you think?”
“It is not a problem, is it? Your Majesty does not intend to restart the
war, I trust?”
“Indeed, that is so.”
“We should not make enemies of the Nihonjin, but use their strength.
The leadership of the Empire will be difficult due to the past relationship
between its vassal nations and the demihuman tribes. However, if we get
along with Nihon, they will surely become reliable allies. Though it may
displease you to hear it, I urge you to do this, at least until the Empire can
soar once more.”
“Indeed, it is true… Being able to think of that much at your age is quite
amazing.”
Following the Emperor’s lead, Count Marx added his praise:
“Your political instincts are quite astute, given your youth. I look
forward to your future.”
“However, your bias toward Nihon is far too obvious. You should focus
more on the Empire’s gain before speaking. I understand that you say so
because you despise Zorzal, but to those who do not understand, they
might think you do not have the Empire’s best interests at heart.”
Sherry broke into a cold sweat as she heard the Emperor’s criticism.
“I shall be more aware of that.”
“Still, there is logic to your words. Coveting everything will leave you
with nothing. Thus, it is better to limit what one desires, and thus attain
it successfully.”
 “I feel the same way.”
“Hm. It would seem appointing you as an emissary for these talks would
be most interesting.”
“Your, Your Majesty. Might that be unwise?”
It would seem even Count Marx was compelled to oppose the Emperor’s
suggestion. Sherry felt that he had a point, but these talks were not that
simple.
Sherry too was quite panicked by how her gamble had not only paid off,
but had given her more than she could handle.
“I, I, I shall soon wed the Nihonjin diplomat.”
“In other words, you are still a member of Imperial nobility. Then, is it
not settled? It would be quite amusing to have an innocent, lovable child
like you mixed in with these irritable politicians.
“Ah, but, I fear I may be unable to successfully handle matters of
negotiation.”
“Umu. Of course. Thus, the actual work will be given to the senior
members of the delegation, while you may serve as the representative of
the emissaries. You may well be what cools down the Nihonjin diplomatic
detachment. After all, making harsh demands of a child looks bad to
everyone. Count Marx, I know this is an imposition, but nevertheless I
order you to give her a suitable title.”
Even if the Emperor himself had spoken these words, Count Marx was
opposed to them, and he hesitated in answering. Still, the Emperor had
said as much, he had to respond carefully:
“Then, let us first acknowledge Sherry-san as the heir to House Tuery
and recognize her as a Viscountess of the Imperial peerage. I doubt
anyone will treat her lightly if she is the head of a noble house. Then, we
shall elevate her to the rank of Countess. Thus, Sherry-san will be worthy
of serving as an envoy personally appointed by Your Majesty.
The Emperor looked to Sherry.
 “You have lost your estate and family. Thus, you lack even a dowry to be
wed. That is certainly a cause for despair. At the very least, I pray you will
wear this honor with pride.”
“Ha… I am deeply grateful for your generosity.”
She might have gained a title to substitute for a dowry, but she did not
think it would please Sugawara. Still, Sherry respectfully lowered her head
and decided to accept it.
This was because serving as the Emperor’s envoy would be troublesome,
but she had already sensed that it was ideal for steering the situation in
the direction she desired. If she messed up, it would not reflect badly on
her, and she would not be shamed. Thus she accepted the Emperor’s
orders with grace.
Chapter 7

This was the JSDF Central Hospital. Itami was warded in the
Contagious Diseases block.
Given the pathogens it was designed to handle, all the windows in the
building were sealed shut. The interior was kept at a lower air pressure
than the outside so airborne bacteria and viruses would not flow to the
outside.
Entry in and out of it was heavily regulated. Itami in particular was
practically imprisoned, followed and observed by powerful-looking
security troopers around the clock.
Why did these men carry Ithaca shotguns and other non-standard issue
weapons? Why were NBC suits and man-portable flamethrowers
permitted within a hospital? Anyone would wonder out loud about those
things. In contrast, Itami spent his days lying lazily on his bed, his face
buried in some manga or light novel which had been obtained through an
online shopping service named after a certain South American rainforest.
“So, why are you wasting your time here~?”
Rory sat on a round cushion stool, looking at the big guy beside her.
His uniform had a black badge with “MP” stitched on it. He stood in the
corner, unmoving and silent, like some kind of decoration.
“Ahh, well, the truth is I decided to pass the time with a joke…”
While walking along the hallway, Itami decided to see what would
happen if he suddenly doubled over, clutched his belly and rolled around
while screaming, “Ah, dammit, it’s coming out! Fuck! Gwaaaargh!” and
before he knew it, he was already doing it. Naturally, it caused a big
ruckus and everyone got mad at him. Very mad, in fact. Thus, he was
currently repenting his sins here. Except, he did not feel repentant at all.
The reason was because he was overjoyed.
As one might expect, that prank had lasting consequences. The hospital
had passed their judgement on Itami. The nurses gave him the stink-eye,
and the doctors constantly subjected him to painful examinations with
nothing remotely resembling patient care.
This was an age where “Try Again” and “A Society Where One Can Start
Afresh” were trumpeted as big things, but Itami had personally
experienced the fact that there were some things from which one could
not recover.
More specifically, Itami’s prank highlighted the fact that a conventional
security posture could not deal with emergencies of this nature.
The people around him had panicked and could not respond effectively.
Once they knew it was just a prank, they were angry of course. But at the
same time, they were greatly relieved. The people in charge had watched
many sci-fi movies featuring alien parasites, and they demanded
increased security.
This was the result.
The security troopers escorting Itami were fully outfitted in bullet and
knife-proof body armor, carrying shotguns loaded with buckshot, and they
paid attention to even the smallest abnormalities. Itami was never left
unattended during his two weeks in this place. They waited for him in
front of the door even when he went to the bathroom or showered.
“Objective has reached toilet!”
He could not remain still once he heard the voice from outside.
They gave a report any time he spent more than 5 minutes in the same
place. In addition, the security troopers refused to respond to him no
matter how he tried to chat them up. It was clear that they did not intend
to open up to someone they might have to execute if the situation went
bad.
“H~m… so why not treat him as an ornament~?”
“I think that would be too much.”
“But can he really stay like that without moving a muscle~”
“I’ve tried ways and means, but none of them worked.”
Itami told Rory that he had told jokes and danced in front of him. It
would seem he had been very free.
“H~m~”
An evil gleam filled Rory’s eyes as she looked over the security trooper.
Then she suddenly drew close to Itami and kissed him.
“Ah…”
Even the security trooper’s expression changed, to one of surprise.
“Mmm…”
Rory smiled to herself, as if to say, he gave in.
Itami touched his lips as well, replaying what had just happened to
him. However, Rory continued holding on to him, pressing her body
against his, and her breathing grew rapid and ragged as she guided him
towards the bed.
“I say, how long are you going to be here? It’s been so looooong, I can’t
take it any more…”
Her sweet voice and hot breath washed over Itami’s ear.
The security trooper looked at Itami like he was a criminal. Well, that
was only to be expected; Rory might be over 900 years old, but from the
outside she looked like she was 12 or 13. Sexual contact with a girl of that
age, even if it was consensual, was still a form of statutory rape. Said rape
was currently in progress, so even the JSDF MP could not help but react to
this.
“What, what do you mean by ‘so loooong’, I don’t get it. We don’t have
this sort of lewd relationship, right?”
“Why are you trying to hide it? Haven’t we come all this way already?”
Itami glanced at the security trooper every now and then.
The man’s face was flushing red, and he was clearly uncomfortable as
he tried to fix his eyes elsewhere. Judging by the way he was gulping, he
was trying to think of something else. His conscience and duty were
probably warring within him.
“Ah, no, you see, there’s someone else here, Rory-san…”
“It’s not as though he’s looking this way…”
Rory mounted Itami, eyeing him like a carnivore sizing up its soon-to-be
prey.
“But, but he can hear us…”
“So let him listen, it’s not like it’s a bad thing. All this time, Lelei and
Yao and Tuka have always been by your side, so I can’t cut loose and have
fun. Now that it’s just the two of us, it should be okay, right~?”
“Like I was saying, it’s not just the two of us…”
“There’s nobody else here~”
 “No, there is.”
“Just the two of us~”
With that excuse which barely even counted as such, Rory leaned in and
licked Itami’s neck.
The security trooper finally made his move. Unable to stay still any
longer, he dashed out into the corridor, trailed by the sound of footsteps.
“Yay, we win!”
Itami and Rory exchanged a high-five of “Victory!”
After savoring the peace and calm the two of them shared, they realised
exactly what kind of situation they were in.
Rory was mounted on Itami’s thigh, facing him with her arms around
his neck. Since there was a blanket between the two of them it was not
too bad, but psychologically speaking, they could not possibly be closer.
Rory blushed and lowered her face in embarrassment.
“Ah, well… see, maybe it’s time you… got off?”
“Your arm~”
“What?”
“If you don’t move your arm… I can’t get off.”
At some point, he had put an arm around Rory’s back. Itami
immediately let go and raised his hands, as though in surrender.
After that, Rory pressed her lips to Itami’s. Unlike the gentle fluttering
of earlier, this was a savage, hungry kiss.
However, just as Itami was about to put his arm around Rory again, she
broke away and got off the bed.
She smoothed out her bunched-up skirt and rearranged her messed-up
clothing and hair. Then, she acted as though nothing had happened. If
someone asked her about it, her reply would be “I have no idea.”
This was one of Rory’s tricks. Even though he knew it, Itami was still
hard-pressed to hide the pangs of longing regret within him.
“Alright… this is what you asked for~”
Rory nonchalantly dumped a bag on Itami’s knee.
...Ggk.
Unwilling to admit defeat, Itami pretended as though nothing had
happened and glanced at the package on his knee.
“Thank you, that was a great help. Did you successfully cut it in two?”
“They’re not exact halves. I just split it.”
“That’s fine. Thanks.”
Saying so, Itami peeled off the sticker from the delivery service and
pasted it on the bag.
“What are you going to do with this diamond?”
“I have no idea what’s going to happen to it, so I wanted to send it to my
mom’s guardian. After all, I’m being used as political capital and might
be given to somebody at any time, right?”
Itami was trying to make a dig at her, but Rory neatly ignored it.
“What’s a guardian?”
“It’s someone who manages finances for people whose judgement is
impaired. He handles the hospital fees and other expenses.”
“Hmm… that’s pretty handy.”
“With people like him around, my mom can live without difficulty and
worries, right?”
“Looks like you’ll need to make more change, then,” Rory replied.
“Speaking of which, how long are you going to stay here?”
“Personally speaking, I don’t mind staying here forever. After all, I
might be infected with some sort of unknown pathogen or parasite, right?
It’s my duty as a JSDF trooper to minimize that sort of risk to the nation,
right? Hahaha…”
“You say that, but it looks like you’re just slacking off here.”
Rory looked around as she said that. The area around Itami’s bed was
littered with mountains of doujins, manga, light novels. There were some
PET bottles and snacks too. It would seem he was having it pretty good
here.
“Still, even if they ask me to work hard here, there’s nothing I can do.”
 Indeed, all Itami could do here was submit to a battery of tests.
They ran erythrocyte counts, biochemical assays, CT, X-Ray and PET
scans on him, took cell samples and cultured them, and after the full
course of those examinations, all they could do was observe him every
day. Since he was still being paid for this, Itami was beside himself in joy.
Rory sighed at Itami’s state, and rubbed her left arm.
One of the nurses had drawn a blood sample from Itami’s arm with a
thick needle. The process made Rory wince as she saw it, as though she
were the one in pain. Perhaps that sensation still lingered.
“Speaking of which, what are you guys up to? What’s everyone doing?”
“Mm. Lelei’s conducting magical experiments. Tuka and Yao returned to
Arnus and they’re explaining the situation to the ALC.”
“How about Pina and Hamilton?”
“They’ve been having fun everywhere. I think they’ve been visiting Lisaa
every day now.”
…Lisaa? Ah, it must be Risa, Itami thought. The lightbulb above his
head flickered two or three times like a fluorescent lamp before springing
to life.
“Does she really not want to be involved in politics anymore?”
“She said something about art being enough for her.”
“Ah yes, about that, how’s the handling of the Gate going? Has everyone
agreed on shutting it down yet?”
Rory sighed depressedly at Itami’s question.
“Frankly speaking, keeping Lelei’s situation a secret is very difficult. The
Japanese won’t give us a concrete answer. There’s only one way to close
the Gate, but they haven’t quite resolved themselves yet.”
“Ahh, that’s politics for you. Even if it’s an open and shut case, they
can’t rush into it. Life would be much easier if we could make choices so
easily.”
 It was true that the Gate-opening experiment was a success, but it was
no guarantee of the permanent link between worlds. This was the first
time humanity had tried to manipulate the unknown phenomenon which
was the Gate. It was only natural for people to be wary of things they
were not sure about.
“Still, we can’t just leave it be. We have to convince them to close the
Gate.”
Rory frowned at Itami’s phrasing, which sounded as though he was
talking about somebody else.
This man always seemed to think that things like these did not concern
him.
Loneliness filled Rory, as though she had been abandoned. Granted, it
was their fault that they had used Itami as leverage without discussing
the matter with him, but was it too much to have him understand their
reasons for doing so? They knew well that this was infatuation on their
parts, but even so, that was a girl’s heart for you.
This loneliness only grew stronger because Itami was only worrying
about Lelei, who was responsible for the opening, closing and
management of the Gate.
“Personally speaking, I don’t like the idea of Lelei becoming a device to
open and close the Gate.”
As Rory agonized over whether to speak, she puffed up her cheeks, and
Itami proceeded to lightly poke them as she went “Hmmph~”. Eventually,
she decided to explain herself to him.
“Well, I guess there’s no need to worry about that.”
“Why do you say that? Isn’t Lelei going to be tied down for the rest of
her life?”
Itami felt that in Lelei’s case, a life of being responsible for connecting
Japan to the Special Region was not worth living.
“I’ve discussed the matter with Lelei. In the end, we came to the
conclusion that, ‘we’ll think of something~’
“Really?”
Rory nodded slightly.
“We plan to talk to Belnago Shrine and have them take over the
responsibility for opening and closing the Gate.”
“How are you going to sell the idea to them? Hardy’s relic can’t be used
by anyone other than Lelei, right?”
“The power of the Gate falls under Hardy’s jurisdiction, Because of that,
anyone with that power will become a vassal of the Queen of the
Underworld. But Lelei is an outsider who is not connected to Hardy. To
the priestesses of Belnago Shrine, this is highly irregular.”
“Mmm.”
“Bringing Lelei to their side would be the best way to correct that
irregularity, am I wrong?”
“But Lelei hates Hardy. Could it be that they’re going to force…”
After being possessed by Hardy, Lelei was still trying to lose the weight
she had put on. There was no way she would bear any goodwill for Hardy.
“As if I would allow them to use force. It’s because of that point that we
can make a deal. We allow them to manage the opening and closing of
the Gate, and in exchange, we will give Belnago Shrine the relic and the
right to use it...”
Itami clapped his hands in understanding.
“I see… but can you even transfer the rights to use it?”
“This way, Lelei will be freed from having to administer the Gate.”
Rory sighed.
“And then, Hardy’s shrine will be able to proselytize as the price of their
passage.”
Giselle had followed them from Kunapnui to Arnus, where she was
currently roaming around town, so all the Shrine had to do was give her
orders to that effect, Rory said,
“Well, on the other hand, it just means that if we can put up with that,
we won’t have to worry about Lelei being bound by the Gate.”
“Is that so. But will she have her movements restricted or something?”
Rory smiled and nodded.
“Still, if that’s the case, couldn’t we have had the Belnago Shrine run the
Gate instead? According to what you said, anyone could use Hardy’s relic,
not just Lelei, right?”
Rory commented that he was making too light of the situation.
“That won’t work. What I’ve said since just now will only happen after
Lelei begins managing the Gate. After all, that sort of thing isn’t Hardy’s
true intention; she would never help us like that from the start~”
“...Isn’t it strange, though?”
“The priestesses are quite proud of themselves. They dislike being
ordered around by others, and they do worship that Hardy.”
That Hardy… Itami could not approve of those words.
“I see. But doesn’t that mean the Gate will be fine? All we have to do
next is convince everyone.”
However, Rory put on a vulnerable, worried expression and threw
herself on the blanket on Itami’s knee.
“That’s going to be haaaard~”
“Why is that?”
Rory sighed again, and looked lazily at Itami.
“We’ve been running around like mad to protect our darling Youji, but
we aren’t very persuasive when it comes to making them give up their
livelihoods. The ALC trades with the JSDF and sells high to the
merchants of the Special Region. In other words, everyone makes a living
with the Gate. If we take the Gate away, we take away their livelihoods.”
“How do people who live without troubles and who already have their
most precious thing squared away work up the audacity to tell others to
“give up your way of life?”
Rory sighed.
“Then just cancel the demand for me.”
“I don’t want to!”
Rory did not say it was impossible, but that she was unwilling, and thus
she revealed her feelings.
“Why is that? How could that be?”
“It’s nothing,” Rory said in a tone of what appeared to be anger.
“You blockhead! You dummy!”
She smacked Itami.
“Tell me, what’s so good about me?”
“There’s no rhyme or reason behind liking someone. Feelings which
exist for a reason vanish when that reason does… Strength?
Attractiveness? Might is ultimately a momentary thing, while looks fade
with age. Even a super-intelligent man will lose the keenness of his
intellect as he grows older. Liking anyone for those reasons implies that it
will be a short-lived infatuation.”
“Still, I don’t think I deserve to be with a woman like you.”
Rory smiled brightly, and brought her face closer to Itami’s as she
whispered:
“When we were young, we could declare our love freely and openly,
because we did not need to worry about many things. But as we grow
older, that particular trait vanishes. The important thing is what you feel
when you glimpse a person’s soul, but people have gradually come to
forget its importance. I say, put your faith in that miracle.”
“Miracle?”
Rory pointed to Itami’s chest. “Correct.”
“I’ve been searching the world over for a soul like yours. I’ve waited too
long, far too long for something like it,” she said.
Itami could not help but get embarrassed. He could not even come up
with a witty retort.
“I’m glad to hear that, but I can’t give you an answer right now. It may
be that I cannot separate myself from Tuka, Lelei or Yao. Like now.”
“Someone aiming to be a goddess of love would be unworthy of that
position if she demanded that of her partner. That is our problem, so
please, don’t worry about it.”
The church of Rory taught: One had to keep one’s beloved by their side,
never letting them go, never letting the chance slip away. One had to
fight for them and win them. Rory had even exhorted Lelei, Tuka and Yao
to live by these words in their daily life.
“There’s a song in the story Galaxy Express 999, where one of the lyrics
says “parting is a form of love too” or something along those lines.”
Rory raised her face and glared angrily at Itami.
“Life is not a play. Praying for the other person to be happy? How stupid
is that? The story doesn’t end after the curtain falls. No, in fact, that’s
when life begins!”
Having said that much, Rory lay down on Itami’s knees again and
cupped her head.
“How can I criticize people for being greedy when I’m spouting sappy
romantic lines like these…”
It would seem the topic had returned to persuading the members of the
ALC.
Be they the Japanese or members of the ALC, everyone knew the
importance of closing the Gate. However, they did not understand the
vulnerability of having the Gate, so they were not on their guard. Thus,
they chose to maintain their present lifestyles. It was a natural decision.
“So because of that, we have to open the Gate again?”
It was for that reason that Lelei had come to Japan to conduct research.
By increasing the reliability of Gate-opening techniques, she could dispel
their unease.
“We might be able to convince the Japanese government like this, but it
won’t work on the ALC’s members. We’re hinting at it in a roundabout
way, but we can’t actually say anything which they can get behind.”
“...Yeah.”
Once people learned about Lelei, she would become a target. If that
were the case, even hinting about her would be out of the question. Still,
if they did not even do that much, they would not be able to begin making
progress on convincing them.
In other words, there was no way out.
“Tell me… what should I do?”
This was a rarely-seen side of Rory — her vulnerable side. Itami patted
the hair of the girl on his lap and encouraged her:
“It’s fine. There’ll be a way.”
“I hope you can convince everyone of that.”
“Me? Don’t, ow!”
Itami’s patting hand had slid down and tweaked Rory’s nose before she
bit his fingers.
Rory slowly say back up, looking at the man who refused to return her
advances with an expression of vague disgust. “Hmmmph~” she smirked.
“How can we chase them out~?”
“What? Chase who? Where to?”
As Rory saw this, coming as it was from Itami, the eternal runner, Rory
pouted and said, “As I thought” before telling him in an exaggerated
manner:
“The legitimate Imperial government approves of the closure of the
Gate, but they hope it can wait until after dealing with Zorzal. But where
did they learn this from?”
 If Tuka had told the ALC members about the situation, then it would
have spread from there. Even so, the news had spread too fast. However, it
was an open secret that House Formal of Italica had sent spies to Arnus,
so Itami felt that it had probably leaked through them instead.
Even Itami felt the matter had to be handled carefully.
“So they’re telling us to deal with that Zorzal… huh. Has news about
Lelei gotten out as well?”
Once people had their eyes on Lelei, she would be forced to flee
constantly. Even Itami had picked up on that.
As she saw the look on his face, Rory smiled darkly, as if to say, “great!”
and proceeded to fan the flames further.
“For the time being, I’ll watch over Lelei. Still, word is going to get out~”
After the experiment at Tsuchiura, Lelei had remained in Japan. This
was because she was cooperating with Japan to research magic and the
Gate. Realizing her importance, the Japanese had increased their guard
over her, but given Japan’s current anti-espionage stance, that would only
invite scrutiny from other nations. Because of that, Japan was unsure
whether to strengthen or soften their stance. Komakado must surely be
agonizing about this.
“According to Lelei, she wants you to protect her, Youji~”
“The problem is Arnus. I understand, I’ll try to go back as soon as I can
so until then…”
He grabbed Rory’s hands.
“I’m counting on you. The fact is, I’m feeling very uneasy about all this.
It makes me want to escape from here right away. Something tells me
that if I don’t, terrible things will happen. Ah, look, the goosebumps are
rising up on me...”
Rory stared at Itami, and Itami stared at Rory. They looked into each
other’s eyes, holding hands.
And then, at that moment, the ward door crashed open. A line of stout
security troopers were lined up outside.
“Wha-what?!”
“First Lieutenant Itami Youji! You are under suspicion of sexual
misconduct involving a minor! Confess!”
“What?! I didn’t do nothing!”
“Aren’t you at it right now?!”
Dozens of fingers pointed at Itami and Rory’s hands.
“These hands are the proof of your guilt!” the troopers shouted as one.
“Ro-Rory’s not a minor!” Itami shouted. Incidentally, the Child Welfare
Act designated anyone under 18 as a minor.
“That’s right, I’m not a child~” Rory replied.
“It’s okay now. Were you afraid?”
However, a female police officer protectively embraced Rory and carried
her out of the ward in an instant. That was a movement which would
have earned top marks when it came to protecting an abused child. In
addition, she had done so purely out of kindness, so Rory was reluctant
about forcefully resisting her.
“Do, do you guys not watch the news!”
The incident where Rory had come before the Diet and revealed her true
age as being over 900 had become quite famous. However, there were
quite a few people in the world who cared nothing for such things.
Perhaps the security troopers of the MPs harbored many such
boneheaded people.
“We don’t know anything about that!” they replied in unison.
“I didn’t do nothing!”
After all, it was not a prank this time. The security people were all
deadly serious.
Itami was dragged to another room, where he was brutally questioned.
 “What did you say?”
Diabo lay on a bed that occupied more than half the room it was in. On
his chest was Panache, her pure white body entwined with his, as she
narrated the details of the actions taken by the official Imperial
administration.
“I see. So things have already developed to that extent… how
interesting.”
Diabo smiled to himself.
“His Majesty is now begging the Nihonjin to subdue Zorzal.”
“So it’s come to that. Still, that is only a natural development. Without
the Jayesdeef, Zorzal would crush Italica like he would an ant. The
Nihonjin aren’t happy, are they?”
“Still, the Nihonjin are starting to tire of the extended negotiations.
They might be eager to conclude the proceedings and offer help.”
“Is that so… then the problem will be the terms offered… currently, the
government has no funds. All they can do is promise the moon to them.
Even if they retake the treasuries, there will not be much gold and silver
currency to reclaim. So they must give up their land and sign an
unbreakable treaty. They will surely be forced to turn over the rights to
the mines.”
“It is as you say, Diabo-sama. Thus, I feel that if you make your move
now, you will be able to play an important role within the official
administration.”
“Are you kidding me? I’m not laughing. I’ll be Pina’s slave until the end
of time if that happens. I’m not interested in that sort of thing.”
“Still, what else can you do here?”
Ever since Diabo had fled to Arnus, he had remained hidden in
Panache’s room.
He could only rule over this room. This place alone was his domain.
His followers were Panache and his attendant Metmes. He could not
count the cleaning maids as part of them, and more importantly, Panache
was still loyal to Pina.
Diabo seemed to believe that a woman could be tamed by romantic
relationships, but Panache did not consider herself such a woman. Her
heart and body might have been female, but her mind and heart had been
honed in a masculine fashion.
“Really now. I have a card up my sleeve.”
“What would that be?”
Diabo seemed to realize that he could not fully conquer women, so he
had not laid all his cards on the table. Slowly, painstakingly, he revealed
his plans, like he was a stage magican.
“First, I’ll inform Zorzal about this.”
“Is, is that really advisable?”
“Aye, just keep quiet and watch.”
Personally speaking, Panache hoped that Diabo would rein in his
ambitions.
She hoped that Diabo would take his rightful place in the loyalist
administration and then live a peaceful life with him. It was not simply
because of the relationship they had. She believed that she and Diabo
could assist Pina in her capacity as Empress and support her rule,
flourishing in her government. Of course, part of that also came from the
fact that she did not mind becoming Pina’s sister-in-law.
However, men’s ambitions led them to aim for the top. This made
Panache uneasy.
A strategem like this which could return him to power was fiercely
addictive. Panache sensed this, and she could not contain the discomfort
surging forth from her heart as a result.
Could she control a man like this?
Could she return this man to reality?
 The knowledge that she could not stop this man who was rushing
towards destruction frustrated her, and the despair-filled woman buried
her face into his chest.
“Your Highness, please reconsider. I beg you.”
The pleading which Panache loathed had finally slipped out.
“There’s no need to worry. The situation will change dramatically soon.
It may be dangerous, but we will be able to ride the rising tide to a high
place. I’m betting on that.”
However, if you plot your course poorly, the waves will devour you.
Panache wanted to persuade Diabo with that.
Perhaps he felt sorry for the troubled look on her face, but Diabo
decided to elaborate on his scheme.
“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. Zorzal will surely attempt to eliminate that
magician girl. Japan will also try to stop them, but what if there is a third
or fourth party? The situation will be thrown into chaos. At that point,
the one who can protect the girl will control the situation.”
“Please, please don’t do this!”
Panache wanted to shout that and stop him, but the man whose eyes
were clouded by the flames of ambition was smiling to himself, and not
looking at her.
And so, even though she was in a physical relationship with him, the
knowledge that her words could not reach his heart filled Panache with a
sense of powerlessness.
At the same time, the major media outlets released online exposes
about the ongoing debates concerning the unusual phenomena, taken
from the outgoing House Budget Committee.
“Excuse me, Mr. Prime Minister. What countermeasures are you
implementing against the problem of the Apocryph in the Special
Region? Popular opinion seems opposed to closing the Gate, but there is
no way to deal with the strange phenomena besides closing the Gate, am
I wrong? I am compelled to state that it would be a big mistake to decide
hastily without properly verifying the link between the Gate and the
Apocryph. This is a prime opportunity to make contact with another
world. I feel that we would lose much by letting this chance pass us by. I
beg you to reconsider.”
That was the beginning of the questions from the head of the Socialist
Party, Funamoto Mitama.
After being addressed by the committee leader, Prime Minister Morita
rose to answer him.
“Ah~ let me explain. We do not fully understand the circumstances and
mechanisms of the occurrences within the Special Region. However… ah,
well, it’s not certain whether we can leave the matter be. I feel that there
is a high chance these occurrences have taken place due to the existence
of the Gate. Thus, it is only natural that the deliberation of any
countermeasures taken must also include the possibility of closing the
Gate,
The Prime Minister’s reply, read by rote off the notes below him, were
naturally low-energy.
Funamoto rose once more.
“Still, we have not yet received reparations for the Ginza Incident, have
we? So what exactly have we allocated so much of our budget and risked
so many of our people’s lives for? Is it wise to not ask the people about
their opinion before making a decision like this?”
“Our stance regarding the reparations is that we are currently at a
critical moment in talks. In addition, we wish to deal with the Gate from
a risk-management point of view. I hope you will wait to see the results
before submitting them to the judgement of the people.”
This was ridiculous. Making the decision without consulting the people
was utterly ridiculous. The opposition party councillors were agreed on
this, and noises to that effect could be heard from the ranks of the
incumbents as well.
 After the catcalls died down, speaker Funamoto asked:
“If we close the Gate, we will not be able to interact with the Special
Reason. It will incur tremendous losses both within and outside the
country. How do you feel about this problem?”
Defense Minister Natsume rose to answer in PM Morita’s place.
“Regarding this topic, I feel it is necessary to consider the danger which
might result if the situation is left unattended. The Gate is believed to be
the source of the phenomena which are occurring in the Special Region,
and now they are no longer limited to that area. Even in our country, there
has been a slight increase in earthquake frequency over the past few
days. Mt. Azama is showing signs of activity, and the astronomers are
starting to report that the positions of stars in the sky are beginning to
deviate from their usual positions. The astronomers believe that it is not
the stars which are moving, but the Earth or more precisely, the space
around it which is warping and thus producing a gravitational lensing
effect. If that is the case, these phenomena may well develop into a
disaster of worldwide proportions. At that point, we, as the controllers of
the Gate, will receive stern censure.”
Funamoto would not let the matter be.
“It may be as you say. But if nothing happens, who will take
responsibility for the loss of the Special Region?”
“Well, if nothing happens, would that not be good as well? The principle
of risk management is to plan ahead and foresee events which might
come to pass. If we do not receive a payout from an insurance policy, we
do not lament that we have paid for nothing, but feel relieved that
nothing happened. This is a necessary expense.”
“Which is why I am asking; haven’t we invested too much in this
already? The expectations of the Special Region have grown beyond the
people, no, beyond this nation, but have spread to the entire world!”
“Well, hindsight is always 20/20 when it comes to deciding whether or
not we have spent too much, right? Since we cannot see the future, we
cannot calculate the exact amount needed. For instance, people have
recently criticized us for investing too much in countermeasures against
the new influenza strains, like vaccines. But I feel that risk management
needs to be excessive to be effective. While aiming for a sweet spot in
preparations might appear to eliminate waste, if a sudden, acute outbreak
occurs and other variables are factored in, the situation will become
worse and possibly irrecoverable. Thus, I feel the term ‘exact’ implies that
we will be abandoning lives which we could have saved.”
Just then, the speaking time allocated to Funamoto expired. The other
councillors were rubbing their hands in anticipation. Some even shouted
“Hurry and wrap this up”, among other things.
Funamoto ended by saying that “The disposition of the Gate should be a
subject of national referendum” before leaving the speaker’s pulpit.
In the end, the debate in the Diet was merely a microcosm of public
opinion.
Said public opinion was divided into the “Close” camp which wanted to
close the Gate and the “Preserve” camp, which held that there was no
proof linking the phenomena and so they should not act hastily.
The media and philosophers and scholars joined in the debate as well.
They drew up battle lines and declaimed the worthiness of their causes,
and began a war of words and advertising to secure support and
agreement.
However, perhaps it was because they wanted to censure the
government or because they were angry about the fact that all this had
been covered up before it was exposed, but much of the media took the
side of the Preserve faction. Their position was sold on the premise that
closing the Gate would violate national interests and it would be a hasty
decision.
Thus, the neutral faction which held no strong feelings about the
matter either way began to be strongly influenced by the media.
And so, it became a situation where many voted to preserve the Gate
and only a few wanted to close it.
 During televised debates, there were even cases where Professor Youmei
and those who opposed him shouted at each other and even came to
blows.
In addition, there were many who took direct action to maintain the
existence of the Gate.
These people belonged to groups who demanded that there should be an
international effort to migrate through the Gate. They swarmed Ginza
with signs reading “DON’T CLOSE THE GATE” and so on, while
protesting in parking lots around Ginza. Some of them even planned to
form a human wall around the Gate, but were dispersed by the police for
obstructing traffic.
They shouted over their megaphones, “Japan has a history of being
conquerors. They have caused much damage to many developing nations.
Because of that, developing nations should know what to do now. Thus,
Japan cannot be allowed to take unilateral action and should consider the
opinions of the developing nations.”
The Chinese government released a statement along those lines.
“Japan has the right to demand reparations from the Empire for the
Ginza Incident. Similarly, our country has the right to demand
reparations from the Empire. This is because there were Chinese citizens
in Ginza as tourists during the Ginza Incident. Our country would like to
open talks with the Empire to discuss the appropriate damages. This is in
the fundamental interests of the Chinese people and our government
strongly opposes this course of action which infringes on our rights. If
the Japanese government insists on closing the Gate and interfering with
our negotiations with the Empire, then our country feels that the
Japanese government should instead pay compensation in place of the
Empire.”
Naturally, the Japanese reply was “Go fuck yourself.”
(TL Note: おとといきやがれ!)
To be precise, they said, “Our country has no intention of interfering in
talks between China and the Empire. However, our country had no
obligation to mediate for them either. If they wish to speak, they should
go ahead. If they wish to declare war on the Empire, they should do so as
well. However, please do so directly, without using Japan as an
intermediary. The problem of the Gate is an entirely domestic matter.”
“How will you allow us to negotiate directly?” the Chinese newscasters
shouted on a television broadcast.
The Japanese speaker replied, “How about shouting in their direction
from Beijing? Who knows, you might be able to break the wall between
worlds and reach them. At the very least, Japan will not open a path for
you, nor do we have the obligation to help you either.”
As opinions went back and forth, the surprising thing was the silence of
the financial world on the matter.
Many believed that they would be strongly against the closing of the
Gate, but they seemed to have adopted a wait-and-see attitude instead.
This attitude was shared by the United States. Thus, there were rumors
that “Japan knows how to open the Gate” circulating around Kabuto-cho.
Taking the hint, the leadership of various countries around the world did
not show their opposition. These rumors caused the market to fluctuate
violently.
(TL Note: Where the Tokyo Stock Exchange is located)
In order to verify the truth of this rumor, the reporters pointed their
mikes to the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister.
“Prime Minister! Is it true that Japan has the technology to open the
Gate?”
Morita smiled, and then replied: “Well, if Japan did have that
technology, it would be great. I think it would be a wonderful thing if we
did.”
“In other words, the rumor is false?”
“Sadly, Japan does not have that technology. It’s true.”
Indeed, Morita was not lying.
 After all, it was Lelei who could open Gates, and not the Japanese
government. If the reporters had asked, “Do you know of someone who
can open the Gate?” or “Are you working with her?” then Morita -- who
could not act to save his life -- would not have been able to answer. Then
he would have lied and tripped himself up. However, one could only ask
questions like that after learning the truth. Thus, Morita easily evaded
the reporters’ questions.
***
“Then, Mister Kanou… the news that Japan has gained the technology to
open a Gate leading to the Special Region is just a lie, then?”
“Correct, President Dirrel. Calling it technology is actually somewhat
problematic. It might be better described as a ‘miracle’, or a ‘special
power’. It is not something which anyone can control. All we can do is ask
the person who possesses this ability to help us.”
“What is all this? I hope you will go into further detail.”
“There is a person who possesses the technology to open Gates in the
Special Region. It was because of that our country… Ginza was attacked.
Of course, the person who opened the Gate did not originally intend to let
the Empire invade Japan. Whatever the case, the Empire made use of this.
Our country is considering a temporary closure of the Gate in order to
prevent the strange phenomena occurring around the globe from turning
disastrous. It is not so much that we are going to analyze and understand
the Gate and then shut it down, but more that we are going to destroy the
maintenance device the Empire built to sustain the Gate.”
“Your country will, of course, introduce this person who can open the
Gate to our nation, of course? We should consider elevating this special
ability to a science that will serve all mankind.”
“The person who opened the Gate to Ginza seems to be called the
Goddess Hardy.”
Kanou was telling the truth, but not the whole truth.
“A goddess? Please be aware that I, as the American president, will only
recognize the Lord as my God.”
Incidentally, Allah in Islam and the God which the President was
speaking of were actually the same entity under different names.
(TL Note: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abrahamic_religions)
“Indeed. President-kakka, I believe that when you were sworn in, you
placed your hand on the Bible and swore to the one true God?”
“Indeed. My country respects freedom of religion, but there is a place
and time for all things to be said. That aside, I cannot find it in myself to
condone the misuse of the word ‘God’.”
The power of the Christian Church in America was such that no
politician could disregard it. The debate on whether Creationism should
be taught in schools was the subject of much debate and even lawsuits.
“Still, will this not cause problems for your country? The fact is that the
goddess Hardy resides in the Special Region. Declaring that you do not
acknowledge her existence and at the same time trying to get in her good
books might be difficult, to say the least. In particular, Hardy is a goddess,
and displeasing a woman will make things very difficult in all sort of
ways.”
“So you want me to abandon my faith?”
“That would be your choice, Mr. President… Our country is one which is
home to thousands, if not millions of gods. We visit shrines every month
we call upon priests at funerals, we pledge our love to each other before a
pastor at weddings, and recently even All Saint’s Day has been recognized
as a religious day for pagans… no, for the open-minded. We can accept
them all as gods. It doesn’t matter to us what kind of gods the Special
Region has. For all we know, that might be why the Gate opened in our
country.”
“Kanou, I believe you’re a Christian?”
“Yes, but I am also a Japanese citizen.”
“Hmm… then let me ask, is that goddess Hardy a person who is real and
can speak, like that girl in the black gothic outfit who claims to be over
900 years old?”
“No. She seems to be an incorporeal being who requires a human as an
intermediary to interact with the world. I don’t think sending your
vaunted special forces to the Special Region to abduct… no, forcefully
invite her would be effective.”
It took about 30 seconds before the reply came. The President bared his
heart in those words.
“That was a pretty annoying incident. Forget it; it’s too risky a venture.
So if we close the Gate for the time being, the Apowhatever and space
distortions will calm down? That’s fine. As long as Japan doesn’t
monopolize it, we can put up with it. Our country doesn’t want to be
fingered as the ones who put the world in danger to make use of the Gate.
We’ll wait until the Ginza Gate opens up once more.”
“I am very grateful that you understand us.”
“Ahh. I look forward to you becoming Prime Minister, Kanou.”
With that, the line to the White House hung up.
Kanou exhaled deeply, sprawling himself on his desk in exhaustion. His
secretary nervously asked the Foreign Minister, “Does President Dirrel
understand us?”
“As if. He must be pretending to go along before he grabs us by the
short hairs. Better be on your guard.”
“Sir… the Indian Prime Minister is calling.”
“So it’s India now. Doesn’t he normally call PM Morita instead?”
“People are bothering the Prime Minister for explanation from all over,
mainly the financiers.”
“...Is that so. Well, it can’t be helped… put him on.”
With that, Kanou picked up the handset with an annoyed look on his
face.
 ***
The Special Region Problem Countermeasures Vice-Minister Shirayuri
felt faint as she beheld the Imperial ambassador. Her jaw dropped and
she was unable to speak for a time.
“What, what is His Majesty thinking?”
She knew it was rude, but she could not help asking.
Of course, she also knew it might be followed by a “How rude!” from the
person she was addressing. However, the person who stood before
Shirayuri in the capacity of one who possessed the Emperor’s trust
replied, “I understand how you feel, because even I find it difficult to get
used to my present circumstances.”
“Then, what happened, Sherry-san?”
“Well, the fact is, my inheritance of the Tuery estate has been formally
recognized.”
“Congratulations are in order… I believe?”
Shirayuri knew well that Sherry could only have succeeded to the
position of family head upon the deaths of her parents, so she was very
careful with her choice of words.
“Of course. I am grateful for your kind words. Although my home and
all my property in the Imperial Capital are lost and I lack any lands to
inherit, my family is a pedigreed member of the Imperial nobility. Thus,
while it is a shame to lose my estate, it is through His Majesty’s grace
that I am in this present situation.”
The use of the word “situation” implied that she was not happy with her
present circumstances and that things were developing poorly. Upon
hearing this. Shirayuri considered that Sugawara might have taught
Sherry in error. However, she had her doubts about how easily she
corrected her own perceptions of her opposite number as an ambassador.
It might also be Sherry’s own style of humor, for all she knew.
“In addition, His Majesty has elevated me to the rank of Countess.
Apparently, it is meant to be a substitute for a dowry.”
Sherry sighed lifelessly.
“A, a dowry, you say?”
“Yes. I do not know if a noble title without any lands or holdings
attached to it will delight Sugawara-sama. However, there has been a
change in my place within the Imperial government, or perhaps it is just
that my situation has changed, In addition, one has to consider that one
has to be a Count at minimum to be considered for the position of
emissary, and other reasons… Well, there were many reasons at work
there which I did not fully grasp, given my youth, so I had no choice but
to become the representative for the Empire during these negotiations.”
And so, many things happened.
Shirayuri said, “It must have been hard on you” and nodded between
sighs. Then, she decided to look at things from a different point of view.
In truth, it was she who had to conduct negotiations with a child who was
having a hard time.
“I have had enough of the myriad changes in politics. I lack learning
and experience in this field, so in truth I wish to hand the real work to
Cicero-sama, Pulconius-sama and so on. Please bear that in mind as you
treat with me, Shirayuri-dono.”
Sherry turned to face the two lines of Imperial Senators as she said this.
All of them were pro-peace members of the nobility, who were skilled in
the field of diplomacy. They had all appeared at similar meetings before,
so they were largely familiar faces.
“Is that so? I understand, Countess-dono, you are quite astute.”
The tips of Sherry’s ears flushed red as Shirayuri praised her.
“There is no need to flatter me so. I will be embarrassed.”
“I understand. Then, what do we have to discuss, gentlemen?” Shirayuri
asked Pulconius, who was seated beside Sherry. Even if I know, I won’t say
it; that was a basic tactic of diplomacy. In addition this would let her
know who was in charge by who answered the question.
Surprisingly, it was Sherry who answered.
“It concerns the matter Sugawara-sama brought up earlier; petitioning
your country to defeat the Zorzal faction. Can we expect the Nihon
government’s cooperation?”
“My, my country would be glad to help, but that will need to wait after a
proper treaty has been ratified. How about negotiations? Can we conduct
them here?”
“Yes. I have heard that the peace talks have gone on for a long time, and
both sides have listed pretty much all their demands. It seems that the
terms for this endeavour are all out in the open, so let us waste no time in
signing the treaty.”
She’s speaking far too plainly. Shirayuri could hardly believe her ears.
“...S-Sherry-san?”
“What is it, Shirayuri-dono?”
“I believe you said just now that you were a nominal representative and
the actual work of the negotiations would be handed to the gentlemen
beside you…”
“Yes. As I said, I am but a humble representative in name only. That
said, if I say nothing at this formal occasion, my father’s departed spirit
would surely chide me for playing around here. Thus, I have practiced the
lines which I must speak.”
Saying so, Sherry looked around her once more. Cicero had a mocking
expression on his stiff face. It was plain to see how he felt about having
his time to shine stolen away. However, if he brought it up he would be
viewed as being immature, so he was bearing with it for now.”
“...I see. Then, I take it that the contents of your speech are the product
of discussion by your side and can be taken to be an official position on
the matter. Am I correct in assuming that?”
“Yes, that is correct… I am currently seated here as one who has been
invested with all the rights and power of the legitimate imperial
government.”
Sherry punctuated her statement by looking Shirayuri in the eye.
In that instant, what Shirayuri had taken to be a cute little girl had
swelled up to be a towering monster in her eyes.
I must be tired, she thought as she rubbed her eyes and verified that
there was, in fact, a petite little girl seated in front of her.
“If I misspeak, I am sure the gentlemen here will correct me without
delay.”
“Is that so. Then, let us continue.”
Perhaps Shirayuri should have trusted her instincts. Perhaps she should
have recalled Sugawara from Italica and had him sit in on this. After all,
only Sugawara understood that the person before her might appear to be
a child, but she was in fact something else entirely. Shirayuri and the
others were deluded by her appearance and could not heed the alarm
bells clanging within their hearts. Until the end, they could not
understand why they were sweating buckets when a little girl turned her
gaze on them.
And so, the talks went as the Emperor had foreseen.
Shirayuri and the skilled diplomats with her could not make harsh
demands of Sherry.
“If Nihon abandons us, then Zorzal-sama will surely annihilate us. And
it is not just we, but the people and many others who will be exposed to
the storm that swept through the Imperial Capital. After considering that
point, we can only throw ourselves upon your mercy. Thus, I pray that
your country will not close the Gate.”
How many people could coldly cast aside a cute girl pressing her palms
together while looking at them with pleading eyes?
And so, they swiftly secured cooperation in defeating Zorzal. And then,
Cicero and Pulconius added, “We should also discuss terms for a peace
treaty”, following on that logic to ask for more relaxed terms.
When the Japanese presented a staunch refusal, Sherry stepped up. “We
had not prepared for this,” she said in a deeply apologetic tone. “The
legitimate government is currently penniless. We will pay, of course, but
before we retake our Empire, I hope we can benefit from your leniency.”
She said so with her eyes brimming with tears.
“In exchange, we will grant you the mineral rights you desire and the
area around Arnus. Our side has no objections to these terms, and we
hope you will accept them.”
The way she said it, like it was the first time conceding to them, made
the Japanese want to cry foul.
The Japanese valued consensus. With that point in mind, they were
willing to make small concessions for the sake of agreement. In addition,
they adopted a stance of “don’t make a mountain out of a molehill” and
strongly promoted an attitude of humility and largesse, calling it
magnanimity. However, they were caught between a rock and a hard
place during these talks, as though someone had stepped on their toes
while shaking their hands. These many small concessions added up,
leading to them being forced to accept very disadvantageous terms.
The Japanese demand that the Emperor apologize for his actions and
take responsibility for the war was met in such a way. When Sherry said
in a hesitant tone, “His Majesty Emperor Molt is a bedridden old man. I
feel that he does not even have the energy to travel to Arnus, let alone
Japan,” they could not press him too hard.
“Instead, how would you feel about having the Crown Princess who is
currently in Japan express her regret for the incident during the signing of
the treaty?”
Both sides could agree on this more realistic settlement.
After that, both sides agreed that after the matter was resolved, they
would arrange to have Pina crowned Empress, so as to show that she
would take responsibility for the matter.
 That said, the Japanese were not always on the defensive during this
exchange. While their plan to add more conditions had been set back, the
Japanese had already been amply rewarded. Thus, the contents of the
peace treaty were quite satisfactory to them. However, the people present
at the negotiations had the feeling that they had been defeated.
In any case, the girl made them all deeply uncomfortable. That sense of
unease only got worse when the girl went on to say:
“I heard that the kidnapped person has safely returned. Zorzal-sama is
truly a despicable man. I hope your country will soundly thrash him.”
Still, because she shrank like a student anticipating a scolding from a
teacher, Shirayuri and the others could not bring themselves to resent
her.
Incidentally, during this time:
Pina took advantage of her stay in Japan to spend her days drowning in
“art”.
“How wonderful!”
Every page she turned drew a cry of delight from her.
She had lost herself in her delight. Much like a weeaboo who had
learned Japanese to read manga and watch anime, Pina had mastered the
language in order to understand doujinshi. However, her conversational
Japanese was still fragmented.
“Kuh… so that’s what they do here? Manly love should be like this.”
“Oi~ Pina-san. Don’t stop~”
 She had already spent two weeks in Risa’s home. Risa and her friends
were rushing to complete their manuscripts in time to be printed and
bound for the impending doujin flea market. They were so busy that even
Pina the passing-by guest had been roped into the whole mess like it was
her natural place. This allowed the Imperial Crown Princess to personally
experience what it was like to create what she called “art”.
 “This, this title, “Mercurius, Fernan X Ku”, it’s outrageous! It’s terribly
outrageous!” Pina squealed as she once more began the work of making a
book.
(TL Note: けしからん)
“Shut up!” (lol)
“Be quiet!” (lol)
“Pervert!” (lol)
The playful scolding of the gathered fujoshi as they wrote blended with
the snipping and clicking of scissors as they cut out pictures. After all,
there was no author who would not be delighted to hear the sound of
their readers being enthralled by their work.
However, Pina’s mouth opened and closed, like it had been hurt. She
seemed baffled by their tone, and took their words at face value.
Risa practically had her face pressed to the screen of the tablet she was
holding. In this state, she translated everyone’s intentions for Pina.
“So you do like it, Pina-san.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Why not live here?’
“That’s right, that’s right, let’s do it.”
One of the fujoshi, who was finally asleep after burning the midnight
oil for three nights running, reached an arm out of the blankets like a
zombie crawling from a crypt. Then, she poked her face out to express
her approval. Her hair was a mess due to her terrible sleeping posture.
Perhaps it was because she had not fully awoken, but her face looked like
she was still half-asleep.
Then, Pina answered:
“Nono, I was intending to extend the invitation to you all instead. Why
not move to the Empire?”
“Ehh~”
 “I’m glad for the invitation, but I’ll need to think about it.”
“Mm. I’d like to go to the Special Region, but staying there… didn’t they
say they had to close the Gate?”
“If I can’t go back…”
Their responses echoed the sentiments of people the world over. The
media constantly broadcast the need to keep the Gate open, reports about
how the Gate was not the source of the various phenomena happening
around the world, but there was once a show which stated the Gate to be
the cause of such things, which everyone firmly believed.
And then, after prefacing her words with a “this is a secret”, Pina
whispered:
“Actually, the Gate can be opened, even if it’s closed.”
“Ehhh, so that rumor’s true?”
“Then… maybe it would be okay to go.”
“It’s just that there’s almost certain to be some kind of time difference…
even if they decided to open the Gate the next day on the other side, a
year might have passed here. And if you’re unlucky, maybe ten years
might have passed.”
“Is, is that so?”
The fujoshi ground to a halt.
“A difference of about a decade is pretty much the same as bidding
farewell to your family here. Maybe it would still be easy to deal with if it
were just among ourselves, but asking others to wait that long might be
too much to hope for.”
“Y-yeah…”
Ten years was really that long. Murmurs of “so we can’t do it after all”
filled the air around them.
“Still, on the other hand, I could look forward to enjoying a decades’
worth of your artwork. The thought of that is quite delightful.”
 “That… well, that’s quite enviable.”
As this conversation was taking place, a sharp rapping rang out from
the door, and then it crashed open without giving anyone time to answer.
“Is Her Highness here?!”
The person calling breathlessly to her was Hamilton. There were men in
black visible behind her, most likely plainclothes police officers.
“Hamilton, you again,” Pina exclaimed in surprise. But her secretary
continued in a plaintive tone:
“Please, your Highness. You have to go back.”
“I believe I have indicated my disinclination towards that. It is quite
troublesome.”
“But, but you are the Crown Princess, your Highness.”
“And I do not want to return. I never accepted my position as Crown
Princess in the first place.”
“But His Majesty designated you…”
“Ahhhhh, shut up! I’m busy now! Look, everyone’s stopped because of
you. Tell Italica not to bother about me anymore and figure something
out themselves!”
“Your, your Highness…”
It might have been a plea from her long-suffering adjutant Hamilton,
but Pina’s attitude remained cold and aloof.
“I no longer wish to involve myself with politics. Only bad things have
happened every time I have done so, be it for me or the Empire.”
“But, you’re here, as the Crown Princess, and if you don’t show up to the
signing of the peace treaty, the Nihonjin might take it as an insult...”
“Nobody ever informed me about that.”
And then, a voice came from behind Hamilton: “Please allow me to pass,
Hamilton-sama. I will speak directly to Pina-sama.”
 Hamilton replied in the affirmative, and stepped out of the narrow
threshold to the cramped apartment, clearing a path for the owner of that
voice.
“Oya, and you would be…?”
Pina frowned at the sight of the girl-child who had showed herself. She
was apparently the heiress of the Tuery family. What was she doing in
Japan?”
“Your Highness, we have been long parted. This one is called Sherry.”
“Indeed, it has been a while. But why are you here? If you wish to join
the knight bands, you need only speak to Bozes at Italica.”
“It is not my intention to enlist in the knight bands.”
“Then what do you want of me?”
“I am here today to beseech your Highness to return to her station.”
“And why must a child do such a thing?”
“This is because the terms we have negotiated may not be finalized due
to your Highness’ selfishness.”
“You speak as though everything were already decided.”
“Your Highness, that is precisely the case.”
Hamilton interrupted from the side.
“What did you say?”
“Sherry-san no, Countess Sherry has already settled matters with the
Japanese.”
“Is that so…”
Pina laughed coldly.
“Well, it seems Father has finally decided to discard his pride. Any
negotiations can be concluded if you but give ground. And then, he’ll pin
it all on a little girl and make excuses. That must be it. How shameless of
him!”
 However, Sherry chuckled heartily.
“His Majesty appointed me as his emissary because most of the difficult
negotiations were concluded. Of course, I cannot guarantee that His
Majesty was not thinking along the lines of what your Highness implies,
but I believe that is not the case.”
“And what would you know, given that you are the living personification
of a child in curls?”
“I may be a child, but I am also the official emissary of His Majesty. If
talks with the Nihonjin were potentially beneficial, he would not pay
them no heed. Thus, I did my best in the process.”
Hamilton added, “Your Highness. The fact is that the terms secured for
the Empire were quite favorable. We are now at the practical stage of
discussing how to eradicate his Highness Zorzal by military means.”
“Ah, so you’re saying that we will fight shoulder to shoulder with Nihon
against Onii-sama?”
Given the state of Italica, their current situation qualified as exactly
that.
That situation came into being thanks to the existence of House Formal.
However, that was also as far as it could go. Since Japan and the Empire
were officially at war, fighting together was out of the question. In
addition, the idea of both side deploying their forces to fight Zorzal was
essentially turning yesterday’s enemy into today’s friend, and Pina could
not imagine that.
“We came to discuss peace for that reason.”
After hearing Sherry’s words, Pina could not conceal her surprise.
“How surprising… if Japan fights in earnest, Onii-sama will not last a
second.”
The hellish scenes of carnage which she had witnessed while fighting
bandits at the Battle of Italica replayed themselves before Pina’s eyes.
They might be aligned with Zorzal, but they were all still Imperial
troopers. They would be subjected to an utter massacre. It would be a
one-sided slaughter, with no room to retaliate, without any hope or
mercy.
Pina’s chest ached, the way her stomach did when it cramped up. It was
a familiar sensation; one she had experienced many times when she
worried about the Empire’s future.
“What do you think, Princess Pina? Can you return?”
Hamilton seemed to be peeking at her expression as she said that.
However, Pina replied: “No, I’ve decided not to get involved with this
sort of thing anymore,” and then she turned her face from them.
Hamilton shouted: “Why?! Isn’t this the chance for you to take the
Empire into your hands, your Highness?”
And then, Pina glared at her secretary.
“I don’t want the Empire!”
“What, what are you saying, at this point?”
“I’m saying, Hamilton, that ever since the war started, I do not believe
anyone has run around and racked their brains about the Empire’s future
the way I have. Am I wrong about that?”
“No. Your Highness has probably worked the hardest here among all of
us.”
“See? I struggled so hard for the Empire. I suffered and agonized to
defend the Empire. I ran back and forth and strove to open fronts and
avenues for negotiation. I bore all the shame and insults heaped upon me.
And then all my efforts were denied. I was strung up as a scapegoat and
all their frustrations were heaped upon me! I’ve had it. I say, rather than
harboring high-sounding ideals about saving the nation and the people,
why not pretend to be an airheaded political tool to be married off to
some royal family in the boondocks? Wouldn’t that be better?!”
“Your, your Highness…”
“I say, Hamilton. You were the only one who protected me then. Did you
not find it painful? Did you not find it sad?”
“At that time, all I thought of was defending you, your Highness.”
“At that time, all I thought of was protecting the Empire, and so I strove
with all my effort. But then, the Empire said that it no longer needed me?
Can you understand how I felt back then? You endured the slings and
jibes of many to protect me back then; can you imagine how it would feel
if your charge turned around and berated you? It felt like I was being
stabbed in the back.”
“Not everyone in the Senate felt that way. It was only the pro-war
faction which said so. The pro-peace faction would never think that they
did not need you.”
“Then how about the other half? Even if they disagreed with my
political views, they should have at least recognized my efforts and
feelings.”
Even political enemies should acknowledge their rivals’ sacrifice and
effort, Pina said. Perhaps this was an expression of her political ideals.
Since she was the sort of person who had come up with the idea of her
knight band after watching a play, it was only natural that she might
think that way. Still, this idealism only deepened the shock and despair
she felt at being betrayed.
Pina messed up her beautiful red hair and clutched her forehead like
she was cradling it.
“I was abandoned by everyone. How do you think I felt when Diabo-
niisama cast me aside and when I looked at Bozes flying off into the sky?
Who saved me from that hellish palace? In the end, the only one who
reached a hand out to me was Itami-dono, was it not?“
“Your Highness. At that time, it was all everyone could do to save
themselves.”
“And you expect me to accept that? And you expect me to take the lead
in committing fratricide? I’m done! I’m finished! Hamilton, don’t you
think I’ve been fighting too long? While I was struggling, wasn’t everyone
taking it easy? Then what’s wrong with me idling this time round?”
And Hamilton had nothing to say.
After all, nothing could sap the will to fight more than being censured
and rejected by the very people one was striving to protect.
The answer to the question “What am I fighting for?” was the only
thing which allowed a warrior to overcome the pain and suffering they
felt every day. Was it for someone else? Was it for themselves? Even a
childish dream or mundane desire would suffice. One needed something
to prop themselves up.
However, the blame and shame from behind shook that pillar of
support, and robbed them of their will to fight.
I was betrayed. I have no obligation to fight on after being covered in
wounds. I have fully discharged my duties as a member of the Imperial
household. So I will now take my leisure. What is wrong with that?
Pina could understand the thrust of Pina’s argument. It was a very
compelling one. Being that she understood her, Hamilton could not bring
herself to persuade Pina to take the field once more.
However, Hamilton was not the only one here.
The petite girl stepped forward.
“I pray your Highness will not speak as though you were the only one
who went through hardship.”
As she heard what was apparently the starting bell of a calamity-
comparing contest, Pina shot back with a “Say what?” She had anticipated
someone would use the old chestnut of, “there’s people worse off than
you” and she had mentally prepared herself to systematically shoot down
every single point which was raised.
However, the girl’s words did not go in the direction Pina had predicted.
“I do not wish to draw a comparison to the pain your Highness has
suffered, but I hope you will understand that at the time, everyone was
being targeted and many people died.”
 Pina felt like she had raised a spear, only to have it snatched away. She
went, “And so?” while showing that she wanted to hear what Sherry had
to say.
She did not realize this was what Sherry was aiming for.
Battle was a means of convincing others of the righteousness of one’s
cause.
Of course, there was a difference between explaining with words and
resorting immediately to violence to force an understanding, but at heart,
once one was convinced of the other side’s validity, they would concede.
The Japanese lost the Pacific theatre of World War 2. Thus, they had
the mindset of the victors forced upon them, and they were made to
acknowledge the righteousness of their cause. Their own ideals were
branded as “imperialism” and “invasion of others”, painted in the blackest
shades and rejected. Of course, imperialism and the invasion of others
were still regarded as vile by today’s standards, but everything they
touched was similarly stained in sinful colours.
The secret of persuasion was to make the other party listen to you.
However moving one’s words were, they counted for nothing if they were
not heard.
Pina was the founder of the knight bands, and to some extent she was a
professional warrior. However, she was not adept at the dance of words.
Or rather, it was because she was a professional combatant that she
disdained the art of verbal persuasion. While the combat curriculum she
had studied was essentially diplomacy and governance in a different form,
she did not understand that ultimately, the purpose of politics and
diplomacy was to convince the other party through the medium of
negotiation.
Therefore, in this battle of words, Pina had started in an unfavorable
position.
“Did you know? Bozes-sama charged into the Imperial Capital by
herself to rescue you, Pina-sama.”
 The work of persuading Pina would have to start from nullifying the
source of her stubbornness.
This was the reason behind picking a topic which could not fail to make
Pina change her mind.
Pina replied, “What, is that true?”
She looked at Hamilton, and her adjutant nodded silently.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Bozes isn’t the sort of woman who would excuse herself of defeat by
saying she tried her best. The fact is, being unable to save your Highness
was equivalent to abandoning you, in her eyes. Thus, she was deeply
ashamed and could not bring herself to face you…”
Pina sighed deeply.
“Is that so. Back then, Bozes… so that was how it was.”
Pina had not met Bozes and the others after that.
She could not bear to stay in Italica, and had withdrawn from the
temporary Imperial Palace.
By the time Bozes and Beefeater had recovered from their wounds and
returned, Pina was no longer in Italica.
“My parents are both no longer in this world. All this is the fault of your
Highness’ brother.”
“My… oh?”
Zorzal was Pina’s elder brother. That said, she was hoping that Sherry
would not emphasise that fact. This was because saying so falsely
implied that Pina was at least partially responsible for Zorzal’s sins.
However, Sherry’s direction was not clear. She wanted to emphasise the
fact that Zorzal was Pina’s brother to induce a sense of responsibility
within her, and thus motivate her to take part in the treaty ratification.
Pina put on a front. This is just the shallow thinking of a child. How
could I fall for it?
 “Let me get this straight; I have severed ties between Ani-ue and
myself.”
And then, Sherry laughed.
“Really now? What a relief.”
Her relieved expression was once again counter to expectations,
throwing Pina’s mind into chaos.
“W-Why is that?”
“I swore an oath to exact revenge upon Zorzal-sama. Ever since I have
been praying for his demise.”
Pina could not say anything in the face of Sherry’s blunt and direct
statement.
Any Imperial noble would have their doubts about saying such things.
The pro-peace faction wanted to support Pina’s cause, but from another
point of view, it was because they wanted to make her responsible for the
murder of a member of the Imperial family.
“Well, you said that you had severed your ties to Zorzal-sama, so that’s
fine right, Pina-denka?”
Sherry’s lips had curved up into a crescent moon, and one could
practically hear her going “fufufu” or perhaps “kekeke”. It was a spine-
chilling smile.
Pina could not help but lean back.
“But… but how will you avenge yourself on Ani-ue?”
“Well, the strong must be dealt with by those who are stronger.”
“Which is the reason for this peace treaty, right?”
“Yes. I intend to borrow Japan’s power. This is what we discussed.”
“But, but if that happens…”
“Pina-sama. The ladies of the knight band suffered great losses while
battling the oprichniki. They fought, bled and died to defend me, who fled
into the Emerald Palace. And Zorzal-sama went on to denounce their
actions as treason. If Zorzal-sama continues winning, the people who
gave their lives to obey your command will be branded as traitors to the
Empire. Pina-sama, can you remain unmoved after seeing the names of
your knights and your soldiers trampled into the dust like that?”
“No… how could I not be moved?”
Pina bit her lip in agony.
“Because of him, we could not conduct proper peace negotiations and
the war continues. That man has stained the honor of the Empire by
involving the innocent in war. Can you really ignore that, your Highness?”
“How could I?!”
“Then, where will you go from here?”
“I… I will not take sides. Ani-ue… is still my older brother!”
“Did you not say you had broken your bonds with Zorzal-sama?”
“Which means you intend to have us kill each other, then?”
Ultimately, Pina was hesitating over having to fight her brother.
Looking back on history, power struggles between brothers for the
throne were hardly an uncommon sight, but Pina did not think it was
proper. To some extent, she had the most common sense of all of them.
“I do not desire your Highness to cross blades with your esteemed
brother. The Japanese gentlemen can handle that. These people are
deeply offended by Zorzal-sama’s actions. However, they have been
reining themselves in for political reasons. I wish to strip off the shackles
of their self-restraint. In that way, they will inherit the will of we who
were rescued from the Imperial Capital and destroy Zorzal-sama.”
“...S-Sherry. Who, who…”
Who are you? Pina did not dare ask that question. She was afraid that if
she actually did bring it up, she would hear a terrifying answer.
“I do not wish your Highness to do much. No, in fact, I hope that your
Highness will do nothing at all. When the treaty is ratified, I pray you will
play the role of an airheaded political marriage piece and simply sit
down. I will handle e~verything else. That much should be fine for
yourself, am I right, your Highness?”
Pina could not respond. She was like a frog under the eyes of a snake,
crushed by Sherry’s presence.
“Then, Pina-sama. Come, this way, please.”
Pina had no reason to reject the hand Sherry offered.
Chapter 8

There was a phrase called “a long-standing tradition”.

(TL Note: 有職故実 in JP)
It referred to how courts and religions which ran on strict ceremony
ended up developing traditions of their own. Most of these practices had
emerged due to situations in the past requiring specific rulings. Over the
years the reasons for these practices were forgotten, and they were
retained and observed without being truly understood.
Many elements of what was regarded as common sense were
accumulated over long years of experience.
For instance, driving. In Japan and the UK, people drove on the left,
while in the US and other countries, people drove on the right. Why was
that?
Some sources said that it was because knights and warriors wore their
swords on the left. When two people passed by each other in opposite
directions, their swords’ sheaths would clash. Alternately, it was because
swords were commonly drawn with the right hand, so they kept to the left
to make it easier to face the enemy.
In any event, when proper laws had not yet been written, people
followed prior examples and precedents.
The words, “They did it in the past, so we’ll do it too” had a persuasive
power to them. Sometimes, that power was enough to ensnare the highest
authority figures of a nation. Because of that, practices and traditions
which made people wonder, “Why are we doing this?” ended up being
carried on to the present day. In addition, it was commonly accepted for
people to say, “You didn’t follow the exact steps of the protocol, so this
treaty and agreement are null and void”.
This particular aspect applied to the Empire as well.
Signing a peace treaty was not simply a matter of placing one’s
signature on a document. The minute details of protocol leading up to
that moment had already been worked out far in advance. They were even
more elaborate when they were the supplicatory parties, and acting
according to tradition was essentially a critical element in the treaty
taking effect.
To begin with, a convoy of carriages escorted by magnificently-clad
knights progressed down the main street.
 By the time they reached the base of Arnus Hill, it was close to evening.
They were arranged to make their entrance beneath crimson skies,
heading towards the sun.
The lady knight Panache rode on a white horse. She had been assigned
to guard the elegantly-decorated carriage which contained the Emperor’s
representative. She was a beautiful woman who was resplendent in a
man’s attire, radiating both gravitas and beauty, looking for all the world
like a masterfully-sculpted statue.
Even women who were not into that sort of thing could not help but feel
their hearts flutter as they saw her. Such was her charm as the captain of
the guard.
Panache urged her horse closer to the carriage and whispered:
“Your Highness. Arnus is in sight.”
“Umu. Who will be our herald?”
“Beefeater might be a good choice.”
“Then we’ll use her.”
Pina’s knight band had always been more of a ceremonial detachment
rather than an actual combat unit.
Nobody else could compare to them when it came to displaying an air of
elegance and grace. And among them, Beefeater had been selected as
their herald.
The way she rode, poised elegantly atop a white horse as she held up a
flag stitched with golden threads, left everyone who saw her speechless.
In her normal life, she was unrestrained and enjoyed adopting the rough
mannerisms of men. She found makeup troublesome and did not usually
bother applying it. It was almost unthinkable that someone like that
could carry herself like this.
She took this ceremony seriously, and the people around her could see
the motivation shining brightly in her eyes.
In truth, the first choice for herald duty was Nicolaschka.
 She had stayed in Arnus before, and so she was familiar with the locals
and could speak Japanese. Everyone was confident that she was the ideal
candidate to bear this singular honor for a knight. However, Beefeater
voiced an objection.
As the preparations went on, Beefeater heard that a certain man called
Kengun was going to make an appearance, and she lost her cool. She
looked around uneasily, muttering incomprehensible things to herself,
before finally saying, “A great task like this should be given to a leader of
the band.”
“I’m not saying Nicolaschka is bad, but, ah, how shall I put it, maybe in
terms of worthiness, or in other areas, she’s, ah… well, she’s not a good
match for Kengun…”
Her 180-degree change in attitude surprised the people around her, but
they quickly divined her hidden motives. Rumors spread through the
knight band of how she had fallen in love at first sight with the JSDF
commander, who did not know the language but who had told her to
“wait for me”.
Even Nicolaschka, whose glorious appointment had been snatched away
from her, gracefully yielded her position while saying “It looks like spring
has come for Beefeater.”
“So is Beefeater worried that she won’t be good enough, or something
else?”
“Right, right. All she had to do was say that she wanted to do it.”
And so, after much giggling and vocal support from the others,
Beefeater was selected for the honor of being the knight band’s herald.
Beefeater had detached from the main formation by herself. When she
was halted and questioned by the JGSDF security lines, she deftly held her
reins and stated, “I have the honor of announcing the arrival of His
Majesty’s representative. Attend swiftly to us!”
She was simply parroting these Japanese lines; Beefeater had no idea
what they meant.
 Of course, the JSDF had also been informed of this ahead of time, and so
the welcoming party that greeted Pina and the others was matchingly
immaculate.
In fact, the JSDF servicemen’s questioning and her response to their
interrogatives were all part of the protocol.
Their uniforms were freshly washed and ironed, and they wore red
scarves to indicate that they were part of the infantry. After rigorous
drilling and practice, there was no sign that they were the kind of people
who usually spent their time hiding in corners. In this state, they
welcomed the Imperial contingent.
Beefeater’s white horse entered Arnus Town.
Before her were the people of the settlement, lined up on both sides of
the road. They put down their tools and stopped their work in order to
enjoy this rare sight.
The mercenaries hired by the merchants working for the ALC tidied
their armor up as best as they could before forming up into ranks, in
order to welcome the Emperor’s representative.
The streets ran past the warehouses and the employee housing, before
finally ascending the slope of Arnus Hill. That was where the Imperial
Army and the Coalition Army had charged brashly and met their deaths
one after the other.
Beefeater looked at the scars of the battle which lingered, and then
advanced toward the hill’s peak, where the entirety of the JGSDF Special
Region Expeditionary Force waited in formation.
***
“Hmph. All they’re doing is admitting they’ve lost. Why make such a
big spectacle of it?”
The guests and waitresses had left to watch the spectacle of the arrival
of a member of the royal family. Diabo sipped his wine and grumbled to
himself in the quiet restaurant.
 “Well, it’s because that they’ve lost that they’re putting on such a show.
Don’t you think it’s only human nature?” Metmes, Diabo’s servant,
answered Diabo’s musings.
“Umu. You have it at that.”
The only other person left in the restaurant was the head chef, who was
polishing his plates on the other side of the counter.
Perhaps he was surprised by why two men were still here despite the
departure of everyone else, so he shot the occasional look of doubt
towards them. Soon, he was unable to contain himself and asked:
“Dear guests, aren’t you going to watch the procession?”
“It’s a waste of time. How about you? Why aren’t you watching?”
“I’m not happy about it. How could anyone be happy about it, anyway?”
“Then why are they watching?”
There was a wall of people in front of the restaurant.
The sound of carriages and hooves rang out; Pina’s carriage was just
passing by.
“Everyone’s feeling uneasy. Look, they say they’re going to close the
Gate, right? Everyone’s thinking that if the peace talks go through, then
they’ll talk about how to deal with the Gate next.”
“Can’t the Gate be opened again? That’s what I heard.”
“Well, that’s what was heard, but how about the reality of the
situation?”
“Say what? Do you suspect something?”
“Well, if they could open the Gate, why don’t they say who’s going to do
it?”
“There must be some reason for that, right? If it’s something that can
be used by someone who’s not a god, whoever has it will surely be
targeted by all manner of assassins and plots. Don’t you think that’s what
Zorzal of the Empire is doing?”
 “Well, I understand the need for secrecy. But that also means that if
that Zorzal has their eye on them, they won’t be able to do anything
about the Gate if something goes wrong, am I correct?”
“...Really? That may be so.”
“Well, I don’t like that. I used to have my own place once, but when I
was renovating my storefront, the landlord said something about how the
guests would come here and other such pleasant things. As a result, I
spent all my money on my shop, but in the end there were hardly any
customers and hardly any business. I racked up huge debts and even my
wife left me…”
“I see, that must have been a painful memory for you.”
“They’re saying that this is to keep the earthshaking and Apocryph and
whatnot from spreading, but I don’t get their reasons at all. It’s not going
to happen today or tomorrow, right? They ought to sort things out before
closing the Gate. After all, the situation won’t develop as people expect.”
Coming from a man who had had to close a restaurant down in the
past, the head chef’s words were oddly persuasive.
Diabo reflected on the road he had taken, and nodded as though he had
realized something.
“You’re right. That’s exactly the case.”
“If anything happens to the person who can open the Gate, Arnus will
be doomed. We won’t be able to make a living and we’ll be forced to roam
the streets. Plus, that secret will surely get out. Even we can roughly guess
who that person is.”
“Oh, do you know?”
“Well, there’s only four people in the ALC who are involved with the
Belnago Shrine — Her Holiness, Tuka-san, Lelei-san and Yao. Her Holiness
hates Hardy, while Yao has severed her own ties with Hardy. So it’s got to
be one of the remaining two.”
“Umu, that’s a pretty good piece of deduction.”
 “Most of the upper ranks of the ALC were originally refugees from Coda
Village. If anything happens, they can still deal with it by returning to
their village. The traders can go elsewhere, and as long as they aren’t too
greedy, they should be able to continue making a living. However, for we
who can only earn a livelihood because this is Arnus, we don’t have that
option. What happens when the demihuman workers are out of a job?”
“Why not open another place in another town and rehire them?”
“Don’t be silly. Where would you find terms as good as these elsewhere?
We can’t hope to trade like this in other places.”
“I see… so that’s why you’re against it.”
“Yeah, which is why we’re all very uneasy. It would be better if we knew
what was going to happen, but it seems the disposal of the Gate is going
to take place somewhere our hands won’t even be able to reach. That’s a
bitter pill to swallow.”
As Diabo heard this, he reached out a hand to the head chef.
“All right, I understand. In that case, come help me.”
The head chef looked at the outstretched hand and frowned.
“Help you with what?”
“In truth, I oppose the closing of the Gate as well. Don’t worry, we won’t
treat you poorly. How about that, Diabo-denka?”
Diabo looked back to his follower Metmes. Metmes, who was playing
the role of Diabo, nodded severely, to convey an impression of great
dignity.
“Di… Diabo-denka… as in, the Imperial Prince?”
“Correct. This is the Imperial Prince, his Highness Diabo. I am his
follower Metmes. Have you heard of the disturbance in the Imperial
Capital? We came here to flee that disaster. The Imperial Army doesn’t
have the manpower to begin to touch this place.”
No matter how you looked at it, the so-called servant seemed haughtier
than his master. However, this was how Diabo decided to introduce
himself, despite their swapped circumstances.
“According to my investigations, the upper echelons of the ALC and
Nihon have both been tricked. It seems linking the earthquakes and the
Apocryph to the Gate was all part of Zorzal’s plan. He wants us to close
the Gate ourselves, and then seize the person who holds the Gate… what
was her name, Lelei?”
Metmes silently nodded.
“Zorzal plans to kidnap or kill that Lelei girl. After that, he can do as he
pleases.”
“But, but… I heard that the Goddess Hardy herself explained the
situation at Belnago Shrine.”
“That’s the problem. Do you think Hardy was telling the truth?”
“...So you’re saying that the gods are lying?”
“It’s not strange for a god to lie, right? Hardy opened the Gate. We don’t
know why she did it. All we did was fit it with a magical device. Perhaps
Hardy was angry or ashamed that something she made was tampered
with by humanity, and decided to use the hands of men to close the Gate.
That wouldn’t be strange, no?”
With nothing to refute that line of reasoning, the head chef nodded and
replied, “Indeed.”
“Lelei-san was the one given the power to handle the Gate, am I right?”
“Correct. If you have any doubts, you should go see for yourself.”
Aren’t they trying all sorts of ways to get her to talk?
Guided by that line of reasoning, the head chef eventually nodded in
agreement.
“It seems you understand that what I’m saying is correct.”
“Is that so… Well, there’s talk on the street that Lelei-san was marked
by assassins… I see, so that’s what it was all about.”
“Pretty much. We’re opposed to Zorzal, so we want to deal with him.
Therefore, we feel that shattering their schemes is our best course of
action.”
What Diabo proposed was simple to understand, and thus the head chef
could swallow it easily.
“I understand. I’ll do my best to confirm the details about Lelei-san. If
it’s really the case, then please allow me to assist you.”
The head chef shook the hand which Diabo offered him.
“We’ll be counting on you when the time comes. Until then, we’ll be
working on our side.”
“Still, how exactly will you stop the closing of the Gate?”
“Well, if the ALC or Japan are being deceived, then all we need to do is
tell the truth to some other country and let them lend us a hand. This
might lead to an internal upheaval for a while and perhaps even a
confrontation, but they’ll thank us after we clear up the
misunderstanding. I’d like to ask you to help with that as well. The best
way to protect that Lelei girl is to hide her in a place nobody knows about.
After all, you have to start by deceiving your allies before you can trick
your enemies. Thus, I hope you’ll keep it a secret from the higher-ups in
the ALC. It may sound brutish, but at the same time it will be very
effective because it’s unexpected.”
The head chef nodded, as though convinced.
“Come to think of it, which country will be helping us?”
“One of the countries on the other side of the Gate.” Diabo looked back
to Metmes. “Chynah, I believe it was called?”
“China. No, that country is called Chyna, Metmes. They speak a
different language, but they have the same skin color as the people who
live in Nihon.”
Metmes’ words seemed a little detached from reality, but to the head
chef, that simply suited his nature as a prince.
***
 After reaching the summit of Arnus Hill, Beefeater halted her horse
before the JSDF contingent and shouted, “Announcing the arrival of the
Emperor’s representative!”
Then, she fell off her horse.
Her descent was like a collapse after running with all her might.
However, that too was part of the ceremony, as well as putting on a show.
The movements codified over centuries of history had been flawlessly
reproduced here.
Welcoming Beefeater was Colonel Kengun, commander of the Fourth
Combat Group.
In accordance with how they had rehearsed it, Kengun fell to one knee
before the herald, verifying that Beefeater was still alive.
Incidentally, Kengun had sighed heavily during their rehearsals earlier
that day.
“Why do I have to do this?”
“It’s called artistic beauty. Now, run to her.”
As she heard Panache explaining the steps of the ceremony to him in
exhaustive detail, Beefeater — who was pretending to be unconscious —
whimpered, “Could, could it be that he hates embracing me?” as tears
welled up in her eyes.
“Now, please genuflect upon your right knee. No, not your left, your
right… “
A kneeling Kengun muttered, “It’s not like I hate you or anything… why
are you crying? Does it hurt somewhere?” he asked in bafflement.
“Shut up! Stop blubbering and hold me!”
As those words — which Panache was hard-pressed to translate —
escaped Beefeater, she flushed red, and hurriedly amended her statement.
“Ah, no, pick me up! Panache, I got it wrong just now, don’t translate
that!”
 As she saw Beefeater panicking, an evil grin spread across Panache’s
face. She leaned in closer to Kengun’s ear and whispered something with
an expression that was not entirely wholesome.
Kengun immediately blushed to the tips of his ears.
“That’s why I said, stop! Don’t translate it! Wait, Kengun, don’t touch
me!”
“But if he doesn’t touch you, how will he carry you? This is all part of
the ceremony. Bear with it.”
Beefeater’s face flushed red as she was picked up, flailing her limbs in
protest. Yet, even her wild thrashing could not make Kengun’s iron grip
waver.
Incidentally, tradition dictated that the person being carried was a man,
and the person carrying him was also a man, being a general of the
opposing force.
 “All right, where do we go next?”
Panache looked back towards Kengun and said, “Oh, it’s not decided yet,
so you can decide for yourself. If you’d like, you can bring her back to your
bed too, Kengun-dono.”
That put Kengun on the spot.
 “That’s no good, right?”
“Well, that’s true, we’ll be in quite a bind if this lust-addled woman
can’t make it for the ceremony. So please wait until tonight before
bedding her…”
“Like I said, that’s pretty bad, right?”
“Would it be better to say it was the rule?”
Panache shrugged.
What’s the name of this 18+ adventure game? Perhaps Itami might ask
that if he had overheard this. However, the deeply moral Kengun replied:
“I don’t like that rule! This sort of thing needs to be freely chosen,
through love!”
“Then… then start going out with me!”
It would seem Beefeater had been caught up in the mood of things and
shouted it for everyone around to hear, while clutching Kengun’s lapels.
“Should I translate that?” Panache asked Beefeater in a very deliberate
tone.
She translates unnecessary things, but won’t do so without being asked
for anything concerning Kengun. Panache’s cruelty had Beefeater on the
verge of tears.
“...Please.”
And so, Panache chuckled to herself as she sincere, tenderly, lovingly
explained the context behind Beefeater’s exclamation.
Of course, they had not yet spoken at this point of the ceremony. The
two of them seemed to be fumbling around each other on an emotional
level, as though that conversation had never taken place.
Kengun picked up Beefeater, who was only pretending to have passed
out, and brought her behind the ranks formed by the JSDF servicemen.
Then, he laid her down.
However, for some reason Beefeater’s arms were tightly fastened around
Kengun’s neck. Thus, it took Kengun some time to return to the rest of the
unit.
“Tell me your answer.”
Shame and embarrassment and other interwoven emotions rose within
Beefeater, but she forced them down and whispered those words into
Kengun’s ear. However, those words were blocked by the language
barrier.
“...What are you saying? I don’t understand you at all.”
Kengun was baffled, which made Beefeater shake her fist.
“Dammit… I can’t wait any more.”
If that was the case, all she could do was force herself on him. Yes, it
was the only way.
Fortunately, everyone’s eyes were fixed forward, and nobody was looking
behind them.
Just as Kengun recovered from his shock, he saw over a dozen carriages
containing the diplomatic contingent headed by Pina.
“Present arms!”
The entire combat group crisply delivered a coordinated salute.
The envoys advanced through the forest of bayonet points, escorted by
several knights.
Pina sniggered from inside her carriage as she saw Kengun’s face,
muttering, “They’re progressing quite well,” to herself.
Kengun’s lips were dyed a bright red by someone’s lipstick. Of course,
there was no such thing in the tradition of this ceremony, so clearly
something had happened by accident.
That night, the news of Japan signing a peace treaty with the Empire
went out to the entire world.
Prime Minister of the Interior Morita represented the Japanese, while
Imperial Crown Princess Pina Co Lada was the Empire’s representative.
 After they read through and verified the contents of the treaty, Morita
used an inkbrush and Pina used a fountain pen to sign two copies of the
document, with one for each.
If the terms of the document were approved by the Japanese Diet and
the Imperial Senate, the state of war between the Empire and Japan would
be formally ended. Of course, the battle with Zorzal’s forces would still
continue, but the signing of the peace treaty opened a road to peace for
both nations.
The following items were the highlights of the peace treaty:
The Empire admitted responsibility for the undeclared war surrounding
the Ginza Incident and publicly apologized for doing so. (The Empire did
not consider taking military action without a formal declaration of war to
be a crime. Thus, they saw no reason to apologize for doing so. Their
reasoning was that civilian casualties which resulted were the fault of the
Nihonjin’s carelessness and slow reaction. However, after these peace
talks, the Empire accepted the idea that one had to declare war before
waging it.
Emperor Molt assumed responsibility for this incident and would
abdicate his position within two Imperial years of the signing of the
treaty.
The Empire would pay 152’000’000 suwanis in reparations. 22’000’000
of that amount would be paid in one lump sum, while the remainder
would be paid within 20 Imperial years. In addition, payment would
commence after the legitimate Imperial government retook the Imperial
Capital.
The Japanese would take care not to cause economic upheavals in the
Special Region after receiving payment. Since there were no common
traders between both sides, the Imperial government would not attempt
to lower the gold content of their currency and similar action.
The Empire would cede the 100 leagues (160km, roughly 80’000 sq km)
around Arnus to the Japanese, not including the domain of House Formal
and the territories of other races and lords. Both sides agreed that they
would not violate the newly established borders.
The Empire would surrender the mineral and prospecting rights of all
mines (with the exception of precious metal mines used for the minting
of currency) within 1000 leagues of Arnus (roughly 804’000 sq km) to
the Japanese. However, the Japanese would need to take the greatest care
not to disrupt the environment and the working conditions of Imperial
citizens as a result of their activities.
The Empire and Japan would establish a state-managed trade policy.
The Empire would permit its vassal nations, the Elbe Kingdom, its lords
and other tribes diplomatic rights and acknowledge their independently
established diplomatic ties with Japan.
There were other details, but on the whole, the Empire would provide
privileged treatment to the other party one sidedly and forfeit custom
taxation. Although they had the right to exercise judicial authority over
Japanese citizens, there were limits to the punishments which could be
imposed.
All this seemed quite unfair to onlookers.
However, this was also intended to address the Empire’s taxation and
dictatorial rule over its vassal nations and lesser domains. At a glance,
both sides acknowledged that there had to be limits, which was different
from taking advantage of the other party’s ignorance of signing
themselves over to an unfair treaty. Thus, the treaty’s appendix included a
clause which would allow for reconsideration of these terms after the
Empire’s legal system was re-established..
The journalists’ eyes were fixed on the released material, and they
rushed to report in time for the news broadcasts, but many people
managed to read between the lines.
From this treaty alone, it was apparent that the Japanese did not intend
to sever ties with the Empire for at least 20 years. That point implied the
opposite of the current administration’s stance that there might be a need
to close the Gate.
 Of course, the reporters flooded the Japanese with questions to that
effect. They asked if there was a way to open the Gate once more, as the
rumors apparently claimed, or if they were not going to close the Gate at
all.
Following that, Morita replied:
“The decision to close the Gate is one of grave import, because the Gate
is an important passage linking the soil of Japan and the other side. How
shall we continue maintaining this link? As various reports have stated,
many strange occurrences are currently taking place. However, the true
headache is the fact that current scientific knowledge cannot conclusively
prove that these phenomena are associated with the Gate. Thus, though
we may be unsure about it, we must make a decision on how to deal with
this problem. Soon, we will be forced to make a great decision. Currently,
we are in the essential intelligence-gathering phase, so I hope you will all
take that into consideration.”
Haven’t you decided already?
With that thought in mind, the reporters bombarded him with
questions. However, the Prime Minister simply answered, “Not yet. The
treaty may assume that the Gate will remain open, but it was signed with
the intention of progressing the situation toward a positive resolution.”
In the end, he did not give the reporters a straight answer to their
questions.
After the signing of the treaty, the delegates and contingents of both
parties took a brief rest in the Hagoromo Suite before a dinner event
sponsored by the Japanese government. For a moment, they relaxed in the
sensation of a great weight lifted off their shoulders, chatting with
teacups in hand like it was a regular party. However, the topics discussed
here eventually drifted toward the matter of the Special Region and that
of the Gate.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Kogure and the Minister of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (among others) stood by the
window, racking their brains about how to deal with Arnus Province,
which was a newly-incorporated domain of Japan.
They had gained much through signing the peace treaty, so they could
not help dwelling on those things.
“After considering factional balance, we should appoint Nomoto as the
Special Region Development Minister. The question is who we’re going to
send as the state administrative officer.”
The “Special Region Area Management Special Administrative Act” was
passed in the Diet at the same time as the treaty was approved. That
entailed the establishment of a Development Office in the Special Region,
as well as a local administrative bureau and a state administrative officer.
The administrative officer would hold elections for local officials and
manage the Special Region’s administrative infrastructure. At a glance,
his role seemed like one of a governor
The problem now was that these were positions offering great power
and privilege. The main responsibility of someone in those roles would be
to oversee the Special Region development projects, allocate budget, and
take care of other problems which arose. The conservatives immediately
began aiming for these positions, and they headhunted people for the
Special Region Development Office. However, once they learned that they
would actually have to reside in the Special Region to carry out their
duties, their interest cooled in a hurry.
This was because they would be stranded in the Special Region if the
Gate had to be closed, and if they were unlucky they would not have
contact with Japan for a long time.
“We can’t close the Gate after all. Delaying it by a couple of days should
be fine if nothing goes wrong, correct?”
There were people who would change their demands just to secure
privileges for themselves. But the opinion of “let’s keep the Gate open”
lost its persuasive power in the face of the inability to affect the
economic world. After all, one needed a major investment in order to open
mines and build factories to turn a huge profit. If they had to close the
Gate due to the various phenomena in the world and lose access to them,
it would be a crippling loss for them.
“If we want to invest in the Special Region, we need a guarantee that we
can maintain lines of communication to this world.”
“In any case, we need to temporarily close the Gate and let the
phenomena clear up.”
“And abandon everything in the Special Region until then?”
Nations had no consciences. Even the territory and rights ceded by the
Empire could be taken by other countries if they did not continue
enforcing their ownership on them.
“I’m also uneasy about having to rely on specific individuals to manage
the Gate. What if that girl changes her mind about helping us for some
reason?”
“Why not leave the JSDF there? Let them keep an eye on things.”
“How could we do that? Almost everyone here has a family. If things go
poorly, they may not see them again for the rest of their lives. How could
the servicemen and their families agree to that?”
“That’s why I’m saying, we should recruit volunteers to stay in the
region. The war with the Empire is over, so we won’t need so much
fighting strength.”
“Recruiting entire families for migration? Well, if the terms are good
enough, it might actually work out. Let’s not limit ourselves to the JSDF,
but ask for volunteers from the entire nation.”
“Still, if we do that, we’ll need to consider sending someone there to
serve as a state administrative official. We can’t have military rule over
there.”
“Why don’t we pick from the proportionally elected candidates? We can
give them a guaranteed 3rd or 4th seat in their election register.”
“That means Matsuzaka, Emoto, Katagiri… is that it?”
“No no no, Katagiri doesn’t know anything about safety. We need
someone who can handle domestic and foreign affairs.”
 “How about a former Prime Minister? Tell him that this is the final
sacrifice he must make for his country…”
“Still, age will be a problem. We need to consider their health and
stamina.”
“Then who will PM Morita send?”
“The PM’s on thin ice, though. He appeased the masses by signing the
peace treaty, but either closing or keeping the Gate open could have grave
consequences for the administration.”
“The problem now is public opinion. The opposition will definitely turn
the problem of the Gate into a talking point, because the media will
attack by saying that there’s no need to close the Gate. Since they’ll be
biased towards the opposition, they’ll be fine no matter what they say,
right?”
“No matter what, I don’t want to make the Gate an election issue. I’d
prefer to settle this matter before that.”
“Excuse me, may I cut in?”
Kogure and his colleagues turned around in surprise as they were
addressed.
However, they did not see the owner of the voice. They looked around,
but it was only after they heard her say, “I am Sherry Nol Tuery,” that
they thought of looking down.
“Who… who might you be?”
“Ah, this girl is the Empire’s emissary.”
After hearing the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and
Tourism speak, Kogure and the others nodded in understanding.
“So you’re the envoy from the Empire? Ah, no… did I phrase that poorly?
My apologies, Countess. I have heard the rumors. They say you are very
capable.”
“Please, do not worry. As you can see, I am a child, so please, address me
as you would a junior.”
 “Really now? The Special Region has many ladies whose appearances do
not match their age.”
Kogure and the others recalled those ladies, whom they had often seen
recently due to the talks.
They appeared youthful, but Rory, Tuka and Yao were older than their
own mothers and hearing their tones of voice gave them pause. In
addition, when confronted with Lelei, who was actually youthful, they
realised that she was one to watch, given the importance of her abilities.
“I understand that this is a deeply disrespectful question to ask of a
lady, but I must swallow that shame and ask; may I inquire as to your
age?”
“I am 12.”
“Two elf…?”
“However, an Imperial year is 389 days long, so I would be 13 Japanese
years old.”
“I see. So by age, you would be in middle school… in the first or second
year… even so, you do seem like quite the little adult. Has anyone else told
you that before?”
“It has been pointed out quite often recently. On that topic, words like,
“She’s too full of herself” have been whispered behind my back as well.
Sherry looked just like a child when she pouted to express her
displeasure.
“Well, it can’t be helped. Perhaps you should let it slide. Those adults
who can only take pride in their age and experience will naturally feel
resentful when someone lacking in both steals their limelight. When
searching for things to criticize, even youthfulness becomes a flaw to be
targeted.”
“In any event, just take it as people being jealous of you, my dear.”
With that, Kogure and the others tried to comfort the bitter-faced girl.
“Speaking of which, I heard something about the election.”
 “Are you interested in elections, then?”
“Yes. In the past, the Empire was democratically governed. However, it
grew ineffective as our territory increased, which resulted in our present
imperial government. I am quite interested in how the country and people
of Nihon have applied the rule of democracy.”
“I see. So we can consider the Empire of the past to have been governed
in the style of ancient Greece or Rome, then?”
“Probably. When it comes to risk management, centralized authority
and dictatorial rule is more effective than democracy, hence the
transition.”
“Dictatorships easily lead to self-aggrandizement, however. Safety
measures against such actions are hard to implement under
dictatorships.”
As Kogure muttered to himself, she chimed in with a disturbed look on
her face.
“I overheard you speaking about making a decision about the Gate
before the election.”
“Ahhh. Currently in Japan, we’re deciding how to deal with the strange
phenomena. The media has no sense of the danger we’re facing and
they’re pushing the message of ‘Don’t close the Gate’, but as people who
are responsible for the nation’s safety, we can’t just accept that opinion.”
“I find your astute judgement in doing what needs to be done — even if
the people do not approve of it — quite refreshing. In the past, democracy
failed in the Empire because those in power merely pandered to the
masses. I wish the politicians of the time could have drunk the soup from
your nails.”
(TL Note: Sherry uses the phrase 爪の垢を煎じて飲む, or, to boil the dirt
from under someone’s fingernails into a soup and drink it, in order to
learn from them.)
“Nail soup… well, it’s an archaic turn of phrase, but it sounds quite
novel when it comes from a foreigner.”
 “Thank you. I did put some effort into it.”
“Still, it grates on the ear to hear that democratic rule gave way to
autocracy because of pandering to the masses. Quite a few among us
think only of increasing our public appeal. ‘Down with political
privileges! Down with the officials who cling to their gains!’ They raise
targets and fan the flames of resentment. They deceive the people by
talking big and declaring that all will be well as long as certain people are
torn down.”
“In the Empire, wars were a tool to gain popularity. That was also how
democratic rule began to collapse, my history teacher said.”
“I suppose the citizens of any country do love victory.”
“Yes. And as long as you win, the people will choose you… from there, it
is easy to see how the trend began.”
“Win and be elected, correct?”
Kogure murmured to himself as he mused over Sherry’s words. Seeing
Kogure in this state, Sherry took the initiative.
“If that’s the case, I would like to swiftly ease the internal troubles of
the Empire, but can we count on Nihon’s support for that?”
“Umu. If we don’t defeat Zorzal, the war won’t be considered over. And
if Zorzal somehow conquers the Empire, the peace talks will be
meaningless. In addition, because of somebody, the reparations will not
be paid until the Imperial Capital is retaken.”
“I am deeply mortified. Please, do not bully me so.”
Sherry lowered her head in embarrassment.
“As if we would. It’s fine. In truth, your arrival helped us out a lot.”
“By that you mean…”
“In all honesty, Japan’s been too successful in our military engagements
with the Special Region. Perhaps that’s why our negotiators have been
too forceful and focused on what demands they can make of the Empire.
There’s no give and take, and no restraint. I feel this is because they don’t
want to be criticized for not obtaining what they could have gotten
because they gave in. In any case, Shirayuri and the others were wound
too tight.”
“...Wound too tight, you say.”
“Indeed. In other words, they were too addicted to scourging the
Imperial diplomats with words, no? But then you showed up, didn’t you?
Shirayuri and the others were thrown into confusion. They couldn’t go
hard on you, and so they decided to pull back with grace. Thus, the matter
was settled successfully.”
“These negotiations were not accomplished by my abilities alone, so I
trust you are advising me not to push my luck. Thank you very much for
your wise counsel.”
“No no, it wasn’t my intention to be so harsh. Although, I feel that it
would be quite beneficial for you if you understood our situation here.”
“Thank you very much. I will engrave it into my heart.”
“I hope so. There will be many things my country and the Empire will
have to discuss. I’ll look forward to them.”
“Ah, but, in truth, I was planning to marry into Sugawara-sama’s family,
so I feel there may not be many chances for me to serve as an Imperial
emissary and speak with you gentlemen.”
“Sugawara.? ...Who’s this Sugawara?” Kogure whispered to one of the
diplomatic personnel.
“Ahhh, that guy. Well, that is a shame.”
The politicians repeated in unison, “What a shame.”
“In truth, being able to speak with a lovely young lady like yourself in
the grim halls of power is a breath of fresh air. We would all be very
lonely without someone like yourself around.”
“But, that, that…”
“It can’t be helped. Still, if you’re 13, then you should still be able to
remain active in the Empire for three more years.”
 “But…”
“What is it?”
“Dear gentlemen of Nihon, how do you intend to deal with the Gate?”
“Hm. We feel that the Gate should be closed. That will happen after we
defeat Zorzal, restore relations with the Empire, and lock down a system
of governance for Arnus in the period before the Gate is closed.”
“Is that so. Then, will Sugawara-sama return to Japan?”
“He is an employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, so as long as he is
not appointed the ambassador to the Empire, he will be recalled to Japan,
I think.”
In truth, this was a problem for them. The real headache was how
many and who to leave in the Special Region, which they might not ever
see again.
“Is that so. I understand. I will take that into consideration for my
future plans.”
“You really do like that guy, huh.”
“Yes!”
Sherry answered so brightly and cheerfully that Kogure and the others
were briefly at a loss for words.
“Speaking of which, I’d like to ask for reference, but without Zorzal, the
Empire’s internal troubles would be gone, am I correct? The Imperial
government began these peace talks to destroy Zorzal with the help of
Japan. If we eliminated him, that would make Japan the greatest source of
suffering, am I correct?”
“Indeed. The Empire may have ceded Arnus to us, but they were
probably not very willing to do so. That being the case, we should
probably leave more fighting strength behind before closing the Gate,”
added the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. He
must have been quite unguarded to speak his mind before Sherry the
emissary.
 “Indeed, that is true. However, I feel there is no need to be so worried.”
The men leaned forward as they heard her speak.
“Why is that?”
“It is true that your worries would be well founded if one only took into
consideration Japan and the Empire. However, if one looks beyond the
Empire and at the nearby factions, one will realise that the Empire needs
Nihon. After defeating Zorzal-sama, the Imperial government will
maintain good ties with Nihon.”
“I’ve received briefings about the various forces surrounding the
Empire. Has its influence on the continent declined so greatly?”
“I hesitate to report on our shame, but many nations resent the Empire
for their deplorable act of forcibly recruiting their armies for the
Coalition Army. Thus, the Empire will have great difficulty in enforcing
its rule like it did in the past. As a result, many people have elected not to
follow Zorzal-sama or His Majesty. Even when this rebellion is dealt with,
their hearts will remain the same, though the situation may appear to
have changed.”
“When the Empire is united again, will it be able to regain its former
zone of influence?”
“Regretfully, a factor exists which complicates the matter.”
“And that would be?”
“Prior to this, the Empire was a country that was composed of, and exist
for humanity. But thanks to this internal uprising, His Majesty has
reached out to the demihuman tribes for aid. As a result, I predict that
the demihumans will gain in status.”
“A racial problem, then…”
“Yes. Because of that, Nihon should show its strength while subjugating
Zorzal-sama. In this way, the vassal nations will bend the knee to the
Empire on the surface, but they will also be mindful of the existence of
the land of Nihon. At the same time, it will improve the attitude of the
demihuman residents of Arnus toward Nihon. The Empire will be
compared to Nihon and they will seek to improve their relationship with
Nihon in order to awe the vassal nations. This will ensure the safety and
sovereignty of Arnus.”
“I see… I see, I see, so that’s how it is. Then we won’t have to leave so
many men behind.”
Secretary Kogure seemed to have realised something as he rubbed his
palms together and nodded.
He seemed uneasy as he looked around. Soon, he said, “Excuse me” and
headed toward the Prime Minister, who was talking and laughing with
Pina.
“He’s got a bad habit of passing off ideas he’s heard from other people
as his own.”
“Really?”
Sherry tilted her head, feigning a look of cluelessness, and then stuck
her tongue out at him while nobody was looking.
“The time is ripe, we should launch an all-out attack!”
Chief Cabinet Secretary Kogure shook his fist before the Cabinet for
emphasis.
“Of course,” Kanou nodded sagely. Natsume spoke up in support as well.
There was no opposition from the other Cabinet ministers, and they
unanimously approved of Kogure’s suggestion. And so, the combined
militaries of Japan and the Empire began working together to mount an
offensive upon Zorzal’s forces.
That was only to be expected, because it was in Japan’s national
interests. That said, it also furthered their personal interests in that they
could regain their public approval via victory over Zorzal and by
conducting peace talks with the Empire. This would in turn ensure
adequate representation in the upcoming elections.
That said, the war which they were waging would not just expend
money, but lives. Thus some people used the latter as an excuse to level
criticism at them. However, humans were hopeless creatures that were
motivated entirely by self-benefit. Activities undertaken for profit were
one thing, but even altruistic endeavours, while appearing selfless and
kind, were actually performed to satisfy one’s personal motives.
The difference was that instead of financial and other material rewards,
they received intangible rewards instead, like a sense of fulfilment and
satisfaction. It was quite easy to label such activities as hypocrisy, but if
endeavors motivated for personal gain did not exist, then such opinions
would be entirely meaningless.
Censuring people for such things was the same as blaming people for
eating plants, or criticizing them for excreting bodily wastes and making
the visit to the bathroom a blamable act.
What truly needed to be addressed was the priority of personal interests
over the public good.
As long as there was no conflict of interests and both could be fulfilled
by heading in the same direction, then there would be no problem. Of
course, people defined the meaning of “public good” in their minds, but
problems only arose when one pursued their personal interests at the
expense of the public good. The hypocritical act of pursuing personal
gain over the benefit of society was what truly deserved censure.
For instance, by paying no heed to reality and wildly chasing after one’s
ideals.
A leader whose actions were to the detriment of his country could only
be considered a misfortune by its citizens.
“All things begin with good intentions”. These words were spoken by
Julius Caesar, who later became a dictator, but even people like Hitler, Pol
Pot and Stalin did not seize power with the goal of making life miserable
for other people.
However, their good intentions were too extreme. Forced to extremes by
the dissonance between their ideals and reality, they ended up making
their people suffer.
 In that sense, Morita’s Cabinet were mundane and little men.
They had great ambitions, but did not pursue them to a great degree.
Neither were they thick-skinned enough to arrogantly dress up their
desire for personal gain as a public benefit.
They were simply cowards who combined their personal objectives with
the public good and asked around “is this all right” and then breathed a
sigh of relief when their proposals were accepted. It was because of this
reason that when they set their minds to it and committed to a course,
what resulted was bold and forceful action.
The Cabinet’s decision was immediately relayed to the Special Region
Expeditionary Force.
The servicemen at Arnus were all fired up.
“Son of a bitch, I’ve been waiting for this!”
“Let’s wipe them out!”
The JSDF troopers at Arnus had been very unhappy with the depressing
task of defending the area around Arnus.
If all they did was react to the enemy, then they would forever be on the
back foot. They were miserable from not being able to prevent the deaths
of the local people. But if they were mounting an offensive, then
everything would be different. The JSDF would finally take control of the
engagements.
The breaths they had been holding spilled out at once.
The men’s morale soared rapidly, and even their day to day tasks were
filled with vigor.
The Imperial government was also in a high-energy state.
This was because letters had been sent out to various countries. They
read, “The Empire and Nihon are at peace! Let us defeat Zorzal, the
enemy of peace! Those who can work will be put to use. The Empire
guarantees that all will be rewarded as they have performed, regardless of
race, species, or past history.”
 Once these letters went out, reinforcements came from all around. They
did not just come from the pro-peace faction, but even some vassal
nations who had hitherto begged off from involvement in the war using
various excuses.
And then, even former bandits and the mercenaries who had previously
walked away from their contracts had showed up in force.
Thus the army of the true Imperial administration became one which
rivalled Zorzal’s own forces.
“Nobles of the Empire, do not make the mistake of assuming this
strength is your own. Well, the fact is, we all know who’s really in charge
of this continent now.”
King Duran of the Elbe Kingdom muttered thus to himself astride his
Wyvern, even as he commanded his troops to advance.
“Please! Allow the Anti-Zorzal Army to march from Italica!”
The marshals of the true Imperial army bowed their heads to the table
at which the JSDF also sat.
There was no denying that the JSDF would be the main force which
would destroy Zorzal. However, they pointed out that if they did not at
least give the impression that the Imperial army was doing the work and
the JSDF was merely supporting operations, it would cause problems after
the war.
It was a waste of effort, from a purely military point of view. But their
proposal made sense when one considered what would happen after the
battle, and thus it could not be casually discarded. This was because the
payment of reparations and the collection and transport of resources
would be affected if the Empire was plunged into needless chaos.
Therefore, the coalition army which set out from Italica was designated
as the main body of the anti-Zorzal forces. In this way, the Imperial army
could claim that they were the ones who had defeated Zorzal. The JSDF
would serve as a supporting force, and commence operations in other
areas (primarily Arnus).
 “The 4th Combat Group will cover the departure from Italica.”
As Hazama had said, the JSDF unit deploying with the Imperial army
would be the 4th Combat Group, led by Colonel Kengun.
“General! If we must move in tandem with the Imperial army, our
forces’ mobility will be greatly hampered.”
If they had to keep pace with cavalry or infantry units, their precious
aerial mobility would be put to waste. Kengun had brought that objection
up at the strategic meeting. However, Hazama paid it no heed.
“The 4th Combat Group has done enough fighting in the previous
engagements. This time, they shall rest and yield the stage to the other
units. We will need the use of the helicopters for resupplying the
coalition forces along the longest and most dangerous route of advance.”
It was not that he could not take Hazama’s rarely-given observations to
heart. But it was quite unreasonable to the militant Kengun. My men
were the ones running around on the frontline, but what does all our hard
work count for if you take away our role at the critical moment?
That was what Kengun thought.
Thus, Kengun rounded up the generals from the Imperial Army who
were under his command, and announced:
“Let’s get this out of the way first: this is a competition.”
We are the ones who will defeat Zorzal, while the JSDF supports us. The
nobles, who had mustered their forces with that thought in mind,
dissolved into commotion as Shandy’s translation filtered through them.
“But, but if you do that, the agreement…”
“What did the agreement say?”
“Didn’t we already settle the matter by having us be the main body of
the anti-Zorzal forces?”
“Correct! Isn’t that why the 4th Combat Group led by the veteran
Kengun-dono is moving with us?” the generals chattered.
 “Correct. And the JSDF will assist you. However, assistance in this case
can also include destroying Zorzal’s troops. If this keeps up, we’ll end up
being nothing more than a parade unit walking into the Imperial Capital.
That’s another way the agreement can be read.”
“Then, then what glory will there be for us?!”
“Like I was saying, this is a competition.”
Kengun looked around himself. The generals of the Imperial army were
silent, as were their surroundings.
“Once the battle starts, the others won’t wait for us.”
“But, but, the agreement, our glory…”
Kengun interrupted the Imperial nobles, who were starting to repeat
themselves.
“There is war because there are enemies. Allowing allies to be tied up
by that will put our soldiers into danger. If we fall behind because of that,
don’t you think that’s a failing of ours?”
After that, Sherry elbowed Pina who was sitting nearby, and she
reluctantly stood up. Although she did not seem motivated at all, Pina
was not so slothful that she was incapable of thinking, so she pointed to a
map which covered the ground, declaring “Because of that, your lordships
must hustle with all your might.”
Pina’s whip traced a line from Italica to the city of Telta.
Between them were the fortresses Mare, Fyue and Rekki, as well as
other fortifications Zorzal had set up to hamper the Imperial Army’s
advance.
“The road we must travel is long, and the foes which impede us are
mighty. As Kengun-dono says, if this battle is, indeed, a competition, then
we are starting from unfavorable circumstances.”
Italica was closer to the Imperial Capital compared to Arnus, but their
forces would still be setting out on the same day. If they had to destroy
every single fortress in their way, they would not be able to keep up with
the other troops, which were mechanized and possessed of tremendous
destructive power.
The generals held their breath as they considered the distance they had
to travel.
One of them seemed to have his doubts about Pina’s tone, and strayed
from the topic.
“It would seem your Highness’ words indicate that you do not wish to
participate in this battle.”
Pina nodded.
“Am I not the Emperor’s representative? Then I shall remain in Italica,
and await the good news from your lordships.”
With that, the generals bowed slightly in approval.
“That is wonderful news. I feared your Highness would consider herself
the spearhead of the army and seek to charge into the fray.”
“Things being as they are, I can no longer afford to be so reckless, am I
wrong?”
The generals nodded, and Sherry nodded beside her as well.
“Because of that, I hope your lordships will obey Kengun-dono’s
commands. I am counting on all of you.”
“But, to think even we must dismount and fight, this…”
“Indeed. If we mix with the levies, we will not be able to relay adequate
commands, nor will we be able to gain a clear picture of the situation.
Tactics like these are unprecedented.”
“Any tactician who can only follow the precedents is second-rate at
best. If we were fighting aboard a ship, we would all be dismounted, no?
Think of it in that way. If you want to gain glory, give it a try.”
The generals grit their teeth in resentment as they heard Pina’s
detached words.
Still, she did have a point, so they did not hate her for it.
 In this battle, the Imperial would be counting on the JSDF for transport,
logistics, communications, and many other things. If they rejected JSDF
command, then they would be in the unenviable position of having to
figure all that out for themselves.
Representing the legitimate Imperial Government, Pina turned and
bowed to Kengun.
“Kengun-dono, I’m entrusting these men to you.”
Kengun bowed in response.
“Understood, Your Highness. Now, I shall outline the operation plan.
Once I explain it to you, all your doubts should evaporate in smoke. Our
combined operations will falter if there are any loopholes or uncertainties
on either of our parts. Therefore, I will accept any questions from you and
I will answer and explain them. Thus, I hope you gentlemen will speak
freely of any doubts or opinions you have.”
Kengun looked around to all of them and said, “Then, please open the
files at hand.”
And then, Shandy of the knight band began explaining.
“Commence operations!”
General Hazama’s commands were carried to the various battle groups
of the Special Region Expeditionary Force.
“Shiro, Kuro, Matcha, Yuzu, Mame, Ume, Momo, Sakura, Sakura!”
After receiving the coded signal to begin operations, the combat groups
started moving.
“Good. Advance!”
Dirt and dust curled up into the air, and columns of armored vehicles
blanketed the land even as helicopter squadrons blotted out the sky, each
heading toward their respective objectives to conduct their assaults.
First, the JASDF’s Phantoms penetrated deep into the territory
controlled by Zorzal.
 Their high-explosive bombs shattered their fortress’ defenses and
destroyed all bridges save the ones which would be used for the advance,
while napalm bombs consumed field camps in roaring flames.
Although six Phantoms alone were not enough, they unloaded all their
firepower with the benefit of intricately plotted bombing courses,
severing communications and transport lines while ensuring aerial
supremacy.
The troops in their barracks were still going about their daily lives.
Thus, before they even knew the attack had begun, they were killed by
falling rocks and logs or engulfed in fire from the sky, while the survivors
were cut off from supplies and completely isolated.
The next wave of attack was heralded by the sky-shattering thunder of
artillery shells.
The earth shook violently and dust flew into the air. Walls were
breached and the soldiers scurried around, looking for safe places to hide.
Anyone who had witnessed this and was unlucky enough to remain
alive then gazed upon the shapes of a horde of iron war elephants.
“What, what are those…”
The vanguard of the JSDF was composed of Type 74 main battle tanks.
The thunderous roar of their advance pared away at the already-broken
fighting spirit of the beleaguered troops before them. The words “run
away” shone brightly in their minds.
“The hell are you doing! Hold the line and charge!”
However, the kobold-masked oprichniki brandished their weapons and
cursed at the men who were planning to flee. The threat of losing their
lives rekindled the flagging morale of the men.
They struggled to work up their dwindling courage, steeling themselves
to battle the iron elephant statues with blade, spear, and even battle
magic.
“Advance! Advance!”
 They loosed arrows and couched their lances as they charged.
However, their counterattack was not born of a willingness to fight or
any reasoned tactic. This was essentially a frenzied suicide attack. Their
enemy was like a ferocious tide and the Imperial soldiers like fragile
plywood; the waters crashed against them, and they were broken.
The panicked Imperial commanders watched as the enemy advanced
toward them as if they were heading into unclaimed territory. Looks of
despair grew on their faces. They had no idea what to do, or how to stop
that fearsome onslaught.
“Captain! Where are the friendlies who were supposed to be in front of
us?”
“The enemy’s there, so they must have been defeated.”
“No way! How could that be?!”
They could not believe that their allies had been crushed without any
resistance offered.
“Now’s not the time to argue. All we can do is advance and fight. Tell
the people behind that the enemy has come. If we can just delay them a
little, the friendlies behind us will be able to deploy better than we have.
Go now!”
After the guard captain issued his orders to the runners, he rounded up
his men for a charge.
Still, even though they lashed their horses and braced their lances and
rushed the enemy, they were halted by a hail of lead from the vehicle-
mounted machine guns. They could not even get close to them.
After many of their friends had died, those few who managed to engage
the enemy in melee with their lances found their blows turned by sturdy
armor, their lances shattering with heartbreaking cracks.
The shrill fractures inflicted the cavalry’s own shock right back upon
them.
Riders were thrown by their horses and cast to the ground one after the
other. And then, while they were still squirming and crawling around in
the muck, the caterpillar treads of the iron giants ran right over them.
“Is this even a battle?!”
This could not be considered warfare at all. It was utter humiliation, an
Imperial soldier shouted.
In the past, when they fought barbarians or demihumans, they had
done so honorably and properly, since their aim was to exterminate them.
Bodies covered in blood, they had hacked with swords, stabbed with
lances, and perforated with arrows. They had raped women, burned
houses and looted treasure. They looked each other in the eye, their
blades gleaming and their shields clashing. Even now, they could still
recall their enemies.
But these people did not engage in any of that at all. They completely
ignored the Imperials, casting them aside like pebbles along the road.
They burned them, crushed them, trampled them flat, like they were
bulldozing a road in the desert.
“Shit!”
They could not beat the enemy. They could not even make the enemy
notice them. The men of the Imperial army gnashed their teeth and
fumed impotently at this unreasoning violence. This was the taste of
defeat.
Still, they had some options.
For instance, they could fall back to regroup. In addition, they could
order a general retreat and regroup elsewhere. They should have been
able to stubbornly hold out against the enemy advance in that way.
However, the kobold-masked fellow who had been recently attached to
the commanders refused to let them do so. The oprichniki forced the
Imperial troopers to challenge the enemy before them, to fight and win.
“You want us to die?”
“As if. If you win, you live. So win! Go and win!”
 “Shit! Send out the armored Ogres! Wyvern archers, take aim from
above!”
The Giant Ogres, sheathed in heavy armor and bearing massive shields,
lumbered forward.
Every step they took radiated an ankle-swallowing weight. Their
massive forms looked quite reassuring to the troopers.
As the Imperial soldiers looked at the wall-like shields carried by the
Giant Ogres and saw that they could deflect the enemies’ bullets, they
forgot that they had once called them animals. The soldiers hid behind
the Ogres as they advanced, in contrast to how they had looked down on
them before.
In addition, the effects of the distant arrow fire from the Wyvern riders
was immediately obvious.
The Nihonjin soldiers fled back into their metal boxes after the rain of
arrows.
“Good, that’s it! Encircle them and they’ll be rats in a trap!
“Flip them over!”
“Light the fire! Launch the stones!”
“Charge! Charge!”
In response to the Imperial soldiers’ hopes, the armored Ogres hurled
cabers and boulders.
The cabers gouged out vast pits on the ground, and the boulders which
hit the tanks shattered like an explosion, sending powdery debris
everywhere.
“Ohhhhh!”
“It’s working! We might win this!”
“Good! Now, swamp the enemy! Battering ram teams, advance!”
The battering rams emerged from the rear as they were pushed forward.
They were sharpened logs mounted on wagons, designed to break city
walls and chisel out holes. Their plan was to strike the tanks — which
were comparable to mobile fortresses — and leave them immobile. In
addition, the wagons were loaded with firewood and oil, ready to be
ignited.
The soldiers gathered up and desperately pushed them forward.
“All right, charge!”
At first, they moved slowly. But the battering rams gradually picked up
speed, until the soldiers propelling them could not keep up and fell on
their faces. They scattered sparks in all directions and charged forth at
startling speeds.
A hail of bullets swept across monsters and men, and they fell like flies.
Even so, once the momentum had started, it could not be stopped. The
battering rams picked up speed as they went downhill, flying off the
ground with every little bump they encountered, speeding forward as they
did.
Some battering rams could not take the excessive speed and vibration.
They disintegrated as their wheels fell off.
Sparks flew as the massive rams, each the size of a tree, fell to the
ground. The soldiers pushing them were dragged underfoot. Some were
buried beneath the rams while others became running, screaming pyres.
And then, one of the numberless battering rams finally struck the flank
armor of a Type 74 tank.
The startling impact jarred the ram loose from its harness. Only the
huge log remained; wood chips, oil and fire flew all around.
The tank’s body was shaken by the impact, wreathed in the flames of oil
and kindling.
“We did it!”
As they saw the burning tank, the Imperial soldiers whooped in joy.
Now that they could wound their once-invincible foe, they joyfully
pumped their fists into the air.
 But before long, that jubilation was replaced by a despondent silence.
That was because the flame-wreathed tank continued moving, like
nothing had happened.
“What?”
The JSDF had studied movies beforehand, and they had accounted for
this. Their vehicle’s flanks were covered by camouflaged logs, hung there
ahead of time.
The sharpened points which should have stuck in their wheels and
immobilized them were instead blocked by the logs. Having discarded
these logs and the flames shrouding them, the tanks trampled the
remains of the battering rams and continued their advance.
“Kuh! ...We’re not done yet! Armored Ogres, form vanguard!”
The Imperial troopers brought the Giant Ogres to the forefront, in
preparation for an advance. If they could close the gap to the reach of
sword and spear, thus bogging them down in melee combat, they had a
chance of victory.
Or so they thought.
“Testudo!”
The armored Ogres clustered up to defend against the bullets raining
down on them. Their shields faced forward, above and on both sides. The
monster drovers and the Imperial troops hunkered down within that
formation. However, that instead allowed them to see the horrible sight
of hole after hole being punched in those heavy shields.
Within that darkened space, they saw light streaming in through each
little hole, like the stars coming out at night.
Anyone but the Giant Ogres would have a hard time lifting those steel-
plate shields. Even they could not stop the holes made by the rounds from
12.7mm heavy machine guns.
Even so, the Giant Ogres were covered in armor of comparable
thickness, and their morale was still good. That was because they could
still count on their armor even after their shields were breached.
However, the Imperial soldiers were lightly armored in comparison, and it
was much harder on them.
Bullet fragments ricocheted inside the darkened space, and the soldiers
collapsed to the ground, moaning as their blood sprayed all around,
covering their faces as they died in droves.
After taking roughly 50 percent casualties during their advance, they
finally reached the enemy.
The whistle signalling the charge blew, and the Armored Ogres broke
their testudo formation. The Imperial soldiers swarmed forth to engage
the tanks in melee. The armored Ogres lifted their clubs behind them,
preparing to throw them at the tanks’ armor.
However —
Flames spat from the snouts of the iron elephant statues, all lined up in
a row.
The L7A1 tank guns fired 105mm/51 armor-piercing fin-stabilised
discarding sabot rounds.
Even the armored Ogres could not withstand a direct hit from those
rounds at point blank range. The Ogres fell one after the other, with
gaping holes blown in their bodies.
The thunderous impact threw the infantry back, and then followed a
silence so profound it seemed unreal.
The Type 74 tanks reloaded.
“Fire!”
It was all the Imperial soldiers could do to throw themselves on the
ground to avoid being blown away by the ear-shattering noise and the
ferocious impact battering their entire bodies.
The great shields that had taken direct hits from the tank cannon were
blasted into the air like scattered leaves and then they fell, drawn down by
gravity. The Imperial soldiers, unable to flee in time, were crushed under
the metal slabs.
This was the moment when all organized resistance by the Imperial
Army disintegrated.
Contorted in pain, the armored Ogres fell onto their backs, dragging
down the Imperial soldiers behind them.
The Ogres’ arms and shields were blown away in one fell swoop, and
they rolled around in agony. Thus, the Imperial troops did not even have
time to flee; they were smashed away one after the other by their wild
flailings.
To them, there was no difference between friend and foe.
The berserk Ogres regarded everything within their field of vision as
enemies. They swung wildly with their clubs, sweeping away the Imperial
troops under their feet.
***
In the air, the Wyvern riders resorted to their favored tactics of
throwing down bundles of javelins. At the same time, they tried to have
their Wyverns toss rocks and oil flasks from high altitudes onto the
enemy.
However, that proved futile. Their accuracy was very limited, and even if
they did hit, they could only inflict cosmetic damage on the tanks, to say
nothing of actually stopping them.
Of course, some of them tried attacking the bonnets of the HMVs, and
they even managed to disable some of them, but it did not affect the
battle in any significant way.
“How, how can we beat an enemy like this?!”
Even if they had the will to fight, even if they thirsted for victory, if they
had no way to fight, then all the soldiers could do was flee.
Even the terror that the oprichniki wielded could no longer stop them.
They fiercely cast aside their useless armor and shields and weapons,
and ran as fast as their breathing would allow.
 And so, the Imperial army scattered in all directions, having lost all
semblance of being an organized force.
They collapsed like a building under its own weight. It was a complete
and utter rout.
Without any unified central command and wanting only to live, the
soldiers hunkered down and looked for a chance to flee.
But there was no respite for them no matter where they ran. This was
because the enemy pursued the fleeing soldiers, who had already cast off
their armor to lighten themselves.
The Imperial troops were surrounded from all directions, hedged in by
bayonets, and forced to surrender.
Of course, not everyone could be taken captive. A few unfortunates
managed to escape.
What awaited them were the hateful gazes of the surrounding civilians.
General Helm and the others might have done so in the name of fighting
the JSDF, but ultimately, he and all his men had essentially waged
scorched earth tactics. They had attacked villages and burned the houses
and raped the women and killed the men and driven them across the land.
These tactics had earned the Imperial soldiery the undying hatred of the
smallfolk, and now they raised their vengeful blades against these broken
men.
And so, the villagers chased them down before hacking them to pieces.
Those Imperial soldiers who realized that there was nowhere to run
stepped forward, hoping that the JSDF would take them captive. The final
insult was the fact that time and effort spent stripping them of their arms
and sending them to the rear echelons was by far the most effective tactic
in delaying JSDF’s advance.
The great coalition army led by Kengun advanced swiftly down the road
leading to the Imperial Capital.
Fortress Mare stood in their way. Without any hesitation, they assaulted
it from the air.
 After throwing the defenders into confusion with rocket attacks, the
combat helicopters swooped in over their heads, bypassing the fortress
walls and gates, and then they suddenly dropped soldiers onto the spires
in the depths of the fortress.
From the point of view of Zorzal’s men, they had been caught in a
pincer attack. Their most heavily-fortified strongholds were suddenly
exposed to attack, and their chain of command was severed.
In addition, the “Iron Dragonflies” flitted around, drowning the fleeing
troops of Zorzal’s forces in rains of lead, while dropping infantry from the
legitimate Imperial army.
It was all they could do to fight the foe in front of them. Things like
finding the gaps in the enemy formation for attack or feigned retreats to
lure them into advantageous terrain were completely beyond them.
The enemies came from the front and the rear, and Zorzal’s troops were
encircled in an instant, with no recourse but to flee.
Even so, there were people occupying what looked like a bunker, who
planned to give further resistance.
They had a polybolos trained on a narrow passage where only one
person could approach at a time, so nobody could get close. Many soldiers
lurked within. The corpses of the loyalist forces choked the narrow path.
The soldiers hunkered down behind the walls and shouted:
“Surrender and come out! We’ll treat you as prisoners!”
“Shut up! You fucking traitors! This is the spirit of Imperial soldiers!”
The troopers from the legitimate Imperial army tried to evacuate their
dying comrades from the passage, but they were struck by bolts from
deep within and were killed.
“Shit!”
“All right, I’ll go.”
The brave men who went forward to save their still-living comrades fell
as casualties, and it looked like it would become a stalemate.
 “Here. They’re in here!”
However, once the JSDF troopers showed up from the distance,
surrounded by infantry, the situation changed rapidly.
The men within cursed and rejected all attempts to make them
surrender. However, a certain sergeant said, “Really now. Good for you,
then.”
He shrugged, and then threw in a flashbang grenade.
In such cramped quarters, the blinding flash and the tremendous
shockwave stunned the defenders, knocking them out.
The soldiers of the Imperial army rushed in at once, capturing Zorzal’s
men.
“Okay, that’s settled. Let’s move on.”
And so, the futile resistance of Zorzal’s men was steadily crushed.
Most sieges began by punching a hole in the walls or bypassing them,
then gathering somewhere within the city. But this battle defied all
conventional logic, and the battlefield encompassed the entirety of the
city, with fleeing soldiers running in all directions. Thus, there were many
things they had to do.
They had to sweep the battlefield of enemies, take prisoners, and if need
be, conduct summary trials. They had to take control of storehouses
containing rations, weapons and cash. They also needed to tend to the
wounds of the injured and evacuate casualties for recovery, and then
reorganize themselves into fighting order. They could not help but be
occupied by these things.
“There were fewer defenders in Mare than expected,” Kengun said to
Lieutenant Colonel Youga.
“Indeed. Even if they fled outside, it’s still too little.”
“Was our intelligence off, or are they all outside? This is very
problematic.”
“Should we have them investigate?”
 “Umu. Have them start questioning the prisoners.”
However, if they did so, they would end up on the back foot. Kengun
decided to push the offensive to the next phase.
“Then, we’ll let Mymol-dono handle the cleanup work. King Duran’s
second echelon, embark! We’re moving on to Fyue now!”
“Oh! Finally, it’s my time to shine.”
The soldiers of the Elbe Kingdom filed into the helicopters as their
armor clanked and clattered. The helicopters had been refuelled, rearmed,
and had received minor repairs.
“Quickly, quickly!”
King Duran, clad in a suit of heavy-looking full plate armor and with
one artificial leg, helped the rest of his soldiers aboard the UH-1
helicopter. He sat with his ass hanging halfway off the central seat and
looked around.
“Umu. It’s been a while, but it feels just like yesterday.”
“Your Majesty, have you ridden one of these before?”
A soldier handed a pear to the King, trembling as he asked the question.
Duran laughed loudly, and then took a big mouthful of the offered pear.
“Mm, it’s good,” he nodded. Then, he patted the nervous young man on
the back.
“What, are you afraid?”
“Yes. This is my first time flying through the air.”
“It’s my second time. Don’t worry. Think of this as riding a boat in a
rough current. There’ll be some shaking, but it’ll be fine as long as you’re
prepared for it.”
Saying so, Duran patted the soldier’s shoulder once more.
“There’s no such thing as nobles or peasants on the battlefield. Leave
your back to me and fight with all your heart.”
 “Yes, I’ll give it my all.”
“Ohh. Put on a good show, then!”
“We’re taking off now! Hold on tight!”
The helicopter lifted as the pilot spoke. The soldiers went “Whoa,
whoaaa!” as the body of the aircraft shuddered.
Watching this, King Duran laughed long and loud, like a child who had
pranked someone.
And so, the helicopter squadrons set out to bring down the next fortress.
Chapter 9

In truth, Zorzal had learned that the legitimate Imperial army was
amassing an army for an offensive quite some time back.
If his foe had sent written denunciations and other correspondence
everywhere, that much would have been expected. However, even without
that, Zorzal had a firm grasp of the timing and the scale of their
operations from the way his enemy was gathering their forces and
preparing for battle.
Naturally, this was because of the spies led by Bouro
However, this information was not something they had been aiming to
obtain from the start. Rather, they had stumbled upon it by accident.
This was because their original aim had been to infiltrate Chateau
Formal, but they had been discovered and apprehended instead. The
spyhunters had worked backward from there and found their hiding
places inside and outside the city, and as a result their painstakingly
established spy network had been destroyed in the blink of an eye. After
receiving the reports on that matter from Bouro, Tyuule agonized over the
loss of their talented people and the need to replace them.
Common opinion held that money was all that was needed to hire
people to do shady work like this, but that was not the case.
It was precisely because the work was shady that it attracted a lot of
sloppy, crude and deviant people who could not hold down normal work
otherwise.
Even a simple informant could betray them by leaking valuable
information. In other words, sifting through gathered information was
like panning for gold in river silt.
No, there was practically no gold to find in the first place. After all, they
were the people who talked up simple rumors and unresearched
conjectures as though they had stolen all sorts of treasure from the
storehouses of the enemy.
Thus, the paymasters in charge of a spy ring had to be very strict.
They were given to dispensing appropriate rewards and punishments;
lies and betrayal would be met with stern, cruel and frightening measures
which were cold-blooded in the extreme and directed at their targets’
weaknesses.
This inclination grew stronger the more these people realised the value
of information. Most people would say, “It’s done, pay up” after reporting
news gained from listening around in an unguarded bar. It took a special
kind of paymaster to gain leverage on people — be it through intimidation
or some other cruel means — and tell them “You, go into the tiger’s den
and scout it out.”
Punishing carelessness and betrayal aside, those people who found it
hard to bear this guilt instead exaggerated their organization’s strictness,
ruthlessness and inhumanity in order to justify their actions. Such
exaggerations were taken as the truth about spy rings by the general
public, and thus espionage agents were often treated coldly by the world
at large.
 In order to understand why the members of a spy ring — organizations
known for their insidious and inhuman nature — would paint their
organization in such a manner, one would need to start by understanding
the personalities of the people involved with such a business.
Reliable agents were like diamonds in the rough. Capable and reliable
people were even more precious.
The word “reliable” referred to those who understood the significance of
intelligence work, and who delivered their information without holding
anything back. People like this often had a strong sense of belonging and
loyalty to their society or people. They would not mess up or quit because
it was painful or tiring, but strive hard for the sake of the greater good,
their friends, and their families.
Capable people were those who could infiltrate the enemy and spy out
their hidden abilities and resources.
Bouro was currently drawing his talent pool from the race called the
Haryo.
Incidentally, there was no actual demihuman tribe known as the Haryo.
This was not a fact known to the common man, but the word Haryo
referred to the mongrel offspring that came from a world populated by
numerous demihuman races.
Societies in this world were largely homogenous. Elves lived with elves,
humans lived in communities of humans, and so on. However, all sorts of
mixed-blooded beings were born, possibly due to interbreeding. Most of
these offspring were raised by either their parents, but quite a few of
them stood apart from these tribes, becoming the “Lost”.
There were many reasons for that, but the most common reasons were
difficulties in living with others due to looking different and differences in
lifespan. Thus, these “Lost” people banded together and forged a group
identity, and soon they called themselves the Haryo.
Their line of thinking was: “Elves, humans, Dwarves or Warrior
Bunnies, none of them were originally residents of this world. They were
outsiders from other worlds. However, we’re different. We are the unique
residents born to this world. We are truly native to this world. In other
words, this world belongs to us.”
Nobody knew who started that line of thinking, but the Lost — who
suffered and struggled in daily life — gradually united under the motto of
“We are the master race”. That thought singlehandedly validated the
disgust and hatred they felt towards everything around them.
People who were driven by such negative emotions had two paths to
choose from; embrace reality and live openly in sin like the residents of
Akusho, or cling to a delusion of false pride.
The Haryo were those who relied on a twisted form of democracy to
reinforce their egos, and thus their vain glory.
However that, false pride was, as the name implied, ultimately false.
This was because they had to claim that up was down and black was
white.
The root of all this was the notion that “it was always someone else’s
fault”. It was the idea that they could not be happy and prosperous
because of other people. It put forward that because of society and the
world, all the things which should have been rightfully theirs had been
unjustly taken; no, had been stolen from them. However, that line of
thinking only bred hatred. When one lurked in the dark and looked at
those who lived proudly in the light with hateful eyes, it only intensified
their feelings of guilt. Their anger and resentment intensified, and the
Haryo looked for a way to vent their ever-swelling emotions.
It was Bouro who gave them a concrete means of ameliorating the guilt
they felt.
“First, we will infiltrate the Empire from the shadows. Then, we will
increase our station, and soon we will devour the Empire from the inside.”
One might call this a foolhardy aim, but the Haryo were hooked on the
insidious idea of claiming the Empire from within. They gathered under
Bouro’s banner and formed a secret society, gathered funds, trained the
young, and began espionage activities.
 Bouro succeeded in becoming Zorzal’s agent in the shadows. It might
not have been official, but soon they were transformed into the Crown
Prince’s intelligence apparatus.
However, they had lost many talented people as a result. This was not
just a depletion of the Haryo’s strength, but it threatened to shake the
very core of their sense of unity.
To break out of that, they plotted to use the Japanese kidnappees as bait
for a trap.
But that failed too.
The trap they had set had instead been chewed through, and even the
painstakingly-acquired bait had been taken.
They had not sneered at their foe. They thought of them as being on the
level of griffins or sabertooth tigers, and devoted maniacal amounts of
effort to laying a trap for them. But the enemy that did come for them
was like unto an Ancient Dragon, which far outstripped their
imaginations.
Even Bouro could do nothing but kowtow before Tyuule. And Tyuule, in
turn, could only prostrate herself before Zorzal.
“...You should have thought of your opponents as entities of that level of
power.”
In the past, Zorzal had thought of the Emperor and the pro-peace
faction’s attitude towards Japan as being those of defeatists. However, he
realized that he could no longer fault them for that anymore.
He had lost so badly that he could not even resent it. Or rather, he had
grown so used to losing that he had abandoned all hope.
“No. I am not used to defeat or whatnot. Let this defeat be a lesson on
what to do to fight the enemy, what to do in order to win. That defeat was
not a defeat.”
After cheering himself up, Zorzal ordered the Haryo (through Tyuule)
to continue their intelligence operations.
 However, there was no way to operate covertly and continue infiltrating
the tiger’s den due to most of their people having been wiped out.
Therefore, they decided to have their reliable but not very capable people
masquerade as traders. From there, they would buy and sell and also
observe the changes in prices, thus spying on them from the outside.
This was not a very effective course of action, but it was better than
doing nothing. They needed to buy themselves time to recruit and
properly train reliable recruits.
However, their luck turned.
Perhaps the JSDF and House Formal had expended too much effort on
hunting down those spies who took a direct approach, but posing as a
merchant removed suspicion of being a spy, and they could come and go
from Italica.
They watched with interest as the soldiers practiced at sliding down
ropes. Apparently, one of them even asked, “What are they doing?”
The answer they got was, “Oh, this is practice for a new way of taking
cities”, without even an attempt at hiding it.
Then, they collated information on the delivery dates and quantities of
arms, armor and rations from their daily banter with other merchants.
From those, they could determine the operational plans of the legitimate
Imperial Army.
The loyalist forces had not prepared much food. This implied that the
enemy did not expect to fight for long, and from there they could surmise
that the enemy was aiming for a series of quick battles.
In addition, the amount of horse fodder was an important clue as to how
many horses they were committing to operations.
After Tyuule gave her report, Zorzal grew furious and interrupted her:
“Those damn traitors! They bring in foreign armies to fight me?! Looks
like they’re not even trying to hide their true nature!”
The senators seated in the audience chamber shouted as well.
 Said Count Woody: “Your Highness! We can finally add inviting foreign
aggression to their tally of crimes!”
Baron Clayton added: “Since these people crave death, we shall give it to
them!”
Then, Attorney-General Upson produced a copy of the letters sent from
Italica and showed it to the senators.
“Everyone, please read this! The traitors have whored themselves out to
the savages and recruited troops from them. All I can conclude from this
is that the traitors have discarded their pride, not only as senators, but as
Imperial nobles and even human beings!”
The senators studied the contents of the denunciation closely, and then
they laughed.
“Are they such a degenerate lot? Then why fight us in the first place?”
“They are shameless indeed!”
“Well, that’s all you can expect of them. They’ve sold their country and
their pride, all for the sake of filling their bellies and enriching
themselves.”
“It pisses me off just to think that they used to be lords like me!”
After a round of hurling abuse, the senators looked back to Zorzal.
“Your Highness. War is inevitable at this point, but what exactly do you
intend?”
“Umu. I intend to meet the enemy with all our might, and I hope I can
count on you to lead your men as well.”
As though anticipating those words, the militarily experienced senators
nodded in excitement.
“There’s no need to speak of what tactics to use. I’ve had many
discussions in preparation for this day. The Empire’s future rests on the
upcoming battle. If you think a course of action will be effective, pursue it
with all your might.”
 On Zorzal’s command, courtiers unfurled a gigantic map which seemed
to cover the entire floor. Generals Helm, Mutra and Karasta stood beside
him, and Helm advanced, holding a swagger stick.
“The enemy intends a pincer attack on us from Arnus and Italica.
Unfortunately, we can only surrender the fortresses Mare, Fyue, Rekki and
so on to them.”
“So we’re abandoning them? Still, it can’t be helped if it’s for victory’s
sake.”
After hearing the senators’ questions, Helm pointed the tip of his
swagger stick at the fortresses and nodded. Then, he swung it over to the
Imperial Capital.
“Of course, our troops are fighting fiercely to weaken the enemy’s
fighting power. We have reinforced Mare with infantry and Fyue with
Wyvern cavalry to meet the attack. However, we are the main force. Once
the enemy grows overconfident and advances too deeply into our territory,
it will be our turn to fight.”
With that, Zorzal rose and said, “Listen well, everyone. I have a sure fire
method of victory. I shall immediately take command of a unit to carry it
out.”
“Ohhh, the troops’ morale will surely soar if your Highness personally
takes the field.”
“However, executing that stratagem will need some time. I urge you to
think only of delaying the enemy at your posts, even for just a little.”
Helm pointed at the forested areas outlined in brown and green. Those
represented dangerous terrain, dark forests and treacherous ground.
“This is the absolute defensive line, where we will halt the enemy
advance. It is anchored on Marais and its surroundings.”
***
The pro-war senators practically ran from the Crown Prince’s audience
chamber in their excited rush to prepare for battle.
 Furuta moved against the flow of people and looked around the
chamber. Zorzal and his lackeys were already heading toward his office,
while the courtiers were rolling up the map from the ground and tidying
up.
Under the guise of pretending to see if the fruits in the corner of the
audience chamber had gone bad, he silently studied the map. The
essential elements of information (EEIs) which Furuta sought were what
Zorzal was planning on doing. Would he stay here in Telta? Would he
deploy? And if he did deploy, where would he be heading?
If Zorzal was not defeated, the war would not end. Therefore, he had to
pinpoint Zorzal’s location.
However, he was a moment too late. The map was already rolled up and
the courtiers were bringing it out of the room. Furuta was left alone on
the room, and as he collected the overripe fruits — which looked like they
would burst if they were so much as touched — he muttered:
“Why not assassinate Zorzal and be done with it?”
Of course, stabbing him or poisoning his food would be difficult, but if
all he had to do was install a bomb onto his chair in the audience
chamber, that would settle things quite neatly. He felt that it was far
better than wasting lives in battle.
“That won’t work.”
However, Furuta’s thoughts were interrupted by the feminine voice
which came from behind him.
“Assassination won’t solve anything. Even if you eliminate your political
rivals through assassination, it won’t make the ruling afterwards any
easier. Rather, it will destabilize the situation. Somebody will take his
Highness’ place. Also, I will be the one to kill that man. I will not allow
anyone else to do it.”
He looked back, and saw Tyuule standing there.
“Tyuule-san?!”
 “Marais.”
“Marais?”
“Mm. His Highness is heading toward Marais. He said something about
a sure fire method of victory.”
“Is that really all right?”
Is it really alright to tell something like this to a man who claims to be
an enemy spy? Furuta almost asked.
“It’s fine. You already knew I intend to betray his Highness, right?”
As Tyuule said this, she tossed a small button-like object to Furuta. It
was the microphone he had planted on Tyuule’s body.
“I don’t know how this device works, but it seems it can tell what the
enemy is thinking, no? You put this on me, and you knew the battle of
Tanska was a trap. Yet you went anyway.”
“...”
It was not quite correct, but the observation was almost on the mark.
Furuta shrugged.
“You probably don’t know, but I wash everything I wear. Nobody will
wash a demihuman’s clothes in the Crown Prince’s palace, especially not
the clothes of a pleasure slave. So it wouldn’t have helped even if you had
paid off the washerwomen.”
Furuta raised his hands in surrender. Then, he looked around to make
sure there was nobody there before asking:
“Where’s that Bouro fellow?”
Tyuule stared at him, as though to say, “You even knew about him?”
“I had him run an errand for me, so for now it’s just the two of us. Also,
let me get this out of the way first, Bouro isn’t human.”
“Ahh. A demihuman, then?”
Perhaps she was bothered by having to explain so much, but Tyuule did
not bother elaborating.
 “Still, why did you tell me that?”
“I want to make that man taste defeat. I want everything he tries to end
in failure. Sure fire victory or whatnot, if nothing ends up going his way,
he will be tormented by his powerlessness. I want him to feel how
impotent he is and drown in despair. I will mock him for it, and then
finish him off once and for all.”
Uwah… How much does Tyuule hate him?
A wave of cold swept through Furuta and he nearly groaned. He knew
that she was capable of great hatred, but to think it was to that extent…
That said, Furuta had heard of how she had come to be this way, so he
felt that it was only to be expected. After all, she must have an
extraordinary amount of hatred for the murderer of her siblings and close
friends.
“I understand. I’ll leave that task to you then, Tyuule-san.”
“Mm, thanks. Although, you’re a pretty good spy yourself.”
“Good? Me?”
Furuta did not feel that he had excelled in any way, and he scratched his
head to hide his embarrassment.
“Yes. I found it really hard to believe you were a spy. Up till now, Bouro
still insists that you’re not one. Your acting was really convincing.”
“By acting, you mean…?”
“Oh, no need to play dumb. You’ve said so much, but you’re quite the
thespian, Furuta.”
There seemed to be something like resentment in Tyuule’s words, but it
felt like she was taking a shot at Furuta.
Furuta had no idea why she would do that, so he asked: “An actor?!
Me?”
“Indeed. Because if you weren’t that way, then those lies… Maybe you’re
the sort of person who can say that sort of thing without any
compunction at all. If that’s the case, maybe you were born to be a spy.”
 “Hang on a moment. For some reason, it feels like you’re scolding me.”
“I’m sorry if you feel that way. However, I’m the real idiot here.”
For just a moment, I’d thought that it would be okay if it were you. But I
guess I was mistaken.
She could not say that, of course.
“What?”
She could not bring herself to say “When I thought of your dream, I was
reminded of mine, Furuta.” So instead, she replied, “Forget it. I was just
being foolish.”
“So, why did you say that?”
“Because all that stuff about your little restaurant was a lie too, right?
You had me completely fooled.”
Furuta’s despondent reply interrupted hers.
“How dare you. How dare you!”
Furuta had declared himself to be a chef all his life. He had only
become a spy by chance, because Zorzal had taken a shine to him.
“This might be a bit disrespectful to people who do this sort of thing for
a living, but I have to say it anyway. I didn’t say I wanted to open my own
place to deceive anyone!”
Tyuule realized that she had struck a nerve with Furuta, and she
waggled her hands in panic.
“I’m sorry!”
“What do you mean, you’re sorry?! You call people liars, call people
idiots, treat them like villains and jump to conclusions all on your own?!
You’d better watch your tongue! I haven’t told a single lie ever since I
came here! It’s just that nobody ever asked me if I was an enemy or a
spy!”
Furuta’s anger overflowed, and he shouted at Tyuule.
Tyuule was fiercely proud despite being a slave, and she would not
tolerate being shouted at by a mere chef. However, Tyuule was not angry,
but ashamed. When she heard Furuta’s reply, it all came together.
This man had never once come off as shifty or come under suspicion of
being a spy because he had never told a lie. It was because he had only
told the truth that Zorzal trusted him and Bouro — a man with keen
senses — was adamant that he was not a spy.
Are you a spy? Are you an enemy agent? Perhaps if she had asked those
questions, things might have been different. But actually asking those
questions to his face would have been foolish.
“Then, then… you weren’t lying about your shop? You really meant it?”
“That’s right. Thanks to this mission, I’ve got the seed capital for it, and
I can open up my own place right away. At first, I was planning to invite
you to help, even if I had to kidnap you to do it, Tyuule-san. But you
disappointed me.”
“Eh?!”
“Tyuule-san, if you’re going to suspect people, then go suspect yourself!”
After those harsh words, Furuta pushed brusquely past Tyuule, as
though she were nothing more than a hindrance, before leaving.
Tyuule stood there, frozen in place.
Soon, Bouro’s voice came from the shadows.
“Tyuule-sama, I’ve returned… Is something wrong?”
Tyuule’s looked like she was drunk as she replied:
“Quiet. Let me enjoy the lingering sound of his voice.”
“Lingering… what do you mean? Did something happen?”
“Something wonderful,” Tyuule muttered.
“Get ready to go before those damn traitors move out! Hurry!”
Helm, who had been appointed the highest commanding officer in the
Imperial Army, rushed his men through their preparations.
 The weapons and rations had come from Mutra, while their funds had
been commandeered by Karasta from the nearby provinces and
merchants. They had sent all the fighting strength they could gather from
across the land to Marais, without holding anything back.
In addition, they were skirmishing around the outskirts of Italica and
Arnus. These attacks were targeted at the units of the coalition,
merchants and the resource prospectors.
“Then, we ought to be moving out soon.”
After that, Zorzal and Helm selected 10’000 elite troops and set out
from Telta.
“You even prepared a carriage?”
Tyuule, who was accompanying Zorzal, gasped in awe at the decorated
interior.
“Umu. Those bastards who infiltrated the Empire seem to have used
disguised cargo wagons. While the guards were completely taken in, it
was still a good idea, so I had them prepare some.”
On the surface, it appeared to be a wagon carrying firewood and hay,
but in truth, it was a carriage fit for a nobleman.
“You, take this one. I may join you in it from time to time. Oi, take a
seat and see how it feels.”
Zorzal shoved Tyuule aboard as he said so.
“Do you mean want me to see how it feels to sit aboard this carriage?
Or how it feels to have me sit on you?”
“Yes.”
In truth, visibility was poor from the disguised carriage, but it felt quite
comfortable to ride in. Granted, their field of view was poor, but if one
turned that around and said that they would not need to worry about
being spied upon, then even that flaw vanished.
If there were any problems, it would be the soundproofing. Everyone
outside could hear Tyuule’s lewd moans.
 One could see soldiers disguised as farmers and merchants through the
cracked-open door. However, it would seem her moans were giving them a
hard time, judging by how often they peeked over at them. It was just too
bad for them, considering that they would soon be fighting in bloody
battle soon.
The Centaurs who made up the vanguard tilted their ears to listen,
making no secret of doing so.
The soldiers broke up into smaller groups after the sun went down.
In the darkness of the night, the soldiers accepted the lead of the
monsters — who had superior night vision — while travelling the forest
paths and mountain trails which only the locals would know.
After satisfying himself of the comfort of the carriage, Zorzal left,
leaving Tyuule to mutter to herself while rearranging her clothing.
“Bouro… You’re following us, right?”
“Yes.”
Since he could not speak from under the bed, Bouro’s voice instead
came from the driver’s seat. Somehow, he had changed places with the
driver.
“The Empire’s been divided in half and they’re about to start murdering
each other. Our hard work up till now has finally borne fruit.”
“Father, brother and sister, all killing each other. Whoever wins, the
Empire loses. It will be very difficult for them to return to their previous
prosperity.”
“Let’s push them a little to lengthen the chaos and increase the number
of deaths. I’m quite interested in Zorzal’s little secret. Can you help me
find it out?”
“What will you do once I learn of it?”
“Tell Furuta.”
“Furuta the chef? What do you plan to do?”
 “Make sure it gets to the enemy. That man is an enemy spy. Didn’t he
flat-out say so?”
“Tyuule-sama, I don’t know how many times I’ve said this, but Furuta
isn’t an enemy spy. He is simply saying that to deceive you.”
“Kukukukuku. What do you mean by deceiving me?”
“That Furuta fellow is in love with you, Tyuule-sama. So he is inventing
a tall tale to keep your interest in him.”
“You really think so?! That man loves me… But even so… Still, yes. So
what? There’s no need to mind, right?”
“Still, you have lowered your guard against him, Tyuule-sama. That man
speaks nothing but nonsense. Granted, his cooking really is good, but
nothing he says make sense. He goes on and on about opening a
restaurant and larders that chill food without ice and signboards which
shine as bright as day and other such nonsense.”
“He’s not lying!”
“...”
“He’s an honest man. Someone like you wouldn’t understand.”
“Please pull yourself together, Tyuule-sama. How could there be such an
honest spy? In all honesty, you sounded like you’ve been taken in by him.”
“I know. I’ll be careful. But Bouro, you must go and learn his Highness’
secret. Understood?”
“It shall be done. However, once I leave your side, coming back will be
somewhat difficult. Are you alright with that?”
The fact is that even the troops following them did not know where
Zorzal was heading.
He had even gone so far as to personally hand over heavily-encoded
orders to each unit. Not even their commanders would know where they
were going until those soldiers who had been briefed with the decoding
keys appeared at their doorstep.
 In addition, they had practiced a cruel version of operational security by
massacring every single person they had come across, be they travellers
or residents. Thus, even his allies did not know the location of the main
force which Zorzal led.
“No matter which way we go, our final destination ought to be Marais.
Meet up with me there.”
“That means that until then, you’ll be alone, Tyuule-sama.”
“It’s fine. If you can reveal Zorzal’s secret, we’ll be able to see him in
absolute despair.”
“...His Highness will be in despair?”
“Correct. I want to see his disappointed face. Is that wrong?”
“Of course not. But Tyuule-sama, have you considered the consequences
of that?”
“Why should I care?”
“...Indeed, there is no need for you to consider that. I hear and obey. I
shall now do as you wish.”
With that, Bouro’s presence vanished.
Zorzal’s main force had started moving just as Italica’s allies had
started mobilizing their own manpower.
In addition, the JSDF had been forced to deploy most of their
reconnaissance elements to track down the areas with guerilla activity.
Thus, the cameras on their recon planes had not spotted Zorzal’s forces
moving in the rear echelons.
***
Marais was a land of precipitous peaks and foreboding forests.
The First Combat Group led by Colonel Kuze was progressing well, but
they had encountered stiff resistance from the enemy in the forest.
Amidst the sounds of distant gunfire and earth-shaking artillery, Kuze
emerged from his Type 82 command vehicle, looking through his
binoculars at the source of the noise.
“So, they blocked it off, huh.”
“Yes. While we were trying to clear the obstacles, five ‘Scopedogs’ came
at us,” the frontline commander said over the wireless.
“Scopedog” was the nickname for armored Ogres among the JSDF. They
resembled humanoid combat vehicles from a certain anime, and the
name for them stuck.
(TL Note: Armored Trooper VOTOMS.)
“So, how’s it going?”
“Just as we were about to sweep them with the heavy machine guns, the
enemy fled back into the forest.”
“You should know, right? Don’t let your men pursue them.”
The feigned retreat to lure enemies into a waiting ambush was an age-
old tactic. Then again, one could say that Zorzal’s men had no other
tactics to use. In addition, during this contact with the enemy, the main
force was advancing to bypass Beza. The objective of this battle was to
destroy Zorzal. Fighting and annihilating the enemy was only a step in
achieving that aim.
Still, they could not leave hidden enemies in the forest unattended. In
order to remove their ability to mount any organized resistance, they had
to reveal and destroy the ambushers.
“The enemy’s coming. Wake up your bloody ideas!”
Until now, the First Combat Group’s columns had been led by tanks,
which destroyed the enemy’s scattered resistance as they advanced.
However, it was hard for them to continue doing so in the poor visibility
and unstable terrain of mountainous and forested regions. If they decided
to employ human wave tactics in terrain like this which hampered
movement, even the JGSDF would have a hard time.
In addition, the Scopedogs were heavily armored.
Nothing short of .50 cal (fired by 12.7mm machine guns) rounds could
bring them down. They were quite dangerous to the average infantryman,
who only carried a Type 64 rifle. Then, what could they do? The best
option was to tear apart their cover and reveal them. To achieve that aim,
they conducted reconnaissance in force.
The sounds of mortars firing and mortar bombs exploding echoed from
everywhere. The impact points changed constantly, guided by the
telemetry from an OH-1 reconnaissance helicopter.
 “Colonel. All units have been contacted by the enemy. We’re in a
combat situation.”
“Umu. Make sure you keep the lines of communications clear.”
Men could only see what was ahead of them. The most dangerous
situation for them would be if they were engaged by the enemy in front
and behind. Thus, they could not let the enemy through. Even so, it was
hard to deal with guerillas, regardless of how advanced one’s technology
and weapons were.
They would fight off the enemy’s attacks, run them down as they fled
and root them out of their hiding places, then rain down artillery fire and
destroy their ability to function as a coordinated group before mopping
up the survivors. This was broadly comparable to “de-lousing”, and it was
the only way to be assured of victory against guerillas and special forces.
(TL Note: the word used is 虱溃, i.e. the systematic and thorough
removal of lice)
The infantrymen advanced slowly through the forest, rifles at the ready.
“The Scopedogs have come out to play. Ready grenades!”
With a whoosh, an arrow flew out at a trooper who was distracted by
pulling out a grenade in response to his squad commander’s orders.
The man went down, and his friends proceeded to return fire. After that,
an Imperial trooper leapt down from a tree.
As if on cue, the Imperial troopers who were lying prone on the ground
while covered with leaves leapt up as one, savage, murderous looks on
their faces.
This was close combat, fought at ranges measured in yards.
The JSDF troopers stood firm, firing away into the enemy which charged
them without regard to their losses.
When the machine gun swept across the enemy line, the effect was like
a chainsaw ripping away at a tree’s bark and sending the chunks flying
away.
The Giant Ogres revealed themselves, sheathed from head to toe in
heavy steel armor. Several huge humanoids wielding equally huge clubs
approached the troopers
“The Scopedogs aren’t fast! Don’t panic, fall back slowly and fire
grenades!”
 The troopers fell back as one. On the command of “Fire!” they launched
their grenades.
Not all of them hit. However, the armored Ogres were still drowned in a
wave of explosions and went down.
Of course, not every engagement went that smoothly.
There were soldiers who entered the enemy’s kill zone, and ended up
being flanked and destroyed by Ogre clubs. However, the overall
encirclement was solid and slowly shrinking, and the Empire’s organized
counterattacks began faltering.
Kuze turned to ask his executive officer, who was studying a map, “Have
we verified the enemy’s position?”
“Yes. The enemy isn’t scattering, but advancing to a single location,
somewhere between the closest and next closest peaks on the forward left
front. They seem to be planning to lure us in there.”
After drawing the axes of the enemy’s retreat on the map, they formed
an intersection in the valley between what was designated Peak One and
Peak Two. After considering their movement speed...
“Hit them with arty in five to six minutes’ time,” Kuze said as he tapped
at the map.
“It’ll be more effective if we can narrow the bombardment radius. We’ll
have a Ninja confirm.”
(TL Note: The OH-1 is nicknamed “Shinobi”; the text uses OH-1 but the
furigana is “Shinobi”)
The OH-1 orbited overhead. The artillery gunners recomputed their
impact points based on the information it supplied.
“Commence bombardment!”
The Type 75 155mm Self-Propelled Howitzers opened fire, and every
round they sent downrange was packed with the equivalent of 7 kilos of
TNT. Said rounds rained down on the valley. The bombardment set the
forest ablaze, and the shockwaves threw up chunks of earth and stone
like someone was stirring up the very land. Most of the Imperial soldiers
caught in this lost their lives, while the ones who had miraculously
survived began an actual retreat. This was not an organized movement to
draw the enemies into a trap, but a flight for their lives.
***
“Count Woody, the enemy has come,” Baron Clayton panted as he and
his scouts surmounted a hill near Beza.
“Ahh, the iron dragonflies are flying too.”
They looked up, and saw that the recon helicopter was looking down
upon them from a height that bows and catapults could never reach.
Only the count and some of his men were on the top of the hill.
Count Woody thought, How does this place look from the air? Can they
see me? If they can see me, then how do I look in their eyes?
“Many of the enemy are riding in metal boxes.”
The land here was nothing but boulders and the weeds which grew
between them. A path had been cut through the terrain, as though to
split open the wilderness, and the enemy was travelling along it.
“Umu. I see them now.”
Indeed, Count Woody had a direct view of the enemy as they drew close.
After verifying the reports from his scouts, Woody ordered, “Just as
expected. Commence the operation!”
Beza was south of Marais, roughly a day’s travel by horse.
It was an important travel passage If the enemy wanted to bypass the
strongpoint of Marais.
Woody gave orders to the soldier beside him.
“Listen up. Haste makes waste. Repeat and emphasize to the soldiers
that they must wait for orders.”
The clattering of armor trailed the man as he ran down the slope. Each
step threw up pebbles and dust as he broke into a sprint. Then, he
suddenly fell flat to the ground and shouted, “Don’t be hasty! Wait for
orders!”
Then, he stood up, and ran somewhere else.
At a closer look, the earth was cracked there. And if one looked into that
dark space, they would find several pairs of eyes shining back.
“Wait for orders!”
This was not like Marais where there was a forest for them to hide.
However, there were huge boulders everywhere and the terrain was
uneven. Woody planned to use them as weapons.
With the aid of Goblins and Trolls, they had excavated large trenches in
the ground and piled vast quantities of dirt and mud on top of them to
deceive the eyes in the sky. He had then ordered his men to hide within.
Once the enemy was fully engaged, they would ambush them.
Naturally, this was not limited to just one or two locations. Trenches
like these covered Beza, and roughly 10’000 men and monsters were
hidden in them.
Their plan was to lure the enemy into overextending themselves deep
into their formation before falling on them at once and turning it into a
chaotic melee.
However, something took place that Woody had not expected.
What the Imperial soldiers called “metal boxes” left the road and
charged straight at the trenches.
One of them broke through the trench’s camouflage and fell in.
They had lured the enemy into a pitfall. They could have proudly
declared the success of their tactic if this had been their aim from the
start. However, it was precisely because they had not expected the enemy
to fall into the trench that the hidden Imperial troops were briefly
paralyzed by indecision and did not react. In addition, since they had been
repeatedly warned not to take independent action and wait for a signal,
both sides ended up blinking at each other.
 The JGSDF servicemen thought they had fallen into a trap and shouted,
“What?! What happened?!” Then, as they dismounted from their Type 87
reconnaissance and patrol vehicle (RCV), they found that the “trap” was
full of enemy soldiers and they were shocked.
“Ah…”
“Ah.”
Something like this had happened in World War 2. The Americans
allowed what they thought to be friendlies to get close, but they were
actually German troops. Both sides parted ways without combat, because
they had assumed each other to be friendlies. Thus, when they got a close
look at each other and realised they were enemies, they were at a loss for
what to do. In the end, they brushed past each other continued on to their
respective destinations.
Now, the Imperial soldiers in the trench and the JSDF troopers were
experiencing something similar.
One of the JSDF troopers raised a hand and went, “Ah, hi.”
Following which, an Imperial soldier raised a hand and confusedly
responded with an, “Ah, yes.”
Clearly, both sides were baffled.
However, a light armored vehicle drove by and the commander within
shouted, “What the fuck are you doing?!”
That broke the stupefied mood in the air.
“Idiots! They’re the enemy! Fire! Fire!”
The orders snapped the JSDF troopers back to their senses and they
pulled their triggers. The sounds of their gunshots brought the nearby
Imperial troops out of hiding, and thus the skirmish began.
Count Woody gnashed his teeth from his perch atop the hill.
“Gods dammit!”
“What should we do, Count?”
 “What else can we do?! Fight! Fight hard!”
In accordance with Count Woody’s orders, the ambushing Imperial
troops rushed out at once. They had failed to completely encircle the
enemy, but the plan of forcing them into hand-to-hand combat had not
yet failed.
“Forward! Forward!”
As the bullets began raining down, the battering rams disguised as
rocks were rolled out.
Wagons piled high with kindling were lit and then rolled down the
slopes in unison. Monsters that looked like war elephants and rhinos
emerged from the trenches, pounding the ground underfoot with mighty
thumps, and they exuded a fearsome presence as they pushed forward.
Fire wagons, battering rams, and then hordes and hordes of monsters
surged forward.
***
Goblins and Trolls swarmed onto the Type 74 MBTs like ants, climbing
onto their main guns. Then, they hacked with their swords at the sturdy
armor plating that was designed to repel anti-tank rounds, making a
shrill, screeching noise. They destroyed everything they could, like
searchlights and so on.
“Enemies everywhere!”
“R-Requesting support! We can’t fight back!”
Wails of panic came over the wireless from the tanks, who were
defenseless once their enemies got close. Some of them were driving
around wildly, in an attempt to shake off their attackers.
While some of the enemies clinging on to them were shaken off, it
brought them out of formation, and they were swallowed up by the enemy
troops.
The JSDF troopers were shocked at the massive amount of enemies who
had appeared before their eyes all of a sudden, and all they could do was
fire wildly at the foes before them.
“Don’t panic. Stay calm. Don’t try to shake them off. Let your allies kill
them!”
After hearing their commander’s calm voice, the troopers swiftly
regained their composure.
However, the densely-packed waves of battering rams, war elephants
and rhinos did not let up. They crashed into the flanks of the armored
vehicles with bone-crunching force, making the vehicles shudder. Armor
plates were deeply dented and the troopers within were tossed out. The
men hastily reorganized into fighting squares to gun down the enemies
which rushed in to take advantage.
Type 60 Self-Propelled Recoilless Guns fired, and the rhinos hit by them
collapsed like they had been winded and breathed their last.
The Type 74 main guns roared, and the hordes of Goblins clinging to
them were blasted several meters away.
Even so, the Imperial Army continued to leverage on their superior
numbers and enveloped the JSDF forces.
“Good! Forward, forward, march the men forward! We must hold the
line until Zorzal-denka arrives!”
Zorzal said he had a sure fire way of victory. All Woody could do was
believe in that, and lock the enemy down here, no matter what.
***
Countless Wyverns waited within the caves dug into the narrow passes.
All of them were fitted with saddles and barding, their riders lying flat
on top of them, holding their breath as they awaited their commanders’
order.
Commander Podawan mopped at the sweat which kept beading on his
bald head, and kept an eye in the direction of the horizon from his place
near the cave entrance.
The enemy's’ scouts had very sharp eyes. He did not know how they did
it, but if they revealed themselves, even if just a little, they would be found
and attacked. Thus, Podawan had ordered his men and his Wyverns to be
covered in mud. The Wyvern riders naturally resented this, given that
they were a proud lot and they were literally painting their faces with
mud. However, they had to bear with it for the sake of victory.
(TL Note: The JP saying is 顔に泥を塗る, “painting one’s face with mud”
or disgracing oneself)
An aerial reconnaissance Wyvern orbited high in the sky.
After being spotted by the enemy’s scouts, it gyrated wildly in the air
and frantically flew up and down.
“Looks like it’s been spotted.”
The Wyvern fell. However, in the fleeting moment before it hit the
ground, it managed to flash a message using reflected sunlight. This was
a signalling method they had developed from their experience in
defending the Imperial Capital’s airspace.
“Count Podawan. Four flashes, and then four flashes again.”
“Umu. Enemy approaching, then. I salute his ability to complete his
mission even on the verge of death. Listen up, everyone. This may be the
site of our last battle. If they break through here, we’re done. May that
stiffen your resolve! Move out now!”
The Wyverns spread their wings as one.
***
“Your Majesty, we’ll be able to see Fortress Fyue soon,” the co-pilot told
King Duran.
The helicopters of the Fourth Combat Group transited from the plains
into the highlands that were ringed by mountainous forests. It flew
between the steep peaks. The fortress would be located somewhere ahead,
in order to block the pass.
The troopers stuck their bodies out, looking at the receding green of the
forests.
 “Amazing,” they breathed, marvelling at their speed. Now that they
were used to the view from above, they could be properly impressed by
the awesome spectacle that was flight.
Even Duran found it hard to control the swelling in his chest as he
beheld that magnificent sight.
“All right, we’ll show those Imperials our might!”
He could not help but clutch the hilt of his sword tightly.
“Mm? What’s wrong?”
However, swarms of Wyverns boiled out of the narrow peaks to either
side of them.
“Watch out!”
Waves of nets made of chain links fell from the sky. Although most of
them missed their mark, some of them managed to tangle up the
propellers of several helicopters. These helicopters lost their lift and
stability, spinning wildly around as they descended rapidly.
“What happened!?”
It was all the troopers could do to hang on to something within the
wildly shaking cabin in order not to be thrown out. One of them glimpsed
the enemy and shouted: “It’s Zorzal’s Wyvern riders!”
Shots came from all around them, and the helicopters swerved back and
forth to avoid being hit.
“Your, your Majesty! Is, is, is this really all right?!” shouted a soldier as
he clung to his seat to avoid being thrown off.
“The hell should I know?! Don’t talk, you’ll bite your tongue!”
That was all Duran could say. After all, this was not just a matter of
turbulence.
***
“All right, the ambush worked! Bring them all down at once!”
As Podawan gave his order, the Wyvern riders pounced on the
helicopter squadron.
***
After Zorzal’s ten thousand men formed up, they donned their armor,
distributed weapons, formed up in ranks, and resumed the look of a
proper army before marching out.
Initially, their marching order had resembled a serpent, but after
reaching the plains, they had spread like floodwaters spilling over a dyke.
The soldiers left the path and opened up their formation.
“All ranks! Right turn!”
The sub-commanders echoed the command with shouts of “Carry on!”,
and the infantry turned like an intricate machine, changing their
formation from that of a snake into squares. They took dressing from
their flagbearers and formed ranked spear lines with their shields
perfectly aligned, marching in unison like a single organism.
“Adjust formation!”
Upon hearing Mutra’s order, these fighting squares lined up, like the
black and white grid of a chessboard.
Helm and Mutra were in Zorzal’s command unit. Karasta and his men
followed them, trailing the flagbearers who carried the Imperial flag, the
Imperial Army’s flag, the Crown Prince’s flag, and various other colorful
banners. In addition, the signallers and battle musicians were with them.
The disguise on Tyuule’s wagon had been discarded, and a noble’s
carriage now travelled beside Zorzal.
“Zorzal-sama. Is this really Marais?” Tyuule asked in puzzlement.
They should have been heading toward a region of steep cliffs and grim
forests, but the land here was flat and green as far as the eye could see.
Her surprise was only to be expected.
However, Zorzal replied: “Who said we were going to Marais?”
“Ah?”
 “I merely said we had a sure fire way to win, but I never said we were
going to Marais.”
The pro-war generals and soldiers were currently fighting for their lives
at Marais because they believed Zorzal would save them. But why was
that? Tyuule could not hide her confusion and worriedly asked:
“...Then, where is this?”
“Italica, of House Formal’s domain. Look.”
Zorzal’s troops had marched across the mountains in formation.
And then, the land opened up before them, and on the other side of the
gentle slope they could see the town of Italica.
“This is the weakness of the enemy. If we bring down the enemy’s
stronghold and seize the Emperor, then we have won. That is my sure fire
means of victory.”
“We have caught the enemy unawares. Lions and dragons have keen
eyes and noses, but they can only see forward when they’re stalking their
prey. This allows us an opening which we can exploit,” one of Zorzal’s
commanders said.
Helm responded on Zorzal’s behalf.
“As you can see, Italica is undefended. That makes our task an easy one.
Ideally, we would have launched an attack before they built up a defense,”
he said. “It would be even better if we could have rushed in before the city
gates were closed, but that would be too much to ask for, so we couldn’t
count on that. After all, the enemy aren’t mindless marionettes.”
Thus, the best strategy was an assault. If they could swiftly scale the
walls while the enemy was confused, they would be able to take the keep
and moat, despite some losses.
“I don’t want to waste too much time on this.”
“Yes, sir. If this drags on too long, the enemy’s main body will return.”
That was the main reason why they could not drag their feet. Helm’s
challenge was to take the keep within a short period of time.
 Of course, Zorzal had not planned to bet everything on Helm. His
intention was to match his scheme with a frontal attack, to boost the
chances of success.
“Bouro… I’ll leave capturing the Emperor to you.”
The driver of Tyuule’s carriage turned towards him.
“Ha, kuhihihihi. This battle is the decisive one for us. I shall throw the
full might of the Haryo people into this.”
“Bo-Bouro! Why are you here?”
Bouro should not have been here.
“Answer me, Bouro. Why are you here?”
Bouro shrunk away as Tyuule spoke, while Zorzal and Helm chuckled
coldly.
“Tyuule. Tell me, what is so inconvenient about having Bouro around?”
She shuddered at Zorzal’s question.
“N-nothing.”
“You were nothing more than a point of contact with Bouro. I’ve been
saying that from the beginning. Now, I am assuming direct control and
relaying my orders in person. What is wrong with that?”
Tyuule violently shook her head.
“Did you feel Bouro could not be here because you wanted him to
overhear something?”
“No, no. No-nothing of that sort.”
“Don’t lie to me. When I heard you were betraying me, I was shocked
too. I found it hard to sleep, and I was so angry that I even took it out on
my slaves. I killed a few, if I’m not wrong.”
Zorzal’s words grew angrier as he continued speaking.
“What a tragedy, don’t you think? How sad. Those poor, sad slaves. I
even killed the women. That was how angry I was.”
 Tyuule held her breath.
Zorzal dismounted from his horse, and slowly walked towards Tyuule’s
carriage.
Petrified with fear, Tyuule could not move. Zorzal reached out and
pulled her out.
“Your, your Highness, it’s not like that.”
“Enough of that. Be quiet. Shut up. Shut up!”
“Ahh, your Highness, please believe me—”
“Didn’t I tell you to shut up!”
Zorzal’s furious shout set Tyuule trembling, and she shut up. Then,
Zorzal smiled smugly.
“Come to think of it, I did betray you too. After all, when I heard your
wish to save your tribe, not only did I not fulfil it, I destroyed it. I was the
one who captured your friends, your people, and sold them all as slaves.
And I never once mentioned it. When would you find out? What kind of
face would you make when you found out? Would you sigh in despair?
Would you demand answers of me in anger? The thought of seeing you
like that set my heart racing. Would you murder me in my sleep? Would
you approach me with a hidden knife? I was looking forward to
something like that all this time.”
“That, that sort of thing—”
“But no matter how long I waited, you didn’t react. You looked like you
didn’t care, so I put the documents detailing the fate of your race in
places where you could see. Things like how many bunnies I sold, and so
on. You read them, right? You should have read them, didn’t you?”
“Hiiii…”
“Even then, you didn’t change your attitude. So I was deceived. I thought
you were in love with me. I thought you had decided to forget your pain
and anger. I thought you were a cold, cruel woman. In truth, I was terribly
disappointed. But then, I realised that I had a very useful slave in my
hands, so I let you off. You cheered me up when I was hurt and helped me
regain my confidence. You did anything to make me happy. And it did
make me happy. I took those to be your true feelings. I trusted you. I gave
you a lot of responsibility. And you betrayed me. How should I punish you
for that?”
“You never trusted me. You were simply looking down on me. I have no
reason to repay your trust.”
Tyuule pulled at Zorzal’s arm with desperate speed, but it was thick and
brawny, so she was the one pulled back instead.
“That’s right. That’s how it should be. You have the right to hate me.
You have the right to point your blade of vengeance at me. Your anger is
righteous. However, the way you showed it was wrong. You betrayed me.
You betrayed my expectations, and then you betrayed my trust. And now,
you were about to betray me as well. How did you end up in such a
pathetic state, Tyuule? Someone like you shouldn’t beg for their life when
their treachery is revealed, but show a more dignified side of themselves,
no? You beg for your life, and when that doesn’t work you shout at me?
What a shameful display.”
“And why do I have to meet your expectations?”
“Ah? Say that again?!”
“Like I said, why do I have to meet your expectations?” Tyuule shouted.
It felt like she was trying to slap him with her voice. Even Zorzal frowned,
“...I see, I see. So you mean that you were planning to take revenge on
me by betraying my expectations, then.”
“Correct. I will never move as you expect of me!”
“Kuku, then let’s see how far you can keep betraying my expectations. I
want to see how long that stubbornness of yours holds out!”
After that, Bouro got down from the carriage and bowed.
“Kuhihihihihihihihi, your Highness. I beg you to give this bunnygirl to
me.”
 “Of course. I don’t wish to have my troops tired out before the battle.
People like you will do just fine.”
Not everyone on the battlefield was a soldier. People like Zorzal had
runners and servants trailing them. Bouro had taken all these slaves
under his wing.
“Oi, what the hell are you doing?”
“I want to see you cry and beg for mercy. I want to see you scream
‘Hurry up and kill me already’.”
Upon that signal, seven to eight men, led by Bouro, approached her.
Upon seeing their lascivious gazes, Tyuule swallowed as she realised
what would happen to her, and boldly shouted. “Hmph! As if that many
would be enough. If you want to make me beg, bring ten times the
amount, Zorzal. And if they’re all the same size as your crude little prick,
then you’ll need a hundred times as much!”
“What, what did you say?”
Even Zorzal was stunned by her words.
“I’m not that…”
Crude, he wanted to say. But Tyuule shouted to drown him out:
“If I’m wrong, then drop your pants right now and show it to me! I’ll
compare them all to yours! After all, you’ shrivel up after squeezing it
once or twice, right? If you want to make me cry for mercy, you’d better
bring more! Even if you say, ‘please stop, I can’t do it any more’, I won’t let
you off! So you’d better prepare yourselves! I’ll drain you all so dry you
won’t even be able to get hard when you see a woman anymore!”
Perhaps they were repulsed by this woman, but the men backed off as
one, clutching their groins as Tyuule’s presence crushed them.
Someone muttered, “Shit, she’s scary. She might really suck us dry.”
Even Zorzal backed off as he realized that.
“Your Highness. Now is not the time for this sort of thing,” General
Karasta said.
This was a rare opportunity. A defenceless city stood before them, and
the troops were awaiting Zorzal’s order.
If they wasted time here, Italica would be able to mount a proper
defense.
And as expected, the city gates opened and troops streamed forth. At a
closer look, they had their backs to the city. It would seem they were
preparing to mount a line formation.
“Cheh,” Helm and his officers scoffed.
“The traitors intend to take the field against us?”
Helm looked over to Zorzal and shouted, “Your Highness! We can still
make it. Please order an attack immediately! If we manage to execute a
surprise attack before they fully form up, the enemy will be unable to
fight back. Thrown into disarray, they will retreat into the city. It’s not
what we hoped for, but it’s still favorable to us.”
However, Zorzal shook his head.
“No, wait. If they want to fight an open-field battle, then we shall
oblige. It’ll be faster than a siege, after all.”
The fact was that sieges were not only time-consuming, but would
result in many casualties. Even if they committed to one, there was no
guarantee that they would win. In contrast, an open-field battle favored
the side with greater numbers.
Numbers were the fundamental element of determining fighting
strength. Upon those you had force multipliers like weapon quality,
combat tactics, terrain, troop morale, the quality of the chain of
command, and so on.
The most important of these force multipliers was the fortifications
offered by a castle.
With that as a linchpin of a well-thought out defense, even a large army
would have a hard time winning a siege. They should be thanking the
heavens that they had decided to abandon that advantage for open battle.
Zorzal’s forces and Italica’s forces were roughly even when it came to
weapon quality and their chain of command. Thus, the key factors would
be tactics, troop morale, and troop quantity. Since they far exceeded the
enemy in numbers, Zorzal concluded that a field battle would be quite
reasonable.
Attorney-General-to-be and Head Oprichniki Upson said, “General
Helm, as you can see, the enemy numbers 6’000 while our forces number
10’000. Even a head-on clash should prove to be in our favor.”
Karasta and Mutra agreed with that assessment. They summoned the
buglers and had them give the order to prepare for a field battle.
The horns of the buglers echoed all around. The soldiers cast aside their
siege equipment and reorganized their formation.
They shifted from a siege formation to one better suited for open field
combat. The archers and the shield-bearing infantry exchanged positions.
The men drew their swords, braced their lances, drew their bows, and
steeled themselves for a field battle.
“Tyuule, after this battle is over, I’ll give you ten times the number of
men, as you hoped for. You can look forward to it! Bouro, I’ll deal with
Tyuule later. First, lock her up somewhere. The Emperor’s more
important than that. This should be easier than trying to take their keep.
Failure will not be tolerated!”
“Yes, I understand.”
Bouro had his men tie up Tyuule and bowed to Zorzal.
“Then, let the battle begin.”
Zorzal raised his finger as a signal. Helm saw this and gave an order.
“Forward!”
Horns rang all round.”
“Forward — march!”
 The soldiers marched forward with wordless coordination, and the
sound of pounding caligae rang forth. They slowly advanced, their shields
in one hand and their swords or spears in the other.
(TL Note: カリガ = caliga = Roman combat boots that look like sandals)
In contrast, the legitimate Imperial army remained motionless in front
of Italica.
Perhaps they had elected a defensive stance due to their fewer numbers.
“But if they’re on the defensive, then why did they come out?”
Helm muttered to himself, as though cursing the stupidity of their
commander.
“First rank, jog!”
At this command, the buglers’ horns echoed throughout the formation.
The foremost line of soldiers immediately quickened their pace.
The distance between the two frontlines shrank in an instant. A
startling number of arrows spewed forth from the backlines of both
armies, almost blotting out the sun for an instant, and then they fell like
rain on their opposite numbers.
“Testudo!”
The soldiers raised their shields above their heads to protect
themselves.
Arrows thudded into the oblong shields, and the arrowheads which
penetrated wounded the arms on the soldiers.
Shouts and groans of pain came from all around, and the men who had
taken arrows to the body and the knee through the gaps of their shields
went down, one after the other.
“Break formation! Advance!”
Zorzal’s forces advanced again.
As the distance between the two armies shrank, they could now see
each others’ faces. It was only then that Zorzal’s men realised that the
people before them were not human, but composed of troops from
various species.
“Charge!”
The soldiers readied their swords, braced their spears, and a vicious
melee began.
Steel clashed against steel, and sparks flew off blades.
The hafts of thrusting spears bent and snapped, and shields were
shattered by battle axes.
Heads were crushed with the helmets upon them, and the blood of
soldiers flowed across the land and splattered everywhere. Roars of anger
blended with cries of pain, and naked violence became a storm that swept
across the battlefield.
“Vanguard, change!”
The centurions sounded their horns, and the men at the head of the
formation swapped places with the soldiers waiting behind them. As
though in response, the enemy brought their frontline to the rear as well.
Was it their blood, or that of the enemies? Whatever it was, it covered
the bodies of the soldiers who fell back through the gaps in their fellows’
ranks. They were replaced by fresh troops, who began the slaughter once
more. They hammered, threw, hacked and deflected. The sounds of
destruction rang forth.
“Fuck! Why are we fighting Dwarves?!” Zorzal’s men wailed.
This was a collision of strength against strength, an exchange of blows,
a mutual murder. Throughout this melee, the short yet stout Dwarves
swung their axes with enough force to split the ground open. They threw
their entire weight into their strikes, so even though they were clumsy, in
an intense melee, they hit hard enough to smash away several people at
once. Dwarves were thus excellent combatants in this sort of face-to-face
slugging match.
Zorzal’s offensive finally ground to a halt in the face of the
outnumbered yet overpowering Dwarves.
***
“Pina-denka’s flag had been sighted in the enemy camp!”
Zorzal arched his right eyebrow as he heard the scout’s report. Given
Pina’s personality, he had expected her to lead from the front, so he was
quite surprised.
“What? Their commander is Pina?”
“Yes.”
“Helm. Can you still fight?”
Helm was one of the founding members of Pina’s knight band. The fact
that he had risen to this level could be attributed to the foundation he
had gained in the knight band.
“There’s no better foe for me than Pina-denka. If I don’t fight well, Pina-
denka will reprimand me.”
Zorzal chuckled as he heard this.
“Really now. Then, show Pina your strength in full.”
“Yes sir!”
Helm nodded and said to the signallers: “Continue rotating in fresh
troops! Cavalry! Centaurs! Forward!”
The trumpets sounded again.
“Retreat 100 steps!”
As they heard this, the frontline troops ran off in an instant.
The Dwarves left their formation to pursue, lost in the thrill of battle.
However, they were ponderous and clumsy, and could not catch up with
the Imperial forces.
No matter how hard they ran, the distance between them only grew
further. They were panting, tired and their formation was in ruins.
Thunder rumbled under the Centaurs and cavalry, and they charged them
from the flanks, lances ready.
The Dwarves were immediately knocked over by the lances and sent
flying by their hooves.
Afterword

My sincere condolences to the victims of the Tohoku Earthquake. I pray

they will recover soon and live a peaceful and happy life.
It happened on 11th March, 23rd Heisei year (Year 2011). At that time, I
was walking from Nakano to Koenji. When I saw the vending machine
before me shudder, I wondered, “Is the vending machine broken?” Shortly
after, the trees lining the street shook, and a great crash came from the
high-rise buildings. At that time, I thought, “The earthquake they said
would hit the east has finally come”. Roof tiles fell, some houses
collapsed, and the exterior of some high-rise buildings fell off. The glass
in shopfronts shattered, the street lights in front of the bus stations fell,
and many people were injured.
Still, it was not much worse than what I saw, and when I went home,
not knowing where the epicenter of the earthquake was or how intense it
had been, I thought, “Ahhh, that’s good, that’s all there was.”
However, that was not the case. Ibaraki Prefecture in the northeast was
closer to the epicenter and it was not only hit by the earthquake, but by
the resulting tsunami. This caused unspeakable devastation. Many lives
and hopes and dreams were cut short as a result.
 In addition, that was not the end of the disaster. The aftereffects have
spread through our lives in various ways. Of course, it is nothing
compared to the suffering of the people caught up in it, mere trivial
matters, but they can hardly be written off as something small.
The manuscript for the final volume of Gate: Thus the JSDF Fought
Here : [4 : Underworld] was completed on 7th March.
I have already penned the closing words and sent it to the publisher. It
added up to 618 pages. Currently, I’m still thinking “So it’s over already?”
The problem is the earthquake which comes up in the last third of the
volume and the resulting scenes of devastation. I was thinking, “Is it
really okay to print something like that at a time like this?” Therefore,
after contacting the publishers, we decided to split the first two-thirds
and the final third into separate volumes, edit them and then publish
them separately.
And so, the book has ended up like this. The problem still lies in the
final third, but I want to share it with you when the time is right.
Many people have said, “Good luck”, so I will not repeat myself now.
However, things will surely get better. It’s a pity that there are no
protagonists who will say, “It’s fine, leave it to me!” in real life, but in
contrast, all the branches of the JSDF, the police, the coast guard, the
politicians, the local people, the employees of related companies, as well
as various volunteers are all thinking of a way to deal with this problem.
Let us put our hopes in them, and hold out just a bit longer.
Yanai Takumi
Credits

Translator: Skythewood

Epub: Estevam / dotNOVEL