Sorry about this chapter taking so long. I needed (needed) to rewatch Infinity War then hype myself up for Endgame, which was an entire day lost. Then there was the rest of the day I lost processing everything that happened in Endgame.

But also, I had some work opportunities come up this last week and I’ve had to deal with that as well. This will impact releases going forward, though I’m not sure how much quite yet. I also might be asked to stop translating, since this is a translation industry job and I used this blog as a portfolio, but I haven’t actually been asked to stop, so I’ll see how things shake out.

Anyway, I’ll just take things as they come, and I will definitely post something definitive if I do stop. Until then, nothing is dropped. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 37 – The Sunset of a Superpower (5)

Papaldia Empire, imperial capital Esthirant, imperial palace

A morning emergency meeting… all of the country’s top management officials were present, and this meeting would determine the will of the empire as a whole. The main topic of the meeting was what to do about Japan.

The people participating included:

Emperor Ludius

Remille, a member of the imperial family

Supreme Commander Arde

1 st Foreign Affairs Department Head Elto

Foreign Affairs Department Head Elto 2 nd Foreign Affairs Department Head Rius

Foreign Affairs Department Head Rius 3 rd Foreign Affairs Department Head Kyeos

Foreign Affairs Department Head Kyeos Governing Board Director Baars

Financial Department Head Mooly

Aides for each department were also present

Before the meeting began, a document containing all information discovered about Japan until now was distributed. All of the officials scanned the material, which had been put together by the 3rd foreign affairs department. The information, arranged in chronological order, is summarized below:

Central Calendar year 1639, January, the Principality of Kua Toine in Rodenius established contact with Japan. At that time, no other country who received their diplomats acknowledged the existence of a country called “Japan.” After establishing contact, the country of Japan made a purchase request to the Principality of Kua Toine for a large amount food. Same year, April, the largest military force in Rodenius at that time, the Kingdom of Rowlia, invaded the Principality of Kua Toine, igniting a war between the two countries. Japan joined the war as an ally of Kua Toine. In the Great Naval Battle of Rodenius, the Rowlian navy lost over 1,500 ships and suffered catastrophic damage to their wyvern fleet. In a battle west of the castle town of Ejey in Kua Toine, Rowlia’s vast ground forces were completely annihilated. While the method is still unclear, shortly afterwards, the king of Rowlia, Hark Rowlia, was captured by Japan.

The empire sent the imperial oversight army’s eastern fleet to punish the Kingdom of Fenn, but its wyvern lords were shot down and ships-of-the-line rebuffed. This was the empire’s first clash with Japan. After bringing down the Kingdom of Altarus, the imperial army set its sights on the Kingdom of Fenn. They captured the town of Nishinomiyako, including 200 Japanese citizens, and executed those citizens by order of Remille, the acting 1 st Foreign Affairs Department Head. Enraged by this action, the Japanese military attacked the imperial naval forces that were involved in invading Fenn and destroyed them. These losses were equal to a third of the empire’s naval forces. The Emperor announced that the empire would commit to exterminating Japan and all of its citizens; in response, Japan claimed the right of self-defense. This was the official start of the war between the Papaldia Empire and the country of Japan. Japan attacked and defeated the imperial military forces stationed in Altarus, and the imperial-controlled territory of Altarus reclaimed its independence. Japan also sent numerous aircraft to attack the Imperial Capital Defense military base north of Esthirant, destroying it and all their defenses. At the same time, Japan’s naval forces effectively annihilated the imperial navy and destroyed the navy headquarters building as well as the other buildings built at the port.

Japan claims that its country was transferred from another version of this world, or perhaps from another planet. They do indeed have military achievements that are unthinkable for a country outside of the civilized areas. Rather than the empire never knowing about a country like this in all of its storied history, it is more believable for Japan to have suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Every person finished reading the document. Their faces all shared a similar gloomy look.

“First, I will summarize the military’s current status.”

Supreme Commander Arde stood up to speak.

“Our main naval forces have been decimated. Only twelve dragon carriers survived from our main forces, for a total of fifty first-class ships. In the oversight army, there are twenty-two ships in the eastern fleet and thirteen ships in the western fleet. Overall, our combined navy consists of eighty-five ships total. Compared to before we fought Japan, we have lost over ninety percent of our navy, a staggering reduction.”

Sweat trickled down Arde’s forehead. Even with their remaining naval forces, they were still far more powerful than any other nearby country in the Third Civilization. But, considering how quickly Japan obliterated their main naval force, they could only perceive it as a pathetically small and insufficient force.

“I’ll move on to our ground forces. One of the imperial military’s large bases has been destroyed, the Imperial Capital Defense base. They attacked us from the sky with explosive projectiles on a scale so large that we would never have imagined was possible had it not actually occurred. In the event that future bases are constructed, we have learned to consider the downsides of concentrating too many assets in one location, but it seems unlikely that this lesson will bear any fruit before the next battle.

“Because the capital’s defenses have been weakened to such an extent, we will be withdrawing our troops from all territories and reassigning them to the capital’s defense. The capital is of the utmost importance, so I have already issued an emergency withdrawal order using my authority as Supreme Commander. However, be aware that even with these troops, it is impossible to replenish the Imperial Capital Defense force to the level it was at prior to the attack.”

“Now, just… hold on a moment, Sir Arde!” Director Baars interjected. “Withdrawing our troops from all territories?! If you do that, won’t they rebel?! Can’t you just call back the troops stationed on the other two large continents?”

“I cannot do that. Those bases are important strategic locations as well. A ground army’s greatest strength comes from locational advantage; if we were to recall the troops from those larger bases, we may keep a better grip on our vassal states, but our global military presence would decrease far too much. Don’t the governing boards exist to prevent revolts in the first place? Well, even if one or two the vassal states gnash their teeth at us, it’s not like they have any connections to one another, so I don’t think there’s much cause for concern. In the extreme unlikelihood that there is a rebellion and we lose a territory, considering that we still reinforced the capital’s defenses, I would assert that the scales simply balanced out, don’t you agree?”

“Well… that’s…”

“Plus, as I explained, the order was already issued. All troops working for the governing boards are preparing to return to the capital.”

Baars had nothing more to say. Arde continued on.

“His Grace and Mooly were already informed of this and have already given their approval, but the weapons factories in Duro have been ordered to begin mass production of supplies. There will be no gaps in our supply line.”

After Arde finished speaking, 3rd Department Head Kyeos raised his hand to speak.

“Judging by the current state of our military, Japan truly is a force to be reckoned with and must be regarded with proper caution, as I believe everyone here now recognizes. That’s where the problem lies…” Kyeos took a deep breath. “The only way this war will end is with our defeat.”

“!!!!!!”

Everyone in the room looked shocked. Kyeos knew that they all felt it to be true, but no one could muster the courage to voice it aloud in front of the emperor.

“Supreme Commander Arde, I have a question for you.”

“What is it?”

“If our remaining forces were to land in Japan, is it possible to fulfill His Grace’s command to eradicate the Japanese people?”

“In order to execute His Grace’s will, we shall push our bodies and spirits to their limits.”

“I did not ask that question to hear about your idealism. I want to hear whether or not, with the current strength of our armies, it is possible.”

“…With our current war capacity, it is impossible. In order to comply with that order, we would need to recruit more soldiers and build more ships. We need more time.”

“Japan will not give us that time. I would like to move on to the First Foreign Affairs Department, who opened hostilities with Japan, and Department Head Elto.”

“…What do you want?!”

“How do you intend to resolve this war?”

Elto’s forehead was drenched in sweat, and his eyes were unfocused. His eyes flicked over to Emperor Ludius’s face.

“We have already publicly declared that we will exterminate Japan; if we were to change our intentions, that would compromise our standing among other countries and our vassal states. If we consider our national interests, we have no choice but to continue pursuing that goal.”

“Elto, do you believe that goal is achievable?”

“According to Supreme Commander Arde, it’s possible, given enough time. I don’t have the knowledge or expertise to comment on military or strategy matters.”

“All right then, let me ask you as the department head of the First Foreign Affairs Department: what does Japan want from us?”

“What Japan wants… From that incident in the Kingdom of Fenn, where we killed their citizens, they want a formal apology, reparations, and to be given custody of all personnel involved or anyone who can provide information about the incident. In addition, an apology towards Fenn as well as reparations and compensated goods. That was their request.”

Remille’s face paled.

“Well then, Mistress Remille, what are your thoughts regarding Japan’s demands?”

It was silent for a time.

“I… I…”

“Enough!!!”

Remille’s stuttering was drowned out by an angry voice. For an instant, everyone wondered who shouted before realizing and closing their mouths. Emperor Ludius turned to face 3rd Department Head Kyeos.

“Kyeos, what is your point?! You wish for the Papaldia Empire, a world superpower, to hand over its leader, our self, as well as Remille here, to Japan, and subject ourselves to the most humiliating, complete defeat imaginable?!”

“N… No, I could not bear to even imagine such a nightmare. I just, in thinking of our people, wanted to confirm what Japan wanted, clarify what countermeasures our forces could enact, and put everything on the table without deception, explore every possibility in search of a solution.”

Kyeos chose his response carefully, painfully aware that even a single misspoken word could result in the heads of his entire family flying.

“Japan is powerful. I truly feel that our demise is at hand. If things continue in the same manner, it is possible for the empire to be defeated, and I cannot help harboring anxiety.”

“Hmm… indeed, Japan is mighty. Our navy is decimated, and one of our largest bases has been leveled. However, our other two large-scale bases are still standing firm, and the city of Duro still supports us. We shall not run out of weapons. Furthermore, those barbarians will not be able to set foot on our land.”

“May I ask for the reasoning behind that?”

“To land an army on a continent under control of a superpower with intimate knowledge of the landscape, they would need to invest massive amounts of resources. However, while Japan’s navy may be plentiful, their ground army is light. Our land is vast; no matter the quality of their soldiers, they will be unable to supply them in their endeavors.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. No one would dare refute the emperor’s words. Unfortunately, while Kyeos’s concerns about the collapse of the empire were not assuaged, expressing those worries would be met with a departure of his head from his neck, so he swallowed his words.

The meeting discussing countermeasures against Japan continued on.

Papaldia Empire, Kooze territory

In order to resist the tyrannical governing board established by the Papaldia Empire, Haki was gathering allies who wished for independence. There were so many people who were antagonistic to the governing board that Haki himself could scarcely believe that he had formed a group of over 2,500 cooperators.

The name of his rebel organization was “The Kooze Kingdom Reconstruction Army.”

Their actual military strength was closer to around 1,500 people, but that was still a very large number. The organization started with a few dozen members who created a network of connections; although all 2,500 of them had never met as a single group, their lack of large-scale activities hid their presence from the public, which miraculously kept them out of the governing board’s sights.

That morning, Haki was eating breakfast when someone knocked on the door to his house. When he opened the door, he was met with the sight of a man gasping, out of breath.

(What’s going on?)

Haki invited the man inside. Haki was the leader of the Reconstruction Army, and this winded person standing before him, Ikya, was his so-called right-hand man.

“What’s wrong? For you to be here so early in the morning… did something happen?”

Ikya finally caught his breath. “The governing board army, two days ago they started preparing to withdraw! As of this morning, almost every soldier in the governing board army has left Kooze!”

“Are you certain? If our existence was leaked, couldn’t this be fake information to lure us out?”

“No, what I’m about to tell you is something the soldiers themselves had been discussing, so chances are it’s accurate.”

“What were they talking about?”

“Apparently, the Papaldia Empire’s Imperial Capital Defense base was destroyed. They’re pulling out in order to fill that hole in their defenses.”

“That’s… impossible! Is this true? Were they fighting Japan?”

“Yes, they were. Japan had a ton of giant aircraft that they used to invade and attack the empire, I heard. That’s how the base got destroyed… also, there’s one other thing I heard.”

“?”

“The Japanese navy went up against Papaldia’s main navy, the empire lost five hundred and fifty ships-of-the-line and dragon carriers, and, beyond that, their southern port in Esthirant was blown to bits. What’s even crazier is that Japan only had twenty ships and they didn’t even lose a single one.”

Haki was speechless… This war report was too far removed from his war sensibilities and he had trouble processing it mentally.

“Ah… no, wait, hold on, so why hasn’t this been reported on the news yet? It’s weird that none of the other civilized areas heard about this.”

“Maybe it’s because what happened was so crazy and unbelievable. If it’s all true, then Japan is already at superpower-level, or maybe even above that. If they put together a half-assed report, they could lose trust if anything turned out to be wrong. And neither Japan nor Papaldia has released an official report. Maybe the other countries are just lacking information.”

After being defeated by the Papaldia Empire, the Kooze Kingdom was put under the management of that damnable governing board, the ones who renamed their country “the Kooze territory” and called its citizens “Kooze refuse.” They wanted to take their country back, but a superpower’s army was too strong. Even if they had their military from when Kooze was at its most prosperous, they would be easily beaten to a pulp by the empire’s governing board army. It went without saying that a rebellion with no equipment whatsoever would be pulverized without being able to lift a finger.

There was an overwhelming… no, worse, a hopeless gap between a superpower’s army and the Reconstruction Army. But… now that Japan had made an appearance, things were changing. They saved Altarus, who had become one of the empire’s territories, and showed that the superpowers were not invincible. Japan also inflicted quite a lot of damage on the empire. Enough damage that they had to recall the armed forces keeping watch on their territories… Haki felt his heart igniting in excitement.

“Ikya!” Haki yelled in a loud voice.

“W… What is it?”

“The time has come!!!”

“Huh?!”

“It’s time for the Kooze Kingdom Reconstruction Army’s first battle! We’ll all move at once at three o’clock today! We’ll march to the governing board’s office and destroy it, taking back our country!!!”

“Are you insane? The only gear we have is swords and shields. If the governing board army were to return, we’ll be wiped out!!!”

“The governing board army won’t come back. They can’t leave the capital undefended. If we swarm the governing board office with fifteen hundred people, we’ll bring it down in a flash… Kooze is our country!!!”

Haki was determined to start the rebellion. His head was filled only with defeating the empire; he didn’t think about what would happen afterwards. The ghost of vengeance continued to burn fiercely in his heart.

Papaldia Empire, Kooze territory

“Haki understands nothing!!!”

Ikya was incredibly upset at Haki’s impulsive, simplistic decision to begin a revolution. This wasn’t a game, it was a war where people bet their lives. Many of those people had families, and they needed to be convinced that there was good reason to risk everything. Even if they could set up a temporary government after the revolution, as long as the empire was not defeated, it was just a matter of time before they came back into power and trampled over Kooze once again. Before Ikya mobilized the rebels via magic communication, he decided to first see whether he could convince one of the organizations at a certain place of this plan. A door opened, and he entered the building.

“……meaning, at three o’clock this afternoon, the Kooze Kingdom Reconstruction Army will rise up all at once to take back the country. To ensure enough time is given to prepare, I will be sending an encrypted message via magic comms at noon.”

“Let’s say we have a good chance of winning, have you considered what needs to happen after that? If the imperial army were to return, you’d be crushed like ants.”

The person from the organization pointed out the same worries that Ikya had; he knew it, it was too early to rebel.

…Silence.

DRRRNG, DRRRNG… DRRRNG, DRRRNG…

A worn-out image receiver that had been installed in the house began to ring. Ikya and his conversation partner both turned to look at the First Civilization device.

“…We interrupt this program to bring you breaking news. Miss Lumiess, the former-princess and now-queen of the Kingdom of Altarus, has an important message to give to the world.”

A moment later, Lumiess stepped up onto a platform.

“People of the world, good morning to you.”

Lumiess slowly bent at the waist, lowering her head. The sight of her bowing was beautiful and reflected well on her character.

“What I am about to announce has been approved by a participant country, Japan. The other day, north of the Kingdom of Altarus, in the waters south of Esthirant of the Papaldia Empire, there was a naval battle fought between Japan and the empire.”

This was the first use of a broadcast to give an official, important announcement, so the reporters all leaned forward, their ears primed not to miss a single word. In front of the image screen, Ikya and the man also leaned forward, waiting to hear news related to their current situation.

“In this naval battle, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force sent an escort fleet of about twenty ships, while the Papaldia Empire sent their main naval force of about six hundred ships-of-the-line and other warships.”

The information that had been floating around as rumors was now being confirmed via this official government announcement. Everyone in the mass media were frantically writing everything down.

“In the aftermath of this battle, Japan suffered zero losses. Not a single ship nor a single Japanese life was lost. On the other hand, about five hundred and fifty ships were sunk on the Papaldia Empire’s side, while the remaining fifty ships took flight. In other words, the Papaldia Empire’s main naval force was all but annihilated.”

The venue began to get noisy.

“In addition, Japan also executed an attack from the sky, destroying one of the Papaldia Empire’s ground bases, the Imperial Capital Defense base. Of interest, this attack was partially launched from the military base in my country. In order to shore up the capital’s defenses, we have learned that the empire is recalling all of its armed forces from all territories.”

Now, Lumiess’s voice swelled with strength.

“People who have suffered under the unjust rule of Papaldia’s governing boards! Now is the time to act!!! If you rise up now, the empire will not have the power to stop you!!! Now is the time to gather your strength and take back your countries, take back peace, happiness, and, above all else, the pride you have in your home!!!

“You can see from the results of this battle, more clearly than you can see fire burning through wood, that Japan is stronger than the Papaldia Empire!!! The empire declared war on Japan! But they will never defeat Japan!

“We also fight along with them! And we will not fall to the land of demons, to Papaldia!!! If those of you out there can take back your own countries, this will have a large impact on the war. Fight! If you fight… If you fight now, you can win!!! If it’s now, you will win. And the empire will fall from their seat as a superpower. The time to act is now!!!”

The reporters began to ask questions. The emergency broadcast ended.

It was all true… the empire had taken a huge beating. The country of Japan was outrageously powerful.

“…All right, then. Let’s do it.”

The organization member had heard the same broadcast and knew of Haki’s and Ikya’s objectives. On this day, the Kooze territory revolted against the empire and retook control of its own country.

Papaldia Empire, imperial capital Esthirant, imperial palace

The emergency morning meeting was put on hold for a time then resumed, going all the way into the evening. The biggest development was that the topic began to move in the direction of how to defy Japan to the bitter end.

3rd Foreign Affairs Department Head Kyeos was growing impatient… If things continued in this direction, the empire was simply going to perish. With all their national power they had built up and were so proud of, with the fact that innumerable countries across the world pointed to them as one of the five superpowers, the Papaldia Empire would just fall to ruin and crumble to dust.

Kyeos was resolved to wager his life and accomplish something at this meeting.

“……being the case, considering our country’s crisis, as the head of finances, you need to manage the expenses necessary for Duro to mass-produce our weaponry. Furthermore, we need to conscript soldiers from our territories to replenish our military; our aim is triple the size of our current main force. With enough numbers, we can send a large fleet of ships to Japan’s capital and turn it into a sea of flames by night. This is the approach I believe we should take; Your Grace, does this sound amenable?”

This was the plan that Supreme Commander Arde proposed. His strategy completely depended on a fantasy, that Japan would just sit idly by while it happened; Kyeos felt himself developing a headache. While the other people in the meeting looked like they were regaining their confidence after hearing this plan, Kyeos could only see them as averting their eyes from reality and washing their necks to be executed like fools.

Suddenly, one of the military aides entered and whispered something into Arde’s ear. The aide looked nauseous, his face blue as sweat trickled down his forehead.

?

The emperor was also watching with curiosity. “What is it, Arde? Did something happen?”

Sweat began to build up on Arde’s face as well, and his hand trembled. It looked like he had trouble responding.

“What is wrong? Out with it.”

“It’s… Duro, our industrial center, was attacked by Japan and completely demolished. The residential areas were largely untouched, but the factories… all of them have been destroyed.”

“Wh… What?!”

“That… can’t be!!!”

“Furthermore, the military base in Duro was also attacked and wiped out by Japan.”

“How…”

The meeting room turned dead silent from shock. Breaking that silence was another military aide bursting into the room, his face also an unnatural color.

“Now what is it?! You need not whisper it to Arde, just say it aloud to everyone!!!” the emperor yelled at the aide.

“Ye… Yes, Your Grace!!!” The aide knelt before the emperor, then gave his report. “The Kooze, Marta, and Arukh territories have revolted. All three governing board offices have already fallen into the rebel armies’ hands.”

This stunned everyone… but the aide wasn’t finished with the report.

“Those are only the territories that have fallen… currently, fifteen other territories have rebelled and their governing board offices are all under assault. Apparently, Queen Lumiess of the Kingdom of Altarus incited rebellion over a magical broadcast! We believe that these revolts were in response to that broadcast. If this is true, then we have predicted that the number of rebellions will multiply if there’s another broadcast like this later!!!”

The officials were all speechless…

The Papaldia Empire used “fear” to turn countries into their territories, control them, and absorb their wealth. However, the “power” required to enact that fear had been shattered, broken into pieces by Japan. The innate fragility of ruling by fear was demonstrated in the worst possible way, and their philosophy was turned on its head and pointed right back at the empire. They had loosened the reins in order to protect the imperial capital. The governing board armies could turn around to reclaim the territories, but then that would leave the capital defenseless. There was nothing they could do.

“THOSE… THOSE REPROBATES!!!!!!”

The emperor could do nothing but curse with rage as the meeting extended late into the night.

Papaldia Empire, imperial capital Esthirant, Kyeos’s mansion

In the end, nothing came from the meeting and they just continued throwing around empty ideas. Wanting to avoid the worst future for the empire, 3rd Foreign Affairs Department Head Kyeos made his decision. At this rate, the empire would be completely eradicated. If his gamble failed, not only Kyeos himself, but his entire family would probably be executed. However, if he succeeded, at least the country would survive.

In one corner of his mansion, he stretched his hand towards the communication device installed by Japan.

“…I just need to do it.”

Kyeos pushed down hard on the button to activate it.

TL note: I went back and checked, and Kooze was indeed called a republic in the chapter it was first introduced, but for some reason it’s a kingdom now. I won’t be going back to change it, since I’m not sure how important Kooze will be going forward, but just an FYI if you happened to remember.

クズのクーズ, “Kooze trash,” but it’s read “kuzu no kuuzu,” so I tried to find a rhyme to maintain the spirit of the original text *wink*

Chapter 36 — Table of Contents — Chapter 38