ASAHI NO NISHISEI - Rising Sun Goes West (1)

Suspicious Shadow

December 24, before sunset, 8 hours after departure

Luccaesse Village, near the border

The Type 73 medium truck carrying the group had finally reached the Shantou Mountains, the border between the Atelica Empire and the Johan Republic, with the drivers taking turns. The sun was already setting in the western sky, and the shadows cast by the mountains obscured the land. Today they will set up camp here, and the SDF members have erected three camps tents for them to stay in: one for two women, one for five SDF members, and one for four people: two bureaucrats and two medical staff. The Imperial Guards and Crown Prince Sareed are to set up cots in the truck and sleep in them. And one of the foreign affairs bureaucrats was lying on a leisure sheet while the tents were being set up.

"Waah, it's Christmas eve in Japan right now..."

One of the diplomats, Endo, sighed as he gazed up at the twinkling stars in the night sky. He was sure that his countrymen were spending the eve of the holy night with their families and loved ones in high spirits. He also thought about his family on the mainland.

"But, it's hard to sit for a long time... there is no space to lie down... At least if it were a large truck instead of a medium-sized one..."

Endo mumbled and complained as he laid there. His junior colleague, Shimon, peered into his face from above.

"What can we do without what we didn't bring? I didn't expect to have to make this trip... Besides, did you see the Crown Prince complaining? Why don't you learn from him a little?"

The two engage in an idle conversation. Then they heard footsteps approaching.

"Oh, did you say something about me?"

"Your Highness!"

Endo and Shimon brace themselves in the face of the royalty from another country who spoke to them with two guards in tow. Endo, who had been lying down earlier, stood up before long.

"The ride in the wagon is similar, and we are much more reassured by this 'truck' because it is faster. Even if we are attacked by bandits, we can escape with certainty."

'Oh, he heard us...'

They both thought the same thing in their hearts. However, they did not feel bad about being told that the Crown Prince was relying on them. Shimon and Endo smiled at those words.

Then, at night, sleeping bags or cots are laid out inside the tent for lodging and the Type 73 medium truck, and the diplomats, medical staff, and the crown prince go to sleep. In order to protect their peaceful sleep, the escorting Imperial Guard and SDF personnel took turns monitoring and guarding the surroundings.

"The stars are really beautiful..."

One of the guards, Nord Lambier, saw Sergeant First Class Yuji Toda gazing at the night sky, a familiar sight to them, with a curious look on his face, and spoke to him.

"Is the starry sky a rarity in Japan?"

Nord wondered at the way Toda gazed at the starry sky with a sigh of admiration. In response to his question, Toda shook his head.

"...No, it is not, but in Japan, when there are many people living in a city, the light of the stars is lost in the brightness of the city lights, and they are not visible except for the brightest stars."

Toda talked about Japan's metropolitan areas, which, from the sky, appear to twinkle in the dark of night.

"Cities so bright that you can't see the stars...!?"

Nord is intrigued by Toda's words. His thoughts drifted to the otherworldly capital city he had not yet seen. Later, Toda began to talk about Japan at Nord's request.

Skyscrapers soaring to the sky, iron dragons (Shinkansen) running on the ground at speeds exceeding 200 km/h, iron birds (airliners) carrying around 500 passengers, an advanced political system and overwhelming economic power... and the Emperors of Japan, who has reigned in the capital, Tokyo, for over 1500 years, 126 generations, and whose blood has not been spilled...

The Japanese Imperial Family has already been well known to the world through the Imperial banquet held about three and a half months ago at the Imperial Palace to celebrate the coming of age of the prince, the nephew of the Emperor, and to deepen exchanges with other countries, inviting the heads of state, sovereigns, and other state guests from various friendly countries. Nord was engrossed in Toda's talk. Although they were in different positions, the conversation between soldiers from different worlds was peaceful.

"...?"

At that moment, however, Toda suddenly rose from the ground. He was looking at the grass as if he had found something.

"...Mr. Yuji, what's happening?"

"There's something..."

"!?"

Hearing Sergeant Toda's words, Noda took up a stance with his sword at the ready. Although invisible to the naked eye, the JGVS-V8 night vision device attached to Toda's Type 88 helmet revealed an object moving in the grass. Since there was a possibility of a bandit, Toda contacted his fellow officers.

"This is Toda. There's a moving shadow to the north."

A report sent over the radio alerted the team members who had been monitoring other areas of the city to the situation. While the situation remained tense for a while, the moving object disappeared beyond the grassy area.

"Was it an animal...?"

Toda pondered the true nature of the object, which did not do anything to them.

"Any movement?"

Senior Master Sergeant Takao, who was approaching behind them, asked them what is going on.

"No, there is no sign of an attack on us. It might have been some kind of animal or beast," Toda replied.

Nothing weird happened after that. The night passed uneventfully.

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Although this story touches on the sensitive subject of the Japanese Imperial Family, I would like to reiterate that this novel is a work of fiction, and although the names of real organizations are mentioned, they have nothing to do with anything in real life.

- Bokutotsu Zen'u