ASAHI NO NISHISEI - Rising Sun Goes West (1)

Johan Republic, Land of Travelers and Banquets

December 25

Johan Republic, Wickett Peninsula, Juperia Continent

A JGSDF Type 73 medium truck made its way to Seve. The driver, Obata, had switched with Nunokawa. In the back of the truck, the other members of the team were letting the vehicle sway. Nitta reads an e-book on his phone, the SDF members checked their current location on a map, the Imperial Guards are tending their swords, and Sareed dozes off to sleep. While passing the time in their own ways, the rescued girl was talking with Petty Officer Third Class Mizusawa, a female SDF officer, and Shimon Aoi, one of the diplomats.

"Shimon-san is amazing! She's only 27 years old and she is a part of a delegation to the Atelica Empire!"

Mizusawa proudly introduces Shimon's situation as if it was her own. Hearing this, Nina looked a little doubtful.

"Miss Shimon, you are a diplomat even though you are a woman?"

"Y-yes, sort of," Shimon replied curtly.

Nina still looks unconvinced. Japan's first female diplomat was born in 1950, and in a world where the concept of gender equality is less common than on 21st century Earth, it would have been unthinkable for a woman to hold a diplomatic position.

"...Is it true?"

"Oh, you don't believe me!? Shimon-san, please show her that thing!"

Watching Nina, Mizusawa urged her to show her 'something' that would prove that Shimon was a diplomat.

"Hmm, well, okay."

Shimon looked a little worried, and then pulled out a dark brown pocketbook from her pocket.

"It's called a 'diplomatic passport,' and it proves that I am a diplomat of Japan outside of Japan. Well, it doesn't mean much in this world, but those two have it."

When Shimon said that, she pointed to Nitta and Endo.

"Hee~! Amazing, a woman and a diplomat!"

Feeling better at the girl's praise of herself, Shimon puts her hand inside her bag.

"Do you want something sweet?"

Shimon then offered her a caramel from her bag. Nina was curious about the brown rectangular object held out in front of her. When she grabbed it out of Shimon's hand, she could smell the sweet odor emanating from it. She couldn't resist throwing it into her mouth, and the sweetness that spread out from it made her face smile.

'...So cute!'

Seeing her, Mizusawa gushed in her mind.

"I want another one!?"

"...!"

Nina nodded broadly. Endo, the diplomat, watched the friendly exchange between the officer, diplomat, and the local girl with a smile on his face.

"But... what kind of bandit would do something so risky?"

At that moment, Sareed, who had been awake for some time, spoke to the members of the delegation.

"...? What do you mean?"

Nitta puts his phone away in his bag and questions the truth of his words.

"In Johan, where the demand for and dependence on slaves is lower than in other countries, kidnapping people for the purpose of enslaving them is considered a capital crime, regardless of the status of the kidnapped person. If discovered, it is punishable by death. Furthermore, there is no open slave market in this country, and most of the slaves in Johan are imported from other countries by wealthy merchants and aristocrats, with a few exceptions. However, it is said that in this country with a wide variety of races, despite strict controls, there are many kidnappers who are active behind the scenes. She may have been targeted by them..."