ASAHI NO NISHISEI - Rising Sun Goes West (1)

Part 4: Road to the End | Landing on Miket Tirith 1

January 9, Three days before the declaration of the establishment of the government in exile

In front of a conference room, Foreign Affairs Office, Shorteria-San Empire

A group of people who had finished their meeting were coming out of the conference room. The group consisted of Jettis May Anglem, who would later become the head of the Crossnellyard Empire's government-in-exile, Touji Higashisuzu, the plenipotentiary representative of Japan, two other Foreign Affairs officials, and Hadris Moucous, the Foreign Minister of the Shorteria-San Empire. Hadris' expression was cheerful, but the other four looked austere. They were discussing a tentative postwar compensation claim. The following was decided upon in this discussion.

1. The government-in-exile led by Jettis May Anglem, after regaining the imperial throne, is obligated to compensate the Japanese government for "war costs" consisting of the cost of arms and ammunition, fuel, personnel, and other military-related costs that the country consumed in the course of this war. Substitutes can be made in the form of underground resource mining rights, territorial cessions, trade privileges, etc. Details will be discussed at a later date.

2. The government-in-exile is obligated to offer some kind of return to the Shorteria-San Empire government after the restoration of the imperial throne. Details will be discussed at a later date.

3. The government of Japan will collect reparations from the other Irulan nations to compensate for economic and human losses, excluding war expenditures. If recovery is then delayed, the Japanese government shall have the right to make further claims for reparations to the government-in-exile. Details will be discussed at a later date.

As can be seen from the content of the agreement, the talks between the three parties ended with all of Japan's demands being met. Hadris, the Shorterian representative, pushed through the second clause in form of taking Japan on board. Jettis not only continued to accept the Japanese demands, but also succeeded in leaving room for discussion by inserting a common sentence at the end of every point: "details will be discussed at a later date." The weak position of the government-in-exile, which consists of only two members, him and his wife, is understandable.

"The talks did not end well..." Hijiri Nakamine, one of the Foreign Affairs bureaucrats who participated in the talks, mused.

Apparently, he felt bitter about the talks, which ended up with the parties, who are supposed to be allies, using their position of strength as a leverage to force the other party to accept various demands. Hearing his soliloquy, Higashisuzu gave him one piece of advice from the standpoint of an elder, to the younger diplomat.

"Our top priority is the national interest! If that can be obtained, there is no need to even force a win-win relationship."

"...!"

Higashisuzu's words made Nakamine and Jingo Osawa, another Foreign Affairs bureaucrat, feel a sense of helplessness. However, as bureaucrats who are also government officials, they know that what Higashisuzu said is correct. In diplomacy, especially in negotiations such as this one, it is taboo to let personal feelings such as sympathy and camaraderie get in the way.

"The state does not and cannot take the side of justice. Remember that well."

Higashisuzu's words pierced their hearts. They then returned to their lodgings in the city center of the capital and reported the results of their discussions to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

. . .

A room at the Solemn White Pavilion, City Center

Godo, Theopha Rae Anglem's doctor, is looking down from the window as the three Foreign Affairs officials return home after their meeting. He is in a two-person room, with his roommate Shibata sitting beside him on the sofa provided. Shibata, who had been watching Godo, spoke to him.