ASAHI NO NISHISEI - Rising Sun Goes West (2)

Intermission | The Identity of the Israfail Empire

For the sake of an intermission, this chapter is quite short.

- Bokutotsu Zen'u

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June 4, 2031

Aboard the Myōkō

The four destroyers heading for the port city of Rodpiece, located in the southern part of the Israfail Empire, finally had their destination in sight.

"We will be arriving at our destination shortly!"

An announcement echoed through the ship. Michio Hasekura and Kiichi Uemura of the delegation aboard the ship were looking through binoculars from the bridge.

"So that is the Israfail Empire..."

Hasekura was nervous at the sight of an unknown country. Looking through the binoculars, the port of Rodpiece was lined with paddle steamers with smoke stacks sticking out of them, and the sky over the city was covered with the smog that seemed to be caused by soot and smoke. The overall atmosphere was dim and dreary, symbolic of the Industrial Revolution. An hour later, the Myōkō, Yūdachi, Fuyuzuki, and Mutsu anchored about 1,5 kilometers offshore from the harbor.

. . .

Rodpiece, Israfail Empire

A two-horse luxury carriage drove down the main street that runs through the brick-paved city. Among them were two officials dispatched from the capital, Esralem: one was Abraham Issakaran Davide, deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Bureau, and the other was Isaac Asheran Debora, director of the Intelligence Bureau. The reason for their dispatch was, of course, to attend a working-level conference with the Japanese.

"Why is His Majesty... so interested with the frontier in the Far East? Why don't we just leave this to the people at the end of the line?"

Abraham crossed his arms and wore a gloomy expression on his face.

"...They are the country that defeated Crossnellyard. Please, be civil," Isaac reprimanded him for his dissatisfaction with the meeting.

"I don't need to be told, I always act polite!"

Abraham made his displeasure clear at Isaac's advice. However, as the deputy director for Foreign Affairs of the Israfail Empire, which had a long history as one of the Seven Dragons, it touched his pride to be sent as a pioneer to negotiate with an emerging power.

"We are... already worried about skirmishes with Slephen, and we don't have time to worry about a country that just appeared out of nowhere..."

The Israfail Empire was currently engaged in a dispute with the United Kingdom of Slephen, one of the Seven Dragons, across the sea. Slephen, which took over from the Great Sou Empire, has been intensifying its foreign expansion in recent years and has been dispatching fleets to the Israfail Empire's client states, causing conflicts. The territorial disputes had become a headache for the Israfean Foreign Affairs and Military bureaus, although for the time being the Israfail Empire was on the upper hand.

"Soon we won't be able to say that. In fact, we may be able to make the dispute with Slephen more favorable by allying ourselves with Japan."

"Hmph... I'm not sure."

While Abraham did not hide his dissatisfaction with the negotiations, Isaac saw the significance of joining hands with Japan. Abraham scoffed at his words.

As the carriage approached the coast, the harbor came into view. There, many citizens had gathered to catch a glimpse of the fleet of envoys from the far eastern lands. Their clothing was more modern than that of the other powers.

"I heard that the country of Japan is a country far to the east!"

"What in the world!? How big is that ship!?"

"Is that a cannon...? It's pointing right at us!"

The citizens clamored as they saw the four destroyers sitting offshore. In between them, the carriage carrying Isaac and Abraham arrived at the port. As Abraham disembarked from the carriage under the escort of naval soldiers, he saw a glimpse of Japan for the first time.

"What the...!?"

He could not hide his surprise when he saw the enormity of the fleet. Four huge vessels, each more than 200 rubes (140 meters) in length, were sitting offshore.

'...I had heard about them, but I had never imagined ships that big actually existed.'

In contrast to his speechlessness, Isaac, standing to Abraham's right, remained calm. As the head of the Intelligence Bureau, he had heard a certain amount of information about the Japanese military beforehand, albeit in bits and pieces.

Later, a small boat disembarked from the Myōkō and headed for the harbor with two envoys and three SDF officers escorting them. Then, while Israfean naval soldiers looked on, five Japanese landed on Rodpiece from the small boat that berthed in the harbor. Isaac and Abraham felt their heart rates increase as they saw the Japanese in front of them for the first time. Hasekura and Uemura approached them and introduced themselves.

"My name is Michio Hasekura, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan. This is my subordinate, Kiichi Uemura. I would like to thank you for giving us this opportunity for a working-level meeting. We are looking forward to building friendly and meaningful relations with your country."

Following Hasekura's greeting, Uemura, who was introduced by Hasekura, bowed his head. He held out his right hand for a handshake.

"...M-my name is Abraham, Deputy Director of the Israfail Empire's Foreign Affairs Bureau. I-i-it is my pleasure to meet you."

Abraham, who had been in a daze for some time, returned his right hand, revealing an unmasked agitation. Isaac butted in from beside him and introduced himself.

"I am Isaac, Director of the Intelligence Bureau. You must be tired after a long trip. Please come this way and I will take you to the venue."

Isaac ushered Hasekura and Uemura to get on the carriage. He pointed to a carriage similar to the one he and Abraham had ridden in. The five of them, including Hasekura, Uemura, and the SDF officers, proceeded to the carriage as he led the way. The Israfean people looked at the foreign delegation with curiosity and a hint of fear.

"Deputy Minister..."

Uemura, who was walking right behind Hasekura, seemed to notice something and spoke to him.

"What is it?" Hasekura asked back with his gaze fixed on the front.

"I've been wondering since we landed at the port... that flag, which is probably the national flag of this country, is that...?"

"...Flag? What about the flag?"

Hasekura turned back to Uemura and looked toward where he is pointing. Uemura pointed to the mast of the Israfean naval ship docked in the harbor, and at the top of the mast was the national flag of this country, fluttering in the wind.

"EH!?"

Hasekura exclaimed in shock. The symbol on the flag of Israfail was the very religious symbol that he was used to seeing on Earth.

'.........Menorah!?'

The "menorah," which refers to "a candlestick with seven symmetrical branches," has been adopted as the national emblem of the State of Israel, and according to the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament, it is the candlestick that God had Moses, the leader of the Exodus, make. It has been used as a liturgical tool by Jews since time immemorial, and has been the most important symbol of Jews and Judaism even older than the Star of David. Now, the same symbol is fluttering before their eyes.

"...??"

Isaac and Abraham could not help but tilt their heads in bewilderment as they watched the Japanese stopped on their way to the carriage, staring at the flag of their country with expressions of astonishment on their faces.