ASAHI NO NISHISEI - Rising Sun Goes West (2)

The Apostle of God and the Japanese Government

June 30

Prime Minister's Office, Tokyo, Japan

A woman claiming to be an Apostle of God appeared in Rumoi City, Hokkaido, and is secretly escorted to Tokyo under the protection of the Public Security Police. In a small meeting room of the Prime Minister's Office, Prime Minister Inaha and six other cabinet members are summoned. Their eyes were focused on Geral, who was sitting at one end of the table facing Inaha.

"Well then... the Farthest Witch-san, can you tell us why you came to this country with your ghost ship?"

Inaha asked Geral the reason for her visit to Japan. She sipped from a cup of warm water placed in front of her and began to speak slowly.

"Soon... a disaster will strike this country again. I have come to tell you about that."

"...Disaster? ...Again!?"

Inaha looked doubtful. When they heard the word "disaster," they all thought of the Elmerand Incident. Geral continued to speak to the ministers, who were all anxious about the possibility of a disaster of the same scale as that incident.

"The trigger that will open the door between the world you are in now and a different world is about to approach this planet after fifteen years. The gods intend to seize this opportunity to 'restore' this world."

"Restore...? What is it that is being restored?"

Restoration means to return something damaged or changed to its original state. Inaha questioned the true meaning of the word.

"Their goal is to return this very country... this Japan, to its original location, and to restore the world of Terralus to its normal state."

"!?"

Geral announced that Japan will be returned back to Earth. The cabinet members were all shocked.

"How can that be...!? We've been here for almost fifteen years, we've expanded our sphere of influence around the world, and we've finally managed to rebuild our economy, and now we're being told to return to Earth!?" Foreign Minister Kurusu demanded Geral in exasperation.

The other ministers felt the same way. Although Japan's economy was on the verge of collapse when it first arrived in this world, and it was even said that the nation was on the verge of extinction, it has been 15 years since the nation left Earth. The Japanese government has been steadily gathering the necessary resources to survive in the new world, including resource extraction rights, and the construction of huge farms, concessions, and leased land in frontier areas and ceded lands, and the Japanese economy is already moving forward as if it will spend eternity in this world. To tell Japan to return to Earth now would be tantamount to asking Japan to abandon all of its interests and territories gained in this world and return to the state it was in immediately after moving to Terralus. It was something they could never accept.

"We have already settled to live in this world... We can't accept being told to return now!"

"No matter what your intention is... this is already set in stone. In about six months, Japan will be returned back to planet Earth."

"But—!"

Geral coldly refuted Inaha's futile protests. However, anticipating the Japanese's reaction, she offered one condition.

"It's not all bad news... If you agree, I will at least give you something good in return."

"Something good...?"

Geral sipped the cup again. After taking a breath, she began to explain.

"You are analyzing the Fusō, aren't you? The ship is designed for prolonged cruises in outer space, so it is designed to be able to complete most of its supply and logistics on its own. This is also true for repairing the ship. Therefore, its computer has the ship's blueprints, blueprints that cover the main and auxiliary engines and other parts that should normally be kept out of the public domain, including the manufacturing methods for special alloys and parts. You noticed this and quickly tried to analyze them, but of course, there are restrictions on viewing them, so you are stuck without any way to break through the security system... Am I wrong?"