Nihonkoku Shoukan: Beyond

Chapter 13: Diplomacy (2)

Esthirant, Third Foreign Affairs Department

15th December 1639 CCY

The introduction video about Japan just ended. Kaios and his secretary, Raita, just got to see a glimpse of a very modern country, not out of place at all if you say this is from the 1st Civilization Zone. It's beautiful, rival that... no scratch that, it's even more beautiful than Runepolis, which even Kaios only has visited twice in his life. The history of Japan is also included in the video. It's clear that Japan has many bloody pages in her journal. And the technology from Japan is just... out of this world.

"That certainly is informative." – Kaios

The Japanese are sipping the coffee brewed by Raita. Coffee is a very big part of the high-class society in Parpaldia. Ever since they made contact with the Muans, they were introduced to coffee, a very stable drink in Mu. The emperor, in fact, is a coffee lover. This then spread throughout society. But since Parpaldia has yet to be able to grow their own coffee crop, they have to buy coffee at a higher price, making it something only higher-class citizens and nobles can enjoy. The very best coffee beans are grown in the region of Arue, where the temperature and volcanic soil condition is just right, creating a perfect flavor. Being served coffee means you are respected or feared.

Fear... in this context may fit better than respect. The arsenal that was shown in the video was... fearsome. And the fleet with numerous warships... to think that Japan can mobilize a fleet much more numerous with the same vessels as the ten anchored out there. This kind of destruction... unthinkable. Other than just showing them, the Japanese have shown combat footage in Louria. Huge greenish golems travel at unthinkable speed alongside steel elephants, their magic cannons, and guns, or so he thinks, dish out an unimaginable amount of firepower. Their silver aircraft fly at a speed faster than sound, sending magic light arrows toward the helpless wyverns below. Their warships... the terrible firepower crush the helpless Louria fleet like ants.

Kaios knows about the blunders in Rodenius that the National Strategy Bureau caused for the empire, but he did not know the exact details. Now he certainly knows them well. Weapons of mass destruction like wave motion guns and nuclear-tipped missiles, however, are not disclosed to the director. The video also skips a large part of the galactic war to keep secret of the JCN while allowing the viewing of Japan going into space.

"Thank you, director. And, if you want, we have an invitation for personnel from the Foreign Affairs Department to come to Japan. We have to know each other before we can become friends, right? Oh, Ms. Raita, the coffee you brewed is very delicious, we're very appreciative of that." – Saburo

"Yes, this tastes way better than that instant coffee." – Otto

"Thank you, gentlemen. I am a bit curious; may I ask what instant coffee is?" – Raita

Director Kaios is also quite interested. If coffee is also a stable drink in their country, then maybe they are really provided with aid from the Muan. Then, what would the Muans want from a land so far away? Then... the whole videos from before could only be fake...

"Oh, instant coffee is a type of coffee that you can prepare by just pouring hot water over it. I don't know the exact details, but they could be dehydrated into a powder form by freeze-drying. I actually have some with me here in case somewhere I go doesn't have coffee. But I can share them with you since I can just get newer ones from the ship." – Saburo

The diplomat takes out some small box containing packages of coffee from his briefcase. It is called G7 instant coffee, and is made by an unknown brand called "Trung Nguyen". The director and Raita hold the packages in their hands and look at them.