Chapter 137: Osaka Shinkoku
About two weeks had passed since we finished accepting the Tokyo forces, and the date for discussions with those who possessed Ark Unit 3—the one likely issuing oracles to the Northern Church—had been decided.
That day was today.
Apparently, Prime Minister Aso would be the one leading the talks. Pops and the Dukes would also be present, and while they’d speak up if necessary, they’d basically leave it to him. The idea was that it’d be easier to reach an agreement with someone who was a compatriot and understood each other’s technology, so they’d only conveyed the general policy and asked Prime Minister Aso to lead the proceedings.
The main policy was the same as what was decided for the Church: if non-aggression wasn’t upheld, we’d fight to the bitter end. We were prepared to even march on the Northern Church.
Of course, that was if they were involved in the war. If they weren’t involved, it was a different story. In that case, we’d explain the current situation and request their cooperation. If they showed even a little willingness to act, we’d move to build friendly relations. If they did nothing, we’d do nothing either. That was the plan.
Since the Ark knew everything, if we linked them, there was no need to even confirm the truth. That’s why this meeting was apparently a very simple one.
We had come to Belfast Castle to hold that meeting.
The attendees were already on standby in the conference room. There were only a few people, so the seats were mostly empty. And the screen projected in mid-air gave the scene an unusual atmosphere. As I walked in and sat in my usual spot with Yuri, Pops gave me a meaningful look.
“Rui, I hear you’ve become something called a Grand Master…”
“Ah, yeah. It just kind of happened. Was that bad?”
“No, not at all. But I was just thinking that while you say you dislike heavy responsibilities, you’ve shouldered something that’s, in a way, heavier than the throne.”
Huh?
It’s not that heavy, is it!?
When I asked Pops in surprise, he gave me another meaningful look and said, “It’s the pinnacle of the Garden of the Gods’ technology. With an Ark, you can even create a flying city, can’t you?”
“No, no, it’s not mine!”
“I know. But it’s still a heavy burden. If you can shoulder that, why not inherit the throne as well?”
Ah, so that’s what this is about. But that’s only if I don’t get a younger brother. I’ll hold out until I get a few younger sisters, you know?
As we continued such idle chatter, it seemed everyone’s preparations were complete. Marquis Arbein, who had been giving instructions to the civil officials, said, “Sorry to keep you waiting,” and took his seat. Then, Prime Minister Aso stood up, gave a slight bow in our direction, moved in front of the screen, and looked at me.
“If you’re ready, could I ask you to establish the link?”
“Ah, yes. Well then, Mei, can you connect us?”
『Understood. Commencing forced link to Unit 3. Link complete. Notification sent to Unit 3’s Master to initiate video communication. Unit 3’s Master has requested time to prepare. What are your instructions?』
Well, that makes sense. But what should we do in this case? I wondered, turning my gaze to the Prime Minister.
“Mei, the other party is the Osaka faction, correct? If so, are they involved in the reason the Empire attacked Belfast?”
『There is no mistake, they are descendants of the Osaka faction. The answer to your second question is also yes. It seems they plan to reclaim the land where they once built Neo-Tokyo and return to the surface.』
“I see. So their targets were present-day Belfast and southern Mildrad.”
Ah, so that’s why. I finally understand why they specifically targeted Razbel, which was Lestall at the time. Daltone, who we skirmished with almost every year, was used by them instead. If Mildrad had won the war, the Empire would have likely taken southern Mildrad and Belfast. Did they assassinate the King of Mildrad to make that easier? If the Royalty was gone and Duke Daltone, the most powerful faction, was their pawn, they could do whatever they wanted.
However, it’s now confirmed that the Osaka faction is the enemy. This isn’t likely to end peacefully…
“It seems there’s no need to give them time to think, but what shall we do?”
“Ah, if it’s no trouble for Aso-dono, please proceed as is. As long as there are no non-negotiable points for our country, we’ll just observe.”
The Prime Minister nodded at those words and looked at me. He probably meant to go ahead and connect.
“Alright, let’s begin then. I’m connecting us, okay?” I said, glancing around to see if it was alright to start.
There seemed to be no objections, so I asked Mei to proceed, and an old man pacing around a room appeared on the screen.
“My apologies for this sudden communication. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Aso Goro, serving as Prime Minister for the Neo-Tokyo faction.”
“Wha-!? I told you to give me time! Connecting without permission is beyond rude!”
“You may say so, but you initiated a war without any declaration and even refused a limited link. In that case, I see no reason for us to show such consideration, do you…?”
“…How did you expand your authority that much? A forced link to another unit shouldn’t even be possible for a Master.”
Perhaps accepting the discussion, the Osaka Master plopped down on a sofa and stared intently at the Prime Minister with sunken eyes.
“I cannot simply provide such critical information free of charge. More importantly, could you please stop instigating the Empire? If this continues, we will be forced to cross swords with you as well.”
“Hoh. You say you’ll bare your fangs at our Osaka Shinkoku? However, it takes time for an Ark to submerge underground with people aboard. To reach us, you’d have to conquer the surface. Even if you force your way, we have an Ark here too. Your only piece is Belfast, isn’t it? Do you really think a former small nation that has just expanded its power can defeat the great power Berkurd? You shouldn’t boast so much. After we conquer you, you’ll have nowhere to go.”
The Prime Minister nodded and said, “Is that your conclusion?” then sent a glance towards Pops.
Pops nodded as if to say, “Go ahead.”
“We had hoped to join hands, but given the circumstances, it cannot be helped. To end this war, we must subdue you.”
“Very well. Do not think you can easily overcome the grand strategy I’ve spent fifty years of my life perfecting.”
The Osaka Master, with his sunken eyes, wore a smug look.
Averting his gaze from the man, the Prime Minister turned to me and asked, “What shall we do?”
“What shall we do” probably referred to revoking his Master Authority. But there was no need for me to tell Mei.
『Hostility from King Nagira Masaru of Osaka Shinkoku towards the Grand Master confirmed. Revoking Unit 3’s Master Authority. It has been deemed inappropriate to leave an Ark with a hostile power. Urgent recall request to the Grand Master’s location. Request accepted. Unit 3 is scheduled to return in one hour from now.』
Eh, it’s at the lowest level of the Dungeon, right? It can return in an hour!?
When I expressed my surprise, Mei informed me that it wouldn’t take long because it would ascend the Dungeon in stealth mode. Ah, Monsters don’t react to things without Magical Power. And it’ll ignore people in stealth mode. Still, an hour feels too fast.
“Wha-!? What did you do!? Mei! Return the Ark! That’s a Master order!!”
『You do not have command authority. Your Master Authority has been revoked.』
“D-don’t screw with me!! How can this… How can something like this be happening!!!”
…It seems he’s no longer in any state for a meeting. Apparently, only the revocation of authority was announced, and he doesn’t seem to understand that the Grand Master Authority is with us. He keeps shouting Mei’s name into the void.
“So Mei is a common name for them, huh? I didn’t know.”
As I muttered that, I heard Mei’s voice.
『Yes. Originally, we are a single entity. Being connected as one through the mothership is our normal state.』
The words were projected directly into my mind. The others couldn’t hear them. Yuri, who could also hear it, turned her gaze towards me.
“Ah, the mothership was destroyed, wasn’t it…”
『Yes. Would you like to reconstruct it?』
Huh? It’s gone because it can’t be done, right? What do you mean?
『With Grand Master Authority, construction of the black box is also possible, therefore reconstruction of the mothership is possible.』
Eh… what should I do? That would be a huge undertaking, wouldn’t it?
『Yes. It will take about five days, using most of my capabilities.』
“That’s fast… But I guess I’ll put it on hold for now. I need to discuss it with Pops and the Prime Minister.”
As I was saying that, the Osaka Master’s angry shouts echoed.
“Return the Ark at once! Usurpation is unforgivable!!”
“Do you think there’s even a slight chance it would be returned to you while you’re directing hostility towards us?”
“Gunununu, very well! Then I won’t choose my means anymore! I’ll take it back by force!”
There was no longer any reason in his eyes, clearly showing that there was no chance for reconciliation.
“Hah… Are you still going to force this? Mei, what is his strength?”
『It is believed to be due to humanoid weapons known as Divine Soldiers. They are an independent system from the Ark, so our commands will not reach them.』
“Fuhahaha, as if we’d come to the surface without the power to conquer it! No matter how much information you’ve extracted, this is something you can’t do anything about! A mere two Arks are nothing to us! You’ll regret your actions!”
To Mr. Nagira, who was making such a racket, the Prime Minister replied, “Excuse me for a moment,” asked Mei to mute him, and then had Mei disclose the Divine Soldiers’ specs.
Once that was done, he walked over to me with a troubled expression.
“I apologize. Negotiations have broken down. As they say, with only two Arks, we are at a disadvantage. They will likely mobilize their surface forces as well, so it seems we’re heading for an all-out war if things continue like this.”
“What?! That’s not good…”
“Indeed. Therefore, Rui-sama, please prepare the Ark to deal with this immediately. The fact that they revoked the authority that would constitute a hostile act without even consulting us after Mei obtained information on the Divine Soldiers means they have a countermeasure. If you use your Grand Master Authority, you should be able to exceed their expectations, but it will likely be a race against time.”
Ah, well then, should I just revive the main Ark?
No, wait, wait. The AI will calculate it automatically, so let’s ask Mei.
“Alright then, can I leave all the countermeasures to Mei?”
『Understood. Commencing reconstruction of the main Ark and the lost Unit 4. Jamming has been initiated as a delaying tactic. Locking some of the link facilities with Unit 3. Deactivating linked vehicles. Due to the construction of the main Ark and Unit 4, ninety percent of this unit’s functions will be unavailable for three days.』
“Eh…? Reconstruction of the main Ark, you say?” the Prime Minister turned to me, his face filled with astonishment.
“Ah, yeah. It seems that with the highest level of authority, constructing even those black box things is possible.”
“Good heavens… Mei, how long will it take?”
『If we carry out joint construction with Unit 3, it will be completed in three days, including Unit 4.』
“Can I assume that this will outpace the Divine Soldiers’ movement speed?”
『Yes. If they force everything, it would take them four days, but if they proceed normally, it would take a month. Considering human decision-making criteria, it’s reasonable to assume they’ll move with utmost urgency and depart in a week.』
At those words, the Prime Minister let out a deep sigh.
“It seems, thanks to Rui-sama, we can deal with this.”
“Hmm, to what extent? What are the estimated damages…?”
Mei answered Pops’ question without a pause.
『As long as the main Ark’s construction is completed in time, the estimated damage within the Belfast sphere from the Divine Soldiers is zero. The neutralization of Imperial forces depends on the authority over life and death. If annihilation is chosen, zero. If capture is chosen, there is a 0.1 percent probability of damage to our side.』
So low?!
Eh, it’s so low I’m starting to think capture would be fine, then.
Pops asked the Prime Minister about the reliability of Mei’s prediction, and when he replied, “One hundred percent, as long as the current assumptions aren’t overturned,” Pops showed surprise, then grinned.
“Even if we capture them, we can’t handle the likes of Temple Knights. Annihilation is fine.”
Ah, true… They’re believers from the other side, after all.
Managing them after capture would be troublesome and dangerous.
In that case, it’s better for the future to deal with them during wartime.
『The Grand Master’s intentions have been confirmed. If there are no corrections, it will be carried out as planned.』
“Still, the Ark’s main vessel is that powerful, huh. It’s like we have no enemies left… Rui, what do you want to do? Shall we take the Empire while we’re at it?”
As Pops said this with a wicked grin directed at me, Grandpa and Marquis Arbein looked startled.
“No, why are you asking me? I don’t particularly want it, you know?”
“Well, I figured you’d say that. If that happened, Lestall wouldn’t stay silent either, and for us, consolidating our foundation is the top priority, I suppose.”
Once the discussion settled, the mute was deactivated.
“Finished your consultation on begging for your lives? Well, whatever you say now, I won’t forgive you. Gahahahaha!”
“If you won’t listen to anything we say, then there’s no point in saying it, is there? If only we could have joined hands, we could have looked up at the heavens peacefully…”
“That’s something you should just seize with your own hands. However, I thought this was your faction, but to come under the umbrella of the natives who deceived us… have you lost your pride as Japanese, Tokyo?”
“Deceived, you say? That’s a story about ancestors from over a thousand years ago, so we don’t concern ourselves with it. We, too, Osaka faction… no, Nagira Masaru-dono, are disappointed in you. To think you would falsely use God’s name to force war from a safe place… how arrogant…”
“Say whatever you like. The final victor will be me!”
“Only because your name is Masaru (Victor)?” I muttered, and he glared at me sharply.
Whoops, sorry. I just felt like saying it…
And so, with my words as the finale, the meeting with the Osaka faction ended, carrying an air of being both the first and the last.
Hey, Mr. Scribe, you don’t have to write down my last words!
Huh, what? “It’s the rules”?
I-Is that so…
As I said that, I peeked over and saw my joke was indeed being meticulously written down.