Chapter 50: Momoko-chan, It’s Your Turn!
Having successfully liberated Hawaii, Kazuma reported it to Stephen.
“Stephen. I’ve liberated Hawaii~”
“Should I be surprised, or should I praise you?”
“Do both!”
“Okay. I’ll confirm with satellite cameras now.”
“Roger~”
As declared, Kazuma had turned the area where the ruins once stood into vacant land. From the sky, patches of green were visible here and there, and the satellite camera showed completely white expanses, like bald mountains.
Stephen, confirming this on a large tablet, felt as if he were dreaming, but it also made him recognize anew that this was the true power of the Crimson Knight.
“Confirmation complete. The President is pleased too.”
“That’s great! So, while I’m at it, tell me the best beach in Hawaii!”
“Hmm… They’re all beautiful, but the classic choice would be Waikiki, I suppose. Shall I send you the exact location on a map?”
“Please! Also, send over people from the construction and communications industries, and Ibinom researchers. I’ll call some acquaintances too!”
“Acquaintances? From Japan?”
“Yeah. There are some reliable people I know, and I want them to help with the reconstruction!”
“Hold on a moment. I’ll talk to the President.”
“Thanks!”
And so, Stephen relayed this to the President.
The President had wanted to handle Hawaii’s reconstruction entirely with American personnel, but he couldn’t refuse a request from Kazuma, the Crimson Knight, and decided to accept it readily.
More importantly, he judged that given Kazuma’s personality, he wouldn’t make a fuss about concessions or anything of the sort.
“Mr. Satsuki. I’ve received permission from the President. It’s alright to call your personal acquaintances from Japan, correct?”
“That’s right. They’re fun and dependable people!”
“Understood. In that case, there’s no problem. We’ll arrange for our people immediately as well.”
“Let me know when you’re ready. I’ll come pick them up right away with Teleportation.”
“Okay.”
The reconstruction work for Hawaii proceeded at a rapid pace.
Kazuma, forgetting about the time difference, contacted Kurashige Industries.
The phone rang loudly in the early morning, waking Kurashige Shozo, who wondered what was happening. When he answered, an energetic Kazuma told him about the Hawaii reconstruction.
“Hello, Shozo-san! Are you awake?”
“I just woke up…”
“Sorry to call so early in the morning. Actually, I have a personal favor to ask. I want you to help with the reconstruction of Hawaii! Think you can bring all your employees, including the researchers?”
“If it’s a request from you, Kazuma-kun, everyone will gladly consent. Though, since it’s early morning, they might be sleeping right now…”
“The Americans are probably still preparing, so I think there’s still time, but I’d appreciate it if you could hurry, if possible.”
“Understood. I’ll contact the employees.”
If it was a request from Kazuma, Shozo would agree even if the government opposed it.
He thought about emailing Momoko just in case, but Shozo contacted his employees first, informing them about the Hawaii reconstruction.
It was only after all preparations were complete and Kazuma had teleported the employees to Hawaii that he finally contacted Momoko.
Momoko, unaware that Hawaii had been liberated while she slept soundly, woke up. While eating breakfast, she opened her laptop and checked her emails.
Then, she read an email from Shozo stating that he was going to help with the reconstruction of Hawaii. The coffee she was drinking went down the wrong pipe, and she choked spectacularly, some of it even coming out her nose.
“Does Prime Minister Saito know about this…?”
Momoko had, as a matter of course, informed Ema that Kazuma would be liberating Hawaii.
Ema was aware of the liberation of Hawaii, but he had not approved the use of Kurashige Industries for the reconstruction efforts.
If they were to use Kurashige Industries, a Japanese company with government ties, they would first need to obtain government permission.
This was especially true if it involved the reconstruction of Hawaii, which had diplomatic implications.
Momoko, plagued by a headache, let out a small groan as she sent the details of the matter to Ema.
“Ugh!!! My stomach!!!”
Upon receiving Momoko’s email, Ema learned that Kazuma was unilaterally using Kurashige Industries to help with Hawaii’s reconstruction and was struck by a violent stomach ache.
He had known about the liberation of Hawaii, but he hadn’t heard anything about using a Japanese company for the reconstruction.
However, it was something he probably could have predicted.
Given Kazuma’s personality, it was easy to imagine him assigning the reliable Kurashige Industries to the reconstruction of Hawaii.
He could even imagine Kazuma building a secret base there as well.
“Shall I call Kazuma-kun? He can cure any injury or illness, you know?”
Tsukimi, his secretary, said, taking out her phone and showing concern for Ema. However, since Kazuma was the cause, it could only be described as a self-staged farce. A terribly comical state of affairs.
Ema wanted to dismiss it as a joke, but the situation was far from funny, so he ordered Tsukimi to call Kazuma.
“Sorry, but could you? My stomach really hurts so much I feel like I’m going to die…”
All color had drained from Ema’s face, leaving it pale.
Worried that he might actually die at this rate, Tsukimi called Kazuma.
“Yes, hello?”
“Hello, Kazuma-kun. Right now, the Prime Minister is suffering from a stomach ache, so could you please return here for a moment?”
“Seriously?! Is Ema-san okay?”
Kazuma appeared before Ema in an instant using Teleportation Magic.
He approached Ema, who was crouched over, and cured his stomach ache with Recovery Magic.
“Ah, thank you… You really saved me.”
“Glad to hear it!”
Kazuma was smiling, but he was the cause of the problem.
He had no ill intent whatsoever, so he couldn’t be blamed.
However, there were things Ema needed to say now, so he began to talk to Kazuma about the Hawaii reconstruction.
“I heard from Shinonome-kun that you’re using Kurashige Industries to help with the reconstruction of Hawaii, is that right?”
“Yeah, that’s right. They’re people I can trust.”
“(…I really want to yell at him, but he did say this time it was to repay a debt to a friend. I’ll keep it to a small lecture.)”
If Kazuma alone were working for America, Ema would have had no complaints, but unilaterally involving a Japanese company was not acceptable.
However, Kazuma himself probably didn’t understand much about that aspect.
That being said, Ema couldn’t just overlook it.
Kazuma wasn’t a child who couldn’t understand, so Ema chose his words carefully as he lectured him.
“Kazuma-kun. You said you were liberating Hawaii for personal reasons this time, didn’t you?”
“That’s right. I owed Stephen a favor.”
“That much is fine. But the reconstruction of Hawaii is a different matter, isn’t it?”
“It’s for the training camp! If we leave Hawaii’s reconstruction to the Americans now, we won’t make it in time.”
“Yes. I understand that. With Kurashige Industries and you, Hawaii’s reconstruction will likely be swift. However, Kurashige Industries is a Japanese company and is under government management. You’re not saying you don’t understand what that means, are you?”
“…Yeah.”
Perhaps Kazuma finally understood Ema’s words, as his demeanor was more subdued than before, and his eyebrows drooped like a scolded boy’s.
“I’m glad you understand.”
“Should I stop it now?”
“No, you want to use Hawaii for the training camp, right? Then, you can continue as is. However, I want the official record to show that Japan also cooperated in the reconstruction of Hawaii.”
“What should I do?”
“There used to be a Japanese town in Hawaii. If you mention that, they’ll understand.”
“I see! Got it!”
“Good. Then, can I count on you?”
“Alright! Leave it to me!”
“Just in case, you should take Shinonome-kun with you. She’s the perfect person for these kinds of negotiations.”
“Roger!”
Kazuma, skillfully talked around by Ema, called Momoko and then teleported away.
In the office, Ema, now fully recovered thanks to Kazuma, leaned back deeply into his chair with a satisfied look and drank the tea Tsukimi had prepared.
“You look somewhat dissatisfied.”
“Well, seeing you skillfully manipulate an innocent boy with smooth talk like that… I certainly have my thoughts.”
“Hahahaha, an honest opinion. But in my assessment, Kazuma-kun isn’t that naive. He probably saw through my intentions.”
“He didn’t seem like it to me, though?”
“I guided him in a way that would benefit our national interests, but I think he went along with it, partly as a sign of remorse.”
“So, you mean he agreed, knowing full well he was being used?”
“Probably. As long as it’s not too inconvenient for him, it’s likely not an issue. He has a strong sense of duty and compassion, so if you appeal to that, he probably wouldn’t complain even about unpaid labor.”
“He’s a good person, but he has a rather disadvantageous personality, doesn’t he?”
“That’s not necessarily the case. If you do favors, they tend to come back around.”
In reality, Kazuma often worked without compensation.
The liberation of Okinawa was also unpaid. There was no such thing as a temporary bonus.
Kazuma worked for a fixed monthly salary, and on top of that, he would sometimes act out of a well-intentioned but troublesome kindness.
Certainly, there were aspects that caused him headaches and stress, but overall, it was a net positive, so Ema was also grateful.
However, that being said, he still felt some dissatisfaction, wishing they would be a little more considerate of his situation.
◇◇◇◇
Kazuma, who had Teleported to Momoko’s room, was being treated to breakfast.
“Thanks, Momoko-chan! I can feel the love!”
“Yes, yes. You’re exaggerating. I just toasted some bread and put a fried egg on top.”
“Doing this, it’s like we’re newlyweds!”
“If anything, it looks more like an older sister taking care of her troublesome younger brother.”
“That’s such a perfectly fitting description I’m speechless…”
Momoko was dealing with Kazuma, who had been noisy since morning.
Sitting across from Kazuma, Momoko worked on her laptop and asked him what he had come for.
“Come to think of it, what business brings you here today?”
“Let’s go to America together! I want you to negotiate with America regarding the reconstruction of Hawaii, Momoko-chan!”
“…”
“W-What’s wrong? You look completely dumbfounded.”
“I-I’m just surprised that, for the first time, you’ve brought me a job where I can actually make use of my abilities.”
“And until now?”
“I was feeling stifled by nothing but incredibly tedious administrative paperwork.”
“Sorry. When it’s you, Momoko-chan, I just tend to rely on you too much.”
(Hearing that doesn’t make me feel bad, but… if I say so to his face, he’s likely to get carried away, so I’ll just keep quiet.)
Momoko’s mood improved just a little.
Kazuma sensed that Momoko’s mood had slightly improved, but not understanding why, he could only gaze at her curiously.