Chapter 47: That’s Destruction of Property!
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Satsuki. About the liberation of Hawaii, we’re grateful for it on our end as well. So, how about we discuss the details for a bit?”
“Discuss the details?”
“That’s right. For example, whether you’ll liberate only Hawaii, or if you’ll liberate the nearby waters including Hawaii—those are the kinds of things I’d like to discuss.”
“Ah, right, right. I see. So that’s what this is about.”
Kazuma understood only that America was thinking of something underhanded.
That said, he wasn’t about to refuse now.
In the first place, it was Kazuma’s proposal, and it was also to repay his debt to Stephen.
Even if he were conveniently used, as long as there was no disadvantage to Kazuma, it wouldn’t be a major problem.
Kazuma was Japanese, but that didn’t mean he would work for Japan’s sake in every single matter.
“Did I offend you?”
“Not really. I don’t care what America is thinking. But I’ll brush off any sparks that fall on me, I will.”
“OK. Understood. About the Hawaii liberation, the President actually said he wants to meet you. Would it be alright if he participates in the discussion?”
“Seriously? The President is coming?”
“Yeah. Of course, you don’t need to worry just because he’s the President. The Crimson Knight is a super VIP, after all.”
“You’re really buttering me up. It doesn’t feel bad, but it makes me suspiciously wonder if you’re plotting something.”
“Hahahaha. Isn’t it only natural to curry favor with the god-like Crimson Knight?”
“I’m not into religion, though. Well, whatever. It’s no problem even if the President is there. When can we talk?”
“Normally, we’d have to consider the time difference, but that probably doesn’t matter for Mr. Satsuki. We’ll adjust to your schedule.”
“In that case, how about right now? I have tomorrow off, so staying up late won’t be an issue.”
Stephen was currently on vacation, but he couldn’t refuse a request from Kazuma.
That said, since it was originally stated to be an urgent matter, Stephen had already considered giving up his vacation, so there was no particular problem with meeting now.
“OK. I’ll contact the President, so I’d like you to come to my location in 10 minutes.”
“Got it. I’ll head over there in 10 minutes.”
After that, Kazuma straightened his clothes and then, exactly 10 minutes later, teleported to America.
Kazuma, who had teleported to a building he had visited several times before, informed Stephen of his arrival, received the address of the meeting place, and then moved.
“Just Stephen?”
Only Stephen was at the meeting place; no one else was there.
Kazuma, who had thought Alicia would usually be around, looked puzzled.
“Yeah. Right now, O-hime-sama is busy dealing with a large Ibinom that appeared on the coast. King is in pursuit of an escaped convict.”
“I see. So those two aren’t here.”
“Well, I’ll tell them about the Hawaii liberation later, so you’ll meet them again soon enough.”
“That’s true.”
It was unfortunate that he couldn’t meet King and Alicia, but Kazuma, who possessed Teleportation Magic, could meet them anytime.
Besides, if he liberated Hawaii, there was a nine out of ten chance those two would come for a vacation.
In that case, there was no need to feel lonely about not meeting them now.
“Alright then, shall we go?”
“Where are we going?”
“We’re meeting the President. The destination is already decided, isn’t it?”
“The White House! That’s something to look forward to!”
The White House. The official residence where the President of the United States conducts his duties.
Even ordinary people would have heard of it and likely seen it.
Before the Ibinom appeared, tours allowing visitors to see the grounds’ gardens were held, making it a standard tourist spot.
However, very few would have entered the interior.
Indeed, there probably weren’t any ordinary Japanese people who had.
Kazuma, a self-proclaimed ordinary person, was able to set foot in such a place.
It was no wonder his excitement was rising.
“…Wouldn’t it be faster if I flew?”
“Well, yes, that’s true, but… If the Crimson Knight flew to the White House, it would become a diplomatic issue, wouldn’t it?”
“Muu… That might be so, but…”
“Well, it’s just a little patience. We’ll arrive soon, so please relax until then.”
Kazuma, receiving VIP treatment, got into the limousine Stephen had prepared and sipped the juice that was provided.
“Could it be, you had this imported from Japan?”
“Of course. When it comes to what suits Mr. Satsuki’s palate, it has to be Japanese-made, right?”
“You really didn’t have to go to such trouble… But thanks.”
While enjoying Japanese snacks and juice, Kazuma and Stephen got very excited talking about Japanese tea sweets on the way to the White House.
While they were doing so, they arrived at their destination, so the two cut their conversation short and got out of the limousine.
“Oooh, so this is the White House!”
“That’s right. The top of America is here.”
“The top of America! A person I definitely wouldn’t have met in the old days…”
“Don’t tell me you’re nervous?”
“Nn-yah, not at all. I met the last King-sama of humanity and the Demon Lord in the other world, so I don’t feel anything special.”
“Your basis for comparison is strange… Well, it’s true that if you’ve met the last King-sama of humanity or a Demon Lord, a President doesn’t really compare…”
The President of the United States was certainly a great existence, but compared to the last King-sama of humanity and the Demon Lord, it wasn’t strange for him to seem small.
However, it wasn’t a matter of one being greater than the other at all.
Because there was no doubt that both were great and noble existences.
“Well, the President is waiting. Shall we go inside?”
“Excuse me for intruding~”
With a relaxed voice, Kazuma followed Stephen and stepped into the White House.
Entering the White House for the first time, Kazuma’s excitement rose, and as he was looking around, craning his neck, they arrived at the room where the President was waiting before he knew it.
“That was pretty quick…”
“We came straight here. Well then, shall we have the long-awaited meeting?”
Beyond the opened door, the President, beaming with a wide smile, was waiting with open arms.
“Hey there! Nice to meet you, Crimson Knight! Or should I call you Mr. Satsuki?”
Ushered inside, Kazuma was first hugged tightly by the President as a sign of welcome, and when they separated, he was offered a handshake.
“I’ve come to discuss the matter of Hawaii’s liberation today. It’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time. I am Satsuki Kazuma, also known as the Crimson Knight. You can call me whatever you like.”
“Hahaha, you’re very Japanese, aren’t you? Very polite and serious. It’s truly a shame you’re not American.”
Muttering how he wished the Crimson Knight were an American Gifted, the President had Kazuma sit on the sofa.
“Well then, now that introductions are out of the way, shall we get straight to the main topic?”
The President received documents regarding the Hawaii liberation from Stephen, checked their contents, and then handed them to Kazuma.
“Regarding the liberation of Hawaii, I’d be pleased if you could generally proceed as written there.”
“Then, if you’ll excuse me.”
Kazuma began to read the documents he received.
At first, it was written in English, but a Japanese translation was in the latter half, so Kazuma checked the documents and got a rough grasp of the contents.
“Liberate Hawaii and its nearby waters, and secure a safe sea route to America, is it?”
“Mhm. King can manage the air routes, but the sea routes are pretty much a lost cause for Gifted. If possible, I’d like you to secure a safe sea route to Hawaii.”
“Regarding the liberation of Hawaii, I’ll do it, including as an apology to Stephen, but securing the sea route to Hawaii is something I can’t decide on my own. May I take these documents back with me for now?”
(Hmm. So that much is impossible, I see. I heard he was quite a good-natured person, but it seems he’s not that naive. Since he’s working with the government, there must be someone giving him advice.)
The President, who had heard about Kazuma’s personality from Stephen, decided to back down gracefully.
He had heard Kazuma was good-natured, but it was enough to learn that he wasn’t that convenient a person.
However, to be honest, he wished Kazuma were a bit more of a pushover.
Nevertheless, since Kazuma was liberating Hawaii, its surrounding islands, and the nearby waters free of charge, asking for more would be too much.
“I see! Just having Hawaii liberated is something to be grateful for! What about personnel? Do you need any?”
“Let’s see. Could you perhaps dispatch people from the construction and telecommunications industries, and also… hotel staff?”
“Ah. I heard from Stephen. Something about wanting to use Hawaii for an orientation to deepen friendships.”
“Yes. So, how about it?”
“No problem at all. The revival of Hawaii is something the people of the whole world desire. Let’s invest as much as needed!”
“Your generosity is a great help.”
“Hahahahaha! Nonsense, that’s a small price to pay.”
When you actually consider the cost of retaking Hawaii, it’s incredibly cheap.
Never mind personnel costs; safety was practically guaranteed, so for America, it would only take money and time for reconstruction, with no hardship involved.
In that case, the cost of dispatching the personnel Kazuma wanted could easily be covered by the President’s pocket money. Realizing that, he couldn’t help but laugh.
“Right then, I’ll go make short work of this.”
As he said that, Kazuma stood up, snapped his fingers, and destroyed all nearby electronic devices.
“Please refrain from any eavesdropping or unauthorized recording, alright?”
“…I’ll be sure to remember that.”
The listening devices and hidden cameras that had been planted just in case were all destroyed by Kazuma’s magic.
Moreover, they were all state-of-the-art, extremely small, and incredibly thin—not something a person could possibly detect.
The President couldn’t stop his cold sweat at Kazuma, who had seen through them with utter ease and destroyed all the listening devices and hidden cameras concealed in the room in an instant.
“Wait. Mr. Satsuki.”
“What is it, Stephen? Don’t tell me you’re going to ask me to pay for them?”
“No, that’s not it. Going to retake Hawaii is fine, but have you forgotten about the time difference?”
“…Was it five hours?”
“The time difference between Hawaii and Japan is 19 hours. Japan’s time is ahead, so if you go now, it’ll be the middle of the night there.”
“…Maybe I’ll do a little sightseeing in America before I go!”
Hearing those words, the President judged that while Kazuma was indeed a threat, his intelligence didn’t seem particularly high, so he might actually be easy to handle.