The meeting between Yugen, Mototsugu, and the Prime Minister continued. The agenda had turned exclusively to the domestic and international affairs of the state.
"Prime Minister, allow me to ask you directly," Yugen said. "Where do you envision the future of this nation heading? I would like to hear your true intent."
"...Regarding the wish of His Majesty the Emperor and the Emperor Emeritus for us to strive toward becoming a truly independent nation, my commitment is absolute," the Prime Minister replied. "However, the reality remains that numerous obstacles stand in our way."
Among lawmakers, there were opposition factions backed by anti-magic movements and so-called 'civic resistance groups,' compounded by communication breakdowns between politicians and the bureaucracy. In this world, the conflicting interests of the National Defense Forces and the Genroin (Elder Council) added further complexity.
Beyond national borders, the looming presence of the USNA was ever-present, alongside tensions with the Great Asian Alliance and the New Soviet Union. If foreign powers sought to expand their military footprint out of desire for maritime domain rights, counter-strategies would need to be devised.
"We have no intention of placing blame on you, Prime Minister," Yugen noted. "However, we wish to avoid a scenario where overreaching power leads to greater complications. We do not seek to gather yes-men simply to enforce a singular ideology."
They were well aware that establishing a firm national policy did not always align with the individual freedoms of thought and belief held by the citizens of Japan; so long as it did not cross into severe slander, those rights deserved protection. Yet, it was equally true that far too many individuals misunderstood the proper boundaries of those rights.
"Prime Minister," Yugen continued, "moving forward, we ask that all inquiries or petitions directed to the Master Clans Council—including the Ten Master Clans—from individual lawmakers or government agencies be funneled exclusively through the Cabinet as official requests to the Japan Magic Association."
"I have no objection to that, but may I ask the intent behind this requirement?"
"It is quite simple. While politicians are tasked with balancing competing interests, we will not tolerate a state of disorder within Parliament or government agencies. Unless our national intent is unified, we face a future of being swallowed whole by neighboring powers. You, of all people, ought to be well aware of such dark precedents."
The ultimate tragedy of that failure had been the defeat in World War II, and another total devastation of this land had to be avoided at all costs. Though unofficial in his capacity, Yugen had long steeled himself as a Japanese citizen before his duty as a military magician in the Defense Forces to wield his power to prevent such a future. Had he lacked that resolve, he would never have chosen to deploy Strategic-Class magic on foreign soil.
In a democratic state, unifying every single citizen's mind was a near-impossible task. Nevertheless, politics dictated by majority rule were expected to respond swiftly to current global realities. While a fear of the invisible force known as magic was understandable, as long as the leadership of the nation refused to openly recognize its existence, the people's anxiety would never subside.
The same held true for administrative governance. Staging rogue performances out of a desire for personal glory was unworthy of a public servant. Setting deadlines for diplomatic negotiations was one thing, but forcing corporate-style quotas onto public institutions—entities meant to operate outside the friction of market competition—was fundamentally flawed.
This request stemmed directly from the friction caused by miscommunications between the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which had previously resulted in the President of the Magic Association being hospitalized. Yugen was not demanding special treatment; he was ensuring that department heads shared information transparently and bore equal responsibility.
Furthermore, the Magic Association was set to act as the official liaison between the government and the Master Clans Council, which governed magicians outside military service. Should mediation or persuasion become necessary, those matters would be handled adaptively. In cases of critical national defense importance, communications would be routed directly to His Majesty through the Imperial Household Agency.
Naturally, the individual connections and private consultations maintained by each of the Twenty-Eight Master Families were deliberately excluded from this formal procedure.
"The USNA previously attempted to neutralize our nation's Strategic-Class magic capacity by deploying their self-proclaimed 'world's strongest' magician unit, 'Stars,' under the guise of exchange students and personnel," Yugen stated. "I engaged their operative myself and repelled them without sustaining injury."
"W-What? No such event was ever brought to my attention..." the Prime Minister stammered.
"A single misstep could have triggered an international incident capable of splintering our military alliance. Considering the possibility that the Great Asian Alliance or the New Soviet Union might seize upon such instability to launch an attack, we settled the matter behind closed doors through covert negotiations."
At the time, with Zhou Gongjin and Gu Jie still active, Yugen had deemed prolonged friction too troublesome, reaching a settlement with Colonel Virginia Balance. However, because the incident involving the National Defense Navy's Strategic-Class magic came perilously close to inciting a full-scale nuclear conflict, the USNA government was made to pay substantial reparations.
Not a single yen of those reparations reached the Japanese government treasury; the state gained nothing beyond temporary revenue derived from rights transfers associated with Nanto Island.
"I have heard whispers of that incident," Mototsugu added, turning to Yugen. "Kagurazaka-dono... do you suspect the USNA is planning another move to neutralize our Strategic-Class magicians?"
"This time, their scheme involves exiling magicians beyond Earth under the pretense of space development. If left unchecked, it carries the dangerous potential to forcibly expel anyone possessing magical aptitude from the planet entirely."
"Wh-What...? The USNA—a leading country in modern magic—would spearhead such a thing?"
"That country virtually refuses to permit the civilian application of magic," Yugen replied flatly. "To put it bluntly, given their behavior, which borders on 'magical imperialism,' there is no reason to believe they wouldn't... Precisely because they are a leading nation, they show no mercy in eliminating anything that threatens their global hegemony."
There were past instances where the USNA government—or rather, its President—had unilaterally fabricated pretexts to start wars. Given that history, the possibility of Edward Clark setting the 'Dione Project' into motion in this world was very real, and preliminary signs of that movement were already surfacing within the USNA.
"Ally or not, our alliance exists on equal terms for national security. We are not a province of the U.S.N.A. Furthermore, our current priorities leave us no spare capacity to entertain their schemes. If they wish to venture into space, that is a 'hobby' reserved for nations with excess national strength, and we have no obligation to humor them."
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Greyhounds
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"