Master Smith Under Ministry of National Defense

Master Smith Under Ministry of National Defense

116 – How to Annoy Koreans

‘Is it really possible?’

Ishida panicked.

Normally, if someone had made such a proposal to him, he would have dismissed it as nonsense. However, the person speaking before him now was not just anyone but Cha Myung-jun, the representative of the Liberal Clan.

A massive battleship that paralyzes people’s thinking from the moment they approach.

And on that deck, a 20-meter “combat-ready” giant robot.

And now, the room he was sitting in, reminiscent of the interior of a space battleship.

Having pieced together all these puzzles, Prime Minister Ishida could only conclude that Myung-jun’s words were not mere empty promises.

While the Japanese government claimed it was extremely safe, the reality was the severely contaminated Fukushima area.

If they could completely decontaminate that area, one of Japan’s most important breadbasket regions, Ishida was confident he could convince the Japanese people and parliament, no matter what price he had to pay as a concession to the Liberal Clan.

With a trembling voice, Prime Minister Ishida asked Myung-jun.

“Could you explain what decontamination entails?”

“If you’re thinking of decontamination as converting the melted-down nuclear materials from the exploded No. 1 reactor underground into non-radioactive substances and thoroughly removing all radioactive materials from the contaminated area and nearby areas, then you understand correctly.”

“…Could you state your conditions?”

Ishida’s mind had completely tilted towards accepting whatever conditions the Liberal Clan demanded.

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After the meeting with Ishida, Myung-jun proceeded to negotiate with the remaining countries, ultimately choosing Japan as the location for the headquarters of the Liberal Clan.

Of course, there were countries that opposed Myung-jun’s decision, but their dissatisfaction quickly dissipated as soon as the conditions presented by the Japanese government to the Liberal Clan were revealed.

The conditions proposed by the Japanese government were absurdly favorable to the Liberal Clan, to the point where it was suspected what kind of madness had led to such an insane proposal.

Within those proposals was even the exclusive management and exploitation rights of all gates that occurred within Japanese territory.

Prime Minister Ishida announced the reorganization of the Dungeon Bureau, which had previously overseen the operation and management of gates and Awakeners within Japan, into a special agency under the jurisdiction of the Liberal Clan, placing all Awakeners within Japan under the authority of the Liberal Clan.

The significance contained therein was tantamount to handing over both the ‘gate industry,’ which was currently the most promising future industry, and the ‘Awakener business’, to the hands of the Liberal Clan, away from the Japanese government.

However, the ‘radical proposal’ presented by the Japanese government to the Liberal Clan did not end there.

“The Japanese government will recognize Osaka, Nagoya, and the areas north of Biwako adjacent to Kyoto as autonomous regions of the Liberal Clan. We will grant independent judicial and diplomatic powers.”

“Furthermore, the Liberal Clan will receive unlimited financial support for all resources necessary for constructing infrastructure in those regions, such as steel and concrete.”

“In addition, the leader of the Liberal Clan will have the right to refuse any new laws or ordinances imposed by Japan that apply to those autonomous regions.”

“These autonomous regions will have completely independent authority from the mainland, similar to when Britain ruled Hong Kong in the past…”

“For the next five years, an annual construction support fund of 20 trillion yen will be provided to the Liberal Clan and its partner companies.”

Prime Minister Ishida’s explanation, which had been going on for almost 20 minutes, became increasingly incomprehensible as it continued.

It wasn’t just about “giving away,” but actively providing all the authority and support necessary for the Liberal Clan to monopolize the Awakener business across Japan. That was the condition proposed by the Japanese government.

Listening to Prime Minister Ishida’s announcement, which was literally filled with conditions overwhelmingly favorable to the Liberal Clan, the leaders of other countries couldn’t help but think to themselves.

Even if the conditions proposed by the Liberal Clan seemed tempting, no one hoped for negotiations resembling slave contracts with such terms.

Prime Minister Ishida’s conditions presented to the Liberal Clan were filled with content that he alone could never decide, even if he interpreted the authority granted to him by the parliament as favorably as possible.

‘He will probably be impeached as soon as he returns to the country.’

‘He’s definitely crossed the line this time.’

‘The conditions are absolutely unacceptable to the Japanese people, so this bidding will be invalidated. We must win the next bid at all costs.’

As everyone was unfolding their own thoughts and plans in their minds, Prime Minister Ishida’s verbose explanation came to an end.

Then, Myung-jun stepped up to the podium and spoke.

If they were to end the announcement like this, Prime Minister Ishida would be in danger of being lynched by enraged Japanese citizens as soon as he arrived in Japan.

Myung-jun hoped that a favorable public opinion would be formed within Japan at least until he arrived there.

“Most of you here probably think like this. Compared to what we receive, the conditions presented by the Japanese government to the Liberal Clan may seem excessively favorable. But this contract is by no means a unilateral loss for the Japanese government. Let me explain the reasons why.”

As Myung-jun began his explanation, the expressions of the national leaders present began to change in real-time.

Myung-jun’s radical plan for the country that would become the new home of the Liberal Clan.

The benefits included in it were so enormous that all the conditions promised by the Japanese government so far felt ridiculously cheap.

Even excluding the complete cleanup of the Fukushima area promised by Myung-jun to Prime Minister Ishida, the conditions had absurdly high value.

“First of all, we plan to construct the world’s largest defensive city in the area transferred from the Japanese government to us. This new city, built with the world’s best materials and technology, will feature various training facilities and specialized equipment production facilities where Awakeners from around the world can significantly enhance their abilities, as well as academy facilities where young and promising Awakeners from around the world will be gathered to grow.”

As soon as Myung-jun finished speaking, a gigantic hologram screen appeared behind him.

There, vividly reproduced as if seen with real eyes, was the perfect future city drawn by Myung-jun and Seo.

“To the north of the city, facing the sea in the first district, there will be production facilities capable of annually producing up to 500 billion barrels of e-Fuel using the world’s largest crystal reactor powered by the energy from the crystalline stones.”

The e-Fuel mentioned by Myung-jun was a type of synthetic fuel made by capturing carbon from the air and combining it with hydrogen, which could replace traditional fossil fuels. Originally, e-Fuel had a high production cost as it had to be made using sustainable energy sources such as wind or solar power, but Myung-jun planned to produce it using energy extracted from crystalline stones, and in quantities equivalent to almost half of the world’s total oil consumption.

“Some of the produced e-Fuel will be used by the Liberal Clan, while the rest will be provided to the Japanese government to completely replace its demand for fossil fuels within Japan and for export abroad.”

A “city-sized facility” that could turn a country that doesn’t produce a drop of oil into the world’s largest fuel producer.

Myung-jun was stating that he would provide most of the fuel produced by that facility to the Japanese government.

“To the west of the city, near the lake in the second district, there will be accommodations and facilities for Awakeners who come to the city for specialized equipment produced by the Liberal Clan, as well as for tourists who come to see the world’s most outstanding future city.”

In the second district presented by Myung-jun, there were facilities such as casinos where bets could be placed using different forms of currency instead of traditional currency, colosseums where civilians could safely watch confrontations between Awakeners, and auction houses where used equipment and rare materials were treated as main products.

“To the east, the third district will house equipment manufacturing facilities. Equipment manufactured at these facilities by the Liberal Clan will be exported worldwide with the independent authority held by the Liberal Clan, without the need for approval from the Japanese government. To the south, near Kyoto and Osaka, the fourth district will feature ordinary residential facilities. Unlike the second district for visitors and tourists, the fourth district to the south will be a space for residents of the new city to live, which will be constructed by the Liberal Clan.”

After explaining the four zones of the city that would become the new home, Myung-jun introduced the massive facility in the center of the city.

In the center, a building resembling a colossal castle with a giant spire at its center was displayed on the screen behind Myung-jun.

“The area in the center of the city is the Academy Area. There, our Liberal Clan will accept candidates sent by governments from various countries to foster the world’s strongest Awakeners.”

As soon as Myung-jun finished his explanation, a flurry of questions began pouring in.

What qualifications would applicants need to enter the academy? Would Awakeners who completed their training be sent back to their home countries? How would the annual admissions quotas for each country be determined?

Looking at the representatives of various countries throwing questions like eager children, Myung-jun began answering calmly.

The admissions quotas for each country would be determined by the Liberal Clan at its discretion, with 40% based on government recommendations, 30% based on private clan recommendations, and the remaining 30% recruited annually through public auditions.

Myung-jun also explained that anyone with exceptional talent, not just Awakeners, could apply to the academy. Students admitted to the academy would be able to grow safely and rapidly under the guidance of Awakeners affiliated with the world’s top-ranked awakened clan, the Liberal Clan.

And those admitted through recommendations from countries or private clans would be sent back to their countries upon graduation, while those admitted through public recruitment would be able to determine their future paths according to their wishes.

As Myung-jun’s explanation continued, a puzzled expression began to dawn on the faces of the national representatives listening.

Based on the explanations so far, it seemed that the benefits the Liberal Clan could gain from operating the academy were too minimal.

At that moment, Joe Biden, the US president who was most interested in this plan, asked Myung-jun a question.

“All right. If what you’re saying comes true, the average level of Awakeners worldwide will greatly improve. However, that seems like a good thing for us, not necessarily for the Liberal Clan. If it’s not too presumptuous, could you explain why you’ve devised such a charitable plan?”

It was one of the expected questions, so Myung-jun answered Biden’s question with a relaxed attitude.

“Of course, it might sound like a charity project if you just listen to the explanations. However, once you understand the meaning behind the phrase mentioned there, you’ll understand why we’re planning to operate this kind of clan.”

The phrase Myung-jun pointed out was from the explanation of the academy’s admission quota that Seo had displayed on the screen a while ago.

The phrase stated that the quotas for each country would be determined at the discretion of the Liberal Clan.

Myung-jun, realizing the meaning contained in that word, smiled at Biden.

“The word ‘discretion’ can have various meanings depending on how you interpret it. And we’re not a clan that endlessly engages in charity work. So, if you want a meaningful level of admission quotas, you’ll have to offer something to the Liberal Clan as well.”

Myung-jun spoke to the national leaders looking at him as if he were a child talking about what he wanted for his birthday.

“Oh, by the way, I really like conquering gates.”

It was a statement imbued with a kind of threat, saying ‘If you want to receive the academy’s admission quota, you’ll have to ‘figure it out yourself’,’ for the gates to be conquered in the future.

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