Master Smith Under Ministry of National Defense

Master Smith Under Ministry of National Defense

119 – Japan’s Resurgence

“Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Units 1, 2, and 3: Radiation Completely Removed.”

“A photo of Liberal Clan leader Cha Myung-jun drawing a ‘V’ with his fingers next to melted-down nuclear fuel, selected as ‘Photo of the Year’ by National Geographic.”

“The yen’s surge in the international market. Wall Street financial experts state, ‘From now on, the safest currency is not the dollar but the yen.'”

“The impact of the planned construction of ‘Liberty City’ by the Liberal Clan? Land prices in nearby Osaka and Kyoto soar more than threefold.”

“What is the ‘Awakener Academy’, the core of Liberty City? major governments declares they will provide gate-capture rights as many as desired by Liberal Clan.”

“The Japanese government plans to establish a consortium with major Japanese companies participating to operate facilities for producing ‘Marine Type Knights’ provided by the Liberal Clan.”

After Myung-jun purified the nuclear fuel of the Fukushima power plant with a spectacular performance, Japan fell head over heels into a ‘Liberal Holic’ craze.

On social media, videos emerged of people wearing cardboard suits shaped like knights, mimicking the poses seen in the photos of knights, while women dressed in outfits similar to those worn by Soo-jeong uploaded videos of themselves.

The radiation shielding necklaces revealed on broadcasts were immediately replicated and sold out everywhere, becoming a popular accessory worn by everyone, and on almost every TV channel, discussions about the impact of Fukushima’s purification on Japan’s future were aired.

Dreams, hopes, and desires.

Under the dazzling sunlight, the sight of knights walking out of the power plant, every Japanese person was talking about the bright future they would all face.

It was all too natural for them.

The bubble economy era when the saying ‘Sell Tokyo and buy the entire United States’ didn’t sound like a lie.

Throughout the ‘Lost 20 Years’ that followed, Japan has been constantly forced to abandon.

Once flourishing technologies such as VHS videos, Walkmans coveted by all, world-class TV production technology…

Many of Japan’s proud technologies have become relics of a bygone era, gradually lost to other countries due to price competition, technological advancement, or sometimes, better ideas.

And now?

The idea of Japan saving the world has become something that only exists in Japanese anime.

An arms industry that churns out weapons with exorbitant prices and mediocre performance.

An automotive industry that lags behind Germany in performance and South Korea in price.

Consumer electronics that are unique to Japan and sell well only within the country.

Once seen as another chance for resurgence, now Japan’s gate industry and the level of Awakener fall short of even the top 10 in the world.

The entrance of the Liberal Clan into Japan was a beacon of hope that could instantly turn the dark reality into a thing of the past.

“So, it seems. For the Japanese people.”

Myung-jun, the leader of the Liberal Clan and now Japan’s greatest hero, murmured as he watched TV in the luxurious ryokan provided by the Japanese government.

Beside him, Soo-jeong, who was following along with a somewhat skeptical posture, asked, “Was it all part of your plan, claiming to be the hero of the Japanese people, planting the seed of hope in their hearts?”

“Well, yes. Honestly, I don’t particularly have a taste for Japan, nor do I have any special feelings towards the country.”

“Then why did you choose Japan?”

In response to Kei’s question as he ate snacks next to Soo-jeong, Myung-jun smiled.

“Because hungry dogs run faster toward food.”

“If that’s the case, wouldn’t it make more sense to choose a poorer country?”

“You need the energy to run toward food. As senior said, we also need infrastructure. To build a giant city, we need to secure all kinds of materials. In that sense, Japan has the optimal conditions.”

As Myung-jun mentioned, choosing Japan because it’s ‘easy to fool’, the Liberal Clan had gained immense popularity in Japan, receiving hero treatment nationwide in just one day.

Sending clan members nationwide to start gate-capture operations immediately would pose no problem at all.

“In strict terms, what we’re doing is no different from establishing an independent country full of weapons within someone else’s territory. And not just any weapons, but a country armed to the teeth, capable of completely destroying that country. For this plan to succeed, we must obtain the absolute support of the people of this country.”

Myung-jun said. When the US government tried to take away Tony Stark’s suits in the movie ‘Iron Man’, Tony could refuse because of the absolute support he received from people around the world.

In a democratic country, citizens with voting rights had unlimited power.

And in politics, one had to pay attention to the sentiments of such citizens.

So, Myung-jun chose Japan as the final destination country.

A country where he could easily become a hero by using his ability, <Trait Transformation>, to save the nation.

A country that would value the assets of the Liberal Clan more than anyone else, as they longed for past glory.

And a country with a fervent passion for giant robots more than any other in the world.

“And once we establish ourselves, Japan will be the country that hurts someone head in South Korea the most.”

The ‘one person’ Myung-jun mentioned.

That man is currently being bombarded with heavy criticism from the South Korean public in real-time.

The director of the ‘Superhuman National Security Agency’ (EDA), Moon Hee-cheol.

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“Are you listening? This situation is extremely serious! What on earth did you do to bring about such results?!”

As soon as the news of the Liberal Clan’s entrance into Japan was confirmed, waiting in the presidential office in Yongsan was the president, seething with rage, who leads the South Korean administration.

He was pouring out his fierce anger as if blaming Hee-cheol alone for bringing about all this turmoil.

“If you hadn’t caused such a fuss from the beginning, those people would still be settled in Sejong City without any problem, wouldn’t they?”

“But at the time, the executive order was carried out at your behest…”

“Because you pushed it recklessly without permission, isn’t that right?! Tell me! What did you say at that time?! Didn’t you say that the Liberal Clan had no choice but to accept the new executive order no matter what?!”

Hee-cheol fell silent.

The president’s blame towards him was somewhat true.

But it was a problem close to inevitability.

No one could have imagined that Myung-jun would escape in such a situation, lifting the six-story clan headquarters into the sky and fleeing to the middle of the Pacific.

Furthermore, as Hee-cheol, it was impossible to anticipate that Myung-jun had prepared the world’s largest battleship in advance.

‘There’s no way he could have built such a huge ship without any shipyard facilities…’

Hee-cheol listened silently to the endless criticism pouring out from the president.

The astronomical losses suffered by the South Korean government due to this incident were incalculable.

And the agreement Hee-cheol made with the Chinese government for his behind-the-scenes maneuvers ultimately proved to be useless.

And to top it all off, the receiving country of the resulting product turned out to be none other than Japan.

Listening quietly to the multitude of criticisms that could be listed, Hee-cheol finally spoke calmly as he watched the president drinking water to catch his breath.

“If you’ve calmed down, may I say a few words?”

“Are you going to make excuses?”

“No, sir. It’s because, at this point, pointing fingers at the past or blaming someone else is not at all productive. We need to think about how to proceed from here. If we let the situation continue to unfold as it is, not only will I be targeted with criticism, but the current government as well.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“We need to redirect the arrows aimed at us towards another direction.”

Hee-cheol spoke up.

It was crucial to actively spread the rumor that Myung-jun’s decision to leave South Korea and choose Japan was a traitorous act, abandoning Korean pride. Furthermore, it should be emphasized that regardless of the executive order, Myung-jun had already been considering moving the headquarters to Japan.

“At the time the executive order was announced, the Liberal Clan had already completed their battleship hidden in the Pacific. So, if we claim that from the beginning, it was preparation to abandon South Korea, we can redirect the arrows of public criticism towards Myung-jun personally.”

“Indeed, Korean people detest traitors the most. It makes sense.”

“Moreover, although the Liberal Clan has left, the situation is now being sufficiently compensated by the EDA. If the Liberal Clan has the technology to create robots and state-of-the-art suits, the EDA has the technology to create enhancers that anyone can use, even surpassing the abilities of awakeners. Furthermore, with the privatization of numerous civilian clans under national management, the mortality rate of gate attackers has dramatically decreased. If we emphasize that aspect…”

“Rather than envying what others have taken away, should we not highlight the strengths we currently possess?”

“Exactly.”

The president immediately approved Hee-cheol’s plan.

From the perspective of the government, which had missed the opportunity due to its own blunders, there was only one option available now.

From that afternoon onwards, pro-government media outlets began pouring out articles condemning the Liberal Clan and Myung-jun.

「Why did Myung-jun betray South Korea? The betrayal hidden by the Korean-born awakener hero who became a hero in Japan. 」

「Director Moon Hee-cheol of the EDA. ‘The enhancers that anyone can use are more valuable than the equipment of the Liberal Clan, which is only given to a small number of awakeners.’」

「Official announcement from the EDA. The mortality rate of gate attacks in South Korea has decreased by more than 78% since the departure of the Liberal Clan. 」

「Shocking confession of a former civilian awakener clan. ‘What the Liberal Clan did in South Korea was not help but exploitation.’」

Seeing the flood of criticism directed at him in South Korea, Myung-jun couldn’t help but feel bewildered.

Each criticism in the articles seemed plausible at first glance but upon closer inspection, they were filled with nonsensical content.

Myung-jun immediately invited journalists from around the world to refute the criticisms of the Korean media.

“The value of awakeners depends on quality, not quantity. Without the power to defeat gate bosses, no matter how many awakeners you have, they will be wiped out in an instant. Isn’t this a fact easily understood just by looking at the Amazon incident?”

“What do you think about the announcement that the mortality rate of gate attacks has decreased by more than 70% since the departure of the Liberal Clan?”

“Well, if you bring in people who were willing to take risks for greater rewards and put them only in gates that are easily breached, the mortality rate would naturally decrease.”

Along with this, Myung-jun presented new data.

While the EDA’s announcement might be correct if only comparing the overall mortality rate of awakeners, comparing only the mortality rate of awakeners using equipment made by the Liberal Clan showed that the mortality rate had actually increased since the Liberal Clan’s departure.

Upon hearing this, a journalist raised his hand to ask Myung-jun a question.

“If all of that is true, why is the South Korean media so vehemently condemning the Liberal Clan?”

“Probably out of envy. It’s human nature to feel a sting when your cousin buys land. Of course, I understand such feelings. When the Liberal Clan decided to move its headquarters to Japan, it was inevitable that public opinion in South Korea would turn sour. However, I believe that behind the current flood of absurd criticism lies the South Korean government, which drove away the Liberal Clan with its ridiculous executive order.”

“The South Korean government?”

“They’re trying to deflect the arrows of criticism aimed at them towards the Liberal Clan. Well, I get it. There’s hardly any government in any country that enjoys being criticized. But understanding and forgiveness are two completely different concepts. So, regarding this situation, I think the responsibility should be placed on the government, not the South Korean media.”

As all the journalists gathered at the press conference awaited Myung-jun’s next words with tense expressions, Myung-jun, who paused for a moment, slowly spoke up.

“I will adjust the quota for South Korean awakeners to enroll in the Awakener academy, which was previously announced for the cultivation of awakeners, to zero.”

With those words, Myung-jun’s face wore an expression as if he were taking away a toy from an unruly child.

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