Chapter 117

Mr. Sunset (4)

The schedule in Japan was incredibly varied.

The very first thing I did… was basically an idol world tour.

“Kin Shogun-samaaa!!”

“O hero of Asia! The light of Asia who has shown the power of the yellow race!!”

“Long live the Empire of Japan! Long live General Kin!!”

I’m not even from your country… stop getting so overly immersed.

Sure, I could say the only good Jap is a dead Jap, but every grain of rice going into your mouths is the result of exploiting Koreans! You people exist as original sinners!—but how could I shout something like that when I’m also a soldier of the imperialist era? I wasn’t exactly free from that original sin either.

Even in 2020, how many people actually felt guilty about using phones made through exploited labor, or drinking coffee harvested by child labor, or eating sugar born from plantation exploitation? Even America in this era is a symbol of hypocrisy and deception, with its colony in the Philippines.

Seeing their enthusiastic cheers left me feeling strangely conflicted.

At times like this, there’s only one solution: just quietly do your job. Nothing changes just because I agonize over it.

All the answers to my worries are set to come around 1945 anyway. As always, my conclusion was to postpone things. If I’m still alive, I’ll deal with it then.

Naturally, issues related to Koreans also became a subject of discussion.

From Japan’s side, they didn’t want me stirring up Korean patriotism and turning the entire peninsula into a blazing inferno. From my side, I didn’t want these bastards asking me to make pro-Japanese remarks and then getting riddled with bullets from enraged people.

With both sides’ interests aligned, my speeches were stripped of as much political color as possible and reduced to general principles.

“The future will belong to Asia! People of Asia, hold onto hope. Skin color is never a measure of superiority. You can do it!”

“If you sincerely wish for something, it will come true. Keep thinking about what you want to achieve, over and over again. If you truly desire it, the universe itself will step in to help you!”

“They say it takes 10,000 hours to become a master in any field. Have you devoted 10,000 hours to honing your craft? Not just working day to day to earn a living, but striving with the heart of an artisan to become a master—have you spent 10,000 hours like that? Effort—put in more effort! Effort will never betray you!”

“Waaaaaah!!!”

“Long live General Kin!!”

But if I only talked in generalities, I’d be labeled boring.

Running out of things to say, I drew on every self-help book concept that flooded 21st-century bookstores—and even military reading collections—and just kept talking.

But to people from a hundred years ago, my words must have sounded pretty fresh.

“Thank you for giving such wonderful speeches!”

“Haha, thank you.”

“I attended last time too and came back with my friends! I was so overwhelmed I cried a lot. It was truly moving!”

“We lacked sincerity. You are truly महान, General Kin!”

“Thank you, thank you, comrades! Students, you are the future of Asia! Bring along your friends and comrades!”

“Waaaaaah! Kin Yujin! Kin Yujin!!”

…This isn’t right.

Even as I responded, I started getting this creeping vision of being shot and rendered impotent someday, and my groin began to ache on its own.

And one slightly unsettling thing—was that it wasn’t just students being influenced by my words.

“Truly moving. Our army has lacked effort as well. From now on, the Imperial Army will become the cornerstone of Greater East Asian prosperity!”

“The navy, too, will follow this teaching with a spirit of constant renewal, improving day by day!”

Don’t compete over stuff like this. It’s making me nervous.

After finishing the day’s schedule, I returned to the house provided by the Japanese government.

Originally, since I had no family and lived alone anyway, I was planning to just rent a modest place or stay long-term in a hotel.

“That won’t do! We insist—please allow us to provide you with a residence!”

“Is there some kind of problem?”

“Setting aside national prestige, security would be nearly impossible.”

When they put it like that, what could I say?

So I ended up staying in a grand house with massive walls, newly poured concrete watchtowers, and even a separate building for guards.

The house they gave me was even bigger than Ambassador Warren’s, which made me a bit self-conscious. You know how it is—checking what kind of car your superior drives and deliberately choosing something cheaper.

No sooner had I returned home than I received a visitor—Viscount Kaneko.

“I hear you’ve been giving many fine speeches to the youth lately, Major.”

“Ha ha, it’s nothing special.”

“Personally, I understand they are merely words of encouragement. However, some foolish individuals are misinterpreting your intent, so I had no choice but to visit.”

Misinterpreting? What is that supposed to mean?

Everything I said was as general as it gets—there wasn’t even much intent behind it. I couldn’t quite understand.

“The notion that ‘if one wishes sincerely, the universe will help’—some believe it may be conveying the wrong message to certain discontented Koreans.”

“So… you mean it’s being taken as ‘earnestly wish for Korean independence,’ something like that?”

“…Yes. I am old and retired now, so my words carry little weight in persuading them.”

Don’t lie, you old fraud. This isn’t even the Pacific War—what do you mean your words don’t carry weight?

Well, this works out. If I shut him up now, maybe I won’t have to hear this kind of nonsense again.

“I find this rather perplexing.”

“I understand. However, since meaning can be distorted depending on the listener’s interpretation—”

“When I spoke of sincere wishes bringing help from the universe, I was actually thinking of the Meiji Restoration.”

“…Is that so?”

As expected of a seasoned diplomat—look at that perfect poker face.

He’s acting calm, sipping tea like nothing’s wrong, but it’s all obvious.

And this guy, Yujin Kim—when cornered, his combat power triples. But when cornering others, it increases sevenfold.

“Wasn’t the Meiji Restoration a great achievement accomplished by all of Japan’s heroes working together? I, too, was inspired by that—”

“Thank you for thinking of it so positively.”

I was thinking of you people in the first place—what’s with this ‘disloyal Koreans’ nonsense? Maybe they’re just wondering if they can do the same thing after seeing your restoration. Sit down and stay quiet.

After that, the Japanese stopped picking fights over the nonsense I spouted.

A cause for celebration, truly!

***

The next thing I had to do was, of course, tank sales. That was my core mission, after all.

The Japanese military had already imported about ten M1917 light tank units in 1919 and officially adopted them under the name Type A (甲) tank.

But that was more along the lines of, “Europe is using tanks, so why don’t we take a look too?” Their understanding of tanks and armored tactics was still pretty lacking.

Which meant this Yujin Kim had to step in with some sincere salesmanship.

More than anything, what irritated me was the fact that the Japanese had also imported British Mark tanks. The audacity! The nerve to even consider those tea-flavored tanks instead of my adorable ones!

The Japanese military was already showing some interest in tanks.

Even if I didn’t sell them anything, it wasn’t like Japan would just stop using tanks. So obviously, I had to sell as many of mine as possible. I could just call it patriotism and be done with it.

Anyway, Japan’s problem wasn’t whether or not they adopted tanks. The real issue was that their national industrial capacity itself was lacking.

Even if the Empire of Japan in 1941 somehow obtained blueprints for something like a Tiger or Panther, could they really just assemble them? No chance. That would’ve meant tearing out the very foundation of the nation.

In actual history, Japan’s Type 97 Chi-Ha tank was often mocked, but then what does that make the British forces that lost Singapore to it? In the end, war is about how efficiently you use the weapons best suited to your own circumstances.

“General Kin, it is a great honor to meet you here in the Empire!”

“Thank you. I’d like to learn about your country’s tank requirements.”

And surprisingly, the Japanese Army of 1922 had already conducted a fair amount of research into tanks. That was unexpected.

“We cannot continue merely following Europe’s military systems forever. The Empire requires a military structure suited to itself.”

“In that sense, we believe that the tactics of General Kin—who could be called the brightest star in East Asia—are precisely the model our Imperial Army should emulate. Your Battle of Amiens is already a subject of constant study among our forces.”

Was this the butterfly effect?

It seemed the Japanese Army, especially, had been completely captivated by the miraculous victory achieved by a so-called “yellow monkey” they once looked down on.

A victory that sliced through the supposedly invincible German army in a single blow. Add to that the embarrassing title of “Great Hero of Asia,” and voices were already emerging within Japan saying, “This is the future of the Imperial Army!”

“It seems British tanks and American tanks differ quite a bit in design philosophy. As the father of tanks, General Kin, I assume your thinking differs from that of the British?”

“That’s correct. British heavy tanks are essentially mobile pillboxes designed to support infantry in trench warfare, whereas the M1917 was built for broader tactical applications.”

“Oho! As expected!”

“Then does that mean British models are more useful for protecting the brave soldiers of the Empire on the battlefield?”

What the hell? Praising British tanks right in front of me?

To utter such nonsense—you must either be taking British bribes or be a backward infantry-worshipper. Foolish demon.

“Why should we smash our heads against enemy trenches and bleed in the first place? As soldiers who live and study on the people’s taxes, that would be a dereliction of duty.”

“Khmm!”

“Of course, from the perspective of a frontline soldier, having a tank alongside you is reassuring. But even better is neutralizing the enemy’s defenses altogether so you don’t have to send valuable troops charging into a hail of bullets.”

“Indeed, that is absolutely correct. While the Empire lacks population, it possesses excellent industrial facilities. The future of our army clearly lies in the principles of rapid maneuver through full mechanization.”

No—don’t learn too well.

…Or maybe it’s fine?

Against Chinese warlords or the Chinese army, that logic would hold true. But if they ended up fighting the Americans, having a so-called mechanized force wouldn’t help them win—it would just get them crushed faster.

Japanese mechanization, huh.

At first, I thought this might make them stronger. But if it makes them stronger against China and weaker against the United States?

…That’s actually a pretty sweet deal.