Hazama would be lying if he said recent event's hadn't spooked him.

Someone, an imperial agent or saboteur maybe, broke into his private quarters and left without leaving a trace. No video, no audio, no footprints, not even damn finger prints! No vent cover was out of place, no door or window ajar, the fence around the barracks were still intact as was the barbed wire atop it, not even a spec of gravel was out of alignment.

Absolutely nothing was out of the ordinary.

Except that their defenses had been utterly circumnavigated.

Given the supernatural aspects of the intrusion, Leilei and her teacher were consulted on the matter. The pair proposed that it might be the work of a hypnotist. That is, the intruder mind controlled one of the soldiers in Alnus to let them in without raising an alarm.

As for the other issues, such as finding no trace of their existence? Enchanted gear could muffle the sound someone produces while a spell or cloak of invisibility would hide them from cameras. Not items or magic commonly utilized, but hardly unheard of.

If the pair's theory was right, then whoever this was literally came through the front door. And while they could question each and every soldier on duty at the time, that wouldn't be any good since the suspect could easily 'erase' themselves' from the mind of whoever they used.

The most likely culprit was a Saderan agent, someone who either infiltrated Alnus or even blended in with refugees to get inside.

The reason?

Well the General was leaning towards Yanagida's theory that this was all some big 'song and dance' by the Empire to scare the JSDF into some sort of overreaction.

One of the SDF's greatest assets in the Special Region was the good will the local population held for them. Acts of heroism and genuine decency over the past few months have gone a long way in ingratiating themselves with the people.

In open battle, the SDF was seemingly unstoppable. Every battle they've fought with the Empire has ended in a lopsided Japanese victory.

But wars were more than just battles. You can't just bomb all your problems away, as tempting as it might be for many in the cabinet. Victory will be impossible if the people of the Special Region feel as if Japan is just a different flavor of tyranny, or worse.

Cooperation, built on mutual respect and understanding, was the only viable path forward long term.

So what would happen if the JSDF began to lash out blindly at random people? Rejecting asylum seekers outright because they 'could be' Saderan spies or agents? Pulling people off the street for interrogation because they seemed 'too interested' in the JSDF? Or any number of mundane things that take on sinister meanings with enough paranoia?

Things would get ugly very fast.

He expected to hear from Tokyo on the matter later this evening, or early tomorrow at the latest. No doubt with a revised threat assessment on the Saderans at the bare minimum. In pitched battles they might be woefully lacking, but in infiltration and subterfuge what approximated for their intelligence services were seemingly experts in their craft.

While the trouble has seemingly come and gone, or at least this infiltrator wouldn't try the same thing so soon now the SDF was aware of it, he couldn't help shake the feeling he was being watched.

Like there was someone stalking him at all hours. That there was nowhere he could go without some all seeing eye noting his every movement. Even now in his office, he couldn't help but second guess every shadow or double check the ceiling as if he would find some ninja looking figure up there staring back at him.

Whoever it was could have killed him, but they didn't.

But before Hazama could muse on the situation further, he felt…something.

A soft thud that reverberated across the room.

Then again.

And again.

And again.

Each shake, each thud, reverberating longer and longer.

By the tenth, Hazama heard an assortment of car alarms go off in the motor pool across from his building.

This was far from normal.

He raced over to the window, parting the blinds aside to look across the base.

Thud…

Thud…

Thud…

Hazama watched a nearby street pole wobble with each vibration, lights across the base flickering on and off as the shaking slowly, but surely, intensified.

Then, a singularly strong quake nearly threw him off his feet, breaking his fall against the wall.

He frowned, keeping his hand on the wall as he walked towards the door to leave the building rather than stay where he was.

The quakes shimmered down from that high point, but still continued a low rumbling. The fire alarm went off, or someone set it off. Regardless, people would be vacating the building as he planned to.

Through it all, he could only wonder how bizarre this all was.

Earthquakes simply happened. They don't slowly rev themselves up over the course of slowly intensifying quakes. Was this something native to the Special Region? Something they had seemingly overlooked when asking the locals about their world? When they spoke, the people seemingly had no concept of earthquakes so they assumed they must be far from a fault line.

Were the people wrong, were the JSDF wrong, or was this as unnatural as it appeared?

He managed to get to the door before another singularly strong quake shook the foundations of the building.

Out of his office, he watched people make their way down the halls to the exits, seemingly as confused as he was.

As the quakes continued, almost pulsing with no end in sight, he could already tell this was going to be a long night.

--

--

Cassel El Tiberius knew that there were some in the Empire that would label him a traitor. All for the sake of wanting to end this senseless war.

A coward.

A traitor.

An honorless cur that ought to simply fall upon his own blade to salvage the dignity of his family.

But he knew better.

Beyond the propaganda, beyond the chest pounding, trumpets, and standard waving,

His position granted him more insight into the state of their conflict with the Japanese than the average citizen. And even then, he has no doubt that Molt's bootlickers have gone over every detail given to the senate with a discerning eye.

Even so, what was provided to them was already disheartening enough on its own. He could only imagine what the uncensored reports detailed.

Knowing the Green Men's proclivity for destruction, perhaps he could not.

But he knew in his bones, this was not a conflict the Empire should fight. Victory, in the conventional sense, was becoming more and more of a feverish dream shared only by the uninformed and the blind.

The Empire could win, Cassel knew this in his heart. Yet even with his love for his Empire, he also knew that an Imperial victory would cripple the Empire. That it would take too much of its wealth and strength to push back the Japanese that the Empire would cripple itself.

Not unlike how a man may eventually break a brick wall, at the cost of running his fist.

What point was victory if it left the Empire so weak, so broken, that it collapsed in on itself shortly afterwards? Or worse, was overrun by barbarians from all directions?

He would not see the bastion of civilization break its own back for the sake of pride and ego.

So when Princess Pina offered to introduce him to the Japanese ambassador, he accepted.

"You look pale, ambassador. Are you well?"

"Oh, I'm just tired is all," Sugawara dismissed Cassel's comment with a half hearted laugh. "Haven't gotten enough sleep the past few nights. It's nothing to worry about."

The senator was unconvinced, but did not press the Japanese ambassador.

The streets were lined with assortments of horse drawn carriages and slave carried lints, all moving towards a singular point: The Imperial Palace.

For tonight the Emperor would grace the lords and ladies of the Empire to assure them that all was well and there was nothing to be concerned about.

Of course, the other reason so many were journeying there was to see the 'barbarian' foe from Alnus in person. To examine what sort of culture had broken the Imperial Legions so thoroughly that some even whispered that Sadera's walls would be soon put to the test.

This would also be the best place for the Japanese to not only encourage the Senators and dignitaries that they are far from the monsters propaganda is depicting them as, but also impress upon them the self destructive reality of continuing hostilities.

"A word of warning, Mr. Sugawara," Cassel leaned forward with a grim expression, the Imperial Palace looming before their carriage.. "You're about to step foot in one of the most dangerous places in the world: the Imperial Court. I cannot emphasize the danger you will be in enough. Steel yourself, otherwise those vultures will devour you whole."

"I'd have thought Alnus Hill might have taken that place," the ambassador jokes, knowing full well the implication of his words. "Nevertheless, I thank you for your warning, but I'm sure I'll be fine. If worse comes to worse, and I find myself in anything too dangerous, my escort will see me out safely."

While the Senator disagreed with the cavalier attitude, he could hardly argue that the legion's performance on the field has done nothing to temper it. "Since you mentioned the Hill, I will pray we can only be as lucky as those fallen men should the worst come."

"Excuse me?"

"They had the luxury of dying only once. We shall have no such luxury," Cassel sighed, looking out the window of their carriage as they rode towards the imperial palace. "Trust me when I say there is no civility at court, only politics. More so now that your forces are pushing the Empire into a corner, and it will do as beasts tend to when put in similar situations."

The ambassador frowned, "I know the Empire suffered losses, severe losses, but is the situation really that bad?"

"It is heading there," Cassel assured him. "The treasury is hemorrhaging gold, so much so that someone, maybe even his majesty, ordered the selling of the grain reservoirs to offset the cost. Add the sheer scale of the new wave of mobilization, and harvest projections are below even our bleakest forecasts, and there are economic woes beyond those from disrupted trade. The Empire is at a precipice, that much is obvious to me."

"...I never realized the situation was that bad," Sugawara looked out the window himself. "Naturally, it's also in the interest of Japan to end this war as quickly as possible. Not just for our sake, but for the sake of the Imperial people. Of course, if it turns out the Empire is using this pause in hostility to redeploy its forces, that would be a violation of the ceasefire agreement."

"Are imperial forces even a concern for your people?"

"...It's the spirit of the agreement," the ambassador did not refute Cassel's claim, "and trust. Her highness worked hard for even this much, it would be a shame for those in power to throw away all she's done."

"Yes," the senator noticed the red haired girl waiting for them at the base of the Palace alongside some of her fellow warrior women, all in proper dress rather than plate. Her highness rushed to one of the carriages behind them carrying some of the Sugawara's retinue for the evening. Perhaps to greet that 'Sir Itami' she has spoken of. "I suppose it would be."

--

--

I watched the gala from the sidelines. Far enough away that no one could really approach me without committing some social faux pas of approaching a royal without prompting, but close enough that I could just make out everything going on.

Even better was that all eyes were on the Emperor, little old me got to slink away into the shadows.

Ughhhh, I hate political functions.

The pointless prattle, the fake praise, and oh so 'witty' barbs traded like this was a damn soap opera. All of it done with the most 'genuine' smiles just to show just how friendly they are.

They are oh so friendly and genuine…

Why it was so hospitable, that I almost wished I was on the Western Front again…

At least there I could wear something more comfortable then a fucking dress!

"There is such a thing as being too open with your feelings," Gaius took a break from his 'people watching' to see the scowl on my face. "Why, people might even start to think that you don't want to be here."

"Can't have that," I grumble, wishing so dearly that I could drink myself into a stupor so the night could just flash before my eyes and it could be 'tomorrow' already. But me being intoxicated would defeat the whole point of me enduring this menagerie in the first place. "Might cause a scandal."

"Scandalous indeed. You should follow your brother's example," the eunuch pointed over to Diabo, drink in hand and surrounded by a dozen women.

"Surrounded by beautiful women?" Gotta admit, it's not the worst idea. My hormones are starting to 'kick in' after all.. And politically speaking it's probably safer to be in relations with women since it lets me keep that all important 'maidenhood' that somehow makes me more valuable.

"Surrounded by those hanging to your every word," Giaus explained.

"They're leeches," I watched them throw themselves into a fit of giggling after Diabo said something 'witty'. Their 'amusement' might be more believable if they didn't try so hard. "They either just want his money, or the influence that comes with being a royal's mistress."

"I never said it wasn't parasitic. But imagine if you were the parasite leaching those around you?"

"I'm not that pathetic," I snort.

"Not pathetic, resourceful," he countered. "Think about it: the sole true born daughter to the reigning emperor, with a brother who's likely to come down with a natural case of 'hunting accident' in the near future, your only other siblings are from consorts, you don't need to be an erudite to realize how to use this on powerful men."

"Can we change the subject," I knew what Gaius was getting at. Patriarchal as the Empire was, marrying the daughter of an emperor was seemingly enough for a man to claim the whole Empire by virtue of his wife's lineage. It's happened before, it'll happen again.

"Well, if you insist, I shall refrain from skulduggery and scandalous thoughts," he gulped down his drink in a single sip, he pointed across the room. "Oh look, a pair of senators we are acquainted with."

"Subtle," I roll my eyes.

"I try."

"I should have made you my jester at this rate."

"Well, I do pride myself on being sanguine."

"But you're only half as funny as you think you are."

"Still more than most men."

A large commotion at the front gates broke up the tempo of our jabs.

In walked the 'main event' as it were: Marquise Cassel, Pina, and a group of Japanese.

It was clear who most people were observing.

The Japanese delegation seemed to be mostly military, going by the dress uniforms all but one of them wore. The last one was no doubt the ambassador I heard Pina speaking about, and Sherry infatuated with.

Looking at him, I had no idea what the girl saw in him. He looked so…bland.

While Pina had walked in beside one of the Japanese officers, she peeled off to go meet the Emperor. Words were exchanged, pointless pleasantries, and the gala resumed.

But before I could even take a step towards them, they were surrounded by couriters and others. A gaggle who either wanted to observe them like some dangerous animals or wanted to watch others do so. A few, miraculously, seemed to actually want to interact with them.

Ugh…

I refuse to try and wrestle for their attention like some preening child.

I shall simply wait.

…

However long it may take to get a one-on-one meeting.

…

I could already tell it was going to be a while.

--

--

Itami wanted to rip his hair out!

Ever since they got here, they've been hounded every moment by someone or other!

Sugawara loved it, Pina seemed to take it in stride, Senator Cassel was in his element, but it drove Youji insane!

After a couple hours of it, he left the diplomat in the care of Kuribayashi and Kuwahara while he went out to get some air. If something happened, or someone tried something like they did in Alnus, they'd radio him and he'd rush back; not that he was even going that far.

But he was pretty sure nothing would happen, or at least if something did happen, then it was not intentionally. After all, if you invite someone to your party and something happens to them, it's pretty obvious who people will point fingers at first.

This was probably the safest place for them in the city right now so long as the war stays cold.

Or at least the impression of the Emperor that Pina gave them didn't make him out as the sort who would do something at his own event. Invade other nations without provocation and run a slaving empire? Sure. But that would be a line he would not cross.

Even after Pina explained it to him, he couldn't help but feel like some crazy values dissonance was going on.

He wandered over to a large, and thankfully less crowded, garden filled with murals and artwork. Well it was still noisy, but nowhere near as bad as it was inside.

Statues and busts sat besides paintings and fine decorative armor. Kind of reminded him of some CGs he saw in Visual Novels involving fantasy settings.

The irony of that statement was not lost on him.

But amongst it all, what caught the lieutenant's eye was a large mural that stretched along the space between two columns: a man in armor entering a bedroom where a woman was being violated by another man.

Well he's read enough H-Novels to know where that was going…

"'The Defilement', commissioned in the year two hundred and three by Emperor Tycho." The sudden voice startled Itami.

At the far end of the garden was a man, older than the lieutenant, with bright red hair and a scepter-like cane. Beside him stood a giant among men, clad in armor and while unarmed, looked strong enough to break Itami in two with his bare hands.

Suddenly the kevlar he had under his uniform didn't make him feel so safe.

Smiling that he was noticed, the man approached Itami, his giant in tow.

"It depicts the Saderan Republic's last dictator, Cyrus, caught forcing himself upon the maiden Viria. A maiden promised to a man Cyrus despised," the man continued unpromoted. As he neared Youji, he tapped his cane in a strange rhythm, each tap reverberating across the lightly populated garden and leaving a strange white noise in his ear for a brief moment before there was only silence yet he could still hear the man clear as day.

Maybe it was just the light, but Itami swore he saw lines of light racing up and down that gemstone…

"The man in armor is her brother, Syagrius," he continued, clearly not caring that Itami was lost. "The man who would later go on to cast out the dictator, end the hedonism of the late republic, and become our first emperor."

"That's…interesting," Itami tried to be diplomatic. Interesting as it might be for some, he was still wondering why in the world some guy started randomly talking to him, and then there was that white noise. "And sorry but, did you just do something? I heard a high pitched whine when you tapped your cane and-"

"Just a little bit of magic so I don't have to try talking over everyone around us, or overhearing us. At these parties it is almost impossible to have a private conversation otherwise."

"That's…good…" he really didn't know what to say. "So are you a mage or-"

"Goodness no. I know a little bit, but hardly enough. All I can do are parlor tricks compared to what true mages do." The man stopped for a moment, then realized something. "But where are my manners? Rambling off to someone without being prompted," He gave a curt bow to Youji, though it was more akin to slightly leaning forward compared to the other 'proper' bows he had seen so far. "Clovis Syagrius, Governor of Soissons."

"Governor?" Now that got Itami's attention. While having a somewhat limited understanding of the inner workings of the Empire's political structure, he at least did enough homework to know the 'important' positions. Governor being one of the top ones. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Second Lieutenant Itami. Sorry about the way I acted…sir?"

Was that the right way to address them or was it 'lord'? You didn't have to be a lord to be a governor so maybe?

"No, no, I should be the one who apologizes," Clovis brushed aside Itami's worry. "I came out of nowhere, and just started detailing the history of a painting. I'm actually a little embarrassed, good ser."

"Then how about we call it even then," Youji scratched the back of his neck and let out a nervous laugh. Where was Sugawara when you needed him? But, hang on… "Wait, you said the guy was called Syagrius? And you're…"

"Clovis Syagrius, yes."

"Any relation or is it just a common name?"

"My ancestor, actually," the man smiled at the mention, turning his gaze back to the painting. "But those halcyon days are long behind us. And as colorful as it may look, and the story itself is, I can assure you it's more fiction than fact."

"Really?" How did one politely decline speaking with a governor?

"Indeed," the man nodded. "The story says Cyrus snuck into the villa alone, yet the dictator was well known for his paranoia; never going to so much as the privy without a retinue accompanying him. Yet we are to believe he went alone to his political rival's home? For a woman of all people?"

"Crazy people do crazy things sometimes," The Japanese man gave a half-hearted mumble, recalling a few anime he watched with stranger plots.

"As for Viria?" he continued. "True she had yet to wed, but the girl was a follower of Miritta. A devout follower. I dare say she could make a whore blush."

"That's…um."

"It simply doesn't make sense when you think about it," the governor shook his head. "Not that it makes the story any less valuable. A morality tale for the ages about reach exceeding grasp. Of good vanquishing evil. Simple, yet effective."

"...Yeah." What was he even supposed to say to this? He could hardly tell the guy to go away. Sugawara would never let it go if he did that. 'Diplomatic Incident' and all that.

"But personally, I don't take such fantastical stories completely seriously. Take yourself for example," Clovis gestured to Itami with his scepter.

"Wait, me?" oh geez, was this about the Flame Dragon?

"Well, not specifically you of course. You Japanese in general," he clarified. "I scarcely believe a fraction of the drivel that comes up regarding your people. Unless, that is to say, you do build your homes out of the bones of the dead and weak cloaks of flayed skin to keep out the cold of your homeland."

"Eh!" that caught him a tad off guard. Sure he heard some of the stuff about 'honorless barbarians' and 'treacherous invaders', but that. "No, no, no! We don't do bone or skin stuff, absolutely not. Nope!"

"Well my point stands then," he gave the Lieutenant a melancholic smile. "I don't blame the ones who spread these stories however. A lie, or their life. I don't envy such a choice."

"I…realize you're trying to tell me something important, given you did the whole 'silence thing' with your cane before coming over, but I think it's going a little over my head," Youji nervously chuckled.

Sort of a white lie on his part. Youji was very much aware of the implications of a foreign political figure meeting a military official from a nation they were currently at war with. A nation that was losing the war. At least, it made some sense from his contemporary mindset. But maybe he was just over thinking it and this sort of stuff was normal here.

"What I am trying to say," the governor looked to where his giant of a man was, giving him a nod, then back to Itami. "Is that I love my Empire, but I am not blind to its failings. In my heart, I have always been a man of peace. So believe me when I tell you that the Emperor will say, or will make others say, whatever is needed to safeguard and aggrandize himself."

"Are you saying the Emperor would go back on anything he agrees," that was not exactly what he thought the guy was gonna start with, but it is almost just as bad. If this whole thing was just a smokescreen, that the Emperor had no intentions of peace, just agreeing to this to get some breathing space then-

"I mean what I said, the Emperor will do and the Emperor will do," the governor repeated, cutting off Itami's thoughts. "The senate is at a standstill, half for peace, half for continuing the war. The barest push in either direction will chart the course for the Empire. Princess Pina has started that push, but it still needs that barest additional force to see it done."

"If that's true, why don't you-"

"I'm afraid that is simply impossible," the man dismissed the idea outright. "My support to the Emperor has been lackluster enough recently, my desire for peace becoming harder to mask. I'm already suspected as a 'defeatist'. Shorthand for 'traitor' these days. Being seen working openly in your favor would be… unfortunate for myself and my family."

"I think I get it," his family was being held hostage, seem par for the course from when he heard of the Empire from Leilei and Rory.

"I'm not a coward," he continued, thinking he needed to defend his actions. "If it was just myself, I would be singing for peace atop the balconies. But I have a family to consider. A son, a wife, a young daughter, surely you understand?"

"No, I get it," he tried to calm the guy down. "It's not easy standing up for what's right when those you love are in danger."

"Exactly, I've only ever wanted what is right and-" before he could finish, the giant patted Clovis on the shoulder. The man sighed, "Oh dear, our time's up."

"Up?" Youji looked around, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"Well we could only talk so long in 'private' given where we are, those speculatores must have finally noticed," Syagrius grumbled, tapping his cane in a rhythmic tone just as before. The white noise flared once again, his gem lit up again, and suddenly noise returned.

Itami could swear the thing lit up like a circuit board…

"Please relay my words to your lord, your leader, tell him what I have told you," he whispered, his voice just hidden beneath the ambient noise of chattering dignitaries. "And a pleasant evening to you, Ser Itami."

Before Itami could say anything else, he heard another voice call out to him.

"Ser Itami," Princess Pina walked over to him, "I was wondering where you wandered off to-" she stopped short, noticing the governor and giant walking away. "What happened?"

"Happened?"

"Did he threaten you?" Pina spoke plainly, "even if he just implied one?"

"Not really, he was mostly talking about…that," he gestured to the large painting. "I mean I guess he said a lot of other stuff, but no threats."

"Good," she let out a sigh of relief, even her shoulders relaxed. "Governor Clovis is not someone to take lightly."

"He seemed," he looked back at the pair, finally disappearing into the throngs of people inside, "nice enough."

"He's dangerous," Pina cautioned. "My father worries about him and his growing power."

"Isn't he worried about a lot of things, moreso now with everything we've done?"

"No, Itami you don't understand, my father rarely worries," Pina explained. "Concerned, annoyed, peeved even, almost all the time. Comes with dealing with the Senate. But worried? I can't say I've ever seen him worry about any specific person as much as he does that man. Please be careful around him."

"Sure," he promised, making a mental note to get a dossier on the man with clear instructions for JSDF personnel in Sadera to stay clear of him.

Maybe he was telling the truth, that he was a peaceful man stuck in a rough place. But he doubted Pina would knowingly lie about something like this.

And in Itami's own mind, scepter (wand?) or not, he never could fully trust a man who walks with a cane but has no limp.

--

--

The night dragged on, party goers came and went, courses came and went, and I kept a watch of the delegation from afar.

Just biding my time until the right moment. On and on it went.

One group, then the next, then the next.

Eventually Pina peeled off from the main group to do her own thing, or follow that man who left earlier. Then Senator Cassel went off to speak with the Emperor. This left the Japanese diplomat, metaphorically, alone.

And now, with the crowd having thinned, the diplomat alone, or at least away from the courtiers, I finally had my shot! To ask the questions that have been plaguing my mind and clear up the misunderstandings that are filling my mind with how the JSDF is operating.

But if they aren't misunderstandings…

No, first answers!

Collecting all my confidence, I walked across the palace floor to the Japanese. My stride picked up more than a few glances from guests, no doubt curious as to why a child was marching with such conviction. For once, I was hoping my physical age would shield me from most of the questions as to why I'm so abruptly showing up.

Though I could only hope he didn't misunderstand me and think I was like Sherry with some childish crush.

Ugh… I think I need a shower just thinking about it.

Reaching the man in question, I smiled.

"Greetings," I began, overthinking that it was too formal a start. Well, I can't back down now. "May I have a moment of your time? I just have a few questions about Japan that I'm curious about."

"Well hello to you as well," the man took my introduction in stride, smiling. "I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have."

"Excellent," I nod, aware of all the eyes now on us. For the love of… now I was going to have to parse my words even more carefully. I can already see the gossip: Imperial Princess talking with foreign representatives of the nation kicking out teeth in: was I a traitor or just naive?

Yet before I even asked my first question, I heard them.

"You know she's actually kinda cute," the female officer commented in Japanese to her colleague. "I mean, in that 'Disney Princess' sort of way."

"Yeah I can see it," he agreed with her, nodding. "I have a cousin who used to dress up like that for costume parties when she was a little girl. This girl's dress is nicer than anything out of a custom store though."

…CUTE!?

"And I don't think she liked that, Kuribayashi."

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean, she doesn't seem to like you calling her a Disney princess."

Twitch…

"Yep, see, she really doesn't like it."

"It's more like she doesn't like someone whispering behind her back," the woman rationalized, "not that she actually understands us."

"...I can understand you," Never in a million years did I think my 'unveiling' of conversational Japanese would be under this sort of circumstance.

The JSDF woman's expression soured, as if she ate a lemon.

Her older companion laughed, "See? Didn't like it."

"Your Japanese is… impressive," the diplomat commented, clearly not expecting my fluency. "You barely have an accent."

"I've practiced a lot," I shrug, hoping he doesn't start pressing for 'why' I know it so well.

"If you're plotting something could you at least do it in a language I understand?" Gaius decided to make himself known, seemingly gliding over. "I love a good plot."

"I was just explaining that I knew their language," I shot the man a glare for his flamboyant.

"Quite the surprise, no doubt," he grinned, then regarded the diplomat. "And pardon if this is an overreach, but is it not custom in your lands to not properly show respect when speaking to a member of royalty?"

"Royalty?"

"Wait, she's actually a princess!"

Gaius found the JSDF pair's antics more amusing then I did.

"You have the privilege and honor of addressing her Highness Tanya Augustus, second true born child of Molt Sol Augustus," was it wrong that the way Gaius introduced me almost made me roll my eyes.

While the pair looked stunned, the diplomat recovered first.

"Apologies, your highness," he gave a curt bow. "I should have known. I'm Koji Sugawara, negotiator from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Please feel free to ask me any questions you may have."

"Would you prefer that I speak in Japanese?" I ask, not wanting to sound mean by claiming his accent in the Imperial language was very grating.

"I'll be fine with any language you feel most comfortable with," how accommodating.

"Very well," I chose to stick to Japanese, for my own sake if nothing else. "First, what is Japan's end goal in Falmart?"

"Well in the short term we want to end this conflict between our nations," he answered smoothly. "In the long term, it is our hope that the Empire and Japan can reach mutual understanding and encourage cooperation between our peoples. And beyond that, we hope to continue exploring this world for some time to come."

Well that's delightfully boilerplate and non descript. How about we try something a little more, in depth.

"What about Italica and the other regions you've occupied? Do you plan on keeping it once the war is over?"

"Beyond the immediate region around the Gate at Alnus for national defense, and a small security detail in the city of Italica, all territory will be returned to the Empire once a peace treaty is finalized."

I can understand the territory just around the Gate, but a security detail in Italica? Does he mean an embassy? A consulate? Or was Japan actually planning on carving out a bit of Italica after the war like some concession in China?

Mmmmm, time to ask the big question.

"Are there only Japanese at Alnus?"

"Certainly not," Oh that's a- "Refugees from across the Italica region have actually set up a small settlement just within the JSDF base's boundaries. We've provided homes, jobs, and medical care to those left homeless from the war or are fleeing persecution."

"I meant," better be more specific, "are there only Japanese troops in Alnus."

"Well," Sugawara took a 'thinking man' pose, "I did hear the commanding officer, General Hazama, was setting up a local police force for the Alnus settlement. Let the new settlement have a bit of autonomy from the usual SDF forces stationed there."

Oh for the love of!

"I am not being specific enough," I sigh. "Are there only Japanese troops arriving from beyond the Gate?"

"I would assume so, it is in Japan after all," he laughed it off as a joke.

Okay, it was official, something was absolutely wrong with this Japan.

"What about the United States of America," I decided to just be blunt and cut to the root of my concern.

"...I'm sorry," the ambassador looked as if I had grown a second head, the other two seemed more shocked than confused. "What did you say?"

"The United States of America," I repeated, "the nation your county has a mutual defense treaty with. Since the Empire attacked, it should have been automatically invoked. So I'm asking where their troops are."

"Oh I do hate being out of the loop," Gaius may not have understood what I was saying, but he clearly understood the shocked looks on their faces. "But I know I am going to enjoy hearing about this later."

"Well…um…you see," the diplomat fumbled his words, clearly my line of questioning was never even considered before now. "Since the Gate connects Japan to the Special Region, our term for Falmart, the government ruled that the Imperial attack in Ginza was a domestic act of terror. Therefore we did not need to invoke our treaty with the United States."

….What?

"How can the Imperial attack be a domestic issue?" I tilt my head a bit, trying to understand what he was saying. "We were a foreign power, an alien one even from your perspective, attacking your nation unprovoked."

"Well…This is the stance of the Prime Minister in relation to the Special Operation here in your world." Wow. I worked HR, and even I am appalled by how flimsy that excuse was. "That is. The attack was an act of domestic terror given the current connection between Japan and the Special Region."

That is just…

What the…

I was expecting something….

But this is…

"So… officially," I tried to work through the logic I was being fed, "the Empire are just terrorists according to your government?"

"No, no, no," Sugawara must have realized he was fumbling. "The nation of Japan acknowledges that the Empire is a sovereign nation. After all, I am here as a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

"Apparently we're not sovereign enough to be considered anything but domestic though," I frowned. This was not at all what I thought I would hear."A nation, in a completely different world, that you never knew about until the Gate appeared, but was still considered a domestic attack?"

I mean, I guess I was expecting some sort of excuse. But this is just…pathetic. Word play at its finest.

What's worse is that I know exactly what the Japanese government is trying to do. They're doing this to have a legal excuse to claim land from beyond the Gate, or at least exercise exclusive influence across it.

Why was it labeled a domestic attack? So the Americans don't have an excuse to come over and set up shop here? And if push came to shove, America would have a much bigger stick to force Japan to do whatever it wanted. Still, while Japan would be the 'king maker' who decides who from Earth comes and goes from Falmart, no doubt taxing anyone for the privilege, they wouldn't be the sole power in this world.

The thought is intoxicating. To have no peer rival. To be able to do literally anything you wanted without international outcry or backlash. To be practically immune to embargos from all the resources in this world.

This was colonialism, pure and simple.

Maybe not to the extent of the late Co-Prosperity Sphere, I know for a fact that Imperial Japan would not be acting anywhere this pleasant if they found a foe with the same disparity in power as Japan see's in Sadera, but it's still colonialism.

And the worst thing is, I can't really fault them for it.

No nation would turn away this chance! Germania would have jumped at the chance. Hell if I was ruling a country, I would have jumped at the chance!

But if that's the case, then the whole calculus of why the war is being fought changes. The post war environment goes from Japan keeping to themselves and just exploring the world to actively seeking to influence and interact with all the nations here.

This was…

I couldn't even think with all the information racing through my skull. Being X's long lost warnings ringing ever more true now…

"If you don't mind me asking," it was Sugawara's turn to ask questions. No doubt he had plenty of them for me given how massively I blindsided him. "You seem to know a lot about Japan, I'm curious how. Your sister, Pina, didn't seem as… informed about Japan beyond ending the conflict with us."

"One of the books she brought back was a history book," I lied, not that he would know. "Modern history, sanitized, no doubt censored, but enough to tell me a bunch of things. Like your military forces not being as impressive in your world as they are here. In essence, that you're not strong, we're just weak."

"That is," he searched for the right words, "very interesting. I'm curious to learn what else your book told you about us. And how someone seemingly was self taught to read Japanese at that."

Ah…shit.

Right.

Maybe I went a bit overboard with what I knew.

Thankfully, fate seemed to turn in my favor, setting in motion an event that would cause everyone to forget the question just asked.

Unfortunately for me, that event was an earthquake that shook the very foundations of the Palace.