Nihonkoku Shoukan. Volume 1. Prologue Part 7.

Translator Corner

Minasan Oidemasu! This is Yukkuri demasu!

I am torn between playing Nepu Nepu and translating. Anyway, here’s the new chapter.

As always,

DISCLAIMER: There is no guarantee that my translation is 100% correct. Please correct me if I was wrong.

Plus, if you want to thank someone go to the guys at Ainushi Translation who give me the RAW for this LN. They’re the real MVPs.

Author:

みのろう (Minorou)

Translator:

Yukkuri Oniisan!

Editor:

Online Grammar Checker!

Prologue

Contact

Part 7

The next day,

Central Calendar Year 1639, Month 2, Day 6.

Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s Tsuiki Airbase

Hanki and Yagou were in the visitor seat of the Air Festival. Tanaka was accompanying them.

(Actually, that so-called expressway is astonishing, but I could finally see the metal dragon’s capability from a close distance.)

It wasn’t just Hanki, Yagou also was interested in the capabilities of the metal dragon. After all, it was necessary to confirm the report about the unidentified unit. That duty was shouldered by Yagou from the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

While both of them were languishing in their nervousness, the Air Festival began.

For common citizens to enter the base and mingle with the military was something that was strange for Qua-Toyne Principality’s common sense. However, seeing the huge number of people who come to observe, Hanki felt that this country’s military was loved by the citizens.

『Right now, the <F-15> will perform an acrobatic flight. Please look at the sky on your right. <F-15> will approach with a speed of 850 km/hour.』

「Wh-……!」

「What did they just say!? Tanaka-dono! Did they just say 850 km/hour? Am I mishearing things!?」

The agitated Hanki began to address Tanaka.

「No, you didn’t mishear it. The announcer indeed says that the speed is 850 km/hour.」

From the right side, a flying object was approaching in silence. Then when it approached the visitor seats, finally they begin to hear a sound.

「What a speed!」

Hanki yelped.

──_iiiiiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIIII ──

The 『F-15』 that was covered with non-glossy paint, began to climb in a trajectory that was close to vertical. The surface of its wing cut through the air, which then formed a white cloud, from above and below the wing tip, which then parted as if it was a white wake of a boat in the sky.

──Gooooooo_oooooooo──

A thunder-like roar resounded in the surrounding area. From behind the object, there was two red flame could be seen. It was the flame from the afterburner. That aircraft then in that short time span had disappeared into the blue sky.

「「…………」」

Hanki and Yagou, both of them were lost for words at the fighter jet that they saw for the first time.

『Please look at the sky on the left. The previous <F-15> has returned back.』

「Eh!? Already?」

『<F-15> will approach with a speed of 600 km/hour and then will turn in front of everyone. During this time, the pilot will experience a great amount of G-force.』

The 『F-15』 made a sharp turn in front of the audience seat.

「So it has a maneuverability this great……」

Then it climbed again.

「Even with that position, it could even ascend again?」

Afterward, there were various airplanes performed acrobatic performance and with the acrobatic flying from the Blue Impulse[1], the Air Festival reached its end.

「…… Say, Tanaka-dono. That…… ef…… something, the metal dragon, how fast the speed it could have? Surely, this is not their whole power.」

「You mean 『F-15』? Its fastest speed is Mach ── speed of sound, that is to say, twice and a half faster than the speed of sound could be transmitted by the air. Since there will be a shockwave produced when it crossed the speed of sound, for today’s flight, it looks like the speed has been reduced to just about 850 km/hour.」[2]

「「…………」」

✦✧✦✧✦

From Hanki’s Diary. That day’s entry.

A city that is overflow with huge buildings, then large covered roads suspended up in the air (they called it the expressway), the large-scale transportation systems called railway. This country called Japan that could build such tremendous structures makes me startled.

Furthermore, this city is not Japan’s capital city. This city is nothing more than a provincial city. I wish there is a word that conveys surprise greater than shocked.[3]

The combat metal dragon can fly with a speed 2.5 times the speed of the sound and its climbing power is also unbelievable. It’s a monster that not only possess such tremendous speed, but its combat operational range is also exceeding 1,000 km. From their point of view, our country’s wyverns might be seen like they are not moving at all. From what I heard from our guide, Tanaka-dono, that metal dragon could even be used for air support in the sea or the land.

The metal dragon that intruded on Maihark before is a threat, but it’s not their true strength.

If it was the combat metal dragon, then they could raid Maihark without even giving us the chance to do anything. In other words, their intrusion on Maihark can be guessed to be completely nothing more than a patrolling action.

We absolutely must establish a friendly relation with Japan.

To make enemies of them is more frightening than making enemies of the major countries in the Civilized Land.

We must never be hostile to them no matter what.

✦✧✦✧✦

 Shinniko Hotel, Suite Room.

「Say, Yagou-dono.」

「What is it?」

「What’s do you think about Japan?」

「Let’s see…… If I could express it in one word, then it will be 『affluent』, so astonishingly…… The interior of the hotel has a fixed maintained temperature, just like that large ship. To warm a building this large, just how many fuels they used…… Furthermore, they are not only warming this room that has been specially prepared for us, but also controlling the temperature in the entrance hall and even the corridor. They even have a device that just by turning it, hot water will come out. Without needing even to make the smallest fire, we can use hot water. The toilet also don’t smell at all.」

Just the sense of surprise from the housing accommodation that he had experienced so far had almost cause Yagou paralyzed.

However, even though he received an impact from the Air Festival as if his head had been hit, when he returned to the hotel at the evening, he experienced the unknown world even more.

「If you go outside there is unmanned selling machines, where you could obtain cooled drinks or alcohol depending on the location. You can always obtain freshly cooked food or clothes from the shops that opened in the nighttime, even the fine quality ones. The food selling counters in large stores always lined up with fresh foods. The major roads of the city are brightly illuminated from the street lamp that you could walk without using a lantern and the public order is extremely good. It vexing me but the difference in national power is apparent.」

Yagou paused for a moment and shook his head. In his eyes, there was a hint of fear.

「…… I am honestly surprised at the Air Festival. It displayed the overwhelming difference in power. I think that we must not make enemies out of Japan.」

「As expected, you have the same conclusion……  In front of that combat metal dragon, wyvern’s sky combat tactic won’t be useful. Tomorrow we will depart to the capital. Japan is really bad for my heart.」

「I am also frightened by it, but on the other hand, I also get thrilled. For a country like this suddenly appeared close to us, furthermore, it possesses a civilization higher than even the Civilized Land that looked down on others. And our country is the first country they made contact with…… If they don’t have any hegemonic ambition, then this is a fortunate boon for us.」

Yagou and Hanki continued their conversation until late at night.

✦✧✦✧✦

The next day,

Central Calendar Year 1639, Month 2, Day 7.

It was a cool morning, The cloud was high and the sky was clear, and the visibility was good.

Since the air pollutant PM 2.5 drifting from China had disappeared too, the sky of Japan became clearer as days passed.[4] One man wearing a stylish clothing ── the so-called suits ── was standing in the lobby, waiting for the delegation members.

「Good morning, everyone. Do you have a good sleep last night?」

Tanaka greeted the gathered delegation members.

「For today’s schedule. After the breakfast, there will be an explanation about the event in Tokyo at 10 o’clock, then we will then depart the Hotel at 11.30. At 12 o’clock, we will board the Tokyo-bound Shinkansen that depart from Hakata. Then at 17.04 we will arrive at Tokyo Station, afterward……」

While listening to the explanation, one thing that Yagou had sensed every day since his arrival in Japan was that they have a clear concept of time passage.

Every member of the delegation was given a delicate machinery called a wristwatch.

It could mark the passage of time in second and also could be easily carried around, then for the military, it might be possible to perform a simultaneous attack without any time difference. In the context of its effective military application, it was amazing. What was even more astonishing, the distributed watch is called an 「elektrik solar watch」,  as long as there is a light, it could continue move, and as long as it was in Japan, the time calculation error will be only 1 second in 100,000 years.

He didn’t know how to explain it since he didn’t understand the construction of the watch itself.

Instead of asking that, Yagou has one question about the time.

「Tanaka-dono, I had heard that the distance between Hakata and Tokyo is more than 1000 km…… But I had heard the explanation that the vehicle that is called Shinkansen that we will board today is a vehicle that travel in a great speed over the land.」

「That’s correct. Is there something that makes you concerned?」

「That we will arrive at 17:04, what does this means? Could you accurately calculate it even to the minutes?」

「Yes. Unless for a disaster or accident, it will punctually arrive on time.」

(…… It seems that Japan really can’t be measured with our common sense.)

「I understand. Thank you ver-……」

*screech*────*shhhh* ──*blam*.

There was a sound of objects colliding.

Yagou looked at the outside and saw a woman collapsed with blood leaking from her head and one strange yellow vehicle stopped beside her.

「So it’s yet another taxi accident?」

Tanaka spat out.

It was something that could be said often happened in Fukuoka’s downtown, an accident involving a Taxi.

The accident victim woman collapsed on the ground feebly.

「Not good! She needs immediate treatment‼」

Yagou ran outside.

「Please wait, Yagou-dono. The ambulance will soon ──」

Yagou eluded Tanaka attempted to stop him and ran outside the hotel to approach the collapsed woman.

From Tanaka’s point of view, a member of foreign diplomatic mission like Yagou wouldn’t be able to treat an injured person. He followed Yagou and ran towards the accident location.

A crowd already formed in the surrounding, but Yagou pushed his way through the people and looked at the injured woman.

The woman hung her head down and from the wound opened in her head, blood vehemently flowed at each passing heartbeat.

「This is bad …… 『وزرةفشهلاشوخزولاوشكصسخث٤هلشةخهسثخ』……」

Yagou started to chant something and his right hand over the woman’s head began to shed a pale light.

「──‼! Th-……the wound is‼」

The wound in the woman’s head immediately closing.

「Am-……amazing‼ Do you see!? That thing just now‼」

Someone amongst the crowd yelled.

「Look‼ That man chanted something and the wound is closing‼」

「Un-…… Unbelievable. It’s like a magic‼」

After the woman’s wound finished to be closed, Yagou tilted his head at the expression of the surrounding people.

「? Certainly, it’s magic, but is there something wrong?」

「「「Oooooooooooooooo」」」

The people made a commotion at his nonchalant answer.

The confused Yagou was engulfed in that clamor.

☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽

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Next part. The final prologue!

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[1] JASDF’s aerobatic demonstration team https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Impulse

[2] Speed of sound is 1234.8 km/hour. Mach 2.5 is 3087 km/hour.

[3] I propose: Satoued.

[4] PM 2.5 is fine particulate matter means particulate smaller than 2.5 micrometer. It was the main cause of haze in many polluted air over cities. The air pollution in North China is so bad that it was the landmark of China as seen from the space. And some of the PM 2.5 are then blown by the wind to the east and affect Korea and Japan, that even at times made cities in both countries to issue air pollution warning. Both countries are really not amused by this.

If you are interested in this matter please read:

PM 2.5 FAQ from NY State DoH: https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/indoors/air/pmq_a.htm

The effect of long term exposure of PM 2.5 studies in European countries: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3898420/

So in case of haze, wear face mask, alright?