Nihonkoku Shoukan. Volume 1. Prologue Part 8.

Translator Corner

Minasan Oidemasu! This is Yukkuri demasu!

The last part of the prologue.

In case you wondering… All the prologue is a complete rewrite of Chapter 1 WN. Yeah. You read it correctly. We even haven’t reach Chapter 2 WN.

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

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Part 8

Inside the Tokaido-Sanyou Shinkansen.

「Goodness gracious, I’m surprised. It had been mentioned in the report, but to actually see magic with my own eyes…… How amazing.」

Tanaka was praising without minding the surrounding listener.

「Does healing type magic unusual in Japan?」

Yagou didn’t feel bad being praised like this. Since his side was the one received surprise until now, to cause the Japanese side surprised for the first time made his heart wanted to boast about it a bit.

「Yes, not only healing magic, but magic itself doesn’t exist in Japan.」

「「「EH!?」」」

At Tanaka’s simple answer, the delegation members were shouting out from astonishment.

Hanki asked out.

「H-……However, if the communication between the aircraft and the ground is not communication magic, then how could it be done?」

「That is using the radio wave. The principle is the same with the wristwatch that had been distributed to everyone. ……Hmm, how should I explain this? Just like what I had said before, every technology in Japan is based on science.」

「Everything…… Even that cold air filled refrigerator too?」

「Yes. In our previous world, in order to pursue the cause of every phenomenon, we have developed many fields of science. A radio wave is something developed from physics, the study of the cause of everything, while the refrigerator is developed from chemistry, the study of the 『change』 of matter. Japan freely uses these technologies to improve the nation.」

The concept of science that Qua-Toyne didn’t have. It was the moment where the members of the delegation got their hand on a state-secret level of information.

If magic didn’t exist in Japan, then the magic technology that is studied in Qua-Toyne Principality could be presented as a negotiation issue.

Healing magic’s forte is in temporarily recovering wound.

For example, if they proposed simple surgery magic, then it might be possible to establish a clinic that could immediately cure small wounds or stiff shoulder and there should be a demand for emergency use like the one in the accident not long ago. If there are unsolved diseases in Japan, then they could also propose to research it together.

If they open a magic academy and provide the teacher, they could increase employment and even obtain foreign currency. On the other hand, there also could offer a term to import Japan’s education system into Qua-Toyne Principality. If the children could obtain knowledgeability using Japanese way of learning, then it would be heaven-sent.

Be that as it may.

It was a significant discovery that Japan relied only on the knowledge of science.

In this world, to be able to gather a large number of magicians would be advantageous in a war and so magicians had a strategic importance.  However, there was the question of the development and personnel of the magitech research, also the difference in the individual qualities, which presented a major challenge in establishing a large division of magician that is uniformly powerful in the first place.

Compared to that, as long as someone knew the basic of the science, then anyone could easily become a powerful soldier. In other words, it was possible for even Qua-Toyne Principality’s citizen to do so.

「Tanaka-dono. Is it possible to export science like physics or chemistry?」

Tanaka already had expected that question.

「Several days ago, our country has enforced a law called New World Technology Dissemination Prohibition Law. It is prohibited to export core technology, so we can’t particularly give out their content. However, if it’s only fundamental science knowledge then it is sold as textbooks or the likes at any bookstore. However…… Since the translation studies hadn’t made any progress, so I believe it will be difficult to translate into your language.」

From the Japanese point of view, there were many mysterious things in this world.

Especially the origin of the language-related “even when speech is understandable, the written letters becomes different language and grammar” phenomena. Japan had begun a study to translate the materials that had been brought back from Qua-Toyne Principality from the first meeting, but Japan’s information about this world was still too scarce and the materials amount was too few that it was an extremely difficult ordeal.

Yagou interpreted Tanaka word that it was sold in bookstores as 「We won’t mind to give out if it’s just fundamental knowledge」, so he decided to bring back chemistry or physics books as much as possible for the time being.

「Nevertheless, Hanki-sama, Shinkansen is fast right?」

「You’re right. Even though it’s traveling at such speed, the inside doesn’t sway at all, the seat is also pleasant and comfortable. However, in a speed like this, an accident will be scary……」

「Since Shinkansen opening, there are no passengers dying from an accident. They say it’s the safest vehicle in Japan.」

「Hmm…… I’ll believe in that. But even after hearing it, I’m still uneasy.」

While the 5 people board it with uneasiness in their heart, today too was yet another safe travel for the Shinkansen.

✦✧✦✧✦

From Yagou’s Diary

After passing several large cities, the Shinkansen we boarded arrived at Japan’s capital city, Tokyo.

The provincial cities that we passed midway are even more developed and greatly surpass the capital of the major countries that crowds the Civilized Lands, but Tokyo is on a different dimension. Just about anything moves punctually, the number of the population is huge, and the height of the highrise buildings are as if to pierce the heaven.

There even a structure that surpassed the famous Eijei Mountain (539 meters above sea level) of my country.[1]

For myself, as a member of the diplomatic mission that is dispatched to a country that could build these huge buildings, I am looking forward to the working-level meeting tomorrow.

For my country’s national interest, I will work to the best of my abilities.

It’s a heavy responsibility, but it’s fortunate to be present in a history-making moment like this.

✦✧✦✧✦

The next day,

Central Calendar Year 1639, Month 2, Day 8.

Qua-Toyne Working Level Meeting

The conference had begun.

One slender bespectacled man began to address the diplomatic mission delegation from Qua-Toyne Principality.

「I am Himura from Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Let me talk straight to the heart of the matter at hand. Right now we desire food. The list of needed items are──」

Though the Japanese had prepared documents that described various necessary food items, they already received the report that written materials won’t be understandable for the other party, so Himura was reading the document and described each of the items orally, which contents made the delegation members looked at each other.

「Th-…… The one-year aggregate amount is about 55 million tonne[2]!?」

「I am told that your country is a prosperous agricultural country. The food self-sufficiency rate even surpass 100%. Even so, we never think that your country alone could fulfill this requested amount, but we want to know how much that your country could potentially provide. Of course, we won’t ask for an immediate reply. However, we don’t have much time, so we honestly want to know as fast as possible.」

Yagou wrote the amount of item that Himura had cited with his own country’s script in the document on his hand. While looking at it and furrowing his brow, he began to speak.

「Fishery products are difficult and I don’t really know about this 『coffee bean』. Other than that, I believe we could provide the other requested items if it is just in this amount.」

「What do you say!?」

「Other than coffee beans it’s possible, just how high the production output……」

The Japanese foreign affairs officials were in astir. Honestly speaking, the request included items that need to be imported from several countries, but for a single country be able to provide them all…… It wasn’t strange that they were surprised.

「Of course, after this is permitted by our country. Just……」

「Just?」

「Our country doesn’t possess the means of transportation for this amount to your country. There are large farmland regions inland, but we don’t have the manpower and the budget to transport it to the harbors. Even if we have transported it to the harbor, we also lack manpower to load the food. Above all, we lack ships.」

「Then it decided, if you earn the approval from the Qua-Toyne Principality, then can you export the food right now?」

「I think it’s possible.」

By some chance, a possibility to avoid a food crisis in Japan had come to their sight.

The Japanese delegation sat back and a white-haired bespectacled dandy man began to talk.

「I am Maejima from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If Qua-Toyne Principality doesn’t mind then we will improve harbor facilities and build infrastructure, a means of transportation in other words, towards the farmland region within Qua-Toyne. Our country to provide capital under the pretext of Official Development Assistant to establish the railway network and so it’s possible for our country to construct it directly. What do you think about this proposal?」

「!?」

This time it was the turn for the Qua-Toyne Delegation to be astir. For Qua-Toyne Principality where water and food were almost close to free, the country could be enriched just by exporting it and, in addition, they even would receive harbor and railway.

Is there any more favorable term than this?

They also negotiated for several other items, and while discussing the future preparation for both party sealing the deal, the conference finished favorably.

✦✧✦✧✦

Ten days later,

Central Calendar Year 1639, Month 2, Day 18.

Qua-Toyne Principality and Japan had agreed on these points.

·         Qua-Toyne Principality will export the food needed by Japan.

·         Japan will expand Port Maihark in Qua-Toyne Principality and establish transportation infrastructure from Maihark to the farmland regions using Japan’s capital.

·         Japan and Qua-Toyne Principality will continue to discuss with each other toward establishing a diplomatic relationship.

·         An exchange rate will immediately put in place.

·         As the compensation for Japan’s bulk-purchase of food from Qua-Toyne Principality, for a period of one year, Japan will establish essential infrastructure (water service, electricity, gas service) within Qua-Toyne Principality.

·         Afterward, the food will be purchased according to the exchange rate

·         Japan will continue for a conference with Qua-Toyne Principality to discuss the signing of a non-aggression treaty.

Japan and Qua-Toyne Principality were able to establish a favorable relationship. This inseparable friendly relationship that they will create in the future became a ship where both nations shared a common fate. A ship that challenge the violent torrent of this world.

☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽☾☽

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Next chapter:

Why it’s a bad idea to bully Qua-Toyne-chan? Because Nipon-oneesama will get angry.

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[1] Tokyo Skytree is 634 meter high.

[2] Metric ton. 1000 kg. You know I don’t count things in Imperial right?