Side: Taizou Motome
"Thank goodness. Truly... I'm glad..."
I stood before the young men, tears streaming pathetically down my face.
To think that I, who hadn't shed a single tear even at the moment of my own death, would break down over something like this.
...Ah, right. My older brother once told me, "A man should never show tears when times are hard. Save them for when you're happy."
Yes, right now, I am crying out of sheer joy.
Among the envoys were young boys who were fellow Japanese, just like me.
And those boys claimed—of all things—to have come from a Japan more than 60 years in the future.
I had no reason to doubt them, so I asked them a single question. I asked if our research—no, if the achievements created by my mentors—still remained in their time.
...I hadn't expected much.
There were geniuses in this world who seemed to exist far above ordinary people, such as Albert Einstein-dono. So I couldn't help wondering whether our research achievements might be insignificant by comparison. That was how vast the world was.
Yet, contrary to my expectations, the answer they gave went far beyond anything I could have imagined.
The Yagi-Uda Antenna.
In their future, that name lived on not just in Japan, but across the entire world.
They were remembered as great figures who laid the very foundations for communications, antennas, and radar.
Hearing that, I was so overwhelmed with joy that I broke down in tears.
Thank goodness... Thank goodness!
My mentors' research had been recognized and recorded not just in Japan, but all around the globe.
For a researcher, there could be no greater honor.
"U-Um, Motome-san... Are you alright?"
Eoid-kun, unable to follow the conversation, was looking at me with concern.
Dear me, this won't do.
A grown man weeping in front of youngsters younger than himself.
I've made him worry.
"My apologies. I'm fine. If you were listening, you probably understand, but I was simply so happy to learn that my mentors had received proper recognition. I forgot my age for a moment and ended up crying."
"They must have been truly wonderful people."
"Indeed... My mentors are my pride and joy. Studying under them is an irreplaceable treasure that I value above all else."
Yes, and I must also express my gratitude to my older brother, who sent me onto that stage...
...Hm?
Something is lingering in my mind.
"..."
"Is something wrong?"
Taiki-kun spoke up as I fell silent.
...There was something vaguely familiar about Taiki-kun's face.
"It couldn't be... I apologize, but there is something I would like to ask you, Taiki-kun."
"Yes. What is it?"
"Does the name Taichi Motome ring any bells?"
"...No. I don't recognize it."
"I see. You seemed to resemble my brother when he was young, but perhaps it's simply a case of mistaken resemblance."
"That seems likely, doesn't it?"
The two of us reached that conclusion, but then Yuki-kun cut into the conversation.
"It doesn't necessarily have to be Motome-san's older brother. I've heard that children of siblings sometimes resemble one of their parents' siblings rather than their own parents."
"Ah, something like reverting to an ancestor's appearance. I also had a younger sister. Her name was Seiko Motome. She married into the Azuma family and took the surname Azuma."
"Ah, I recognize the surname Azuma!!"
"Is that true!?"
"My mother—that was her maiden name. But I don't recognize the name Seiko. My mother's name is Tomoko."
"Hold on a moment. You said you came from nearly 60 years into the future, correct? In that case, generationally speaking, my sister's child could be your grandmother or great-grandmother. Do you know your maternal grandmother's name?"
"Umm, give me a second..."
Taiki-kun fell into thought for a moment.
I suppose it can't be helped; even I only vaguely remember my own grandmother's name. To a child, whether on the father's or mother's side, they are simply "grandpa" or "grandma."
Things might be different in high-ranking families, but we were born as commoners. Without stressing over formal names, "grandpa" and "grandma" get the point across well enough.
"I remembered. I'm pretty sure my grandma's name was Yoshiko."
"Yoshiko... Yoshiko!! I recognize that name too! That was the name of the eldest daughter born after my sister married into the Azuma family!!"
"T-Then that means..."
"No, let us calm down for a moment. This alone could still be a coincidence. Let us confirm your place of origin."
Indeed, it would be embarrassing to get this far only to find out it was a fluke and we just happened to share a name.
That is why we must proceed logically and thoroughly.
"Um, my mom was born in Kumamoto."
"Kumamoto!! Alright, this is the final question. Did any of your grandmother's brothers or relatives run a martial arts dojo?"
"Yes! They did. Jigen-ryu Satsuma style, the Azuma main branch, or something like that..."
"There is no mistake! Taiki-kun, you are a distant relative of mine!! I myself was taught the Jigen-ryu style by the Azuma family, where my sister married into!"
"Does that mean... you're my grandpa!?"
"Well, I wonder about that. We are extremely distant relatives, after all. Besides, my own physical age is still 38. I feel a bit of resistance to being called 'grandpa.'"
We both felt a strange, awkward sensation.
It was certainly wonderful to find a blood relative However, the age difference made us feel more like a uncle and a cousin's son.
What would be the proper way to address each other?
"There's no need to force yourselves to decide on a form of address that strictly follows the family relationship. Why not just use whatever you're both comfortable with?"
Yuki-kun offered that suggestion as we sat there pondering.
"Indeed. In that case, I shall simply call you Taiki-kun."
"Then is it alright if I call you Taizou-san?"
"Yes, that sounds good. 'Motome-san' feels a bit too distant now. Still, the same goes for Yuki-kun as well, but it is truly impressive that you both managed to survive in this world. In my case, I was summoned directly by Her Holiness the Holy Maiden Hify, the leader of this Holy Nation, so I faced few issues. But outside, there are countless monsters, demons, and maneating beasts roaming about. Were you two also summoned by some prominent figures?"
"I was summoned as a Hero to a kingdom on the decline."
"It was pretty much the same for me."
"I see. So it is a similar story everywhere. Still, assuming there are no other Earthlings left stranded in the wilderness would be naive."
"That's true. Japan even has the term 'kamikakushi', after all. In reality, there may have been people who were summoned to other worlds."
As Yuki-kun said, kamikakushi—"spirited away"—didn't necessarily mean being taken to another world, but in a sense, it was only natural to think that some people might have been summoned to other worlds.
Thinking that the three of us were the first people ever to be transported was simply convenient thinking—just wishful thinking.
"Now then, I got a bit carried away with excitement, but shall we move on to the main topic? We can catch up on old times after this matter is resolved."
"Yes."
"Right."
We had veered off course quite a bit, but my main objective was not to reminisce about our homeland.
I wanted to do something about the situation that was about to unfold—a war in which people from my homeland were involved, and they were young men at that. One of them was even a distant blood relative who was now standing on the opposing side.
"First, the reason I invited you here, as I mentioned at the start, was to confirm if you were indeed fellow Japanese from Earth. That has now been confirmed. Without a doubt, you two are Japanese. And as you are here as envoys, you likely understand that the Holy Nation of Hiffy is about to declare war on the surrounding nations. To put it plainly, a war—though on a smaller scale—that will embroil this entire continent is about to break out."
"Um, why did things turn into starting a war like this?"
"Who can say? I suspect my being summoned was the trigger, but I cannot say I truly understand the inner motives. Let's leave it at that. It is not my place to speak on it."
"Understood. We'll ask Saintess Hiffy-dono directly about her true motives... But what do you mean by you being the trigger, Motome-san?"
Yuki-kun and Taiki-kun looked at me with sharp eyes.
I only heard a brief summary, but it seems Japan went through unconditional surrender following that World War, with some advocating for demilitarized neutrality.
Furthermore, they apparently haven't engaged in war for 60 years. They must have suffered a truly catastrophic defeat... Perhaps, for example, a high-yield, wide-area bomb had been developed afterward and dropped on Japan...
For people who had experienced that, war must be something to be abhorred.
I, too, believe it is best if war does not happen... However, the situation here is different.
"The development of firearms that I provided has finally gotten on track. That... was likely the trigger for Hiffy-dono to take up arms against the major powers."
In truth, there is also the Holy Sword crafted by Comet-dono, but I can hardly speak of that, nor would they be able to comprehend it.
Not only was the concept of a Dungeon Master unknown here, even dungeons themselves were called ruins on this continent.
"May I ask... why?"
"Ah. I was summoned right on the verge of death and narrowly escaped it. At first, I simply intended to repay the favor. You know, don't you? Just how low the level of civilization is in this world."
"Yes."
"That is why I thought I should spread the knowledge I possessed—whatever was safe to share—so that people's lives might improve even a little, and so they could live in safety. Conveniently, I was connected to the nation's leader, so funding was never an issue. As for the knowledge itself, what my mentors had hammered into me almost as play proved invaluable."
"In that case, isn't the current situation different from what you wanted, Motome-san?"
"...Not necessarily."
"What do you mean?"
"Every era has its turning points. I believed that now is one of those times. The civilization of this world remains at the level of royal authority—feudalism, absolute monarchy. However, the one attempting to raise the flag of rebellion against that system is Lady Hify. She is likely attempting to use the pseudo-Industrial Revolution I sparked as a stepping stone to trigger a citizen's revolution."
"So you believe this will bring the era into its next stage, Taizou-san?"
"Indeed. Much blood will undoubtedly be shed in this war, but I believe that by overcoming it, we can finally move on to the next stage. No matter how much we might preach democracy from our homeland—though during the war it certainly looked like militarism, it was technically a constitutional monarchy—no one here would listen if we simply spoke of it, nor would the reigning royals and nobles accept it. To them, it would be akin to the collapse of the Edo Shogunate in Japan. Conflicts that arise during such shifts in eras can never be resolved through mere words. History itself proves this."
"So that's why you developed and provided weapons such as firearms?"
"Yes. It is true that much blood was spilled in our world. But here, the modern weaponry I introduced exists. By utilizing it, we can suppress the enemy all at once."
"So rather than waiting for a citizen's revolution to naturally happen in this world someday, you think sparking it now will actually result in less bloodshed?"
"Precisely. However, I do not naively expect everything to go smoothly. If the rulers under feudalism and monarchy are capable, the populace can live peacefully. I do not believe every single king leading the current nations is a fool. And that brings us to the next issue."
"The next issue? Isn't advancing the era your goal?"
Indeed, this is ultimately meant to address the problem that lies beyond.
"What we have to consider is what would happen if, by some misfortune, a permanent connection with Earth were established. If that happened, what would people from Earth think when they saw a place with a low level of civilization, yet filled with unusual creatures and resources, as well as magic and unique technologies?"
"If it's Japan, wouldn't they simply establish friendly relations?"
"...Taiki-kun. That is far too optimistic."
Yuki-kun seemed to realize the gravity of this matter.
"Just as Yuki-kun says, you are being a bit too optimistic, Taiki-kun. Well, if we are fortunate enough to connect solely with Japan, that might be fine. However, if we connect with other nations—countries driven by militarism or expansionism—this continent, no, this entire world would be subjugated in the blink of an eye."
"!"
"It is true that powerful monsters and magic exist, but they are only a tiny fraction. Regrettably, there is no comprehensive knowledge or power in this otherworldly civilization that surpasses Earth's technology. And even in Japan, if a connection were made, they would likely try to sweet-talk their way into researching resources and biological specimens. To our world, this place is a treasure trove. Furthermore, negotiations only hold meaning when both sides possess equal power. In the worst case, a Third World War could break out over this world's resources."
"...So that's why you wanted to advance the civilization of this continent, even if only a little?"
"Yes. At this rate, even the Holy Nation of Hify, where I currently reside, would be treated as a vassal state or colony under the guise of an ally. The same goes for the nations that summoned you two. We have already given them a justification to invade. We were kidnapped, abducted. That alone is more than enough reason to march in as an enemy state. It doesn't even have to be our homeland of Japan. Other nations would trample this world under the pretext of 'protecting' us Japanese or Earthlings. After all, the civilization level here is low. They cannot even keep proper records. They could simply keep those who are convenient to use and slaughter the rest."
A short silence fell over the room.
Yuki-kun understood completely, while Taiki-kun understood intellectually but seemed unable to fully accept it.
How young. Yet that is the reality of the world.
"We cannot simply leave this to someone else. If this is something that will eventually happen, and there is even the slightest possibility of it happening, then I will push things forward with my own hands now. I am prepared to bear the disgrace and everything else that comes with it. So that the people who come after us can live peacefully. Although, ironically, our greatest enemy may be the people of Earth—our own fellow human beings."
It is indeed ironic, but precisely because of that threat, we Earthlings possess the power to not only fight adequately against this extraordinary world, but to completely overwhelm it.
"Therefore, I unfortunately have no intention of stopping this war. That is why turning against you two, who came here as envoys from my homeland, would be a loss for us as well. Especially considering we have blood relations here. So, let me make a proposal. Won't you come over to my side—to the Holy Nation of Hiffy? Naturally, we will welcome those you consider family as well. What do you say?"
Yes—in order to avoid the worst possible future, even by a small margin, I need allies who know that world.
As things stood now, even with the technology of my era, this world would be swept aside like mere insects. And I could hardly imagine this world being able to resist Earth's military power from an even more advanced future.
I am a proud man of Yamato, a warrior of Satsuma; I cannot return kindness with betrayal.
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