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The Deputy Director and Head of Department had no choice but to be astonished upon hearing the PD’s report.

“Why is this here?”

It was because a name they couldn’t have imagined had come up in the report.

“What is this…?”

They had simply anticipated a strong ripple effect, but it turned out to be nothing less than a bomb.

What kind of feeling should one call this?

Isn’t it like when a child suddenly runs towards you with a hand grenade or a mine, claiming it’s a wonderful thing?

The Deputy Director and Head of Department couldn’t help but swallow their silence.

“This is too much…”

“Yes. It’s far beyond excessive…”

Indeed.

It was true that they had expectations.

After all, it was a matter that the government had directly requested, and it was a topic that would surely garner high viewership ratings.

On top of that, there were no ordinary individuals involved in this matter.

High-ranking officials and shamans…

So, they had resolved to pay special attention to it and put it on air properly.

Even if they heard voices of concern from others, they were prepared to brush those aside and go ahead with the broadcast.

But…

This was more than a level of concern.

Anyone could see that this was a problematic issue.

“It’s out of our hands. It’s too big for us to handle.”

Even if the Broadcasting Station President risked his neck, it was questionable whether he could take full responsibility.

A bomb that could escalate into an international issue.

“Let’s contact those government officials.”

Thus, the Broadcasting Station decided to deal with this mine in a straightforward manner.

Isn’t it a virtue to share the bomb that felt like it was about to explode with others?

* * *

The bomb moved.

From soldier to PD.

From PD to broadcasting station.

And, from broadcasting station to government.

Naturally, the government that found itself suddenly holding the bomb was in turmoil.

“What the hell is this?”

“The Emperor? Why is this scarecrow’s name popping up here?”

They had already suspected some connection to Japan.

After all, Japan had a tendency to be obsessed with magic.

It almost seemed like the entire country was suffering from mental illness.

Is that country leaking the magic to summon and control Japanese yokai to other nations?

That was highly unlikely.

That’s why they believed that Japan must have been involved in this nationwide commotion.

Whether it was Japan of the past or present.

Thus, they were quietly waiting for “evidence” to pop up.

It could be a very effective weapon for Japan, which was fixated on its image of “Japan in the world.”

And just as they hoped, evidence appeared.

It showed up, but…

“All we figured was that right-wing groups or, at worst, an intelligence agency might be behind this…”

“This is a bit…”

It was far too overwhelming evidence.

So much so that it was something they were reluctant to use.

“If this is made public, it could serve as a justification for war.”

Nationwide.

An incident where Japanese yokai appeared from the mountains across the Republic of Korea.

“Something like this was found on the mountain where the monster popped up? Thank goodness there are no casualties or property damage, but if even a bit of that happened, it would be grounds for war!”

“No, it’s already enough grounds for war. Isn’t this obviously a terrorist act? A terrorism that was instigated by the government, no less.”

Fortunately, there were no damages, but that was all.

Could they just forget about the bomb bags spread throughout the nation being retrieved before they exploded?

The same goes for this situation.

It was only after the capable individuals and military stepped in that they were able to suppress it.

If the yokai that emerged nationwide had come down from the mountains to kill people, there would have been significant casualties.

And if it had gone to important facilities like power plants, research institutes, or steel mills, damage would have been inevitable.

It wouldn’t have been strange to attach the term terrorism rather than a mild word like “disturbance.”

But then, a piece of silk with phrases referring to the Emperor suddenly popped up?

This was not terrorism. It was a preemptive strike without a declaration of war, an act of attacking one nation by another.

Moreover, while the silk was a bit worn and some characters were barely legible, just the words written on it made the intent clear.

Emperor.

Grant.

Long Live.

Glory.

Vital Meridians.

Return.

It clearly looked like a divine object was granted by the Emperor to adversely affect Korea’s vital meridians and instructed to be installed and returned.

There was evidently an intention to harm Korea. In reality, the emergence of yokai caused a commotion, so it was correct that harm was done.

Once they investigated the silk and divine object to confirm which era they belonged to, diplomatic friction would arise, and Japan would end up compensating Korea.

Right…

Logically thinking…

It should end with compensation…

The problem lies in the fact that the nation of Japan won’t come out logically.

Magic.

Emperor.

Even one of these could send them into a frenzy.

Yet, both were overlapping.

“The divine object bestowed by the Emperor?”

They would likely be thrilled and go wild with excitement.

“Terrorism or whatever… I’m already having a headache thinking about what those Japanese will say when they see this…”

“What will they say? They’ll scream it’s fabricated and incitement.”

“On top of that, they’ll probably shout that Korea stole Japan’s cultural assets, effectively painting Korea as a thief…”

“Haha, cultural assets? If that’s the end of it, we’d be lucky. They could even claim it’s a national treasure.”

“Since the Emperor’s name is included, wouldn’t the Imperial Household Agency get involved?”

“The Imperial Household Agency? What’s problematic about them? Just because they have ‘Agency’ in their name doesn’t mean they have any real power.”

“Still, they can talk a lot.”

“That’s true…”

High-ranking officials were discussing the impact of the incident once it became public.

“This period of the incident is recent enough that it could realistically serve as grounds for war… They’d surely backtrack.”

“Haha, do you really think so? They know we can’t just indiscriminately move military forces because of the northern region. Plus, as soon as we mention the word war, foreign investors would flee due to war risks, and our national credit rating would drop. Then our economy would be in chaos, right? Haha, the folks in the Blue House would surely love that.”

“Don’t forget about America. The moment we even mention war, they’ll jump in and shout at us to stop.”

“And there’s no profit in going to war. What’s the benefit? It’s not the 19th or 20th century anymore; that era of invading other countries and extorting money is long gone. Even if we win, do you think those Japanese would continue to engage with us? Those little pests?”

“Cough.”

“Losing the vast Japanese market means we’d gain nothing. What good do we have? We won’t magically produce resources or an oversized population. How much do we export to Japan and how much do we import? All that would just vanish. It would deal a heavy blow to our economy.”

“This damned thing, really.”

The more they discussed, the more risks kept popping up.

Public anger calling for punishment, a multitude of problems brewing the moment war is mentioned, Japan flaunting their arrogance knowing full well Korea can’t realistically start a war, and the possibility of Japan distorting information worldwide with all sorts of lobbying and politics…

There was nothing beneficial about broadcasting this.

What, arrows flying at the government?

Issues in the next election?

Low approval ratings for the government?

Sure, those were important issues.

But… no matter how they thought about it, broadcasting a blame towards Japan looked to cause more harm than good.

Thus, they made their decision.

“…Let’s proceed cautiously.”

Simply put, the government would continue to take the blame while secretly negotiating with the Japanese government.

Since it was a country obsessed with magic and image, if they secretly handed over the divine object and silk, they could extract quite a bit of money and interests.

Of course, Japan had a strong tendency to be extremely averse to any of its flaws being exposed, so they wouldn’t gain excessively from it, but couldn’t they just find another excuse?

For the friendship between the two nations, Japan could invest in Korea…

Something like that.

The best, not the second best…

Still, it’s not a bad choice.

It was a safe option that could make most people happy.

* * *

The government’s choice was not wrong.

“Oh dear. I’ve brought very surprising news. As I was gazing at the sky enjoying the breeze, I spotted a crow that looked like it was about a 1 Alen (Alen) in size. Very clever, but it was one that loved money. Even when I tried to tempt him with well-crafted beer, he wouldn’t even glance my way.”

“Eight shillings on that crow, you say? You gave him silver coins?”

“After receiving the silver coins, that crow started flapping its wings in a ridiculous way and came over to prepare for a chat with me. So, I asked him if he knew any interesting stories in exchange for the silver coins. And wouldn’t you know it, that crow told me a truly astonishing tale!”

“Listen closely, my drinking buddy, Sundae! This story will knock your socks off!”

There were also things that were not human.

 

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