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With that, the Prime Minister’s command set the military in motion.

Self-Defense Force.

Ironically, despite the name suggesting a purpose of protection, they were actively mobilizing with the clear intent to attack others.

The sound of military boots echoed with a lively rhythm against the ground, filled with the excitement of the battlefield to come, while supplies, which had long been stuck in the warehouse, were being hauled out with the aid of machines. Bombs and missiles were being loaded onto ships, now seeming to have no intention of hiding, and military vehicles and buses were constantly moving in the harbor, ferrying people back and forth.

People.

People.

People.

Soldiers in military uniforms.

Warriors in civilian clothes with cold weapons.

Wizards sporting new battle armor recently brought in from the Japanese Magic Equipment Research Institute.

And Onmyoji in traditional costumes that looked like they jumped right out of a TV show.

They moved as if they were one with the soldiers, each boarding their assigned vessels.

And when everyone was finally on board…

The fleet set sail.

Destination: Takeshima.

Takeshima.

* * *

It was said that a destroyer is like a castle upon the sea.

So how could one describe numerous castles marching together?

A march of castles?

Or perhaps a march of dinosaurs?

Well…

Words would never fully capture the essence of it.

The sight of gigantic ships moving in formation was pure violence, inducing a feeling of dread akin to a natural disaster.

This fleet, like a calamity, entered the waters of the Republic of Korea.

The ships sliced through the waves as if they feared nothing, advancing with ironclad armor as confidently as ancient cavalry on horseback or soldiers from imperial times maneuvering their tanks across the plains.

Witnessing this, the Republic of Korea went into a frenzy.

“Oh, you have invaded the territorial waters of Korea. Let me repeat: you have invaded the territorial waters of Korea, and you are to immediately change your course. Otherwise, we will respond firmly.”

The Korean Navy sent a warning to the Japanese fleet barreling into Korean waters and, at the same time, shouted for an emergency alert to deploy more ships to the area. Despite their calm facade, confusion was evident, yet this bewilderment revealed a thicker layer beneath it.

Fear.

Concerns and anxieties about what would happen if war broke out.

As they warned the invading fleet, soldiers were riddled with thoughts of what to do if the fleet had intentionally crossed into their waters. As a result, their attitude, while professing a “firm response,” was more akin to hesitance, closely watching the movements of the Japanese fleet.

Such indecision continued until the Japanese fleet ignored their warnings and pressed onward.

By that point, the Korean Navy realized something was amiss.

They understood that the fleet had not made a mistake but rather had a clear intent to invade their territorial waters, and they had seen that the ships were heavily armed.

However, despite this realization, the Navy did not attack the Japanese fleet.

Because orders had not been given.

Attacking without orders would place all responsibility for any ensuing consequences on themselves.

Thus, the Japanese fleet crossed through Korea’s territorial waters surprisingly easily, facing no resistance as they docked at Dokdo.

“…Is it really this easy to pass through?”

And along with this realization, the resolve of the Maritime Self-Defense Force members, who had prepared themselves for a naval battle in case of an attack from the Korean Navy, deflated like a popped balloon.

But well… is it not better for everyone to be safe and sound?

No one was injured or dead, the ships bore no marks, and not a single item in transit was used.

All things considered, was it not the best possible outcome?

Thus, the Japanese fleet, with their massive destroyers, successfully encircled Dokdo, establishing their presence around it like a fortress.

So absurdly easily, too.

And astonishingly, this scene was captured on video by a journalist’s camera.

* * *

“One, two, three! Tip-tap-toe! Tip-tip, rap-tip-toe. Binding the cloth to a stick, taking a cheerful step one, two! As I hum a tune and step one, two, the ancient tree that was far away comes into view! The village that was distant is right next to me! Thus joyfully, I set off on my journey. With a fairy by my side, the path that should be boring becomes this fun! Oh, fairy, as you offer companionship, let me ask you one question without moving those cute little nostrils: How can your eyes see so many places at once?”

Lee Jae-soon, with disheveled hair and beard like a homeless man, stared with vacant eyes, clutching his tattered shoes like a treasure.

“Long-lost descendant, you who are not the youngest and yet bear the name Hans, whether you be the eldest or second-born, nonetheless you are my distant kin, Suin. How can you ask such a foolish question when you wear my shoes? Even when I saw the many legs of a worm devoured and gone by a fox, or when I watched a crow, once following a goddess, captured by the hand of a hero—I’ve never seen a fool like you who only chases after drink!”

Lee Jae-soon muttered to himself like a madman.

The sight was one that would instinctively cause others to shy away, utterly bizarre, leaving onlookers with an urge to pull out their phones and call a mental hospital.

“Oh, you who treads the path of creating the finest shoes, my esteemed ancestor! Even in my humbleness, bearing the blood of the divine, please share your wisdom! As I embark on this long journey, is it not permissible to indulge in trivial questions? After all, the more ridiculous the accompaniment, the better the taste of the drink! Asking such trivialities of you, dear ancestor, is not due to my foolishness but to enhance the flavor of the drink—a frothy beer reminiscent of the horse that tilled the fields with stale, brown water! Or a glass of wine reminiscent of what the Fomóraiġ spewed forth when stabbed by a hero’s arm! And a drink made from the milk of beasts crafted by savages! Ah, the taste is exquisite!”

His tone shifting back and forth!

So grotesque was his demeanor!

One barely able to act it out on a theater stage without it appearing utterly bizarre.

But now, Lee Jae-soon was performing this act in the rest area of a news agency.

Where people were passing by and coming in all the time!

“Listen well, you foolish drunkard, let me tell you, open your ears and listen. Fairies have three eyes; two are worn as usual, and one is kept in reserve. That one can be placed over treasures or, with a flick of magic, can make the sky float! This eye darts through the sky, surveying the world to see what happens, hunting the wicked who prey on fairies and spotting any main enemies daring to touch the blood of the divine!”

“Oh, ancestor! But what happens if a passing bird swallows your eye whole? That bird, without drink, uses your eye as an appetizer, isn’t that a dreadful fate?”

“Hah! You silly descendant who knows one thing but not another. That fairy’s eye moves faster than a grasshopper leaping over a hat and can hide itself better than the deities in the neighborhood putting on their helmets! This is the power of the divine and the strength that once ruled Erin!”

Yet Lee Jae-soon paid no mind, continuing his one-man show.

Shifting between the drunken fool and a strangely authoritative old man.

“Then I humbly request that what your eye sees be my drinking companion! If that were the case, this descendant would certainly delight in the flavor of the drink. And ancestor, wouldn’t that alleviate your boredom as well?”

“Hmm, fine. If I don’t show you, you’ll keep drinking until you bang your head on the pavement while sleeping. To avoid witnessing such a sight, I’ll show you.”

As soon as he said this, Lee Jae-soon’s eyes popped open, and his expression turned expressionless.

In an instant, that expression changed, imbued with a strange madness.

Lee Jae-soon gripped his precious shoes tightly in one hand, lifting them high as he smashed them down onto the tablet resting on the table.

Smash!

The worn-out shoe made a deafening noise as if ready to shatter the tablet.

And the tablet, which had been sitting quietly, suddenly started to rapidly turn off and on, producing strange noises like it was in pain, and eventually formed a corrupted file with broken text and icons within it.

Hehe.

Lee Jae-soon, viewing the file, donned a grin too bizarre to conceive by human handiwork and clicked on the file with his finger.

Click-click-clack.

As the file opened, a video began to play amidst a cacophony of noise.

The footage, reminiscent of something from the old Japanese Empire, displayed fleets adorned with flags moving undeterred.

Beside them, Korean ships raced toward them but dared not approach, only managing to keep their distance as they were thoroughly recorded.

“Heh, an exclusive story.”

Ecstatic, Lee Jae-soon muttered to himself, packed up the tablet, and headed out of the break room.

“Oh?”

As he exited, he came face to face with a fellow colleague with whom he had a strangely poor relationship.

Had he been eavesdropping on Lee Jae-soon’s one-man act in the break room? His expression was one of distaste.

Seeing this, Lee Jae-soon grinned widely.

“Heard me, did you?”

A grin more ghostly than human.

An instinctive revulsion radiated from that smile.

The colleague took an involuntary step back.

Lee Jae-soon found the reaction amusing and scoffed, turning away.

“Hehehe, so timid… Can you capture this exclusive story, then?”

He mocked his colleague as he moved forward.

Each step packed with madness.

All in pursuit of delivering this colossal exclusive!

 

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