POV: A certain young CIA agent
“Still, what do you suppose is up with that guy?”
“Hm?”
While driving the car, I asked so to my senior who was sitting in the passenger seat.
Given that we were moving along the highway, we didn’t need to worry about being eavesdropped. Especially considering that this car was packed full of our nation’s latest developments to combat being bugged.
Japan being our ally was no reason for us to be careless. After all, this nation was akin to paradise for people in our line of work.
“I mean that provisional prime minister guy.”
“Ahh, that guy.”
The one in my mind was the provisional Prime Minister Arikawa Rurio.
He was what could be called someone who rode on the coattails of his family. His grandfather had been Chief Cabinet Secretary long ago. His father was a former prime minister. It wouldn’t be too much of an exaggeration to say he managed to win the position of minister at the young age of 42 purely thanks to his devilishly good looks and his excellent connections.
For other members of the Diet, he was someone they could milk topics after topics from. For the younger members, he was someone they could more easily cajole into doing them a favor. But that was back then.
“I didn’t think he was that bold of a man.”
But now, he had become a politician who drew the attention of not only Japan but of the whole world.
Which of course he would. After all, before any other nation could, he had made and implemented a request-styled system which allowed their nation to send civilians into dungeons.
“I was in disbelief when I heard them ask us to manipulate the sentiment of their people.”
My senior said so and stifled a laugh, to which I couldn’t help but frown.
Yes, that man turned to our nation’s agents to stir their public’s opinion.
Obviously, it was the Pentagon’s top brass who handled the details of the negotiations…but we were present for those meetings too.
“But then they pointed the benefits we stand to gain. And it’s not we can coldly turn them down, what with them being our valuable allies and all that.”
The prime minister said the following with a smile when he asked us to help in the enactment of the adventurer system:
<<We will be requesting the aid of our citizens in dealing with the dungeons. Doesn’t that interest your nation which doesn’t have a lot of Awakened Ones?>>
We certainly did not consider that a supposedly unremarkable politician from Japan knew so much of our nation’s situation.
1 in 1000 people. That was the estimate for how many people in America were Awakened Ones. Meanwhile though, the ratio for Awakened Ones in Japan was an astonishing 1 in 100 people. The difference was apparently an effect of the stability of the ley lines within the respective countries. It sounded like occult talk, but then again, this was a time where shamans were invited to the White House as military advisors.
If the reports were to be believed, Japan was a country whose ley lines were generally stable despite having a large amount of magic power flowing through them. In contrast, the shrines of Native Americans were demolished and developed over, causing undesired effects.
I was not interested in criticizing my ancestors over this, but the fact of the matter was that things weren’t looking so good for us right now. Among the developed countries, those said to have the highest number of Awakened Ones were Japan and the UK. And in terms of population size as a statistical parameter, Japan and the UK were quite different, with Japan having more citizens.
China seemed to be quite lacking in Awakened Ones. And a certain North nation apparently had their ley lines so out of control that they were among the nations with the fewest Awakened Ones.
With the amount of magic power flowing in their ley lines, the dungeons in Japan and in the UK were said to be more numerous and more dangerous…but it wasn’t like the other countries didn’t have their hands full with their dungeon problems too.
Plus, I heard that the more stable the ley lines were, the higher the quality of Awakened Ones. In America, most of our Awakened Ones had stats between D and E. The Beast of New York and the old guy who defeated him were exceptions rather than the rule.
In comparison, Japan had a stat average of C.
In short, compared to a nation of similar size, Japan’s military might—not that they had an official military—in terms quality and quantity of Awakened Ones was beyond compare.
Simultaneously, our nation was desperately lacking in Awakened Ones.
“We would be using Japan to find out consequences of letting civilians handle the dungeons. Plus, we can recruit the more capable among their adventurers. It’s a convenient deal for us, if you ask me.”
I glared at my senior who was about to light up a cigarette. In response, he smiled, said times sure have changed, and meekly put the cigarette away.
Simply being a smoker was enough to make you stand out in this country. Honestly, give me a break.
“Something doesn’t feel right to me though. I’ve met that man many times before, but I didn’t think his face can twist to make an expression like that.”
“Expression like that? What expression?”
To my senior’s joking reply, I gulped down a little. I recalled that man’s, provisional Prime Minister Arikawa Rurio’s, face.
“I guess I can describe it as a face that says he can eat a man whole.”
“Is that some turn of phrase here? Like he’s making light on people?”
No, that wasn’t how I meant it.
But should I even explain it? Should an American—an American agent at that—even say something like that to the leader of an allied nation? But it’s not even that that’s holding my tongue, is it? I’m just scared that explaining it would make it somehow true.
What I said was what I meant. In the literal sense, not as a figure of speech. That he made a face that said he could really eat a man whole.
With that thought in mind, I unconsciously stepped harder on the accelerator.
Taroppe-sensei (Author): Thank you for reading. Please comment, rate, and bookmark(features found in the “narou”, let’s become writers, website). Your support always motivates me. I hope you can continue to do so. Thank you.
Stat ranks
E rank: so ordinary there is nothing more to say
D rank: the limit of ordinary humans. It’s at the level of what a world-record athlete is capable of.
C rank: the realm of beasts like bears and horses.
B rank: the realm of small machines and light vehicles.
A rank: comparable to the performance of large, heavy machinery.
*** when there is a [+] mark, it denotes that the stat is noticeably stronger than its rank would suggest.
Let’s take a look at what an Awakened One who has a stat average of C rank. As in:
Physical Strength: C
Endurance: C
Agility: C
Magic Power: C
Resistance: C
Such an Awakened One would have strength and toughness comparable to a bear’s; running speed comparable to a horse’s; and more nimbleness than a monkey. Moreover, after chanting just a few words, they could unleash a magic attack that was as powerful as a grenade.
Naturally, since they had intelligence and knowledge of a normal human, they would have no problem blending in society.
Now, for the stats of the one known as the Beast of New York (they won’t be making an appearance in the story).
Name: Michael Brown
Race: Beastman (Wolf) || Awakened One
Physical Strength: A
Endurance: B
Agility: A+
Magic Power: D
Resistance: C+
Superpowers:
-
Accelerated Self-healing
-
Dull Pain
Police: The heck are we supposed to do against this guy!?
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