If Pro-Japanese Collaborators Were Coffee

The entrance ceremony for the thirty-fourth class of new students at Gyeongseong Hunter Academy was about to begin.

『We will now commence the entrance ceremony for the new students of the 34th class at Gyeongseong Hunter Academy. First, we will have an address from Principal Uehara.』

They bowed toward Japan across the East Sea, observed a moment of silence for the Japanese army, recited the oath of loyalty in unison, and even sang the Japanese national anthem. Only after all of that did the real entrance ceremony finally begin.

『Um…』

The first item on the agenda was the principal’s address.

『Now that April has arrived, bringing the full bloom of spring not only to the mainland but also here to Gyeongseong in Joseon, I, as principal of this academy built upon the spirit of Bukhansan, wholeheartedly welcome all the new students who have enrolled…』

The principal’s speech dragged on and on beneath the early-April sun.

Other than the fact that they performed the Imperial Subject’s Rite instead of the usual national ceremony and that everything was conducted in Japanese, it was not all that different from the principal’s addresses I had endured throughout elementary, middle, and high school in the twenty-first century.

Especially the part where it was mind-numbingly boring.

Ugh…

It didn’t look like the speech would end anytime soon, so instead of letting my mind drift through the empty words, I decided to think about something more useful.

Status window system.

When I had called it up yesterday while fighting that monster, it had spat out an error, but it had still appeared. I repeated the activation phrase in my head.

Status window!

The window still only displayed errors. Yesterday I had simply assumed the system had broken during the possession process, but to explain it properly I would need to talk about the twenty-first-century hunter term known as “ghost.”

A ghost was the intangible essence each person possessed—something like a soul or a mind. It was the twenty-first-century hunter term for the formless entity that could be considered equivalent to what religions and philosophies called the soul, distinct from the physical body.

The magic-engineering formula artificially implanted into that ghost, which analyzed magic power wavelengths, converted them into data, and displayed them as text before the user’s eyes, was precisely the status window system.

At this point one might ask, “If it’s installed on the soul, shouldn’t it still work even after the body changes?” But it wasn’t that simple.

The status window had come along with my soul; it had not been properly implanted into this student named Baek Chulyeon. Think of it like taking a hard drive with a program already installed and plugging it into a brand-new computer. Because it hadn’t gone through the proper installation process on the new operating system, it wouldn’t run correctly.

So was the status window unusable?

The answer was no. The system had a built-in recovery function for exactly this kind of situation. If I used it to reinstall, the system should function normally again.

…Or so I had been told. I had never actually done it before, so I wasn’t sure it would work, but—

Yes.

It worked. All that remained now was to wait.

The advantages of having a status window were endless. It let me view my abilities as objective numbers, helped me use magic power more efficiently to raise combat performance, and even came with extra functions like an inventory.

For a hunter, the presence or absence of a status window was literally the difference between heaven and earth. And right now, in this world, I was the only one who possessed one.

Truly, I alone have the status window…!

『That concludes the principal’s address.』

Startled out of my thoughts by the voice, I jerked my head up. Was it finally over?

『Next we will have congratulatory messages from various distinguished guests. The message sent by Governor-General Minami will be read by the head of academic affairs. As this school celebrates its thirty-fourth year since founding…』

『Next, a message from Director Motoyama of the Greater East Asia Hunter Foundation…』

『A message from Police Chief Murasaki of the Jongno Police Station…』

『From Director Kimitsu of the Magic Beast Development Department at Oriental Colonization Corporation…』

Just as I expected, the pointless congratulatory speeches showed no sign of ending even after a long time had passed. I called up the status window again to check the recovery progress. Sure enough—

Eighty-three days?!

Was the system insane? Was I supposed to go on a world tour while I waited? That was almost three months! Three whole months was an entire semester. And I was supposed to live without a status window the whole time?

Of course I understood that carving a precise formula into a soul wasn’t something that could be done in the blink of an eye. Even in the twenty-first century, receiving the system implant through a high-output magic-engineering device that looked like an MRI had taken several full days.

Besides, this was an internal reinstallation without any external equipment, so it was only natural that it would take a long time.

Still, this is way too long!

Having to live without a status window for three months. If I had never known one existed, like the people of this era, it might have been bearable. But for someone who had relied on it, this was intolerable.

Of course, there were ways to speed up the installation. Just like how the system had been installed using high-output magic power in the twenty-first century, all I needed was a comparable amount of external magic power supplied from outside.

For example, by absorbing a fresh magic stone freshly extracted from a monster…

The problem was where to obtain one.

Can I get one at the academy? Or will I have to take on a side job while attending school…?

『Next, we will have the oath from the representative of the new students. Student Shimazu Renka, please come up to the platform.』

Startled out of my thoughts by the familiar name, I looked up at the platform.

Shimazu Renka.

The girl I had firmly resolved to have absolutely nothing to do with was walking up to the platform. So the reason she had caused such a scene at the soup restaurant, acted all high and mighty, and said “I’m busy so I’ll be going first~” was because she was the representative of the new students.

When Renka stepped onto the platform, the new students around me began whispering among themselves.

『Whoa, that’s the Shimazu Renka?』

『Shh! She’ll hear you. If you don’t want to get on her bad side, call her Shimazu-sama.』

『The air around real nobility really is different. She looks like a princess.』

『It’s not just the air. Did you hear about the magic beasts that appeared in Myeongryunjeong yesterday? They say she cut down three dakohashi in a single strike. From the start, she’s on a completely different level from us…』

She really was famous. Well, with her authority as nobility, her position as a branch leader of a guild, and abilities outstanding for her age, it would have been strange if she weren’t.

『Oath. I, Shimazu Renka, and the sixty new students—』

Standing before the microphone, Renka began reading the oath she held with both hands.

『We consider it an honor to enroll in Gyeongseong Hunter Academy. We swear to observe school regulations, devote ourselves to our studies, become exemplary students, and furthermore, as members of the Imperial subjects, to exalt the nation’s prestige and bring honor to the school’s name. Showa 14, April 5. Representative of the new students, Shimazu Renka, and all sixty students.』

After finishing the oath, Renka descended from the platform amid applause. The teacher acting as emcee took the microphone again.

With the student oath finished, the entrance ceremony was essentially over. Well, there was one thing left.

They’re going to do that. Definitely that.

This time I could predict exactly what would happen. Having seen it so often through media in my previous life, I already knew what usually came at the end of ceremonies like this.

And sure enough—

『We will now conclude the ceremony with three cheers for His Majesty the Emperor. Everyone, attention!』

The emcee raised both arms high as he led the chant.

『Tenno Heika… Banzai!』

The students echoed the chant, thrusting their arms into the air.

『Banzai!』

『Banzai!』

Of course I had zero desire to shout “Banzai” like that, so I lifted my arms along with the other students and bellowed loudly enough to be buried beneath their voices.

『Did you hear that earlier? Some bastard shouted “Manse” in Korean!』

『Yeah.』

I pretended ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠not to know what Song Byeong-o was talking about so excitedly. When I had shouted it, several teachers had pushed through the crowd yelling, “Who was that? Who just said that?” but since I had been mixed in among so many students, the incident ended without anyone discovering who had shouted “Manse” in Korean.

Song Byeong-o kept chattering on, thrilled.

『Whoever it was, they’ve got some serious guts! In times like these, one wrong “Manse” could land you in Seodaemun Prison getting beaten half to death.』

『Yeah… I guess so. Wonder who it was? Haha…』

On the way up to the main building classroom after the ceremony ended, I checked the class assignment chart posted on the bulletin board in front of the building and looked for my classroom.

Let’s see… I’m in “Class A.”

After confirming the chart, I followed the students with Song Byeong-o and entered the classroom with the sign “一ノ甲” on the door. It probably meant something like first-year Class A.

The sixty new students had been divided into Class A and Class B, but it didn’t seem to be based on any hierarchy. For one thing, Renka wasn’t in this class; if it had been divided by skill, she would certainly have been placed in Class A.

Thank goodness.

I had decided I must never get involved with that scary and stubborn girl. Even with that resolution, if we had been in the same class I would have been forced to interact with her. Since we were in different classes, at least that worry was gone.

Then what was the standard for dividing the classes? Looking at the mix of Koreans and Japanese, boys and girls, it didn’t seem to be divided by ethnicity or gender either. It looked like they had simply split thirty students per class without any particular criteria.

Before long a teacher entered the classroom, rapped on the lectern, and looked around at the students.

『Attention, everyone. As listed on the schedule, we will soon have the preliminary field training. This exercise is practical experience to familiarize you with hunting magic beasts in dangerous terrain before formal classes begin.』

Preliminary field training!

Magic beast hunting!

According to the professor’s explanation, the training would involve hunting magic beasts that the academy had released in the Bukhansan area adjacent to the school.

As expected, they were throwing the students into real combat from the very first day. For me, it was perfect timing. I needed a lot of fresh magic stones to restore my status window anyway.

『Necessary equipment will be provided at the training site. The exercise will be conducted in squads, so from now on form squads of six people freely and submit your lists.』

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

They were even lending weapons. And squads of six… In other words, they were telling us to form parties. That wasn’t bad at all.

Better to have several people than to go alone.

I took a sheet of paper and spoke to Song Byeong-o.

『Song Byeong-o? I’m writing your name down.』

『Sure, go ahead.』

I wrote Song Byeong-o’s name next to mine. I had recruited him first because he was the closest, but it was also for efficiency.

I didn’t know whether this exercise would affect our grades, but regardless of grades I needed as many magic stones as possible. Forming a balanced party would naturally increase hunting efficiency and let us gather more stones.

Song Byeong-o’s ability was marksmanship using magic bullets. Since I specialized in close-range attacks using aura, his long-range support would be helpful.

…As long as he didn’t make the same mistake he ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had yesterday.

The next person who came to mind was Lee Yuha, who had been assigned to the same class.

She’s probably… an ice emission type.

If I could use the status window I would know for certain, but at my level of experience I could tell a fair amount just from the magic power I sensed from other awakened individuals.

It was the type of awakening ability that converted the body’s magic power into physical energy and released it. In Lee Yuha’s case, it was likely the subtype that emitted ice—that is, frost or freezing energy.

I walked toward where Lee Yuha was standing.

A female student with silver hair tinged with the color of water, tied in a long daenggi braid.

She stood apart from the other students, not mixing in, probably because she gave off an unapproachable aura.

She seemed so clumsy this morning, though.

Right now her atmosphere was completely different. I approached Lee Yuha. She had been standing there hesitantly; when she spotted me her face lit up and she spoke without hiding her delight.

“Ah, you are—”

She was about to speak in Korean, so I hurriedly cut her off in surprise.

『Wait! We have to use only Japanese at school.』

『Ah…』

Lee Yuha nodded. I made my offer right away.

『If you don’t have any other plans, would you like to join our squad? We only have two people including me right now. With you it would make three.』

『……』

Lee Yuha didn’t answer immediately, her expression thoughtful. Huh? Was she refusing? Had she already joined another squad?

No!

Looking at the overall ratio of awakened individuals, elemental emission types were extremely rare. Yet their utility far surpassed other types of abilities.

And the amount of magic power I sensed from Lee Yuha was… quite high-level. So it wouldn’t be strange if she had already been recruited by another group.

But Lee Yuha moved her lips as if trying to speak, then finally said,

『I… understand. Whether I will be of… help, as… assistance? I do not know, but I too will enter your… squad? Squ… squad?』

Her Japanese was incredibly clumsy.

Did this girl never attend a modern school and only go to a seodang?

It was so stiff and awkward it felt like she had learned it solely from books. Would this be all right? Still, her answer was yes. That was a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠relief. It would have been too wasteful to let talent like this be taken by someone else.

『Mm… so you’re joining? I’ll add your name.』

I wrote Lee Yuha’s name on the list. Her Japanese was awkward, but not to the point it would hinder communication. And in an emergency, using a few words of Korean should be fine.

Though the fact that her Korean is in hao-che is another problem…

Which was more painful to listen to—hao-che coming from a girl’s mouth, or her clumsy Japanese…? While I was thinking such trivial thoughts,

『Hey hey (you know, you know), Shirabayashi-kun! Can you add me too?』

A female student with a gentle voice approached and spoke to me.

She had bright pink hair in twin tails that were curled into neat loops behind her ears.

Up close I could see she wore light makeup, and a strong scent of perfume wafted from her. Her hot-pink shoes, matching her hair color, sparkled noticeably.

…The hair color could be excused since she was an awakened, but wasn’t the rest a violation of school rules?

Anyway, the fact that she was greeting me like we were acquainted meant she must have met me during the preliminary orientation like Song Byeong-o. But since she didn’t seem to hold any ill will toward me, she was probably a Japanese student rather than Korean.

『Ah. You are… so…』

Just as I hadn’t recognized Song Byeong-o at first, I had no memory of this girl either, so I looked at her name tag—

…Only to realize the name tag was pinned to a chest so imposing that staring directly at it felt rather burdensome. Instead I looked at her face and asked,

『…Sorry. Who were you again?』

Even if we had exchanged greetings, we had only met once during the preliminary orientation a few days ago. Asking again shouldn’t be too rude or strange.

『Ehh, we even introduced ourselves last time but you don’t remember? Well, you can just call me “Tomiko”! My awakening ability is psychokinetic response type!』

Didn’t Japanese people usually call each other by family name until they became close? Well, it didn’t really matter.

What mattered was her ability. Psychokinetic response type meant psychokinesis—telekinesis.

It was a very useful ability to have in a party. It paired especially well with elemental emission types, because it could precisely control the physical energy such as fire or cold that an elemental emitter released.

Pairing her with Lee Yuha would be perfect.

『Sure.』

『Thank you! I’ll write my own name on the list!』

Another name was added to the list. Then Tomiko stepped even closer and asked,

『But but, Shirabayashi-kun. I wanted to ask last time too—how did you do that? That thing?』

The question came out of nowhere. What was I supposed to have done? Had I done something strange during the preliminary orientation? I asked back.

『What do you mean, how did I do what?』

『What else? Your family name! My father donated so much money to the Government-General to get a Japanese surname but they still rejected him.』

…What?

She wasn’t Japanese? Looking now, her name tag clearly displayed the three Korean characters “梁福子” (Yang Bok-ja). Wait, but she had said “Tomiko”?

And anyway, since this was 1939, the Surname Change Policy would be implemented next year whether people liked it or not. Why was she so eager to get one in advance that she was even willing to pay for it? Was this what a real pro-Japanese collaborator looked like?

Not only the surname, but even her given name “Bok-ja” she wanted to be called by the Japanese reading “Tomiko.” This girl really was a genuine pro-Japanese collaborator.

That was why she had approached me with goodwill, for the opposite reason as Song Byeong-o.

…Aigoo.

This needed to be cleared up. Especially since Lee Yuha was standing right nearby. Any misunderstanding could cause serious trouble.

I spoke to Tomiko—no, “Yang Bok-ja.”

『No, I think there’s a misunderstanding. My surname is “Baek,” and the name Shirabayashi isn’t something I chose because I—』

『Wait, wait! If you were originally from the Baek clan and your name is Shirabayashi… then are you from the family of Baron Baek Nopyeong who received his title before? Right?』

『What…?』

Baron?

“Baek Nopyeong” was definitely the name of the father I had seen on the family register right after waking up in Baek Chulyeon’s body.

I had thought he was just an ordinary pro-Japanese collaborator because he had taken a Japanese surname, but he had actually received a noble title? What exactly had he done to earn it?

Even though baron was the lowest rank among noble titles, the only Koreans who had received peerages were those who had contributed greatly to selling out the country.

So he wasn’t just an ordinary pro-Japanese collaborator… he was a professional traitor…?

At this point I was in no position to criticize Yang Bok-ja for being pro-Japanese. I had become the son of a real traitor who had sold out the nation.

How did I end up possessing someone like this…?

What on earth had the god who sent me here been thinking? Why, of all people, had he made me possess the son of a professional traitor? A chill ran down my spine from the overwhelming malice. A chill…

Wait, it actually does feel cold.

It wasn’t just my imagination—there really was a sudden drop in temperature. What was going on? It was already early April; the last spring chill should have passed long ago and it was fully spring. Why did it suddenly feel so cold?

Ah…

Lee Yuha was staring at me with an ominous look in her eyes.