The Howling Earth (4)
"Under these circumstances, we need to arm ourselves."
"We must gather every remaining force within the Kanto region!"
The Austrian Legation moved with urgent precision amidst the rapidly deteriorating situation. Mutaguchi Renya had barely caught his breath after arriving at the legation before he had to rush back out to gather people.
"Pant, gasp... This is exhausting..."
With his lips turning blue from sheer exhaustion, Mutaguchi Renya sprinted through the chaotic streets of Tokyo, searching desperately for officers he knew.
"Major Renya! What on earth is happening?"
"Disaster has struck! The Kempeitai Commander and Kita Ikki have launched a coup and kidnapped the Martial Law Commander!"
"H-how can this be... What of His Imperial Majesty?"
"It hasn't been confirmed, but it's highly likely he has been abducted as well. I need your help."
"I will join you. I couldn't stand by and watch Tokyo turn into this nightmare anyway. They are slaughtering people indiscriminately."
Mutaguchi Renya ran like his life depended on it, somehow managing to recruit two like-minded officers. Though some of them were associated with Tojo Hideki—whom Stahl had warned him to avoid—they were at least men who would never condone such a horrific massacre.
And who were these officers Renya brought back?
Sugiyama Hajime and Tominaga Kyoji.
Ironically, while they were infamous in history for driving their own men to their deaths, their records regarding war crimes were completely clean. Mutaguchi Renya was a man who, when his subordinates unilaterally massacred prisoners, punished them and even apologized to the captives for their mistreatment. Sugiyama Hajime was also someone who had never committed a single war crime. Finally, Tominaga Kyoji was a man who, during the Manila massacre, had actually mobilized his troops to protect the local citizens.
How on earth did such a specific group of men gather here? It was a gathering of three "shadow" independence activists.
The Austrian Minister shook his head in disbelief as Renya brought back two men who, at first glance, looked utterly incompetent.
"...General Renya. Is this truly the best you could do?"
"To my knowledge, they are men who would never take human life needlessly. They are true samurai."
"I can understand you, General Renya... but these two..."
"The Japanese military is teeming with the absolute dregs of humanity. Do you have any idea how difficult it was to find these decent souls in a den of demons?"
Indeed. Considering what the Japanese military was doing right now, it was a fair point. In reality, searching for a righteous man in their ranks was like looking for a needle in a haystack. The Austrian Minister sighed and nodded.
"You have done well. Go inside and rest for a moment."
"If you truly want someone highly capable, I do know of one person. Though he is a bit... eccentric."
"Eccentric? Is he another bloodthirsty butcher?"
"No, absolutely not! He is a man who, even in this day and age, genuinely believes in Pan-Asianism. He is a general who argues that we must unite with the Koreans and Chinese to fight against Western powers."
"...He certainly sounds strange, but he might be able to rally people. Who is he?"
"Ishiwara Kanji!"
Acting on Renya's recommendation, the Austrian Minister urgently tracked down Ishiwara Kanji. Upon his arrival at the legation, Ishiwara immediately began spouting all manner of bizarre theories.
"Japan must be reorganized into a Stahlism-style federation! Together with Korea, China, Manchuria, and Japan! Let us bring in the Koreans as well. By crushing the Imperial Way Faction together, we will show the entire world that Asians can unite as one!"
"Ah, yes. Of course."
"Naturally, you Austrians are Japan's ultimate enemy. Once East Asia is united, I will personally lead a fleet of combat tractors to crush Austria, so bear that in mind."
"Yes, yes, of course."
"So, we are temporary allies until then?"
"At any rate, the idea of bringing in the Koreans is excellent. Let us proceed with that."
Soon, Korean refugees began gathering at the Austrian Legation one after another.
"It's... it's Renya!"
"Lord Mutaguchi Renya!"
"If only all Japanese were like you, General, our relations would never have soured like this!"
"Long live Renya!"
Tales of Renya's heroism had already spread like wildfire among the Koreans. Amidst Japanese officers slaughtering Koreans, he was the hero of heroes who had drawn his katana and fought ten to one to save them!
"Perhaps... Admiral Yi Sun-sin has been reincarnated as Lord Renya."
"Indeed!"
While some went a bit too far with their praise, it was by no means an exaggeration to say he was a savior. There were many who truly owed their lives to Renya.
In the original timeline, no single individual had contributed more to Korean independence than Mutaguchi Renya. His insane provocation that sparked the Second Sino-Japanese War was, in the grand scheme of things, the single greatest factor in Japan's ultimate defeat. And one could hardly forget his legendary contribution during the Battle of Imphal, where his sheer incompetence led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Japanese soldiers, utterly ruining the empire!
"Renya, I have heard of your deeds. You, an enemy commander, have done what even we Koreans struggled to achieve. Thank you."
Park Yeol, the Korean independence activist and anarchist, bowed deeply to Renya, performing a formal bow.
"Please, stand up. Confucius said, 'The benevolent man loves others.' He also said, 'To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage.' I merely did what was natural."
Koreans, by nature, deeply respected learned men. Seeing Renya effortlessly quote the Analects, Park Yeol and the countless Koreans present were profoundly moved.
"Renya, you are a true gentleman and a warrior! I... I cannot say I would have been capable of such courage as you, General."
"Then do so from this moment forward. Should we not save our neighbors, whether they be Japanese or Korean? For benevolence is nothing other than love for one's neighbor."
"I will. I most certainly will!"
A Japanese officer had fought his own military to save Koreans. And an uncompromising Korean independence activist had bowed deeply to that officer, completely disregarding his nationality. Many Koreans, Japanese, and Austrians witnessed this scene. It was undoubtedly a historic moment that would be spoken of for generations to come.
"Communications from Japan have been cut!"
"It seems the rebels are finally catching on."
Word had it that the soldiers who hadn't joined the rebellion, along with the Koreans, had all gathered at the Austrian Legation. Whatever their perceived purpose, it seemed our plotting had finally been exposed. Well, it didn't matter.
"Send word to all member states—Germany, Poland, Greece, Vietnam, all of them."
The member states of the Prague Treaty Organization were already practically a single nation economically. Of course, that didn't mean they could act in perfect, unified harmony in diplomacy and politics. The political influence of the Treaty Organization was, at best, comparable to the United Nations. And did the UN throwing a fit ever stop a war?
"Will the member states cooperate willingly?"
I nodded. While Austria currently held an absolute advantage, nations like Germany would eventually catch up. Minor internal conflicts and rivalries would inevitably arise. Even so, when it came to international affairs, the Treaty Organization could move as one. The situation in Japan was no exception. Like a multi-level marketing scheme, every member of the Treaty Organization wanted to recruit more nations into the fold. The expansion of free trade guaranteed economic benefits under any circumstances. Many member states, including Austria, were greedily eyeing the Japanese market.
"Won't it be difficult to bring Japan into the Treaty Organization?"
"Indeed. Britain will be watching us like a hawk. Even without that, trying to swallow a nation like Japan would trigger immense backlash from the United States."
Bringing Japan into the Treaty Organization was unrealistic. In that case?
"We must use this opportunity to admit Joseon into the Treaty Organization."
"Joseon?"
"Yes."
"But isn't Joseon a Japanese colony?"
"They have a provisional government, don't they? It's not as if we're talking about liberating the entire peninsula right away. They should at least cooperate with admitting the provisional government located in Yanbyan into the Treaty Organization."
"And if they refuse to cooperate...?"
"Then they can enjoy another coup in Gyeongseong."
The faction gathered at the Austrian Legation was truly pathetic. Mutaguchi Renya, Tominaga Kyoji, Sugiyama Hajime, and Ishiwara Kanji? What kind of absurd lineup was this? They were the kind of people you would love to see on the enemy team, but would pray never to have on your own. Well, it couldn't be helped. In the Imperial Japanese Army—a literal breeding ground for the worst of humanity—the decent ones were almost always incompetent. It made one wonder if only the demons were allowed to get promoted and achieve military glory. Though they had a history of reckless escalations in Manchuria and China...
Let's just chalk up their complete lack of civilian control and the Imperial General Headquarters' inability to control their own subordinates as a Japanese national trait. At least they wouldn't commit civilian massacres or war crimes, right? The Japanese military was practically an army of devils. But if you stripped the war crimes away from them? They were just a comedy troupe.
Still, if they had one strength, it was their ability to shake Joseon—which was essentially Japan's second heart. I immediately summoned the Japanese Minister to convey my stance and the current situation in Japan. Upon hearing what was unfolding in his homeland, the minister turned pale with shock.
"I-Is that true...?"
"Yes. Our legation has just succeeded in confirming that the Emperor has indeed been abducted."
"Ah... His Majesty..."
The Japanese Minister couldn't hide his shock for a long moment before finally squeezing out a response.
"Thank you for conducting... 'humanitarian' rescue operations against the Japanese rebels."
"Haha, humanitarian, you say?"
Humanitarian? This wasn't something that could be swept under the rug as mere "humanitarian aid." As I let a flicker of displeasure show on my face, the Japanese Minister quickly caught on.
"What is it you want?"
"Let's make one thing clear first. Japan is ruined."
"...That is highly offensive."
"It's not offensive; it's a fact. The Great Earthquake wiped out thirty percent of Japan's annual GDP."
"We can easily recover from that."
"Of course. If it were just the earthquake, there would be no issue. But right now, the Imperial Japanese Navy is preparing to fire its naval guns at its own capital. Don't you think Japan's economy will be set back by at least a decade?"
"H-how could..."
"Of course, there is a way to preserve the economy. That is if the rebels, led by Kita Ikki, succeed in their coup. Kita Ikki could compromise with the Navy and seize power."
Forgetting his duty as a diplomat, the Japanese Minister wore a look of absolute despair. If Kita Ikki truly succeeded in his rebellion? Democratic Japan would be finished. Not only that, but a bloodbath beyond imagination would sweep the nation, much like the revolution currently tearing through Russia. Japan would suffer the same fate as France and Russia.
"By any chance, are you from Satsuma or Choshu?"
"How did you know that, Vice Chairman...!"
"I've done some studying on Asia. At any rate, which province are you from?"
"...I am from Satsuma."
"That is a grave problem. I hear that Kita Ikki, having grown tired of slaughtering Koreans, is now massacring anyone from the Satsuma, Choshu, Tosa, and Saga domains. If you wish to apply for asylum, we will accept it."
Ultimately, the Japanese Minister threw up his hands in surrender. His face practically screamed a plea for mercy. Only then did I smirk and state my demands.
"I oppose all forms of colonialism. How much are you willing to concede regarding Joseon?"
"That is impossible! Without Joseon, Japan will truly collapse!"
"I am not asking you to liberate Joseon entirely. We intend to recognize the Kingdom of Joseon located in Yanbyan as the legitimate government and admit it as a member of the Prague Treaty Organization."
"I cannot make such a promise here. I must consult with my home government..."
Hearing this mind-boggling proposal, the Japanese Minister fell silent once more.
"Minister. Your home government no longer exists."
"..."
"Have you heard the news that Prime Minister Kato has also been abducted? The whereabouts of the Foreign Minister remain unknown... though he likely perished in the earthquake or was killed by the rebels. You are the sole decision-maker here."
In the end, the Japanese Minister nodded in tears, accepting my proposal. I had no idea to what extent a rogue state like Japan would keep its word, but they had made the promise. That was what mattered.
The Japanese Minister departed.
"Contact President Kim Kyu-sik. It is time to shake Joseon."