If realized, Western nations would lose passage through the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, the Suez Canal, and even the Panama Canal (currently under the jurisdiction of the South American Federation), inflicting massive damage on economic activities. Under stricter enforcement, non-member aircraft could be barred from entering member nations' airspace altogether.
Stealing a nation's deterrent—its Strategic-Class Magic—meant incurring immense risk. Facing Joeridge's thorough strategic foresight as head of state, Spencer was left speechless.
"It isn't just the Chair and Vice Chair of the FRB. Almost all current cabinet members, including the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury, have explicitly told me that we must stop treating Japan as a potential enemy. Yet the military… If the former 'Sirius' heard this, she would surely weep, asking, 'Has our nation truly fallen this low?'"
Joeridge had known the previous "Sirius"—William Sirius—very well. More precisely, being close friends with her father, he had known her family personally. He deeply understood the character of William, whom he regarded as a daughter, and maintained that relationship even after becoming a politician. Eight years ago, she met an untimely death. She was killed by the New Soviet Union alongside the "previous Polaris," who was close to her.
Though driven by a personal urge for revenge, he gritted his teeth as a politician. Therefore, if Japan possessed the power to act as a deterrent against the New Soviet Union, that too would serve as a form of vengeance. In fact, reports indicated that during the "Scorching and Aurora Halloween" two years ago, Japan had neutralized the New Soviet Union's Strategic-Class Magic.
Affection for Japan and hatred for the New Soviet Union. Joeridge's warm interactions with Gozou stemmed from an unconscious desire to rely on the overwhelming strength Gozou once demonstrated against the New Soviet Union as a deterrent.
Attempting to arrange Ceria's engagement—which led to Yugen confronting him—had been his own misstep. However, regarding their eventual engagement, Joeridge couldn't help but shed tears of relief as a grandfather, knowing someone had finally stepped up to handle a girl whom even her own homeland couldn't control.
"Your Excellency…"
"Forgive me, I got carried away in thought. In any case, the government must approach this with a unified stance. For now, Colonel: I have already sounded him out, but in the unlikely event that she returns home, arrange for him to be dispatched under the guise of an official at the Japanese Embassy, and assign Major Angie Sirius as his bodyguard."
"…She is currently in Japan. What order could possibly be used to recall her?"
Deducing the identity of the person Joeridge referred to, Balance questioned his true intentions. Joeridge shifted his gaze to Spencer. Receiving a slight nod from the Secretary, Joeridge spoke.
"It relates to the terraforming project I mentioned earlier. Our projections indicate that William MacLeod of the UK and Igor Andreivitch Bezobrazov of the New Soviet Union will likely get involved."
"Both are among the Thirteen Apostles. Surely you don't intend to recall Lina just to balance the scales? Who on earth came up with such a foolish idea?"
"There is no doubt that the National Science Bureau is involved. We are currently investigating the rumors, but since he raised these concerns, we cannot afford to ignore them."
Joeridge knew who the mastermind was, but since it remained within the realm of possibility, acting now could result in framing an innocent person. If it blew up into a major incident, it could expose the global interception system "Echelon III" to the public. Furthermore, because the space development plans remained unconfirmed rumors, the government's options were severely limited.
"…Understood. Shall we inform the other party of this?"
"No, even if we don't, they likely already know. Secretary, was the personal letter handed to Senator Curtis delivered safely to the recipient?"
"Yes. We have received confirmation from the Senator himself."
Senator Wyatt Curtis's sudden visit to Japan sparked various speculations, but officially, it was intended to convey gratitude as a Presidential Special Envoy to the Japanese Japanese government for handing over Guethe Heigh. Unofficially, it served to communicate the USNA government's unified position to the head of the Kagurazaka Family, who was marrying into the President's family.
"I see. We can assume our government's position has been conveyed for now… However, we cannot afford to let our guard down."
Whatever Edward Clark's intentions were in trying to defame Japan, an official from a government agency stirring up chaos in political and financial circles was unacceptable. Allowing such actions unchecked would dismantle the nation's foundation as a state governed by the rule of law.
"What a troublesome era this has become. Even nuclear weapons were difficult enough to manage…"
Even nuclear weapons were a double-edged sword, causing immense collateral damage in exchange for overwhelming power. Replacing them with magic changed nothing regarding how difficult they were to manage… Joeridge's tone reflected that heavy truth.
Though he had once envied the existence of magic, when he learned that his two granddaughters possessed such aptitude, Joeridge joined their other grandfather—Kudou Takeshi—in opposing their entry into the military.
It was a choice between denying them their right to enjoy their youth as normal human beings or filling the vacant seats reserved for Strategic-Class Magicians. Ultimately, they were forced to allow their granddaughters to join the military. However, the military's forced personnel decisions resulted in a "rank freeze" within STARS, creating an awkward Magician unit lacking field officers like Colonels or Lieutenant Colonels.
The resulting distortion created deep friction within STARS. As Commander-in-Chief, the situation had long passed the point where the President could turn a blind eye. Yet, the military high command's ulterior motive to retain Angie Sirius—one of the Thirteen Apostles—was painfully obvious.
Joeridge was deeply frustrated by the glaring failure of civilian control over the USNA military.
"At any rate, we must resolve this urgent matter as quickly as possible. Leaving the resolution entirely in the hands of the other party leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, but we have little choice this time."
Following the Parasite incident, the Dallas research facility was temporarily closed, but it resumed operations after its magical safety was confirmed. However, experiments involving micro black holes remained frozen following a report from an expert panel stating that 'they carry an extremely high risk of causing severe national accidents.'
Since the nation's survival was at stake, government-related entities avoided meddling with it. Still, the possibility of the military acting out of control without full government oversight could not be ruled out.
The USNA government's trials... had only just begun.
Author's Note: This chapter focuses entirely on the USNA government's side. The government side has shifted toward respecting Japan's strategic value. Rather than forcibly taking Strategic-Class Magic, they hope Japan's multiple deterrents will balance against the New Soviet Union and the Great Asian Alliance. Whether the military can fully accept this is another story.
The gender of the previous Sirius, William Sirius, was never revealed in the original work, so this is an original setting. Truthfully, forcing the underage Lina into the role of a Strategic-Class Magician—even setting age aside—based solely on magical aptitude would inevitably spark backlash from legitimate military Magicians. If there was a reason they had to do so, Bezobrazov's existence played a part, but without a "precedent," there would be no justification or logic for forcing Lina into the military.
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