Chapter 243
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If we drag down the Apostles, the Round Table in the United Kingdom will probably go crazy too.
“They probably would, especially the Round Table.”
“Like I said earlier, you know about Allen too, Yuzuki. Allen will probably react first.”
Since he’s at the center of the Round Table.
“You’re going to completely link Allen with the Sin among the Apostles?”
“Something like that.”
Should I watch from here for a while?
Taking Rosari-ah would be fine even after seeing the Apostles' reaction.
“Then how about doing it like this?”
“Do you have a good idea?”
Wife
“To root out the Apostles, there’s something else we need to do besides cutting ties with them. And that is to drag down the Apostles' reputation.”
“Oh.”
She wasn’t just trying to draw Allen out, but she was aiming to completely destroy the Apostles.
“The reason it’s hard to root out the Apostles right now is ultimately because of the image they’ve built up over a long time, right? We just have to drop that.”
“Is that possible?”
“There’s no reason we can’t. I don’t know about other people, but you and I aren’t ordinary figures, are we?”
“Uh, that’s true.”
If Korea’s top idol Yu Eunha and Japan’s hero and absolute shogun, Shinohara Yuzuki, said they would stand against the Apostles, there might be quite a good response.
Looking at it objectively, the current Apostles are practically useless.
We’d be lucky if they didn’t just backseat drive.
“One is a war hero who is practically the representative of Korea and has global influence. I am the shogun of Japan, so there’s no need to say more.”
“Come to think of it, the Apostles didn’t have any reaction during the Korea-China War either.”
If it were the original Choi Siwoo, he would call such a method petty and try to persuade the Apostles instead, but Yuzuki and I were different.
Tearing down the Apostles would make us feel much better.
“Then I’ll start.”
“Yeah.”
“Of course, before that.”
“Huh?”
Yuzuki drew a wicked smile on her lips, and Dokkaebi / Goblin horns sprouted on her head.
“We should do it, right?”
I was pushed backward just like that and pounced on by Yuzuki.
* * *
The next day, Yuzuki convened the Shogunate officials.
The vassals took a portal and crossed over to Shinohara Castle.
In front of the vassals, Yuzuki declared.
“We will reconsider our relationship with the Apostles.”
Severing ties with the Apostles, the meaning behind this was huge.
“Your Excellency. Turning against the Apostles means that Japan will no longer be able to receive the Apostles' protection.”
The Apostles were humanity’s strongest organization.
Countries around the world were receiving the Apostles' protection, much like the United States' nuclear umbrella in the past.
Turning our backs on such Apostles meant that we wouldn’t be able to receive their help when in danger.
“The current Apostles are certainly Pride, but haven’t their abilities been verified?”
“How about we conclude the recent incident by protesting to the Apostles?”
Even if they were cheap and dirty, they were still the Apostles.
Wouldn’t it be better to protest rather than turn our backs on them?
They probably thought it was too extreme to turn their backs on the Apostles over the recent incident.
At least, that was the atmosphere among the vassals. But today’s Yuzuki was very firm.
She scanned the vassals sitting in two rows, then slammed her palm against the floor.
Bang!
“That is why those bastards look down on us even more.”
“Hmm. That is true, but…”
Perhaps because the nation had been protected by the Apostles for a long time, the vassals' reactions were still ambiguous.
It was also likely that other villains didn’t target Japan because it was under the Apostles' protection.
In other words, turning their backs on the Apostles meant that villains might attack Japan.
“Right now, Japan’s annual national budget has been cut in half compared to before the Great Cataclysm, from 100 trillion yen to 50 trillion yen. No, it has decreased even more than that. In this situation, we are spending as much as 1 trillion yen every year to maintain the Apostles' Sky Island, so what more needs to be said?”
Compared to 50 trillion yen, 1 trillion yen was quite small, but that didn’t mean it was a small amount.
With that money, they could spend more on recovering from damages.
“We are certainly paying more of a contribution than necessary.”
“Even Ha Jeongseok from the neighboring country once said it was a waste to pay 5 trillion won each time because of the Korea-China War. There is no reason to hand over money to the Apostles who do nothing.”
Ha Jeongseok had found it a waste too.
The reason was that the Apostles were useless beings.
The Korea-China War was fought purely with ROK Armed Forces, and Korea won it on its own.
“Then are you planning to reduce it a bit?”
“If we pay less of a contribution, the Apostles certainly won’t be able to act so arrogantly, but…”
If the money used for the Apostles' luxury was suddenly reduced by 10 trillion yen, it would be difficult for the Apostles as well.
Because the cost to maintain that massive Sky Island was enormous.
“Let’s not pay it at all.”
“Pardon?”
“Right now, the cost to recover from the damages of the recent Hellgate Incident is also substantial. But 1 trillion yen? It’s impossible.”
Yuzuki shook her head.
“Yes. That is true. But will the Apostles or other countries accept this?”
“If they don’t accept it, what are they going to do about it?”
Even after the Great Cataclysm, Japan was still a fairly successful country on a global scale.
In fact, there were more than just one or two countries in Europe that had fallen after the Great Cataclysm, so the countries in East Asia were quite ahead in some aspects.
“The United Kingdom might say something.”
“If it doesn’t want to lose an ally, it won’t provoke us. Si-ah”
Ooh, to think my name would come up here. I was in disguise as a Shinsengumi, but hearing her say that made me tingle with excitement.
“If that’s the case, it’s worth a try.”
“If Yu Eunha and the Baekhwa Cult join us, we certainly won’t need the Apostles.”
“I know that Baekhwa also helped our country last time. If the Baekhwa Cult helps us, we won’t necessarily need the Apostles' protection.”
Because the Baekhwa Cult, an even bigger villain, could block the invasions of other villains.
“Yes. Right now, it is more desirable to cooperate with our neighboring country rather than relying on the Apostles.”
“””We will only follow Your Excellency.”””
The vassals supported Yuzuki’s Anti-Apostle Policy.
#
Things progressed quickly after that.
The Shogunate declared the Anti-Apostle Policy internally and externally across the Japanese Archipelago.
In particular, Yuzuki personally stepped up in front of foreign reporters.
“From now on, our Japan will withdraw all special privileges for the Apostles, and we will completely ban the Apostles from entering Japan.”
Wow, our Yuzuki really did it.
“Your Excellency. Does that mean you are turning against the Apostles?”
A Japanese reporter raised his hand and asked.
“We deemed it undesirable to pay a contribution for the maintenance costs of the Apostles every time, who are of no help to our national interests.”
Right. If it were Korea in the past, it would be like the United States Forces Korea getting unilaterally beaten up by the Chinese Army while just standing still, yet we keep handing over the stationing costs.
“Could it be because of the Sin Invasion that happened last time?”
This time, a white reporter raised his hand and asked.
Yeah. That was probably the catalyst this time.
“I cannot say it isn’t. When Japan was groaning from the Sin’s Invasion, it was probably just sitting still on that island in the sky, playing, eating, and indulging in luxury. In the end, our Japan defeated them with our own strength, but the damage was so great that we even had to receive aid from our neighbor, Korea. Right now, we are even lacking the relief funds to give back to our citizens. We will not do something as foolish as handing over money to an unidentified organization that is of no help.”
Shinohara Yuzuki was firm.
And as a leader, she made a wise judgment.
“The Apostles' side stated that strictly speaking, it was a mistake this time and that they tried to help belatedly.”
Another white reporter quoted the article released by the Apostles' side, but Yuzuki shook her head.
As if that made no sense in the first place, she coldly continued speaking.
“That is nothing but wordplay. By that logic, the lie that our Japan in the past started a war to liberate Asia against the invasion of the Western Powers during the imperialism era of the Japanese Empire would also have to be called the truth. The Apostles, who possess outstanding abilities, and those who can thoroughly observe every part of the world with their Sky Island as easily as catching mice, didn’t know? If that isn’t incompetence, what is?”
“Ahem.”
The reporter who tried to side with the Apostles took his seat awkwardly on the spot.
Shinohara Yuzuki didn’t stop her barrage of facts against the Apostles.
“Given that, it makes no sense for them to miss the money Japan hands over. Furthermore, I heard the Apostles protested through the Korean Government against Korea’s Yu Eunha and the Baekhwa Cult who cooperated with us. Isn’t that truly incredibly petty?”
As she continued up to this point, what was bound to come out, came out.
“You’re still wet behind the ears, yet you spout such nonsense without even knowing our circumstances?”
Wow, an old geezer appeared.
And he’s a human who calls himself an Apostle.
“Did you come from the Apostles? You are quite shameless.”
“Is a person always perfect? One can make mistakes. Do you really want to corner us like this?”
It was that old Apostle I saw before.
I thought he looked very fitting to hang out with the Sin of Wrath.
“Do you desire Japan’s money that much?”
Yeah. Japan did have a lot of money.
Japan had invested a massive amount of money in the development of the Northeast Three Provinces too.
“Am I doing this because of money?”
“If it isn’t money, what is it? Isn’t it because you need Japan’s financial power for the maintenance costs of the Sky Island that you came right away to make a scene?”
Right. That was making a scene.
“Do you take us for beggars?”
“Japan’s contribution alone that goes into the maintenance costs of that mighty Sky Island is 10 trillion. If you add other miscellaneous costs, it easily reaches 30 trillion. To me, the Japanese people living in this nation, Japan, the archipelago, are more precious than the likes of the Apostles who aren’t even my citizens.”
Wow, sis is so cool!
“If you don’t want to be treated like that, leave Japan immediately. The entry ban has already been declared. If you stay in Japan any longer, you will face consequences.”
Before I knew it, the Shinsengumi appeared around the old man.
The opponent was an Apostle, so the Shinsengumi wouldn’t be a match for him, but.
“We will exercise our right to self-defense.”
It was enough for the shogun of the Shogunate to show his dignity.
“What is this, treating us like villains!”
There wasn’t much the old man could do.
What could the Apostle do when the situation was about to escalate into a volatile one after he tried to make a bunch of excuses that weren’t valid.
Then again, the moment he attacked the Shinsengumi here, he would become a complete enemy of Japan.
If so, would it be good for this side to do something fitting as well?
“What’s wrong?”
Mariko, who was assisting me as I watched secretly from nearby, wondered.
She was appointed as the escort to protect me while I was in Japan.
Well, it was just a formality.
“I thought of a good idea.”
A very good idea came to mind.
Rather than just having Yuzuki step up here, there was a need to show Korea’s Yu Eunha stepping up as well.
“It’s not something weird again, is it?”
“It’s fine. I’m going to declare it myself too.”
I joined Yuzuki by her side here.
While Yuzuki was arguing with the Apostle, I also cut into the scene.
“It is the same for me.”
“Ooh. Isn’t that Korea’s Yu Eunha?”
“I knew she was close with Your Excellency, but to think she would visit privately?”
We’re just close! We’re in a scissoring relationship!