"...Banquet to back end, over!

One more speaker, then the toast starts.

Are you ready?"

"This is the back end, we're ready!

We can't hear anything from inside, so please give us a cue when the speech is wrapping up."

"Listen up, ten bottles of beer per table!

Make sure to deliver them to your areas smoothly!"

Young hotel workers dressed smartly in bowties pulled bottle after bottle out of the beer cases, preparing for the toast.

They waited for their cue to serve the drinks while listening through the intercom.

At a normal party, they could put bottles of beer on the table ahead of time, but if there was a lecture before the party, then they couldn't.

Guests don't mind sushi going dry due to a long speech,

but they don't like seeing their tables get wet with condensation from the bottles of beer.

And more than anything, they certainly don't want to drink warm beer.

That's why beer has to be served right before a toast.

However, there's always a speech before a toast.

And usually a long one.

Especially at a big party like this, there are lots of guests that give speeches, so it's extremely difficult to know when to serve.

For that reason, the bottles end up sitting outside by the banquet room,

and people end up drinking warm beer anyway.

There were several dozen tables with white tablecloths on them in the banquet room.

Approximately eight people were sitting at each table, so there were at least a few hundred people in the room.

The banquet room was filled with excitement.

There were many plates with many different kinds of food on each table.

A sushi platter, a sashimi platter, a fruit platter...

Also along the wall, there were cooks ready to serve fresh sashimi.

All the guests appeared to be well-mannered gentlemen, and were clearly notable people in various different fields.

The huge and beautiful chandelier above them clearly indicated that this hotel held a status good enough for these famous people.

An elderly gentleman was giving a lengthy speech on the stage before making a toast.

Usually people don't like such long speeches.

Especially if it's before a toast.

But the guests occasionally shouted, "Yes, yes!" and sometimes gave him loud applause, filling the room with their fervor.

Well, maybe "fervor" was a pleasant way to put it.

It was probably more accurate to say their excitement was bizarre.

"Which country would actually teach people not to show respect towards their own flag?

There are no others!!

It's happening only in Japan!!"

"""That's right, that's right!!!"""

"Is forcing people to respect their national flag and anthem an obstruction of their freedom?

That's a foolish idea!

Listen, love for one's national flag and anthem comes naturally to all.

To know ourselves, to know our culture, to understand our history and our country itself.

Those are the things that make you realize that you are a Japanese citizen, that make you understand the part you play as a citizen of this country.

And the feeling you get from that is love towards your own country!!

However, those anti-Japan teachers are proclaiming that it's militaristic brainwashing!

Those stupid claims are wrong!!

What are those people doing, anyway?

They're teaching our children to hate being Japanese! They're the ones brainwashing them with this self-destructive education!

They are teaching our children that Japan should be ashamed of itself, and that they should be ashamed of being Japanese!

Forget who you are, and deny your country!

That's what they're teaching them!!

These innocent children listen and believe such nonsense!

Of course they do!

They go to school to learn things, right?

If their teachers teach them that, of course the children believe it.

Can you believe such corruption exists?!

We must do something about this country's education now, no matter what it takes!!!"

The sound of applause filled the banquet room.

All the gentlemen agreed, and expressed that they felt the same way by cheering him on.

After that, a gentleman wearing a cloth sash approached the stage.

The hall welcomed him onto the stage with another round of thunderous applause.

A rousing theme from a popular drama series played as he took the stage, but it was entirely unnecessary before the overwhelming applause.

The man's sash carried his name written in large letters, along with the name of the prefecture he was running for office in.

"Let me introduce to you a patriot, XXXX-kun!!

This man has served the former governor as his right-hand man as director of the office of the governor for many years, supporting the prefecture's government for a long time.

Since the previous governor has decided to retire, he was appointed as the next governor."

"Unfortunately, we have those anti-Japan teachers in our prefecture.

While they proclaim freedom of education and freedom of thought, they're shamelessly forcing an anti-Japan education down on our children!!

They don't teach real history, they teach our children that everything was Japan's fault!

They don't even mention the true purpose of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, or all those who fought to save Asian peoples from Western control!

They don't even talk about how many Asian countries were actually Western colonies before Japan stood up for our freedom during the war. Our country has recovered amazingly since then, yet our children don't know any of that, because those teachers don't teach them!

How truly, truly sad!

I can't stand the fact that those anti-Japan teachers are actually teaching our children alongside those teachers who take teaching seriously. They are insulting our educational institutions!

I will become a governor and get rid of those teachers.

I will straighten out our education system

and make sure our children will grow up to be decent young people who can carry on Japan's future!!"

"He, XXXX-kun, announces his candidacy for the next year's prefectural governorship.

We appreciate your support for him!!"

"I promise, I will straighten out Japan's education system!!

Thank you for your support!!!"

Again, the banquet room filled with applause.

The man was receiving a standing ovation.

I need to explain a bit about this banquet before you misunderstand.

It wasn't the conference of a political association, or a lecture by a political candidate.

It was hard to believe, but this was nothing more than a meeting of a college's alumni association.

Everyone should be familiar with what those are.

Whether it's elementary school, junior high school, high school, or college,

once you graduate from one of those, you normally belong to an organization of alumni.

You receive invitations for reunions where you enjoy talking about the good old days.

However, there are many different types of such organizations.

Some are simple, and some are united with much tighter bonds.

And once an organization becomes united with those tight bonds, it's no longer a simple organization of alumni.

Rather, it becomes a significant faction known as an alma mater clique.

In Japanese society, it's traditional for graduates to form tighter bonds that go beyond the level of an organization.

Also, the more superior the alma mater, the stronger that tendency holds true.

The Imperial University, one of the best universities in the country, is famous for the deep bonds its graduates form.

Why do superior people like to bond?

It may be because they take pride in being superior,

but more than that, maintaining connections is the most significant reason.

All Imperial University graduates are elites in their respective fields.

They are likely to succeed and become important people.

When they do, the unity of their alumni association gains immeasurable meaning.

In fact, even today, the Imperial University graduates maintain their tight academic clique,

and they hold great influence throughout many different fields.

They interact with other universities as well, so the graduates' bonds are extremely tight, even today.

Additionally, while "Imperial University" usually refers to the University of Tokyo,

sometimes it's used to mean all seven major universities in Japan.

They are located in Tokyo, Kyoto, Tohoku, Kyushu, Hokkaido, Osaka, and Nagoya.

They are all great schools.

There happens to be an organization of alumni that includes all of those seven universities.

The elderly gentlemen in this banquet room were each from one of those organizations.

However, not every graduate would get an invitation here automatically.

It is a society of "select gentlemen\

Therefore, all the members are important people from different fields, and obviously the power of this organization is of a political nature.

But there's one more very important criterion one has to meet to join.

Strong patriotism. A heart that longs to contribute to Japan and its rebirth.

As a result, this organization has become extremely nationalistic.

Up on the stage, the candidate for the prefectural governorship was still talking passionately.

And among those elderly gentlemen in the crowd, Takano can be found...

Takano seemed used to this kind of conference, and seemed unsurprised at anything that was said.

But at the same time, she looked rather fed up with it.

As she was in attendance, she must have been one of their members.

Which meant she possessed not only an extremely excellent academic background,

but that the older gentlemen here had acknowledged her equivalent contributions to society,

and that she possessed strong patriotism.

However, her academic background was the only qualification she had met to join.

She was only able to join as a special case because of her connections.

She didn't even hold prejudiced ideas like the other members did.

So, why was she here today?

Probably because of the same reason as the man giving a speech up on stage.

The man on the stage didn't actually have prejudiced ideas, much like Takano.

He only prepared a speech that he knew the guests would like.

Politicians only want votes.

Each and every person has a vote, but appealing to each one of them takes too long.

So the most efficent way is to appeal to organizations with a unified idea and a unified will.

In other words, this man was giving this speech so he can garner support from those powerful people.

The elderly gentlemen in the banquet room will then do their best to support him, since he appears to share their ideals.

They can offer many different kinds of expediency, support, and assistance.

To an outrageous degree, I might add.

If the day's event continued in the same way, the organization would likely decide to officially support him.

They will probably give him a great deal of financial aid.

They'll assist him in different ways as well.

Of course, the man on the stage won't be the only one gaining something.

When he wins the election and becomes a governor next year,

the organization will welcome the governor as a new member and gain even more political influence.

And eventually, the organization will become so powerful that nobody can ignore it.

Those of you reading this right now probably get the sense that they're no mere alumni association.

You'd be absolutely right.

After reaching this level, they were a fine syndicate.

No, they would be a secret society if the group wasn't so open about its activities.

Now, I'm sure some of you readers are brushing this off, thinking there's no way such a suspicious organization could exist in Japan.

But everything I've explained is entirely true.

There are several such influential groups and organizations within our society, and you need to understand that they hold powerful political clout and influence our national policies.

Some are alma mater cliques like the one I've described above,

others are scientific societies serving different parties,

industrial groups,

advisory committees,

religious organizations,

community service groups,

and so forth.

Also, there are right wings and left wings, the hawk and the dove.

...I won't go listing their specific names here.

Yet you've probably read them every now and then in your average newspaper.

In Japan, the terms for such forces aren't very common.

Most of you readers probably think of a suspicious organization wearing white hoods when you hear the phrase 'secret society', and laugh it off.

But unfortunately, that's a huge mistake.

In America, where there's far more territory and citizens, there's way more groups like that,

and they possess such vast influence that ignoring them is impossible.

So the terms they use for such forces doesn't apply to those on the scale of this syndicate.

Sometimes, people say that such groups have more power than the White House, and they are referred to as the "shadow government".

Even here in Japan, we had a shadow government before the war--our zaibatsu.

After we lost the war, the GHQ dismantled those blocs, but 40 years have passed since then.

There's no guarantee our country hasn't given birth to another shadow government, given how good we are at collusion, groundwork, and backroom deals.

Miyo Takano was, in fact, attending a conference of such a shadow government.

It might appear to be a guest house at a huge golf course.

There were no golfers in sight, but by appearances, that must be it.

But appearances can be deceiving.

This wasn't a golf course, but a huge back yard.

The guest house was, in fact, a very stylish mansion.

Normal people would be surprised to learn that this was a private residence.

The interior of the building was as lavish as the exterior.

There were beautiful carpets on every floor,

expensive-looking decorations on the wall, and expensive-looking bottles of alcohol on the shelves.

That's the kind of room Takano was in.

There was a knock at the door, and an old man in a wheelchair and a young woman pushing it entered.

As Takano stood up to bow, the old man stopped her by raising his right hand.

"No, no, you don't need to stand up.

Long time no see!

I've been telling you to come see me anytime, but you never do."

"It's great to see you, Koizumi-sensei."

The old man sat down on the sofa with assistance from the woman.

He was very old... His face was covered in wrinkles and he could hardly do anything on his own.

...Even so, he still held a great deal of power and influence.

"Oh my, you haven't changed a bit, have you?

I can see lipstick on your neck.

Hee hee."

"Hoh?

Is that right? Ha ha ha ha.

Good grief, how embarrassing~~."

There was no lipstick on his neck.

The woman who was helping him with his wheelchair was too beautiful to be a mere helper, so Takano had suspected something.

As it turned out, her guess was correct.

Although he was so old that he could die the next day, he wanted to stay sexually active until the very end.

Even the grim reaper would think that's just absurd.

"Miyo-chan, you've become quite beautiful yourself~.

You're not a little girl anymore, eh~~."

"Oh, stop.

If you really think that way, why did you try to touch my bottom, hmm?"

"Ha ha ha ha ha!

What have you got to lose from having an old guy like me touch your butt?"

"I'm sure you have plenty of chances to touch a softer butt, don't you?

Hee hee hee hee."

Takano and the old man enjoyed a tasteless conversation.

They had clearly known each other a long time, and were very close.

The young woman came back in to serve tea.

After she left, the old man started to speak.

"......Anyway,

I'm so proud of you, Miyo-chan.

I'm sure your grandfather in Heaven is proud of you, too."

"I hope so.

...But I'm not even close to approaching the level of my grandfather's great work."

"Takano-kun was unlucky in many different ways.

The era he lived in...

If he lived in a different era, I'm sure he would have finished his research..."

"But he lived in that era, and ironically, that was why he noticed the existence of the Hinamizawa Syndrome."

"......The world today is in the nuclear era.

With America and the Soviet Union glaring at each other over mounds of nuclear stockpiles, it takes nukes to have authority as a major power.

......Yet we've forever abandoned our nukes thanks to our three antinuclear principles.

In this age, we are now a nation without nukes.

...How deplorable."

In the middle of the 20th century,

despite rising tensions between East and West, there was a temporary peace known as the Cold War brought by a balance of nuclear weapons pointed at one another.

Permanent memberships in the United Nations were monopolized by nations with nuclear arms.

They secured their predominance with nuclear weapons, bound the world with nuclear nonproliferation treaties, eternally banning non-nuclear nations from the world stage.

For Japan to become a nation that can compete with the world, it must develop nuclear arms, or something as powerful.

That's what some people believed, at least.

"Realistically, Japan will never arm itself with nuclear weapons."

"I know.

The citizens wouldn't accept it.

Even if the government ignored their opinions and armed itself with nuclear weapons, it wouldn't work."

By abandoning nuclear weaponry, Japan gained the deterrent power of the United States.

Though some people thought the only way for Japan to become equal to the United States would be to get nuclear arms of their own.

But realistically, that was impossible.

Even if Japan armed itself with nuclear weapons, that wouldn't automatically let Japan join the great powers.

Takano and the old man discussed the balance of nuclear power in the world.

Eventually, the sound of the cuckoo clock reminded them to return to the main subject at hand.

The old man pointed to the attache case that had been sitting next to Takano.

Takano nodded once, opened it up, and removed the contents.

There were brand new bills packed in it.

How much was actually in there?

A bundle of brand new million-yen bills is one centimeter

so there must have been at least enough to make up eight digits.

There were also two more attache cases by her side.

However, neither Takano nor the old man were surprised at all.

Takano closed the attache case and bowed.

"Thank you very much, Koizumi-sensei.

I'll never forget about this."

"Ha ha ha ha.

Money should be handled by younger people.

I can't take it to Heaven with me.

I just hope this will be of assistance to you.

Use it wisely."

"Of course I will.

I'll use this money only to make my grandfather's dream come true."

"I envy Takano-kun.

What a wonderful grandchild he has.

I'm sure he's bragging about you up there."

"I haven't done anything yet.

I'll have earned this praise when I complete my grandfather's work."

"......I'm so jealous.

My boys are no good.

They're only interested in making money.

...What really matters is how the money is spent.

How you contribute to the country is what's most important.

That's how you repay your debt to it, you know..."

"Oh, so are you saying that treating all those lovers so lavishly is also a way of repaying your country?"

"Of course.

When they shop, the country makes money.

Money goes around, you see?"

However, those lovers would probably end up buying some foreign goods.

...Things probably don't work quite the way this old man thinks they do.

Takano chuckled to herself.

"But the money I give to those women and the money I give you are completely different."

"I know that very well."

"You've worked very hard.

You've retained trust and support from so many people.

This is the first time I've mentioned it, but Haruyama-kun and Mochizuki-kun both weren't sure about you because of your age, at first.

Ha ha ha ha.

That's why I'm acknowledging your efforts, and that's why I'm giving you this money."

"I understand."

"...Also,

for me to give you this money

means that I recognize you as the official successor of Takano-kun's research."

"Thank you very much.

Thank you for believing in me. I truly appreciate it."

"No, don't mention it!

This research is Takano-kun's, and yours too.

He wouldn't want anyone else to take over.

So, thanks to all of your effort, I didn't have to spend too much time convincing the other old folks."

"...Completing my grandfather's research is the least I can do for him.

I won't begrudge any efforts toward that aim."

Takano smiled as she remembered everything she had to go through to get to this point.

It went without saying, but the old men around Takano saw her as someone from their grandchildren's generation, or maybe even younger.

Just how much trouble did Takano have to endure in order to gain the trust of those with such a large generation gap?

It was hard to describe to those who couldn't even imagine her trouble.

But Takano earned it.

She gathered allies,

drove away enemies,

garnered support,

and forced them to recognize her.

She spent a long time establishing trust and rising to a status that the old men would welcome.

Which was all the more reason this meeting was a reward for her many days of hardship.

Now that she officially had a powerful influence backing her, she could spread her wings and see the completion of her grandfather's unfinished research...

"Well......

now that you're officially continuing Takano-kun's research...

there's something I need to tell you, Miyo-chan."

"What is it?

I'm listening."

The old man paused and pulled an expensive cigarette from the cigarette holder on the table.

Takano lit it up for him.

She didn't smoke herself.

But knowing that the old man did, she kept a lighter in her pocket.

The constant build up of little gestures like that were how she gained the trust she held today...

"...Takano-kun noticed the Hinamizawa Syndrome in Manchuria, not Japan."

"Yes.

According to my grandfather's journal, around 1940, he learned that many soldiers sent from Hinamizawa to the Kwantung Army expressed terminal symptoms,

which led him to surmise that an unknown, infectious parasite dwelled in Hinamizawa."

Under the harsh conditions of war, people sometimes lost their mind.

In those conditions, those who were sent to a far off battlefield from Hinamizawa spent their days under duress, and occasionally they exhibited terminal symptoms, hallucinated, and caused twisted incidents.

Yet that all occurred in the extensive chaos of the battlefield.

Every incident was handled seperately, and no one suspected there was an underlying cause...

"At the time, Takano-kun was working as a military physician in the Kwantung Army. He was researching the prevention of different infectious diseases.

And one day, he noticed that several incidents of deranged behavior were occurring among soldiers from the same hometown.

He hypothesized that these symptoms were unique to those from Hinamizawa and began his own personal research.

He hired soldiers from Hinamizawa as workers in his research center and studied them there.

...Then he learned of the unique Hinamizawa faith in Oyashiro-sama, and he was convinced that he found an infectious parasite with unique properties."

Some may wonder how he could be so certain that these symptoms were caused by unusual parasites.

At the beginning of the 20th century,

German doctors proved that some unknown diseases were caused by bacteria and parasites.

At the time, it wasn't too far of a jump to assume that unknown pathogens could be behind unknown diseases.

For instance, in modern times it's been revealed that beriberi is caused by Vitamin B-1 deficiency,

but at the start of the 20th century many loudly proclaimed that it was the work of an unidentified pathogen.

"Yes. My grandfather predicted that his research would be valuable to the army, so he asked for a budget, but they just laughed at him."

As a researcher, her grandfather was very talented and passionate, but when it came to gaining the aid of political powers, he simply struck out.

Hinamizawa Syndrome.

...No, the possible existence of a parasite that infected the human brain and controlled emotions.

...Even though he made the remarkable achievement of discovering a mystery no one had explained before him,

he was unable to convince others of that achievement, and spent his life alone, unable to garner support and unable to achieve proper recognition for his achievement.

Independent research has its limit.

Talented people, funding, and backup.

A research project can be successful only if all those things are present.

Takano had noticed her grandfather's mistakes, and that was why she did everything she could to obtain all of that.

"......The military at the time was hoping for a low-cost, immediate acting weapon.

While Takano-kun's research was extremely intriguing,

it didn't meet the military's expectations."

"But I heard you were the only one who understood my grandfather's research, weren't you?

In his journal, he calls you his best friend."

"We came from the same hometown.

It was a miracle to run into someone from the same town on such a distant battlefield.

Although we weren't close in age, we became very good friends.

So we talked a lot.

Many times he told me his research would be revolutionary, and asked me to lay the groundwork to secure funding for full-scale research."

"I read in his journal that you talked to many different people about his research.

Unfortunately, its value was never recognized, but I'm sure your support meant a lot to him."

"But I was never able to really do anything for him.

That's why I want to help you, Miyo-chan.

Helping you is like atoning for my mistakes..."

"Thank you very much.

He was lucky to have you as his best friend.

...If only there were more understanding people like you in the military's upper echelon.

It's very regrettable to think that my grandfather's life might have been different..."

The old man closed his eyes and paused for a moment.

...Shortly after that, he looked into the distance and spoke.

"............Actually.

That isn't true at all.

The higher-ups were interested in Takano-kun's discovery."

"...What?

I've never heard that before.

Then why didn't they support his research?"

"Something came up, and they couldn't let him look into Hinamizawa Syndrome.

Only a few of the top brass and myself knew the reason.

Now that all but myself have passed,

...I think I should tell you, Miyo-chan, since you're carrying on his work."

"......What came up? ...What was it?"

Takano had believed until this day that her grandfather's research was ridiculed by everyone, which was the reason why it had never gained any recognition.

Her grandfather had asked the military for funding so he could uncover the secret of Hinamizawa Syndrome during the war.

But just like the old man had said earlier, the military wanted an instant-acting weapon. That was why they weren't interested in his research.

That's what she had believed.

But as it turned out, the military had actually shown an interest after all.

"Before I go on, I need to explain about the Kwantung Army in Manchuria at the time.

While the Kwantung Army was stationed in Manchuria, opinions were divided on whether to advance our forces north or south."

At the time, Japan had troops in Manchuria, but opinions were divided on advancing north to deter the Soviet Union, or advancing south to expand our territory and secure resources.

With the Soviet Union and its predecessor, Russia, being a landlocked, frozen nation, they had long yearned for an ice-free port that wouldn't freeze over in winter.

They had made numerous attempts to expand their territory southward too.

Those expansionist policies were said to be a cause of the Russo-Japanese war.

In the history books, it's said that Japan won the Russo-Japanese War, but it was actually a draw ending in peace signed at the Treaty of Portsmouth.

Both sides had simply set aside their spears after mutually exhausting their forces.

It wasn't like Russia capitulated and offered a complete surrender.

As a result, the perception of the Russian threat continued to smoulder.

Later the Russian Empire was overthrown by a revolution, but Japan was unable to shake the threat that the new Soviet Union would advance south.

"According to the history books, Japan went south.

They signed the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact and abandoned the northern advance.

As a result, when the Great Patriotic War began, the Soviet Union was able to respond to pressure on their German front by pouring in their eastern forces.

Though the Germans had managed to lay siege to Moscow, the Soviets launched a massive counter-offensive that reversed the tides of war."

Even with the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact, the Soviets couldn't tell if Japan would attack them at some point.

Because of that threat, the Soviets had to leave some forces in the far east, and they weren't able to devote enough troops to the German front.

For starters, the Soviets had forged the Germany-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact too.

Yet Germany broke the treaty and attacked the Soviet Union.

To make matters worse, Japan and Germany had forged a military alliance.

With all those factors in play, the Soviets naturally couldn't trust Japan to uphold their neutrality pact.

(Ironically, the Soviet Union was the one who broke the pact, but I won't go into that now.)

"Exactly. Hitler signed the Tripartite Pact because he expected Japan to keep the Soviet's other front in check.

But ultimately Japan abandoned the north.

With the superior German offensive, many supported the idea of waiting and watching it play out.

They believed that even if we did advance north, it would be after Germany conquered Moscow.

...However, that plan was exposed to Sorge, and the Soviets transfered their heavy tanks from their far east border to the German front.

That secured Germany's defeat at Moscow, and the Germans began seeing a string of defeats starting with the Battle of Kursk."

"It was a turning point in history, huh?"

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union was recognized as a global power, but at least in 1940, the Kwantung Army didn't think it was a particular threat.

Japan had earned a victory with the Russo-Japanese war, and they took the new Soviet Union government lightly, assuming it wouldn't be stable after overthrowing the Russian Empire.

That underestimation was corrected after the Nomonhan Incident in 1941.

After several fierce, short-term battles with the Soviet Union's advanced, mechanized corps that led to great losses, the Kwantung Army realized they shouldn't fight the Soviets, and that inclined Japan toward the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact...

"But at the very least, up until the Nomonhan Incident, the Kwantung Army was strongly conscious of the Soviets and divided on advancing north or south.

Thanks to that, there were also voices advising caution, suggesting we avoid all-out war with China in order to shore up our forces against the Soviets."

"But the Sino-Japanese War broke out after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, right?"

July, 1937.

The Japanese and Chinese armies were staring at each other across the Lugou Bridge in Beijing.

It was the middle of the night on July 7th.

The Chinese army fired on the Japanese army-in-training, and they engaged in combat.

This triggered the long Sino-Japanese War.

"Yes.

According to historical records, that incident triggered the Sino-Japanese War, but...

...with opinions divided over advancing north or south, the army was equally divided over a full-scale confrontation with China.

No, in fact, we even received orders from General Staff Headquarters to resolve the matter quietly before the incident grew much bigger."

So those supporting the northern advance wanted to settle the Battle of Lugou Bridge quietly, insisting that conflict with China was pointless in light of their anti-Soviet strategy.

However, those on the mainland supporting the southern advance used this incident as cause to dispatch more troops to China.

They enacted hard policies against China, and thus the Marco Polo Bridge Incident became the trigger for Japan and China to enter all-out war.

After that and their bitter struggles in the Nomonhan Incident, Japan greatly revised their Soviet strategy.

They signed the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact and secured the route for their southern advance.

The Sino-Japanese war got worse and worse...

"...If the Marco Polo Bridge Incident hadn't happened,

it's possible that history would have gone very differently.

...Maybe we would have ended up in a war with them anyway.

However, if the South Faction didn't get that chance, the military authorities would have kept restraining the Soviet Union, and the Soviets would have had to divide their forces between east and west,

.........and maybe

Germany could have invaded Moscow.

Then Japan could have gone to Siberia.

The map could have been very different today."

Germany wouldn't necessarily have won the war if it had succeeded in taking Moscow.

England was keeping its strength on the other side of Dover Strait, after all, and the United States was poised to enter the conflict.

Besides, Napoleon once occupied Moscow.

But in the end, he couldn't beat their winter and had to withdraw.

"...It is one of those 'ifs', huh? The Axis might have won the war."

"Yes. It's possible that the gunshot from the Marco Polo Bridge Incident changed the tide of history."

"...Both sides had different opinions of who fired the shot, right?"

"According to the Japanese side, a Chinese soldier fired a shot at a Japanese soldier who got too close to the Chinese camp.

However, the Chinese side claimed the shot was a conspiracy invented by the Japanese military."

"But the shot was fired.

Even though nobody knew who actually pulled the trigger, it sparked the Sino-Japanese war."

"Yes,

that's what the history books say."

".........But, Koizumi-sensei...

what does that have to do with my grandfather?"

"In the Marco Polo Bridge Incident,

a shot was fired at a unit that was training in the middle of the night. Everyone was summoned for a roll call.

They were missing one soldier.

This soldier came back later, and it was said that he was sent as a messenger and got too close to the Chinese camp.

......By the way,

...did you know that soldier was from Hinamizawa?"

"...Eh?

Really?"

"When Takano-kun was talking about Hinamizawa Syndrome, he said that soldiers from Hinamizawa could suddenly fall into a deranged state.

And we realized that the soldier from the Marco Polo Bridge Incident was in fact from Hinamizawa."

"Then what about the first shot fired?"

"I don't know the truth!

But I think it's possible that a soldier within the terminal stage of Hinamizawa Syndrome fired the shot.

That soldier was killed in the incident.

Since there was no record of it, nobody knows exactly how he died."

"............"

The Japanese side claimed that the Chinese army had fired at them, and negotiated with that in mind.

Just a scant few days after the incident, Japan demanded an apology from the Chinese, and as a show of force dispatched three divisions of reinforcements.

The Chinese side was, of course, opposed to that.

The situation escalated at once.

"If research into Hinamizawa Syndrome continued, the higher-ups thought it would negatively influence the Japanese army's claims.

So, in order to avoid the risk of traversing that political grey zone, they rejected Takano-kun's research..."

"......So, because of that... they refused to even consider my grandfather's research long after the war ended too?"

"Yes, that's exactly it.

The war is over now, but there are still some conflicts there regarding historical recognition.

Even if Takano-kun didn't mean for it to happen, if his research into Hinamizawa Syndrome became public, it might cause a resurgence of quarrels over the long-ended war.

Certain authorities were afraid of that, so they made sure his research was ignored even after the war.

...I was long warned not to aid him any way myself..."

"........."

Takano tried to remain calm, but she couldn't stop herself from grimacing.

She had just found out the real reason why her grandfather's research had been ignored. It was because of secret maneuvers by political masterminds.

...If those masterminds feared it so much,

ironically, that meant they acknowledged the importance of his research.

...Takano was saddened and frustrated to no end by her grandfather's lonely life.

"However, they are all dead now.

I'm the only one who knows about this.

If Takano-kun was still alive, I was going to apologize to him and give him my unconditional support.

But he's no longer around.

That's why I'm apologizing to you and offering to give you my full support instead."

"......Are you sure?

Wouldn't research into the Hinamizawa Syndrome dredge up those same subjects again...?"

"It's different now.

Besides... research into the Hinamizawa Syndrome may produce more than a mere local disease.

Depending on your research, post-war Japan may gain a trump card that makes it a world power once more."

"So the tides and times have changed then."

"That's right.

Unfortunately, Takano-kun didn't live long enough to see that tide change.

But he has you to continue his research.

So, as long as I'm alive, I'll give you my full support.

I promised to help Takano-kun, but because of various things, I couldn't do anything.

So I want to make up for that as long as I'm alive.

I think that's the least I can do for the man who called me his best friend."

"Koizumi-sensei...

Thank you so much..."

"Oh, don't mention it.

I'm glad I was able to tell you everything before I died.

Anyway, until I'm gone, I'll make sure you get everything you need, okay?

So if anything comes up, be sure to let me know.

I'll do anything for you!!"

Takano couldn't even imagine what kind of bond this old man and her grandfather had between them.

...But thanks to that bond, Takano was able to gain a powerful supporter.

Tears welled up in Takano's eyes as she gave him an emotional look, but in her mind she was practically dancing at the promise of the old man's full support.

The old man and Takano both bowed at the same time to show each other their appreciation.

Once that was done, the old man became a little more serious.

After that far too lengthy preamble, he finally said what he really wanted to tell her.

"So there you have it.

This is what I wanted to say.

...The Hinamizawa Syndrome has the potential power to make history.

It may even twist the fate of our country.

...So keep that in mind, and be careful with your research."