27. Embassy Operations Commence

Thank you for the typo report.

Ichijō had become Nakamani.

Upon this, it was decided by the Japanese government that Ichijō’s relatives would be under their protection. Since Ichijō’s parents had already passed away, her only surviving legal relative was an unmarried aunt.

Having abruptly announced at the Japanese restaurant Hanabishi that she would quit her company within three days, Ichijō submitted her resignation the next day to ○○ Manufacturing. She reportedly faced various attempts to dissuade her, but managed to convince them by citing my case—where no handover was possible and I was simply ordered to transfer—thus securing her departure.

When I was asked by the personnel officer about my next job, I said Embassy of Agirakana and apparently got laughed at. The personnel from ○○ Manufacturing didn’t seem to realize that Yamada Keiichi, who’d worked there just a short while ago, was Mister Yamada. Fair enough.

I’ve decided to handle pension and retirement paperwork by mail, and apparently my next payday will coincide with my last day of employment, starting the day after. When I asked Ichijō whether it would be problematic to start working elsewhere before officially resigning, I was told it would be fine as long as I was unpaid until my last day. If there’s a minor issue, well, money can always smooth it over.

It was decided that Ichijō would be welcomed at the Embassy, and I briefly considered picking her up in a stealth-mode small liaison craft—but since she said she’d be taking the Shinkansen, we settled on meeting her at Tokyo Station instead.

Ichijō emerged from the Shinkansen, arriving precisely on time at Tokyo Station, carrying only a carry-on bag. Ain, disguised with glasses and a brown wig, greeted her on the platform and escorted her to the Embassy by taxi. Ain’s hairstyle had initially seemed short when they first met, but now it matched the other three—neatly cropped, almost buzz-cut.

“Finally made it, Ichijō.”

“What is this building? It’s like we’re inside a spaceship, isn’t it?”

“You’ve never seen the inside of a spaceship, have you? Still, not bad for a guess. Anyway, let me introduce you to the crew.

Hey everyone, listen up. The woman standing beside me from today onward is Ichijō Sae, our new teammate. She’ll be leading our Japanese staff. Treat her well.”

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Ichijō Sae. I’ll do my best under Yamada-san’s guidance. Please take care of me.”

When Ichijō bowed deeply, everyone who had been standing snapped into the usual salute.

" Ichijō, get on with it and copy us already. Otherwise everyone’ll just stay like that."

"??? "

Imitating what she saw, Ichijō made a fist with her right hand and pressed it to her left shoulder, whereupon everyone sat down.

" Ichijō, they’re all soldiers. Get used to it. Your seat’s right next to mine. If you’ve got questions, ask anyone—but it’s safest to ask the woman who brought you here today. Ain, you understand, right? She’s not wearing the wig or glasses now, but still."

Ain gave a slight nod.

"Wait— I had no idea at all. We were just walking together a moment ago—when did that happen?"

“That’s why you’re all getting along—your desk’s down on the lower floor, too. In two or three days, the Japanese Government’s assigned personnel will be arriving, and their workspace will be down there. Your job’ll be keeping those fellows in line.”

I placed a box of business cards—each emblazoned with “Special Advisor to the Agirakana Representative, Ichijō Saeko”—on Ichijō’s desk.

“Ain, regarding Ichijō’s待遇, as I said before, five million yen a year in Japanese currency is fine. Deposit it into her account on the first of next month.”

“Understood.”

“S-senpai, that’s ten times—no, that was a joke, a joke, really—”

Five million yen, and he flinched.

"Don't worry about it—take what you're given. Your room has been prepared on the upper floor. You'll be shown to it later. Oh, and while you're at it, get a health check at the tenth floor. Whether you're sick or not, it'll be over in an instant. And if there's a problem, just sleep for about thirty minutes—apparently that fixes it."

"Ain, show Ichijō to their room, help them settle their belongings, and then take them for the health check."

"Understood. Please come this way, Ichijō-san."

Of course, we accepted Japan's proposal to dispatch personnel. The first group—five individuals handpicked from various government ministries—should be arriving shortly. All are on secondment, so their salaries will be covered by the Japanese government. The external contractors have already finished the phone line installation, and the reception setup is fully ready.

The personnel seconded from various ministries also serve as liaison officers between the Japanese Government and ourselves. Up until now, a single portable terminal—supplied by Ain—had been kept in a specially designated room within the Prime Minister’s residence, guarded with utmost vigilance, while a designated official waited around the clock for communications from Agirakana.

The Embassy’s Exterior Works have been completed by specialized contractors; the high perimeter walls, landscaping within the grounds, and other features are now in place, giving the compound a distinctly diplomatic appearance.

I don’t particularly plan on going anywhere myself, but several official vehicles have already been purchased and are parked in the underground garage. The make is a sedan-type T Corporation’s Oqusas—nothing at all like my lightweight model. Technically, the Ounchury is the more upscale option, but I was asked by Ichijō to go with the Oqusas. According to Ichijō, the Ounchury is reserved for directors and above within ministries, and the visiting officials might feel too hesitant to use it.

The diplomatic vehicle number’s country code has been set to 999 for easy recognition. The driver for the official vehicles has been recommended by the Japanese Government—a former self-defense force member.

The Embassy’s seventh floor is designated as the office space for Japanese staff. The eighth, ninth, and tenth floors above it will be accessible only to Ichijō, the head of Japanese staff and a special assistant—though the title itself was a spontaneous idea from a drinking party, it strikes one as suitably grand for use in external dealings or as a bluff with subordinates.