“What is it? A warning to the world attempting to ally with the evil being called the Demon Lord…”
I had a bad feeling from this opening sentence, and when I heard it was a declaration of intent, I had a general idea of what it would say.
It seems to list a lot of overly decorated words, but to summarize it.
“In short, the Demon Lord is suspicious, so let’s stop being friends with him. Instead, give us money to defeat the Demon Lord, is that right?”
“If you cut corners, that’s the meaning. I’ve stripped away all the ideology and ideals.”
He aims to be a hero who justifies himself and defeats evil, but a clown driven by money has been born.
“What did the president say?”
“He’s watching the world’s movements, so he’s taking a wait-and-see approach.”
“That’s reasonable. By the way, is there any connection with Isal behind this organization?”
“As of now, it’s clean. Though it’s leaning towards gray.”
“So, it means a person driven purely by justice, completely unrelated to us, has appeared.”
What they are doing is a complete crime, and the occupied ship is one that is about to depart from a country that flies the flag of freedom.
Such an act of violence cannot be allowed to go unchecked.
“It depends on how America responds, but it doesn’t look like we’ll be making any moves from our side.”
In that case, it wasn’t necessary to come all the way to Tufaris from the mansion to observe the situation. If the incident occurred far from Japan, there would be no need to go through the trouble.
“You’d think so, but here you go.”
“Given the flow of this conversation, the documents you’re handing over give me nothing but a bad feeling.”
“That’s correct. Those are the photo and name of the main culprit.”
“…”
“You’re free to do as you please with it, as per the Demon Lord’s message.”
“You’re indirectly telling me to make arrangements so that there are no problems, aren’t you?”
On top of being busy, troublesome things have a way of finding me.
Paparazzi and media had been cute in comparison.
“Apparently, he calls himself the eldest son of the Tanaka family.”
“Apologize to all the Tanakas in Japan. Which Tanaka family’s eldest son is he?”
He’s a bit rough, but his features are Asian. He might resemble me, but his features are unlike either my father or mother.
His name is.
“Ichiro Tanaka. It’s like he’s saying it’s a fake name.”
Recently, I gained a younger sibling, but I don’t recall having an older brother. I am the eldest son of the Tanaka family. My name, Jiro, is merely because my father’s name is Ichiro; it’s not meant to imply I’m second in line.
“If we leave this as it is, it’s likely to become troublesome.”
“You’re telling me. People are truly masters at conjuring malice.”
Keiri is absolutely right. I truly wish that troublesome matters wouldn’t increase in variety.
I nod in agreement with her as she sighs, holding a copy of the document containing the information.
“So, what are you going to do? You said earlier you weren’t going to get involved.”
“Hmm, I don’t think I can afford to stay out of it anymore.”
Based on the initial information, I thought it was fine to stay out of it because America would handle it, but the situation changes a bit with the appearance of the self-proclaimed eldest son of the Tanaka family.
“Indeed. Even if you explain yourself after the incident is over, rumors will spread worldwide that your relative caused trouble and committed a crime. While not worldwide, it’s enough to sow distrust in a certain segment of people.”
“…Haa.”
I don’t know what mistake he made or where, but why do I have to be bothered by a brother I don’t even have?
I let out a big sigh and scratch my head vigorously, trying to come up with a plan of action. Let’s first identify the problems.
The problem is that he’s speaking a lie as truth, which people who don’t know the truth might believe. It’s an act of creating a scandal that can be done precisely because my family structure isn’t publicly disclosed. The information suggests that he’s intentionally doing this.
“If I try to put out the fire, I’ll probably be accused of covering up my relative’s disgrace. I don’t know if people will believe this kind of news.”
“There will be a certain number of people who will believe it just because it was reported on television. They’re using information in an insidious way. From their perspective, it’s a situation where they’re forcing us to choose between two options, both of which benefit them.”
“By the way, has this hijacking been reported on the news?”
“It’s being broadcast by some media outlets. It seems the American government is placing restrictions on detailed information.”
“In that case, there’s still hope.”
I’d like to know who did this and why, but time is of the essence. Investigating the culprit can wait; dealing with the incident is the priority. Keiri is operating her smartphone, gathering information from online news. While it’s being reported, the identity of the culprit hasn’t been released yet.
“…Let’s go against their expectations.”
“Against expectations? What do you plan to do?”
“Excessive intervention will be seen as suspicious. Too little intervention will let rumors run wild and lead to terrible outcomes. In that case, perhaps we should intentionally release some information.”
Acting according to the opponent’s intentions is most disadvantageous to us. Shouldn’t we do something that benefits us?
“What are you planning to do?”
“Oh, I’m just going to use the connections that are trying to get an appointment with me.”
Seeing my mischievous smile, Keiri, sensing I have something interesting in mind, also smiles and asks what I’m going to do. I take out a file of business cards from a storage space created with space-time magic, and from the business cards organized by profession, I select a few.
“Apologies, but could you make an appointment somewhere, anywhere, immediately? And also get permission to use the training room.”
I hand them to Keiri.
“And permission for filming.”
I ask her to handle the necessary procedures.
The next day, after those procedures were completed.
“Yes!! Hello, hello, we’re Micchan 1 and 2!!”
It’s quite a bold idea to let someone into the company at this time of year, but I’ve decided to act on it. As a result. There are people who, in terms of drawing attention, would jump at this kind of story without a second thought. Media like TV stations, and those who make a living by posting videos are included. Right in front of me, a girl with brightly colored twin-tails is appealing intensely to the camera pointed at her by the assistant members.
“Everyone! Thank you for watching our emergency live broadcast! As the title says, Micchan is now at a company that’s attracting global attention!”
Over five million subscribers. One of Japan’s leading video creators. When I simultaneously contacted TV stations and video agencies, the one who responded the fastest, had the most drive, and was willing to broadcast despite the risks of entering a company with restricted information was this formidable individual. A video uploader belonging to the agency called Micchan Channel.
“That’s right! It’s MAO Corporation!! I’ve been given special access today!! I honestly thought it was a lie when they suddenly asked, but I’m actually here!! And they said they’d let me experience magic, so I came here at double-speed playback!!”
I watch the filming with her and also check the connection count, which is steadily increasing. Simultaneously, the speed at which comments are flowing is also increasing. I imposed various restrictions on this filming, but her willingness to accept them is reflected in the relatively good response in the comments. There are probably comments calling it a lie or a self-produced act to follow the trend.
“I think there are people in the comments who think it’s a lie, but if you see this person, you’ll know it’s true!! Alright! Now, I’ll call the person who invited me here!! It’s Jiro Tanaka!”
Now, with a better-known face than many celebrities, my appearance immediately changes the atmosphere.
“Hello, I’m Jiro Tanaka. It’s an ordinary name, but I’m probably the most famous person in Japan.”
“Yes!! The world-famous mage!! The salaryman from another world, Jiro Tanaka!! No! Seriously! I never thought I’d actually get to meet you!!”
Keiri is chuckling, so the comments must be quite amusing. My introduction was modest.
“By the way, are the things in your hands and the clothes you’re wearing real?”
“They are real. Would you like to touch them?”
“Yes!”
My equipment is not just for show, but practical, so the impact is tremendous. Micchan tentatively touches the armor, then her eyes are drawn to the Ore Tree on my back, looking at me dressed as a fantasy warrior.
“By the way, Mr. Tanaka, do you know about the firearms and swords control law?”
“This is extraterritoriality.”
“Amazing, another world!!”
Micchan is surprised by the real blade, but she shows her ability to handle the situation with jokes, indicating she’s experienced. I sensed it from our meeting; she has a high level of professionalism.
“This time, we’ll explore the world of another dimension in this project!!” She skillfully incorporates our conversation into the explanation. While making small talk, she asks questions.
“You know, in my family, there’s someone who loves fantasy anime! She’s like the youngest child in our family, a beloved character for everyone! She’s staring intently at you, Mr. Tanaka, from beyond the camera!”
She immediately incorporates what I asked her to include.
“As the eldest daughter, I will confirm how much her fantasy common sense differs from the common sense of the actual otherworld!” Micchan Channel is an all-female channel, with Micchan as the eldest daughter and the other staff members as her sisters.
“I must be careful not to disappoint her. I was an only child for a long time, but I recently gained a sister, so I need to be mindful.”
“Recently? How old are you, Mr. Tanaka?”
“I’m thirty this year, and I’ll have a younger sibling next year.”
“Such an age gap, like parent and child! Is that also due to magic?”
“No, that’s due to the parents’ efforts.”
“That’s complicated.”
“Not really. As I said earlier, I’ve always wanted siblings, so I’m happy to have them, even if there’s a significant age difference.”
So, the sibling topic can be easily incorporated. The conversation flow I requested was created and then exposed to a large audience. When Keiri gave me the OK sign, it meant that the text questioning the connection to the American incident had been written. Keiri and the goblin I brought are diligently manipulating information. While the focus is on magical civilization, the Demon Lord’s Army is also well-adapted to modern civilization. Information on the internet is overwritten with information from the internet. We need to firmly put a stop to any strange relatives appearing in the future.
“I see, I see. Oh, our youngest sister is giving me a scary look, saying ‘show us magic soon,’ so Mr. Tanaka, I’m sorry, but it’s almost time…”
“Understood. We can’t get caught up in family talk forever.”
As a thank you for the public relations, I’ll perform some magic. Fortunately, Micchan’s magic aptitude is three. She has enough talent to use simple magic immediately without engraving a magic crest. Now, let’s see what kind of magic I’ll let her experience.
Today’s word: I just wished the variations in wicked schemes wouldn’t increase.
Thank you for your usual feedback and error reports. If you find it interesting, please leave a review, rating, or bookmark. I am also currently serializing another work, “Pandora Pandemic Panic.” Please check that out as well!
