NIS Agents Tearing Up the Japanese Empire - Chapter 179



Only Krnovel

NIS Agent Tears the Japanese Empire Episode 179

The famous snake (7)

-bang!

Heungnam, a small fishing village in Hamgyeong Province.

Gunshots rang out through the peaceful town streets.

The shooter was wearing an army officer’s uniform, while the person shot was wearing a pristine white sailor’s uniform.

However, the army officers had suffered some hardships; their clothes were torn here and there, and several of the buttons were out of their original positions.

His face was a mess from where he had been hit, and his eyes were swollen like steamed buns.

“Ugh… … . Gasp… … .”

The officer who fired the shot was breathing heavily, his face painted with confusion.

He was greatly embarrassed when the sailor standing at the end of his gun slowly fell down.

And the same was true for the sailors who were holding him and beating him.

“Kiyoshi?”

“Hey, Kiyoshi Inma!”

“Wake up! Kiyoshi! Kiyoshi!”

It was unclear exactly where the sailor was shot, but it was obvious to anyone that he was fatally wounded, as he was trembling and spitting blood from his mouth.

“I… … . I… … .”

The army officer was about to say something, but his comrade, whose head was cracked and bleeding profusely, approached him and stopped him.

“let’s go.”

“… … .”

So the army officers left immediately.

The sailors who had been fighting them as if they were enemies just a moment ago were so busy running to the medical unit carrying their dying comrades that they paid no attention to them at all.

Needless to say, this small incident on the streets of Heungnam caught the attention of many people, especially sailors who had recently been released from restrictions on going out, staying out overnight, and taking vacations.

And they went straight back to their units, that is, their ships, and started talking about what they had seen.

chamberlain.

“That, that army officer suddenly looked at the sailor, took out his gun, aimed it at his stomach… … . Bam!”

“It looks like he’s losing the fight, so why don’t you just take out your gun and shoot him?”

“They pulled out their guns and opened fire, and the sailor at the very front was hit all over his body with bullets.”

But as with any military rumor,

Their information was often embellished or based on their own imagination rather than the truth.

It’s not that they really hated the Army deep down, but it’s just that they have a habit of exaggerating even the smallest things in their daily lives like a Hollywood movie to entertain their bored seniors and get beaten up a little less.

“What?! That’s pure bastard!”

“Right? And then what’s even more amazing is, well, a person is bleeding to death and you just walk away from there, right?”

“He just left?”

“Yes, as if he had done everything he had to do!”

There is a saying that rumors stop when they reach the wise, but sadly, within the Japanese military at the moment… … at least within the Japanese naval squadron at Heungnam, there were no people as wise as that, so the rumor spread like wildfire.

“An army officer shot and injured a sailor?”

“Yes, the sailor is receiving treatment at the medical unit.”

“Yeah… … . That’s right.”

Even though it was clear that another accident had occurred under his command, Admiral Hara was neither surprised nor angry, nor did he show any interest.

He answered calmly, as if he had known this would happen.

“Examine the victim carefully and bring in the Army officer who caused the trouble.”

“I was going to do that too, but the officer in question said he was scheduled to be rotated to the mainland in a few days and couldn’t be sent there.”

“Is that so?”

Rather than getting angry at the Army’s refusal to extradite the criminal, Admiral Hara smiled pleasantly.

“So you’re saying that an Army officer is going to injure a valuable Navy sailor and then run away with it?”

“Yes… … is that so… … ?”

“Have you ever seen such an outrageous person!”

Admiral Hara’s words and actions were different.

He was pouring out his anger with a smiling face.

Even the adjutant who had been assisting him for a long time was perplexed by Admiral Hara’s appearance.

“dismissal……?”

“Why are you calling?”

“Then, how should we deal with this… … ?”

“What should I do? Send a formal letter of protest to the Army!”

“This is a letter of protest… … .”

“If possible, it would be good to also add the suspicion of the Nagato Army officers’ involvement in the bombing of the battleship Nagato at the end of the document.”

“All right.”

Admiral Hara had simply given this order to slightly… no, quite a bit, to reduce his own responsibility by raising suspicions about the Army’s involvement in the sinking of the battleship Nagato, but his adjutant was unaware of this.

That’s why I wrote the official document in a very formal, yet aggressive tone typical of the Navy.

“… … The Navy’s patience has reached its limit due to the Army’s brutality, which has now injured sailors following the Battleship Nagato, so please exercise restraint?”

Lieutenant General Shinnosuke of the Joseon Army (Japanese Army) Command in Yongsan, who was busy preparing for the upcoming New Year’s address, frowned at the letter of protest sent by the naval admiral from the North.

“What the hell is this?”

“It seems that there has been a dispute between the Army and Navy in the North.”

“No, that’s something that happens all the time, so I’ll let that slide… … . Here, Nagato’s explosion. What does that mean?”

“Nagato’s sinking…? If it’s a sinking… …. Are you saying that Nagato sank?”

“I’m asking because I don’t know either.”

“Ha, let me find out!”

The North Korean military headquarters in Yongsan was shocked by the protest letter from the North and sent a telegram to the mainland.

[Please check whether Nagato has sunk.]

The Admiralty was understandably shocked when it received this short telegram.

“They say the Nagato has sunk.”

“… … ?”

“Your Majesty, I heard that the Nagato has sunk.”

“… … I also have two ears open, so I heard what you said.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Nagato sank?”

The Secretary of the Navy was momentarily speechless.

In fact, he couldn’t even tell if this was real or fake.

If it had been a report directly from the unit in question, I would have believed it, but this was not a report, it was a fact-finding report, and it came from the colonial army headquarters.

“Nagato has sunk… … .”

It was unclear whether this was true or not, but if it was true, the repercussions would be far greater than the Navy could possibly handle.

In other words, it is something that should have been kept hidden internally.

But the Army knows this.

‘How did they find out about this?’

[Please check whether Nagato has sunk.]

Although it was a short article, it contained more information than I expected.

First, the Army knew something that even the Navy didn’t know, and second, the Army, having realized this, instead of trying to shake up the Navy’s weaknesses, directly inquired with the Navy on the mainland.

‘That means they were just as confused by this information as we were… … .’

What could possibly be so embarrassing that a colonial army command would need to verify the facts with the Admiralty on the mainland?

There was only one answer.

‘The army is involved.’

The Army was involved in the sinking of the battleship Nagato.

Otherwise, the Army would not have bothered to send a telegram to the Navy to confirm this fact.

“The fleet that just went up north… … was it Hara’s fleet?”

“Yes, Your Majesty! The provisional battleship squadron commanded by Admiral Kanjiro Hara… … .”

“Ah, that’s enough of the details. First, let’s check the facts by sending a telegram or sending a speedboat, as soon as possible.”

As he said this, the Secretary of the Navy quickly got up from his seat and grabbed his coat.

“Your Majesty, where are you going?”

“I’m going to the palace, so get ready.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

The Minister of the Navy, who received the news, gave orders to first confirm the facts and then ran to the Imperial Palace.

And the news that the Minister of the Navy was heading to the Imperial Palace naturally reached the ears of Hideki Tojo, Chief of Staff of the Army Ministry, who was monitoring the Navy Ministry all year round.

“The Secretary of the Navy went to the Imperial Palace in a hurry?”

“Yes! It seems that he left his attendants behind and rushed to the palace with only one aide.”

“That’s right… … .”

Dojo smelled a shady conspiracy.

“I’m going to Hwanggeo too.”

“Yes? Are you talking about now? If you don’t make an appointment with His Majesty the Emperor in advance… … .”

“There’s no time for that, we have to go too!”

“Oh, I understand.”

Chief of Staff of the Army Ministry Tojo followed the Minister of the Navy straight to the Imperial Palace.

But I didn’t forget to report.

“Report to Vice Minister Ugaki and His Excellency the Minister that I went to the Imperial Palace to observe the Navy Minister’s surprise visit to the Imperial Palace, and if possible, tell them to come to the Imperial Palace as well.”

“All right!”

* * *

“… … Why did these two busy people come to see me?”

Emperor Taisho, whose health had been seriously damaged by the various incidents and accidents that had occurred in recent years, greeted them with half a face.

Originally, his son, Crown Prince Hirohito, who was the Emperor’s acting representative, was supposed to welcome them, but the Minister of the Navy insisted on reporting directly to the Emperor, so Emperor Taisho, who was ill, had no choice but to step forward.

However, since his son was always by his side, Emperor Taisho did not show it and maintained an indifferent attitude even while he was sick.

“… … .”

“… … .”

“Why aren’t you two saying anything? Didn’t you both ask to see me at the same time?”

The Minister of the Navy frowned at Hideki Tojo, who was standing right next to him, but Hideki Tojo looked relaxed.

At that moment, an awkward silence continued between the two.

Hideki Tojo hit the player.

“Your Majesty! I am sorry to say this, but I have come here simply out of concern for Your Majesty’s well-being.”

“Are you worried about my safety?”

“I have come here because I am suspicious of the intention of a person who is as high as a minister of a country to report to His Majesty the Emperor instead of to His Majesty Hirohito, who is handling affairs on His Majesty the Emperor’s behalf.”

“I suspect… … . Hmm… … . Well, even Jim thinks that something doesn’t seem right.”

Emperor Taisho coughed dryly several times and then looked back at the Minister of the Navy.

Tojo Hideki’s words had another meaning, that the Minister of the Navy was insisting on seeing the Emperor without prior arrangements. So he was asking if he was trying to assassinate or threaten the Emperor.

Then the Minister of the Navy’s face turned pale and he shook his head to deny it.

“That is nonsense, Your Majesty! Although I have not shown it outwardly, my loyalty to Your Majesty the Emperor is comparable to that of a pine tree that is hundreds of years old… … .”

“Okay, then that’s fine. So why did you ask to see the luggage?”

When the word loyalty came out of the mouths of those who had been shooting guns and firing shells at the Imperial Palace, Emperor Taisho made a displeased expression.

“That, that… … . I came here to tell you some unfortunate and sad news.”

“Unfortunate and sad news?”

“Yes, Your Majesty… … !”

“What is that?”

“Nagato… … . Battleship Nagato… … !”

The Secretary of the Navy fell face down on the floor as if he could not bear the grief, and cried lowly in a voice full of sorrow and sorrow.

He didn’t really shed any tears, but he was lying face down on the floor and not showing his face, so the Emperor couldn’t tell if he was really crying.

However, it was only possible to confirm that the corners of the mouth were slightly raised.

“Nagato? Oh, I see you’re talking about that ship that was the pride of the Empire of Japan. But why is that?”

“The battleship Nagato was sunk by the army’s scheme!”

“?”

Confusion, shock, and doubt passed across Tojo Hideki’s face in succession.

And Emperor Taisho looked at Hideki Tojo with an indifferent expression and asked.

“Is that true?”

And behind the Emperor, Crown Prince Hirohito was glaring at Tojo, with sparks flying from his eyes like a demon from hell.

“That, that… … .”

Hideki Tojo thought.

‘I got hit!’