Chapter 125 – Is Germany still peaceful? (2)

“Terrain, huh. Well, I suppose that’s what you’d call an occupational hazard. So, how were things over here? Britain and France didn’t look all that different to me.”

Kouryuu-sensei went and asked what I had wanted to ask.
For him to snatch away my line and my conversation with my onii-sama—utterly unacceptable.

“Frankfurt felt a little lacking in energy, though?”

“Yeah, I’ve heard rumors that finance is in trouble. But overall, I don’t think Europe is facing anything major yet. America, though, seems to be in serious trouble.”

“Yes. Right now, banks, companies, and individuals across America who were in stocks are pulling dollars back from all over the world in an extreme way. I suspect that the top people in Europe’s nations and companies must be in a panic by now, but… you haven’t heard anything from the German army, have you, onii-sama?”

I tilt my head slightly to look cute, but my onii-sama’s troubled expression doesn’t change much.
He only gives me a faint smile.

“Yeah, I asked around a bit after I got your letter, but at least for now it hasn’t spread to the army. And the acquaintances I’ve made aren’t all that high-ranking, so I don’t think the news has reached them yet. So then, in your letter you left things vague—but how is it really?”

“It’s definitely going to get worse—no, terribly worse. Especially in Germany, if all the American funds are pulled out, the economy will surely fall into great turmoil.”

“Yeah, I can see that. I won’t say we can stop it, but is there anything that can be done? If there is, I’d like to let my acquaintances know.”

“I don’t think so. In America, thirty billion dollars vanished in an instant, and it won’t be coming back.”

“Thirty billion dollars, huh. I can’t even imagine that. Well, let’s leave this topic for now. If what you told me before is right, the situation in Germany won’t start rapidly worsening until after I return to Japan, correct?”

“Yes. And besides, I think it’s better… not to get too involved with Germany.”

“You’re being vague. At the very least, from what I’ve seen, German soldiers are loyal to their duty and seem trustworthy as people.”

“I think most of the military is like that. The danger lies in politics. We’re about to plunge into another major depression, and the factions that use it to expand their power are the most dangerous. It would be best if they collapsed, but…”

As I speak, I glance toward the still-ongoing speech, and my onii-sama turns his eyes that way too.

“It’s not good to speak too harshly. After all, everyone acts out of a desire to make their homeland better. But judging from the way you’re talking, you already know which party—or rather, which person—it is, don’t you?”

“Yes. But wouldn’t it be better not to talk about it?”

“Ah, right. It’s better not to hear it; that will be for the best for everyone. Well, in my private opinion, I can’t find any political organization or party in Germany more dangerous than the Communist Party.”

“I think so in the current situation.”

Yes. The street speech we hear is proving the existence of the Nazis (the National Socialist German Workers’ Party) to me.

However, at the point immediately after the world depression, it’s just before their major surge.
In the prosperous times they didn’t stand out much, as I recall. 

But amid the chaos of the world depression they make a huge advance and seize the reins of government within a few years.

That said, even if you judge them for the sake of world peace ten or fifteen years later, that would be the act of a madman.

Also, I “know” from my previous-life knowledge that the Nazis and Hitler are dangerous, but if you ask what exactly is dangerous, at this point I only know things like racial discrimination and wars of aggression, those are just the sort of talk one would call ravings at this time. 

Anti-Jewish discrimination is nothing new in Europe of this era, and at this point Germany doesn’t even have proper armaments.
Moreover, to attack a small party that will rapidly expand because of the coming depression is something I can’t possibly do.

Like the Communist Party, which even now could be struck as an enemy of the world, not everything is the same.

While thinking about those things, she let out a small sigh at the end of her words, then immediately clapped her hands.

“Anyway, how were Czechoslovakia and Sweden, onii-sama?”

“Ah, the Czech light machine guns were certainly good. By their courtesy we received a few trial pieces, so I sent them to the army. Then they decided to purchase a hundred, and after that we plan to do licensed production. The navy also seems to be equipping their overseas marine detachments.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Reiko said there was a good weapon, so I went to see it. I saw it, and since it was actually good, the army bought it.”

“Reiko, are you meddling even in military matters? I’m not very impressed. So was Sweden the same?”

At that, Kouryuu’s gaze turned a little severe.
He is a doctor after all.

“Yes, that’s right. It was a good weapon that appeared in a dream, so I told them. It’s for Japan’s sake, so I couldn’t not tell them.”

“I see, I see. You only dreamed it, then. No, sorry. So what did you buy in Sweden, Ryuuya?”

“There were good things, but the current army couldn’t really afford them.”

“Is it impossible to produce them ourselves?”

“If we tried to produce them ourselves, it would be even tougher. Japan’s industrial strength—especially our metallurgy—is too weak. Even if we could achieve that level of precision, mass production would be a huge struggle, and I doubt mass-produced pieces would match the original performance.”

He speaks with calm eyes and a cool judgment. In moments like that, my onii-sama truly looks like an excellent soldier.
Which makes sense—he really is an overly capable military man—but since I rarely see that side of him, it feels a little fresh and at the same time like he belongs to a distant world.

What I also think is that, although I plan and act on many things, I know far too little about war and weapons related to war. And even if I learned, there’s nothing I could directly do.

If someone detailed the existence of such futuristic weapons, unless there’s an engineer who can draw up the blueprints or even write papers or, at worst, the theoretical equations, it would be nothing but a picture of a cake—that is, empty talk.
Conveying the concept might bring some change, but making it from existing technology would be an enormous effort.

So what I can do is try to grow the Ootori Group, and if possible expand other zaibatsu or even develop Japan’s industry a little, so we might be able to prepare for the worst.

“Sorry, Reiko, even though you went out of your way to tell me.”

“No, not at all. I already thought Swedish weapons were still impossible for Japan, so it’s fine.”

I hurriedly shook my head, but something must have shown on my face.
I’m still just a child, so I can’t help but let my guard down with people I feel safe with.

Of course, my onii-sama seems to see right through me, and with a smile he adds these words:

“The army couldn’t afford them, but through our side I managed to get a few as ‘donations’ to the army. It wouldn’t do to visit and leave empty-handed, after all.”

“What kind of weapons?”

“The 75mm and 88mm anti-aircraft guns you mentioned, plus some unusual light guns that can also serve as field artillery, each just a few as test pieces. I paid about double as a kind of bribe, but that was fine, wasn’t it?”

He winks as he says it. As expected of my onii-sama.
The money itself came from the Ootori Group, but without his skill in negotiation, judgment, and even persuading the Japanese Army, such roundabout importing would have been impossible.

And for Japan to obtain anti-aircraft guns that were practically being secretly developed in Germany, it must have taken considerable negotiation skills.

In particular, acquiring them would have required assurances at the level of “we won’t tell other countries,” so it’s not something that could be settled with just a wink.

But since my onii-sama clearly feels there’s no need to tell me about such behind-the-scenes dealings, my words are already decided.

“As expected of you, onii-sama!”

“Thank you, Reiko. It’s thanks to you.”

He pats my head as he says this.
I’d like at least a kiss on the cheek, but just being allowed to cling to him without being scolded is more than enough.

Still, my onii-sama had gone beyond what I asked of him.
I only asked him to take a look—and only at the anti-aircraft guns. 

Yet he went so far as to obtain weapons destined for the German army, including the prototypes of the Swedish anti-tank guns made for export to other countries, and send them to Japan.

With this, the Japanese Army has acquired actual models and knowledge earlier than in the history of my previous life, so development and such may progress faster.

And this matter doesn’t end here.
It shows that other seeds I’ve sown might also grow into something different, into something bigger.

From here on, we are entering an age of turmoil, so I’m made to realize that I have to be even more careful in how I convey things and guide people.
Even so, for now, I should at least be allowed to enjoy my onii-sama’s smile.

Caliber 75mm and 88mm Anti-Aircraft Guns:
Both belong to the lineage of the 88mm anti-aircraft gun “Kw FlaK,” developed by Germany in 1917.
The 75mm is the “75mm Lvkan m/29,” independently developed by Bofors.
During the China Incident (Second Sino-Japanese War), the Japanese army captured those used by the Republic of China and later reverse-engineered them into the “Type 4 75mm Anti-Aircraft Gun.”

The 88mm is the German “FlaK 18.” The more famous versions used by the German army are the later “FlaK 36” and beyond.
It is different from the “8.8 cm SK C/30,” the basis of the Japanese Army’s “Type 99 88mm Anti-Aircraft Gun,” which they reverse-engineered after capturing it during the Sino-Japanese War.

Test Models Also Usable as Field Guns:
These were ancestors of the world’s earliest developed anti-tank guns, which Bofors began developing in 1921.
They could be fitted with either a 47mm or a 75mm (light gun), depending on choice.
Thailand and the Republic of China purchased small numbers, but there are no reports of them being used in actual combat.

From this development came the excellent 37mm anti-tank gun.