21st Century Necromancer
Chapter 838 - 834: Still About Interests

The reception for the ceremonial procession of a prince in Japan is second only to the grand ceremonies for the Emperor.

Of course, there are even higher levels of ceremony, but those are reserved for receiving heads of state from other countries.

Is there an issue with treating a demigod to the protocol used for visiting foreign heads of state? Certainly not. In smaller nations where demigods have appeared, they may even use royal ceremonies to receive a demigod.

However, a demigod is inherently a symbol of a nation's foundational power. For countries that can sustain the presence of demigods over the long term, treating their own demigods with the protocol reserved for foreign heads of state creates an inherent sense of alienation—almost as if the demigods belonged to another country.

Thus emerged the tradition of welcoming demigods with ceremonies second only to those for monarchs, a way of both showcasing the exalted status of the demigod and affirming that the monarch is the sole supreme being.

For smaller countries, a demigod is evidently more noble than a king and could even manipulate the succession of royal power.

But in nations within the East Asian cultural sphere, especially a country like China, which has an abundance of demigods and where centralized dynasties historically maintained the presence of multiple demigods, demigods cannot surpass the monarch. At least ceremonially, this principle must be upheld.

As for foreign kings or other leaders, they have never been considered equals to the Son of Heaven in Chinese history.

During the Sui and Tang dynasties, the Emperor of Japan once claimed that "the rising sun sees the Son of Heaven, the setting sun sees the Son of Heaven," which provoked great fury in the imperial court, nearly leading to war. For the subsequent thousand years, whether during the Song or Ming dynasties, Japan remained a tributary state. During the Ming era, Japan was even a "state of non-aggression," so-called.

Despite the foolish literati's blunder in granting Toyotomi Hideyoshi the title of King of Japan, Japan's subordinate status was never truly in question, even among those most inept scholars.

Explaining so much isn't merely about illustrating the appropriate protocol for hosting demigods but about uncovering the profound meaning behind these rituals.

The Imperial Household Agency had certainly considered reception protocols similar to those for foreign heads of state when planning to welcome Akagi. After all, in the modern era, national leaders are no longer the absolute rulers of their countries, and a formal visit by a demigod warrants the same protocol as receiving visiting heads of state. This practice has become a global norm.

Yet the Imperial Household Agency deliberately opted for the protocol reserved for princes to welcome Akagi. Their goal was clear: to send the message that Akagi is Japan's own demigod, not a foreign one.

Though it is merely a ceremonial reception, the underlying implications and signals being conveyed were strikingly clear to those paying attention.

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"It seems the Japanese and His Excellency the Demigod have reached an agreement." Within the U.S. Embassy in Japan, the U.S. Special Envoy was conversing with the Ambassador to Japan about the latest received intelligence.

The events within the Imperial Household Agency certainly didn't escape the eyes of the Americans, especially since the Agency was deliberately disseminating the information.

"This country, when weak, humbles itself like an obedient dog," the Ambassador to Japan commented as he added sugar to his cup, stirred it, took a sip after blowing to cool it, and continued, "But once they seize any chance to grow stronger, they'll turn into ravenous wolves—biting, plundering, devouring—holding nothing back and stopping at nothing."

The Ambassador's remarks resonated with the Special Envoy, who nodded earnestly and said, "You know, my grandfather once fought in World War II. Before the war broke out, we had a Japanese neighbor. My grandfather said that neighbor was always extremely polite, but after both of them ended up fighting on the battlefield, the man's ferocity was beyond imagination.

He fought to the death, doing anything possible to survive. Perhaps that's the true nature of the Japanese—who they really are."

"Exactly. This country has constantly been trying to free itself from America's control, seeking to rise to greatness once more." The Ambassador set down his teacup and asked the Envoy, "Enough of that. How are the negotiations with His Excellency the Demigod progressing? Washington is highly focused on this matter. You should understand: those pharmaceutical enterprises will never let such a lucrative opportunity slip away."

"Regarding the anti-cancer drug patent issues, they've expressed willingness to negotiate, but it's just a matter of exchanging interests. However, the Russians have offered attack nuclear submarines as their bargaining chip, leaving us at a severe disadvantage. I'm waiting for new authority from the White House. Damn those Russians—they've turned this into a mess!" The Envoy expressed frustration as he spoke about the negotiations.

"Damn those Russians!" The Ambassador followed up with a casual curse, though such headaches weren't part of his responsibilities.

Still, the Envoy was his good friend—they had even been college classmates—so he asked attentively, "What's Washington saying? Anything I can do to help?"

"Not much. The White House and the National Diet lawmakers have all said they need to deliberate." The Envoy felt powerless. Although he was an outstanding diplomat, without leverage to work with, even he couldn't accomplish much. "As for the pharmaceutical enterprises, they've promised to exert behind-the-scenes pressure on Congress and the White House, but such actions take time. For now, all we can do is wait."

Listening to this, the Ambassador could only shake his head helplessly and wish his friend good fortune. Negotiations always involve countless behind-the-scenes exchanges of benefits and are invariably time-consuming and exhausting.

Still, the Ambassador couldn't help but inquire about another matter. "What about the issue with Missouri? There were earlier talks about demanding reparations and adding a new demigod to America, like the United Kingdom did, right?"

"Don't even bring it up. The sticking point of the matter is that His Excellency the Demigod has only agreed to summon one demigod for reparations, and the summons will be jointly shared by Russia and America. The White House and the Kremlin have been at each other's throats over this issue, and until they resolve it, the negotiations won't move forward." The Envoy couldn't hide his irritation as he spoke about this topic.

Chen Yu hadn't refused reparations, but by summoning only one demigod, the benefits and compensation meant for both nations had become a contentious scrap for Russia and the United States to fight over.

Russia and America could see through Chen Yu's intentions in doing so, yet they found themselves unable to reject it.

Could they unite and jointly refuse, demanding that both nations each be granted the summoning of a demigod?

Of course, it wasn't impossible, but that would require Russia and America to be entirely harmonious and united like brothers.

Otherwise, when there's an opportunity to strengthen oneself and weaken the other, who would give up such a godsend to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with a former adversary?

Previously, it was all driven by interests; now, it is the same interests that drive them.

Just as the Envoy was stewing over these issues, his secretary walked in and informed him, "There's news from Washington."