Chapter 193 - Name and Reality 116 {144 Solo} (342–344: Experience and History, and Toward a New Investigation)
And then, the story finally reached the scene of the encounter with Yasumura's grandfather, Kaito Takumi, after the war. Learning clearly about Oshima's initial ambitions and the process of his subsequent transformation, even Yasumura could no longer hide his complicated feelings.
"I heard that after Oshima took over, he began to practice politics prioritized by vested interests, and his relationship with the Kaito family soured and they became estranged. And that you met Oshima once when you were small."
Nishida asked by bringing up the story from the end of Oshima's interrogation first.
"Naturally, I didn't know at the time, but it seems the estrangement was just as you say. I heard that rather than my grandfather, my grandmother, my aunt, and my mother were the ones whose blood was boiling with anger... My grandfather wanted to wait and see for a while, but he passed away relatively soon, so I was told he was spared from seeing Oshima's subsequent disgraceful behavior. In that sense, it might have been fortunate, but if my grandfather were alive, if I think that he might have been able to do something about Oshima's later rampage, then it was indeed unfortunate... Also, regarding the fact that I had met Oshima directly, as I thought, I have no memory of it, nor have I heard about it from my parents. However, it wouldn't be strange even if we had actually met."
Yasumura chose his words as if recalling them one by one.
"In terms of order, it was a conversation much later, but I told him the story of how the raid on Oshima's office was decided by the Headquarters Chief's wise decision. And when I told him the Headquarters Chief's surname was Yasumura, and Oshima realized you were Kaito-san's grandson, he was actually happy. That he was discovered by his master and finally brought to justice by his master's grandson... I think he felt his master's former posture in your sense of justice and conviction."
When told this by Nishida, perhaps a different feeling welled up even in Yasumura, who must have had nothing but thoughts of him as a sort of arch-enemy, as he muttered deeply,
"Is that so..."
He leaked just that one phrase and then became lost for words.
Seeing that, Nishida hesitated to proceed with the story, but Yoshimura took over.
"Oshima said that as a politician, the only way he could walk the same path as Kaito-san was by not making his own kin his successor—or to put it another way, that was the only part he could walk."
"Is that so. However, it goes without saying that I would have wanted him to protect something much more important than that... Even before the things he should have inherited from my grandfather, first, the ethics of an ordinary person."
Yasumura said that and clenched his fist. Then, as if shaking off his regret, he prompted,
"Then, please proceed with the circumstances regarding the murder of Sada."
Finally, the talk moved to the murders Oshima had committed.
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After listening to the detailed explanation of the cases and the story of his political testament from the two for a long time, Yasumura said,
"Couldn't he have turned back somewhere..."
He stood up and walked toward the window. The sense of accomplishment from simply completing the "revenge" for his grandfather had already vanished.
"It seems he recognized that being finally finished off by you was a kind of fate (sadame)."
When told this by Nishida, he replied,
"No, no, that was just something you all did for me..."
He spoke vaguely like that, but then put strength into his voice, which was rare for him.
"I don't want to simply settle all the stories surrounding Oshima with a word like fate... Far too many, and far too great things were lost."
"That is certainly true."
Nishida also agreed after a short pause.
"But, as far as I've heard the story to the end, I think perhaps what was truly painful for society wasn't the damage from his crimes or the loss of trust in politics, but rather that the responsibility he should have advocated as a politician was lost with this. ...No, of course, if you think of the victims and the bereaved families, it's sufficiently heavy, but I mean in the sense of society as a whole..."
Yasumura re-explained and returned to his seat. Then, after looking the two in the eye, he said,
"I cannot say for certain right now if Oshima's political claims were truly correct. However, it is also a fact that there are parts of the background of those claims that are understandable, even from my perspective as a mere police bureaucrat... If that's the case, the fact that he could only convey them to the two of you in an interrogation room, rather than to the voters at large, might come to have a great meaning later on—I have a bad feeling about that. If he not only caused a great loss of trust in politics through murder but also lost things that could have been prevented through politics, then rather, that might become a greater blow in the future. That is very regrettable."
Yasumura repeated the explanation he had given before in different terms and poured tea into each of the empty teacups.
"Is there a possibility that Oshima's claims will become reality?"
Yoshimura asked while reaching for his cup.
"I don't want it to be so, but among my own acquaintances from my student days, there are those involved in the management of large corporations, as well as bureaucrats and politicians... Among them, there are not a few individuals who possess the very personality described in his statements... Besides, his analysis of trends in public opinion is also quite suggestive in various ways."
The expression on Yasumura's face as he said this was somewhat clouded. On top of that,
"Of course, there are decent people as well, so I'd like to think it won't turn out that way. However, Oshima likely sounded that alarm based on the experience and intuition he gained over his long life. It might be better to pay a certain amount of respect to that," he said somewhat weakly.
"I'm sure it'll be fine because I believe one of those decent people is definitely the Headquarters Chief," Nishida gave his seal of approval as if to encourage Yasumura.
After that, the three of them were drinking tea while looking back on the investigation of the cases so far, when suddenly Yoshimura began questioning Yasumura.
"Come to think of it, when Oshima was speaking his 'testament,' he was making various statements while looking back at history, just as the Assistant Section Chief explained, but at the very end, he said something a bit bothering."
"What did he say?"
Yasumura responded calmly to the sudden topic.
"You know that maxim, 'Fools learn from experience, wise men learn from history'? When I said that to Oshima, he said things like, 'Considering the true intent of the speaker? It's not accurate,' or 'Even if I (Oshima) think about it myself, the true intent itself is strange,' or 'Think for yourself,' and so on as he was leaving. Do you have any idea what that means? I thought perhaps with the Headquarters Chief's brain, you might understand."
"Ho... That's an interesting story."
Yasumura was unexpectedly keen and began to explain.
"I believe that maxim was originally based on a statement by Bismarck, who was known as the Iron Chancellor."
"Bismarck, you mean Prussia something..."
At the words Nishida blurted out, Yasumura added,
"He was the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Prussia, the leader of the German Empire who unified Germany, and also the Chancellor of the subsequent German Empire. He's also known by the nickname Iron Chancellor, which I mentioned earlier, for his 'Blood and Iron' policy."
At this time, Yoshimura was 'discreetly' mimicking a soccer kick beside them; he was likely making fun of it by being conscious of Bismarck (Author's Note: a Brazilian striker who was active in Verdy and Antlers), who was a professional J-League soccer player.
"That's right! I'm sure he met with Japan's patriots of the Restoration like Katsura Kogoro."
Nishida raised his voice as it clicked.
"Yes. Kido Takayoshi, also known as Katsura Kogoro, Ito Hirobumi, and Okubo Toshimichi should have met him."
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Bismarck, also known as the Iron Chancellor, was born in Prussia in 1815. He served as a diplomat, but in 1862 he was appointed Prime Minister by King Wilhelm I of Prussia, and thereafter carried out wars for the unification of Germany.
In 1867, he won the Austro-Prussian War against the Austrian Empire and established the North German Confederation. In 1871, he won the Franco-Prussian War against France, unified the South German regions as well, and succeeded in establishing the German Empire. He served concurrently as the Prime Minister of both Prussia and Germany, but fell from power in 1890.
The reason he came to be called the Iron Chancellor can be traced back to a speech in the Diet the year he became Prussian Prime Minister. Prioritizing the enhancement of military power over liberalism, he declared, "The great questions of the day will not be settled by means of speeches and majority decisions (that is, by democracy), but by iron and blood (that is, by military force)." This speech is also called the "Blood and Iron Speech."
While this policy of prioritizing military force bore fruit and achieved German unification, his strong-arm stance toward political enemies, such as the suppression of liberals and socialists, was also prominent. On the other hand, in addition to attempting to introduce labor protection policies (which caused his later fall from power), he achieved the introduction of the world's first universal health insurance system, and there are many aspects that prevent him from being called a merely autocratic politician.
Furthermore, he possessed not only military power but also skillful diplomatic ability, and from the Franco-Prussian War until World War I, no wars occurred within Europe (Author's Note: the so-called Bismarck System).
He was a multi-faceted politician who cannot be described by a single side, and praise and blame for him are both intense. Also, while his influence on the later Nazis is sometimes questioned, because he was basically pro-Jewish, the tendency to equate them has decreased.
He also had deep relations with Japan; he preached to the Iwakura Mission that visited him in 1873 that the development of military power should be prioritized over the development of laws, which is said to have had a great influence on the later 'Enrich the Country, Strengthen the Armed Forces' policy. Okubo Toshimichi and Ito Hirobumi, who met with Bismarck in 1873 as members of the Iwakura Mission, were also strongly influenced by him. Ito Hirobumi was even called the Bismarck of Japan.
Thanks in part to that advice, Japan transformed into a 'first-class nation' of the world not long after the Meiji Restoration, but it could be called a great irony that that success experience ultimately led to ruin along with Germany in the Tripartite Pact between Japan, Germany, and Italy.
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"Um, the Iwakura Mission, right!"
Nishida searched his poor memory and finally derived the correct answer, shouting lightly, but Yasumura didn't pay it any mind... or rather, in the flow of the conversation, there was no meaning in returning to that. Keeping him ignored, he demonstrated his explanation.
"And that anecdote about the fool and so on, as Bismarck's own statement, seems to have meant something like, 'Only a fool believes he can learn from his own experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others to avoid mistakes from the start.'"
"Which means, Bismarck didn't deny the importance of experience itself?"
When Yoshimura pressed for confirmation, Yasumura answered,
"Rather than mere 'personal experience,' he likely denied experience that was too subjective, and believed that experience with objectivity had great meaning. I think that intention of accumulating objective experience was arbitrarily replaced later with the word 'history.'"
"In that case, does that mean the current maxim, which has ended up denying experience itself, is indeed wrong as Oshima pointed out?"
"I think that can be said. It's as Senior Staff Yoshimura says; I think the nuance has become different from the original statement."
Yasumura also affirmed Yoshimura's opinion. However, Nishida certainly felt that Yasumura's view alone didn't necessarily serve as an answer to why Oshima himself had questioned Bismarck's "true intent" itself.
Then Yasumura checked his watch and muttered,
"While I've been absorbed in the conversation, has it already become this time?"
He told the two,
"I have to head out soon, so unfortunately, I'll have to cut it off here."
"No, no. We are the ones who should thank you for taking the time."
The two responded as well, but Yasumura gave a deep bow.
"Even so, thank you very much for brilliantly meeting our expectations."
And then, he spoke each word clearly, as if trying to convince himself.
"As far as I've heard today's story in various ways, the one point where I was saved is that perhaps my grandfather's choice at the point of handing over to his successor was not fundamentally wrong."
On top of that, he said,
"At the very least, I want him to maintain the posture of revealing everything, even in the public trial."
"There shouldn't be any problem on that point, with the current Oshima," Nishida gave his guarantee.
"I certainly hope so," Yasumura said at the end, in a way that seemed to shake things off.
"By the way, I have one request for the Headquarters Chief?"
"A request? ...Well, if it's within the scope of my authority, I must also thank you for this time."
Yasumura seemed momentarily bewildered by Nishida's sudden proposal, but he spread his hands lightly, showing a posture of acceptance.
"Then I won't hesitate. After this, in addition to overall managing the interrogations of the bunch we've already arrested here, I think I'll be going to Osaka for the interrogation of Takigawa regarding the murder of Sada Minoru, after the Osaka Prefectural Police have interrogated him about the first murder committed by Motohashi. Depending on the situation, it might also be necessary to talk to important witnesses who are said to have been involved in the cases, starting with Shiino. However, from what I hear of the information in Osaka, I think it's safe to assume that Takigawa will almost certainly not open his mouth about our cases either. I also see it as almost impossible for Shiino to speak honestly about the parts where the statute of limitations has expired. In the first place, even if he did speak, we have no way to prosecute him... Regarding the involvement in the shooting incident, if Oshima's testimony is true, prosecution will be impossible. As for Takigawa, I think indictment by closing the net will be no problem, but either way, there's still time until then. I'm sorry, but could you release me from the form of exclusive assignment for a while and let me be involved in one thing I have to settle?"
Nishida's tone at the end was quite hesitant.
"And that thing you should settle is?"
Yasumura showed the natural reaction of a manager after hearing the story.
"The starting point of this series of case investigations was the discovery of the murder of a young man from Kurashiki named Yoneda, which occurred in August '92. That itself has no direct connection to the murders involving Oshima, Isaka, and Motohashi, but I believe that because someone blackmailed and extorted Isaka Daikichi over the murder of Sada Minoru, it resulted in the death of the innocent young man Yoneda. In other words, the man named Shinoda, who participated in the murder along with Motohashi, needed to confirm Sada Minoru's body due to the act of blackmail, and Yoneda, who happened to witness that, was caught up in it and killed. And Detective Kitamura, who was chasing that case with me, was killed in the line of duty in the Kyouritsu Hospital shooting murder case. For me, I believe that unless we catch the extortionist of Isaka Daikichi, there can be no resolution of this series of cases in the true sense. I would like you to permit the provisional transition of the investigation for me and Yoshimura to that case. November 11th—that is the anniversary of Kitamura's death, so I want to establish a prospect for resolving that case by then and report it before his grave!"
He emphasized every single word so it would reach the other person. In response, Yasumura asked with a stern expression,
"I see. ...So it was about the extortion of Isaka... And, what are the chances of resolving it?"
"I can't make a 100 percent promise, but since we already know the transfer destination for the extorted money, we have a fair chance."
At Nishida's words, Yasumura looked up at the sky lightly.
"Normally, at this important time, for you, who are also serving as the practical investigation leader, to set out on another investigation not directly related to the case you are handling is something that would never be permitted. It's a case that's drawing national attention. However, I have a debt and an obligation to you two. Whether it's the logic of the organization or the personal principle... as a man of the organization, I should be the former..."
He hesitated for a while after saying that much. However,
"Considering the current situation where Oshima has confessed, the testimonies of the involved parties have mostly come together, and there are almost no discrepancies in the collation, I also think the situation is such that I can follow through on principle. ...Understood! I'll inform Section Chief Mitani and Director Koyabu myself. However, for the time being, it'll be until the point of Takigawa's interrogation. It's still necessary for you to focus here, after all. Please keep that point in mind."
As he said this, he immediately broke into a bright smile.
"Thank you very much! I appreciate your consideration! I don't know if it will be resolved by that limit, but I want to conduct as much investigation as possible."
Nishida responded with a salute, and Yoshimura, seeing that, saluted in a hurry as well.
"In next year's personnel changes, I'll make sure to meet the wishes of you two, so rather, look forward to that," Yasumura said cheerfully.
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Upon leaving the Headquarters Chief's office, Yoshimura practically jumped out in front of Nishida, who was walking ahead.
"I was surprised! To suddenly say you want to pull out of the investigation at this timing, even if not completely! If the person you were talking to wasn't Headquarters Chief Yasumura, it wouldn't just be not permitted—it wouldn't be strange if you were reprimanded! Honestly!"
He clearly reproached his boss, though lightly.
"But considering the time limit of November 11th, it'll be quite tough after Takigawa's interrogation..."
Nishida brushed him off lightly, but Yoshimura continued,
"This isn't just any murder case this time... And besides, in Yoneda's case, the killer Shinoda is no longer in this world."
Saying that, it seemed that to Yoshimura, Nishida's determination appeared reckless. However,
"If it weren't for the audio Kitamura left behind, there would have been no resolution to the case. I also need to show my gratitude for what he brought at the cost of his life through my actions."
Realizing from Nishida's statement that his determination was firm, Yoshimura said,
"For the Assistant Section Chief, who was partnered with Kitamura-san, there's something you can't back down on..."
And then,
"But even after things settle down, there's no problem with the statute of limitations for now... I understand the anniversary part, though."
He still couldn't hide the part that didn't quite sit right with him.