WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 392: Change (9)

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President MacMillan returned alongside a plump turkey. That is, this was about the turkey pardoning ceremony (Pardoning) held every year in celebration of Thanksgiving. The pardon, in this case, meant a guarantee that the turkey would not end up on the dinner table. From the turkey’s point of view, it was more or less the same as being spared the death penalty. The event, lighthearted even in name, was a convenient stage for casually showing that the president was alive and well. That was also why the ceremony, originally scheduled for Wednesday, had been deliberately pushed back a day to Thanksgiving morning.

Many broadcasters had been carrying the White House Rose Garden live since before the scheduled time. Considering the event would be over in barely ten minutes, the level of attention was unusually high. The white-feathered turkey simply stood there, blank-eyed, regardless of all the eyes on it. The caption gave its name as 「Hope」. The backup turkey prepared in case 「Hope」 could not appear was named 「Unity」.

The names given to pardoned turkeys usually did not carry political intent. The purpose of the event itself was simply to heighten the festive mood. But there had been one exception in the past. The two turkeys pardoned in the year of the September 11 attacks had been given two different names for liberty: Liberty and Freedom. That had happened during President George W. Bush’s term. After explaining this, the reporter added that today would be remembered as the second exception.

A short while later, the White House press secretary announced the start of the pardoning ceremony.

「Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States is entering.」

Even after strict screening, there were far more attendees than in an average year, and they applauded as President MacMillan appeared with a wave and stepped onto the podium with the First Lady. Even then, the cheers and applause did not stop, forcing the president to swallow his words several times.

「Thank you. Thank you.」

Only yesterday, the signs of fatigue had been clear on his face, but now he appeared looking fairly healthy. It was probably the result of his own acting, plus makeup. Otherwise, they would have arranged a more serious venue.

「It seems there is no need for me to introduce him. All of you appear to have already met today’s star. Yes. Our 「Hope」 over there, gobbling away. Quite healthy, isn’t he?」

A soft laugh passed through the crowd at the simple joke.

「「Justice」, 「Faith」, 「Peace」, 「Fraternity」... Turkeys with names impressive enough just to hear them waged fierce lobbying battles for the chance to stand here today. Choosing one among them was by no means an easy decision. By which I mean, that is what I heard. It happened while I was lying comfortably in bed, after all. As President of the United States, I extend my deepest thanks to the farmers of the National Turkey Federation for giving my troublesome staff such a difficult matter to agonize over.」

Small laughter spread again. Even the chief of staff, hands clasped in front, wore an awkward smile. It was a witty metaphor for the process of choosing the turkey’s name.

「Today, as we give our 「Hope」 and 「Unity」 a tomorrow, I would like to share one personal wish with the citizens watching this ceremony.」

The president paused for a moment to shift the mood, then met the attendees’ eyes with a gentle expression.

「Let us begin anew.」

When the president’s tone changed, the cafeteria where Gyeoul stood also grew quiet.

「When our forefathers gathered their first harvest on this land, the only crop they brought in was corn. The wheat had withered, and the barley had failed. Seeds and people alike had not yet adapted to the new climate and the new land.」

「For that reason, the first Thanksgiving was by no means a day of abundance. Even so, our forefathers rejoiced. What came to their table was not mere corn, but a symbol of hope. Yes. They had hope for a better tomorrow. It was a victory reached after long hunger and many sacrifices. That is why we still commemorate this day, even now.」

「There is one more thing we must not forget. Among the people seated around that table were Native Americans. In other words, the hope that became the root of this day was first made possible by unity between people of different languages, races, and cultures.」

「Of course, that unity did not last. I believe that may have been one of the greatest watersheds in American history. Hypotheticals have no meaning in history, but even so, I sometimes find myself imagining it. How different would the days that followed have been if that unity had somehow been preserved?」

「I ask this of everyone listening to me now.」

「We have certainly endured dark times. But today, at least today, just as our forefathers did when they endured their own dark times, let us enjoy the day with pure hearts. People live by hope. Let us rejoice that we are still alive, rejoice again that we lived to gather a harvest, and offer prayers of thanks to the god each of us believes in.」

「Then let us affirm our unity with one another and move forward into a new age, toward a better tomorrow. We who survived ought to do that. We have a duty to do so. Our united lives must have been the wish of all who sacrificed themselves, and all who were sacrificed. I confess that wish here, and I hope it will take root in your hearts as well.」

Applause, louder than before, poured down. After bowing his head in several directions, the president gestured.

「That is all I have to say. Now, everyone, please come this way.」

It was time to grant freedom to America’s representative turkey.

“It feels very strange to be carving roast turkey while watching that...”

At Gyeoul’s deliberately awkward remark, Vice President Sanders laughed out loud.

“That is how human life works, Lieutenant Colonel.”

The two of them were standing side by side, serving food to soldiers. Every Thanksgiving, it was something like an unofficial U.S. military tradition for senior commanders to put on aprons and fill soldiers’ trays. General officers sometimes did it, but given Gyeoul’s popularity, there was no general who could replace him. Vice President Sanders had simply shown up without warning and joined in.

Vice President Sanders, twenty years older than President MacMillan, was the man whose age had made citizens worry that the head of government might die from overwork twice in a row. In person, though, he was cheerful from beginning to end, with no sign of fatigue. He was remarkably hale for his age.

Gyeoul said, “I was a little surprised you came without notice.”

Since the meal was self-service, once the first rush had passed, there was plenty of time to talk. The vice president wore a mischievous expression that did not match his polite way of speaking.

“Does that bother you?”

“No. It is an honor to meet you. I am just curious what brings someone as busy as you all the way here.”

“Once the president returns, I will have no reason to be busy. The vice president is basically a supporting role. I go when told to go, speak when told to speak, and rest when told to rest. This past month has simply been a little strange. I cannot do it right away today, but in three or four days, I will have so little to do that I will be itching for work.”

“...”

“The reason I came here is that there are not many places where it is acceptable for me to be seen laughing and chatting in public. Even though the president said what he did, if someone of my stature goes around smiling just anywhere, someone will certainly find fault with it. They will ask, has the vice president already forgotten the victims of October?”

“That is a bit too harsh...”

“That is politics. A few years ago, there were even people who criticized the president’s children for looking bored when he brought them along to the turkey pardoning ceremony.”

Though about a month had passed since the incident, the scars left in D.C. had not all faded. In the end, the vice president meant he had come because he needed photos and a story to give the press in order to shift the mood.

“Lieutenant Colonel. Since I have come all the way here, let me ask one private question.”

“Go ahead.”

“Do you, by any chance, have any thoughts of getting married soon?”

It was a completely unexpected question. Now that Gyeoul thought about it, the president had mentioned marriage yesterday too, as if in a passing joke. When Gyeoul looked at him with open doubt, Vice President Sanders raised both hands.

“Do not misunderstand. I am not trying to force anything on you. Marriage is an entirely personal matter. So if I have not crossed a line I should not cross, I hope you will answer honestly.”

“May I ask why you are asking that first?”

“Ha ha. What did I just say I came here to do?”

“Ah...”

“If you have such feelings, and if you are willing not to keep them secret, it would help refresh the mood in step with the launch of the new administration. You do not necessarily need to hold a ceremony. It would be enough if people simply knew you had such plans. I will stress this again: this is absolutely not coercion. It is only a request that you consider offering a little cooperation.”

Even so, in the end, it meant he wanted to make use of Gyeoul’s personal life. Even if it was based on goodwill, it was fundamentally no different from diverting public attention to something else when a scandal broke.

“Of course, it is perfectly fine to refuse. Just think it over.”

That was the vice president’s request.

After he left, a call came from someone Gyeoul was glad to hear from. The caller was the commander of the 160th Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Capston. Capston, whom Gyeoul had not met once since leaving Fort Roberts with Anne last year, said he had now crossed the southern border of Texas as part of the Continental Partition operation and entered northeastern former Mexico. Gyeoul offered a belated greeting.

“It is really good to hear your voice after so long. I guess you still had my number.”

「I had no reason to delete it. Though whenever I actually tried to contact you, it felt somehow awkward, so I stopped myself every time.」

Gyeoul had received his device before being given the mission to stop the Salinas Dam from collapsing. Building an emergency contact network was only natural, so it was not strange for Capston to have Gyeoul’s contact information.

But starting with the mission to track Changcheng 9, there had been a very long period when contact was impossible. Capston must have been busy in his own way too.

「Is everything all right over there?」

“Yes. Things have stabilized a lot. You must have seen it all on TV.”

「Well. I heard you were safe, but not everything is released to the media.」

“It is fine here. There are still remnants who have not been caught yet, but at most, they are just fugitives with nothing to their name. I think they will be caught soon. That includes Lieutenant Markert too.”

「Lieutenant Markert... That is quite a long and stubborn ill-fated relationship.」

“It really is.”

If caught, Markert faced a life sentence at minimum, and death at maximum. A firing squad could even be carried out under military law. So Gyeoul could understand why Markert was running so desperately. Honestly, the surprising part was that Markert was still on the run at all. Gyeoul had thought Markert would not even have that kind of ability. In terms of position, there were parts that brought Captain Harris to mind, but at the same time, even comparing Markert to him felt rude. Captain Harris, at least, had held firm control over his subordinates.

After a brief silence, Gyeoul asked, “How is the front? Are Sullivan and Jeffrey doing well?”

「Here, well...」

Capston spoke without confidence.

「We are advancing steadily without major losses, but that itself feels strange somehow.」

“You mean it feels like the variants are drawing our forces in?”

「No. It is different. If I had to describe it, it feels as if the fights we are sure to win and the fights we are sure to retreat from have already been decided for us... The easy battles and difficult battles are being arranged in a fixed ratio. Roughly eight or nine out of ten are one-sided victories, and one or two are battles where we are badly outnumbered. Like that.」

“...”

Gyeoul could guess the reason.

Footnotes:

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