War Reporting and the Spirit of Journalism

Akira's Perspective

At the newspaper office, a female reporter and a security guard greeted us. "We've been expecting you, Ms. Klaire. Let's keep the greetings short, as we need to start the interview soon to make it for this morning's edition," the reporter said. "Understood," I replied, confirming the successful completion of our escort mission. Now, all we could do was hope that the article exposing Councilman Amadeus's misdeeds would circulate without any external pressure.

I had heard about attacks on newspaper offices in Japan towards the end of the Showa era, emphasizing the importance of security as the final touch. According to the security guard, there had been some pressure from politicians, but the editor-in-chief had managed to counter it with a strong journalistic spirit. The reporter, Eric, had already interviewed Elize, and evidence had been collected.

Together with Elize, we fortified our vigilance with magic. After a while, Allegro and Sonata joined us, and we took turns sleeping. By 1 AM, we faced the deadline for the morning paper. "It looks like we'll have a good article!" the reporter exclaimed cheerfully.

After the article was finalized, Ms. Klaire received a gratuity, and the newspaper covered our stay at a hotel. The only thing left was for the paper to be printed and delivered to homes without any interference.

Relieved from the tension, I slept like a log. When I woke up around 11:30 AM, Elize had thoughtfully placed the morning newspaper by my side. The headline read, "Councilman Amadeus Federated! Colluding with the military! Pulling the strings of war as a merchant of death! Former secretary reveals the truth about the war."

The article detailed how, alongside arms trading, Amadeus had been provoking a war with the demon clans to profit massively from the military. While our primary concern had been his trade of sacrifices with the demon clans—a reason Eric pursued him—the truly scandalous acts that caught the public eye lay elsewhere.

The reaction in various media was mixed, with some condemning Amadeus, others defending him, and still others ignoring the story altogether. Complex interests within the media meant that a consensus in public opinion was not immediately formed.

However, the sentiment against the war with the demon clans was widespread, and the article spurred anti-war demonstrations. The news spread not only among humans but also among the demon clans. Both human and demon anti-war factions plotted to scapegoat their own sides to attribute the blame for the war, paving the way for peace talks.

Though not a commendable strategy and leaving many issues for the future, a semblance of peace arrived for the citizens. We had indeed made history overnight.