Let the past drift away with the water, as the old proverb said. Eijirō knew it well, and he had a feeling that Asuna knew it too. The only reason he had agreed to this meeting was because of his desire to consign the issues between Daitō and Rokkenjima to history and to forge new bonds which could not be so easily broken. Preferably, as he saw it, this would be a positive meeting, though he was, admittedly, somewhat apprehensive about going to Rokkenjima for it. But if it meant peace could be maintained, then any sacrifice would be worth it. This was an opinion shared by many within the government, those who had been overruled in that fateful vote all those months ago. The fact was, East Ardia was very nearly plunged into another Great War, and for what? A few islands? An aircraft? A nation's honour? And to think, there were those close to him that had played a role in orchestrating this conflict, in trying to keep it from ending... Well, they were gone now, and cooler heads had taken their place. East Ardia had always been stronger when it worked together rather than when it stood with swords drawn against itself. If Rokkenjima and Daitō, countries which were more alike than they were different, couldn't get along, then what did it say for the future of the region as a whole?
"When I joined the military, back in 2010 or 2011, I did so out of a desire to serve my nation and to protect my people. At the time, that meant fighting, and let me tell you, I got pretty good at that. But those days are over for me, and now, in this new position, I must serve my people by seeking out peace and acting as an example in which they may follow. This... conflict which emerged between our two nations will always be a stain on my rule, a tragedy which I should have done more to prevent. Thus, I owe it not only to you and Rokkenjima, or to the international community as a whole, but to my own people to make things right, to re-forge the ties which have, through the fires of war, been shattered, and to ensure that such conflict never again arises between our peoples."
"Yes, there will be challenges that shall be faced, but adversity often draws out the finest in people. In the aftermath of the Great War, Daitō was left crippled, and yet, though great struggle, the country had all but fully recovered within just twelve years. By contrast, while the ties we forged before the war are now broken, we are in a far better position than we were back then. While I would be glad to consider you kin, Empress, what we must do is forge a kinship between not merely our nations, but the East Ardian community as a whole so that a war like this will, forevermore, be unthinkable. As my great grandfather, Emperor Kunan, wrote in 1952, 'The winter wind has gone, and long-awaited has spring arrived with double-petalled cherry blossoms.' I believe those words ring true today as well, but now, we must seize our opportunity to see the coming of spring through. So let us now join together in forging new ties, so that whatever the future may bring, we shall face it together."
"But first, we must address the issues that persist between our two nations. While I cannot anticipate that everything will be solved overnight, so to speak, there is much we can do in this room to lay the foundations for our future. For example, just giving assurances about troop placements near to the border would go a long way in fostering good will between our two nations. Likewise, agreeing to reduce tariffs, much as had been attempted back in 2020, would benefit our economies while easing restrictions on trade, thus making it more difficult to contemplate another war. If our countries are so interconnected, then fewer people would be able to stomach the thought of fighting between us, how I see it. While ideally, I would want to see Rokkenjima one day become a party to the East Ardian Free Trade Agreement, that would be something which would require the approval of the other nations which make up it, and given the recent issues, it is not something which is likely to happen soon. However, easing restrictions on cross-border traffic could further remake bonds between our two countries, and perhaps in the future, it will be possible to take a train from Mihara in the west all the way to Matsudo in the north of Rokkenjima. The point I'm making is, if we want peace, integration between our economies and our peoples provides a good opportunity for it."