First, improve the environment

June 1907 – Takashiro Soryu, Age 6

My father, Takashiro Ryutaro, is a technical officer working at the Tokyo Artillery Arsenal in Koishikawa. He's 40 years old and holds the rank of lieutenant colonel. The Takashiro family originally hailed from a daimyo (feudal lord) family in the Chubu region and was granted the title of baron. Though they were daimyo, they were a minor family, far from the top of the hierarchy.

From 1904 to 1905, during the Russo-Japanese War, Ryutaro didn't go to the front lines but was practically living at the arsenal, overseeing the production of guns and artillery shells.

After the war ended, he started spending more time with his family, and his once skeletal appearance returned to that of a healthy middle-aged man.

Around this time, Ryutaro made it a habit to read technical books he had purchased after work. Since most technical books of the era were written in English, German, or French, he was also diligent about learning foreign languages.

At home, he had a large drafting board, where he mainly drew blueprints for field guns and towed artillery.

"Father, I have a request."

I spoke to him formally.

"I want to become a technical officer like you. To do that, I'd like you to buy me my own drafting board."

I wanted to put the knowledge I had into blueprints and practical applications as quickly as possible. Even in this era, there were things that could be done with the right knowledge. I decided to draw the blueprints myself and have my father implement them in the army.

"Is that so? You want to become a technical officer too? I'm so proud of you! I'll arrange for a drafting board right away."

"Thank you, Father. There's something else I need to apologize for."

"What is it? Did you do something?"

"Yes. While you were at work, I read your books without permission."

"W-w-what?!"

Ryutaro was flustered. His child had been sneaking a look at his books. The only books he could think of that might interest a child were his collection of shunga (erotic art books from the time). He had hidden them carefully, so how had they been discovered?

"W-w-wait, Soryu. D-d-did you tell Umeko about this?"

"No, I didn't tell Mother. I couldn't resist my curiosity, so I read your very important engineering books."

"E-engineering books...? You scared me there. I suppose the diagrams of machines caught your interest? That's why you want a drafting board?"

"Yes. And, um, since I've already read all the books you have, could you buy me some new engineering books?"

"Huh? But can you even read kanji yet? And most of those books are in foreign languages. What do you mean you've read them all?"

"Yes. There were dictionaries too, so I looked up the words as I read."

"Even the French and German books?"

"Yes, I've read them all."

In truth, I could read English, French, German, Russian, and Chinese at a native level, and I didn't need to read engineering books from this era. But as a child, there wasn't much else to do, so I read them anyway. Plus, I wanted to firmly establish myself as a genius to make it easier for my ideas and intentions to be accepted.

"What?! Really? If that's true, you might be a once-in-a-generation genius."

A week later, a drafting board, rulers, and drafting pencils arrived at the Takashiro household.

The first thing I worked on was the design for a drafting machine (drafting table). At the time, drafting boards were just large boards with T-squares and other rulers. While they were sufficient for drafting, after 1953, when Mutoh Scale Engraving combined drafting boards with arm-type rulers, drafting efficiency improved, and that design became the standard.

"Father, this is the first blueprint I've drawn. Could you use your influence to have this made?"

"This is... interesting. You've designed a tool to make drafting easier."

The blueprint followed the rules of the Meiji era, based on the books Ryutaro owned. I specified the sliding and moving parts to operate with precision, down to 0.01 mm.

Ryutaro understood immediately that it was a blueprint for a tool to aid in drafting.

"As expected of you, Father. Your insight is remarkable. Watching you draft gave me the idea that this kind of tool could make the work much more efficient."

"Fascinating. Let's have it made right away."

Two weeks later, the prototype of the drafting machine was completed. It was designed with enough rigidity to ensure no errors during drafting.

Ryutaro immediately tried using the prototype to draw blueprints.

"This is amazing! Absolutely incredible! This tool makes drafting several times faster! But to think of such a device just from watching me draft... Even if you're my child, it's terrifying."

This tool quickly spread through the army and navy as the "Type 40 Adjustable Drafting Ruler."

"Hey, hey, what are you going to design next?"

Liliel asked with great interest.

"Well, first, things that can be made with Japan's current industrial capabilities and improve people's lives."

"Huh? Not weapons? I thought you'd start with something like nuclear warheads."

"Don't make me sound like a mad scientist. Besides, even if I drew those, Japan's current industrial power couldn't produce them."

"Ah! Then make this! A 1/8 scale figure of me!"

"With a T-square and a French curve? Rejected."

It would be too unnatural for a six-year-old to draw blueprints for a small, high-performance engine, so for now, I focused on designing tools to make daily life more convenient and handed them to my father. At the same time, I secretly began drawing blueprints for weapons that would eventually need to be developed.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm including the Author Note on this one. If you think I should in every chapter then comment.

A/N: Thank you for reading "First, the Foundation"! (alternate title)

Now that Soryu has grown a bit, he'll start using his cheat-like knowledge to change the world!

Please look forward to the adventures of Soryu and Liliel!

I'll continue working hard to bring this story to its conclusion, so if you thought, "This is interesting!" or "I want to read more!" I'd be thrilled if you could bookmark and rate the story!

Your feedback is incredibly helpful for my writing!

Criticism like "The pacing is slow," "I don't understand," or "This feels derivative" is also very welcome!

When my motivation is high, I'll even sacrifice sleep to keep writing!

Thank you for your continued support!