The British Government panicked, and as the protagonist, the Japanese Government was even more panicked. Unlike before, it had now truly reached a moment of life and death.
No one had anticipated that European countries would be so lacking in integrity, taking sides to the extent of direct involvement.
A casually mentioned "economic sanction" could cost the Empire of Japan half its life.
If they actually followed the content of the diplomatic messages, the regions under the Continental Union Eighteen Countries would all be off-limits; in that case, there was no need for the Japanese Government to engage in international trade—it might as well seclude itself from the world completely.
A look at the world map would show that the scope of the Continental Union's influence already covered more than half of the globe. With the domineering approach of this era's great powers, cross-border enforcement was commonplace.
