Chapter 264: CH 264-265 : Kanon’s Growth ①

Chapter 264 – Kanon’s Growth 1

I’ve been putting together the new information I’ve obtained thanks to Kanon’s Knowledge having reached A. I guess two pieces of information are especially significant for me.

Well, it was Kanon and not me who actually raised her Knowledge, so I can’t say with certainty that I’ve grasped everything, but...the new information covers a wide range of fields.

What was amusing to know although not having any relevant impact at this point――

1 Evolution Conditions for Demon King (Fallen Angel)

2 Evolution Conditions for Demon King (Dragon)

――were probably these two.

1 The Evolution Conditions for Demon King (Fallen Angel): The Demon King has to kill 100 humans with their own hands.

2 The Evolution Conditions for Demon King (Dragon): The Demon King has to kill 100 monsters with his own hands.

Looking at them now, they sound like easy conditions, but...that’s stupid! As if any Demon King could have met such conditions without knowing about them in advance!!

The main point here is that you have to meet those conditions before going through your first evolution. A Demon King evolves for the first time at level 3.

Speaking of level 3...back then I was still a newbie as Demon King who didn’t know left from right. Many Demon Kings might have defeated invaders through their created subordinates. Even if a pure combat maniac Demon King had repelled all invaders himself...he’d still reach level 3 before killing 100 people.

The specifications are way too weird...

For the sake of meeting the conditions, you’d need to put the first evolution on hold ― choosing Human Demon King ― and then work on the killing. By the way, if you choose Human Demon King, you apparently get to choose the evolution path alongside a level-up.

“The Mastermind, who came up with this setting, got to be an idiot...”

“It’s a blind spot, or rather...it’s an unfair setting, isn’t it...?”

“Theoretically...and I really mean theoretically...a Demon King, who chose Human Demon King and defeated 100 humans, might exist. But, 100 monsters would be impossible!”

“Even if you tell me...”

A Demon King can only fight monsters if they reach level 10, allowing them to leave their own Domain, or if they wait for the surrounding Demon Kings to reach level 5, allowing them to create kin, which then can be used to send out monsters as invaders. Surviving until then while withholding your own evolution and defeating 100 monsters with your hands is impossible...

――!

The possibility isn’t zero... There are many issues I’d need to resolve, but...even if a Fallen Angel Demon King might be impossible, creating a Dragon Demon King might be possible, I think.

“What’s wrong?”

“No, I just thought that a Dragon Demon King might be actually possible.”

“Eh? You can’t redo your evolution. Shion-san, your only option from now on is to evolve along the Vampire Demon King line, you know?”

“I do. But I didn’t mean myself.”

“Eh? I’m no option either though!”

“Obviously. It’s that guy who I could make evolve.”

“That guy...? Who are you talking about?”

“I forgot his name, but...it’s that monster-cultivation-loving Demon King.”

“――! Ohhh!! You mean Demon King Tomio?”nove(l)bi(n.)com

“Tomio? That was his name?”

“Yes. Didn’t he introduce himself in front of you, Shion-san?”

Demon King Tomio ― that was the name of the pathetic Demon King who’s surrounded by my Domain while still being stuck at level 2.

“But, wouldn’t it be difficult for Tomio to defeat 100 monsters?”

“That part would be fine if I sent in 100 slimes from my side.”

“Maybe, but...even if you sent in slimes, I think Tomio’s goblins and wolves would defeat them.”

“Right...moreover, he’d probably level up before they even defeat a hundred of them...if he did, he’ll become able to evolve.”

“Furthermore, Tomio hates you from the bottom of his heart, so he’ll definitely not listen to anything you tell him.”

I’ve a history of having slaughtered Tomio’s subordinates ― the wolves and goblins he considers to be his precious friends ― for the sake of leveling our Growth weapons. Remembering the raging Tomio...he won’t listen to me even if I tell him to kill the hundred slimes himself and choose Demon King (Human) after reaching level 3, I’m pretty damn sure.

“Kanon, what do you think would happen if I turned Tomio into my subordinate for argument’s sake?”

“Since Demon King would vanish as his race once he becomes your subordinate, that option wouldn’t work, would it?”

“True...moreover, he’d lose the skill 《Subordinate Creation》 if he became my subordinate. And that would suck.”

“You want the monsters created by a Dragon Demon King as subordinates after all.”

“For the time being, I’ll put this matter on hold, I guess.”

I had voiced out an idea that suddenly struck me, but after considering how difficult it’d be to implement it, I decided to shelve it for the moment.

“On another note...that information is definitely correct, right?”

“That information as in which?”

“The matter with my 【Body】.”

“The first option is to invest 10 BP into 【Body】.”

“Ah, in the end, as always...”

“I guess I’ll call Saburou over.”

“I’ll refrain and stay obedient...so please forgive me...”

Doesn’t this bug understand the meaning behind learning ability? I pull myself together, continuing with my speech.

“The advantage of this option is the immediate effect. Since I’ll become stronger, it’ll directly lead to an increase of our overall combat power, and it’ll also boost the efficiency of future experience farming.”

“Certainly, right now the number of 【Body】 A holders is limited.”

“The second option is to level up to 29 and raise 【Creation】 to A. The merit is a drastic increase of the overall military prowess for the Aster Empire.”

“As far as I can tell from observation...there’s only two Demon Kings in Japan who have 【Creation】 and 【Alchemy】 at A-Rank!”

“The third option is to accumulate BP until level 30, and then raise 【Alchemy】 to S-Rank. The advantage here would be me very likely being the one and only person holding 【Alchemy】 S. Depending on the future combat powers, this seems to be the most efficient option, but...there is no guarantee that I’ll live to reach level 39.”

“Around the time you’d reach it, all Demon Kings, who can be described as strong, would have two stats at A-Rank...so it’d be fairly tough to get there.”

Kanon stated her own impressions about my three options.

“For the time being...I’ll put this decision on hold, I guess.”

“Figures.”

In the first place, all options except for the one about 【Body】 are matters of the future. I’ll deal with it depending on the circumstances.

“Now then, about the main topic...I’d like to keep raising my level just like I’ve been doing, but what is your take on this, self-alleged strategist?”

“It’s going to be hard.”

“You think so? ...Why?”

“Because of Toyama.” Kanon replies decisively.

“Right... If I don’t start taking some countermeasures soon, we won’t be in time.”

Currently only one Demon King is left alive in the Toyama Prefecture. He’s an advanced Demon King with his base located in Kurobe, but...the war situation heavily inclines towards the humans. At this rate, all Chaos forces will be gone from Toyama in the near future. As a matter of fact, if you look at the countrywide situation, prefectures liberated by humans and prefectures dominated by Demon Kings like Ishikawa have started to appear here and there.

Would the Toyama Prefecture calm down and remain within its boundaries if the humans liberated the entirety of Toyama? No, they’d very likely start advancing on any of the neighboring prefectures Ishikawa, Niigata, or Gifu. And the prefecture closest to Toyama City, the center of the prefecture, is Ishikawa. In other words, the Aster Empire.

In such a case, I’d end up fighting two formidable enemies, Kaoru of Komatsu and the Toyama humans.

As might be expected, I’d like to avoid such a situation.

“What would you do if you had to decide, Kanon?”

“I’d immediately destroy Kaoru!”

“I see. And why is that?”

“You can’t call fighting the humans of Toyama and Kaoru, a Demon King with 【Creation】 A, an overly smart plan.”

“You’ve got a point there.”

“Ugh...going by the flow of the conversation, I’ve got a bad feeling...” Kanon’s expression begins to darken due to my response after she’s been so confident moments ago.

“Kanon, can I ask you something else?”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Assuming we defeat Kaoru...what comes afterwards?”

“Eh? The much-awaited war against the humans of Toyama!”

“A war against the humans of Toyama, huh...? It sure sounds like a reasonable course of events.”

“Right! Right!”

“The war against the humans of Toyama seems like it’d become intense, doesn’t it?”

“Undoubtedly...I think it’ll become a very harsh battle.”

“Are the humans of Toyama going to be our only enemies?”

“Huh?”

“Or to be precise, don’t you think that the Demon Kings and humans of the Fukui Prefecture, which lies south of Komatsu, would carefully watch our war with the humans of Toyama?”

“T-That’s...”

Kaoru isn’t weak by any means. However, I believe it’s possible for us to defeat him. The problem lies in what follows next.

The bigger a territory becomes...the higher the number of enemies neighboring its borders.

Would we be able to defend ourselves, if the Demon Kings or human heroes of Fukui were to invade my Domain in the midst of an all-out war against the humans of Toyama?

As far as my schedule goes, I planned to invade Toyama after boosting my military power by making 【Creation】 go up to A-Rank. However, the surrounding powers won’t move as I want them to.

I have several plans, but...I wonder which I should use?

I decided on our actions in the near future.

Translation Notes: