Chapter 266: CH 266-267 : Heading for an Alliance ①

Chapter 266 – Heading for an Alliance 1

“...It’s got to be an alliance, huh?” I mumble out one of the options I have.

“Pardon?”

Next to me, Kanon reacts to my muttering.

“An alliance.”

“An alliance? Huh? Did such a special ability exist?”

《Subordinate Creation》, 《Domain Creation》, 《Separation》, and 《Reign》 are all special abilities only Demon Kings have at their disposal. Therefore Kanon is probably mistaking it for such a 『Special Ability』.

“No, it’s not a special ability. It’s just a plain, old 『Alliance』.”

“With alliance you mean...the thing where the parties tie a non-aggression pact and fight a common enemy by cooperating?”

“That’s what I mean, yeah.”

Since ancient times, countries have used alliances with other countries as strategy during wars. I’d say the Kiyosu Alliance between Oda and Tokugawa during the Warring States Period is a fairly well-known example for this. Also the SaCho Alliance...and the other extreme would be the Axis between Germany, Italy, and Japan. If you take a closer look at Earth’s history without limiting it to just Japan, you’ll find many instances where alliances have been formed.

“B-But...a special ability for alliances――that’s no function which would be acknowledged by the world, is it?”

“Indeed.”

“Can you trust them then?”

“Hmm...I wonder. If both sides have something to gain...I can probably trust the other side as long as their advantages in allying with me don’t vanish.”

“Advantages for both sides, huh...? So, who do you want to ally with?” Kanon asks me about the alliance partner while looking like she’s not really convinced of this whole idea. “Ah, please no 『Who do you think it could be?』, okay!?”

Kanon quickly adds as if to forestall my next words. Did she forget that it’s my guilty pleasure to play word games...?

“Who would say anything like that!? The alliance partner I’m aiming for is Demon King Kaoru.” I answer while feeling irritated by Kanon’s remark.

“Eh? Demon King Kaoru? Aren’t we in a full-out war with him right now? I’m sure he’s totaaaally hating you, Shion-san! You think he’d accept any such talks?”

Kanon unnecessarily emphasizes the part about hating me.

“Who knows. Going by my estimation, the chances are fifty-fifty.”

“Shion-san, albeit usually belonging to the group of people who’re so careful that it turns other people away, you’re occasionally pointlessly positive, aren’t you?”

What’s with her? Is Kanon trying to pick a fight with me?nove(l)bi(n.)com

“Okay, then let me ask you instead: Do you know a good method to overturn the current situation?”

“Umm...for the time being, we are the strongest force in three prefectures of the Hokuriku region. That’s why...wouldn’t it be fine to aim for advancing the invasion while relying on power and expanding our combat forces even further as we’ve done until now?”

“Haah... Is that supposed to be the opinion of someone who plans to become a strategist?” I sigh deeply at the idiot in front of me.

“Yes! I’m the strategist of the Aster Empire!” Kanon demonstrates a fine example for pointlessly positive thinking.

“Strategist Kanon, tell me about the situation around us.”

“Eh? U-Umm...the prefecture’s south ― Komatsu and Kaga ― is ruled by Kaoru! 90% of the neighboring Toyama Prefecture has been liberated by humans. The remaining Demon King of Kurobe is desperately resisting the human onslaught!” Kanon frantically answers.

“What’s the situation with Fukui Prefecture?”

“The Fukui Prefecture still has various powers vying for supremacy! The Demon Kings’ influence is strong in the prefecture’s south. The center of the prefecture is in the firm hands of the humans, and they’re somewhat dominating in the prefecture’s north at the moment!”

“How about Gifu Prefecture?”

“L-Let’s see...great numbers of humans have been flowing into the prefecture, fleeing the Aichi Prefecture as it’s the influence sphere of Demon King Hayate, one of the 『Thirteen Evil Stars』. With that being part of the reason, it’s become almost fully ruled by humans.”

“How about Niigata Prefecture?”

“Eh? I still haven’t...grasped the information of the Niigata Prefecture...auuu...I’m going to investigate it right away...”

“No need. We won’t need the information about that prefecture for a while to come yet.”

“Eehh...? Why did you ask then!?” Kanon protests with a sulky look.

“What I want to tell you is...to predict the future.”

“Uuhh...I’m doing that. Isn’t that the very reason why I’ve been investigating the situation in our neighborhood?” Kanon objects while waving her hands and legs around.

“Hooh...in that case, let me ask you something. Who was the strongest among those we’ve fought so far?”

“In the first place, alliances aren’t guaranteed by the logic of the world ― its system.”

“Quite so...that’s why I think it’d be difficult.”

“But, don’t you think there’s room for consideration, if both sides gain something out of it? The alliance I’m going to propose Kaoru is going to be one of equal partners.”

“An alliance of equal partners?”

“It’ll be a simple alliance of equals...where we conclude a non-aggression pact.”

“I get that part, but...is Kaoru going to accept that?”

Probably because of Kanon’s extreme distrust towards other people, she seems to be rather reluctant about this whole alliance idea.

“Kanon, currently our Aster Empire and Demon King Kaoru share a hostile relationship, right?”

“Yes.”

“Which side dominates the war’s progress?”

“Overwhelmingly our forces!”

“Right. Exactly because it’s a situation where we’re overpowering his side by a huge margin...it’s very likely for Kaoru to form an alliance with us.”

“Are you going to rely on your strong point of threatening others, Shion-san?”

Every once in a while I wonder what Kanon is actually thinking of me.

“I won’t use threats, but negotiations.”

“Oh, I got it! There’s going to be threats under the pretext of negotiations!”

“Haah...so this bug has been that much of an idiot...?”

“――Wh-!? That’s totally rude!!”

“I wonder which of us is the rude one... What did I say about the nature of the alliance I want to form with Kaoru just moments ago?”

“Umm...――! An alliance of equals!?”

“In spite of being in an extremely advantageous position in the war, I’m going to offer Kaoru an alliance of equals.”

“Why?”

“Proposing an alliance means negotiating. During negotiation you try to make the other party concede by adding all kinds of conditions in order to make your position as favorable as possible.”

“That’s the basics of negotiating, yes.”

“For example, in the past...a certain Fairy Demon King offered herself to me for the sake of survival.”

I give her an example she should understand without any problems.

“Huh? Was that Fairy Demon King a lovely fairy with a keen foresight?”

“She wasn’t lovely, but her future looked bleak as she had erred on how to spend her BP... However, seeing how she’s still alive, she might have had some foresight.”

“Oh my? Are you praising her? Or are you actually badmouthing her?”

“Seeing how we’re going to offer an alliance from our side, just like the bug who had offered her life...the negotiations won’t succeed if we don’t offer something from our side.”

“She turned into a bug after having been a fairy?”

“What you offered while being in an extremely bad position was yourself. But, what I, as someone holding an overwhelmingly superior position, offer――”

“Even though it was just a pseudonym...for my name to be used here...”

“――is an alliance of equals.”

Because I’m in a superior position, an alliance of equals should have an extremely high merit for Kaoru.

“Umm...is it no option to recommend surrender?”

“If I could get him to accept a surrender...it’d rectify a consideration, but currently an alliance would still be the better option.”

“But, if he surrenders, you can tie him down with orders, no? There won’t be any fear of him backstabbing you, you know?”

“Leaving aside the huge amount of work it’d require to make him surrender...the only merit of him surrendering to me would be my authority of absolute orders. In that case, what do you think would be a merit of forming an alliance that would go beyond the value of making him surrender?” I toss that question at Kanon with a mean smile.

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