Chapter 274: Ishikawa Alliance

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The place for the trade ceremony would be an office located on the highest floor of a conspicuously large building which allows for an unobstructed view of Aster Empire’s residential district. It’s the room where Mrs. Tamura is usually working.

For this very day I have made a special exception by connecting this place to a 【Transfer Array】 near the entrance of my Domain. The official venue has been completely prepared, so now we’ve only got to wait for Kaoru to arrive.

Around ten minutes before the appointed time, my smartphone informs me of invaders ― Kaoru’s visit. Once I checked my phone, I spotted a slender man wearing a tricorne at the entrance area of my Domain. In addition, Kaoru alongside ten arch demons.

Using the 【Transfer Array】, I move to Kaoru’s location.

“Welcome, Demon King Kaoru.”

“Thank you very much for your kind invitation.” Kaoru answers me, who bows exaggeratedly, with a childish smile.

“Just in case, I’ve prepared an official venue to hold the trade ceremony, but what would you like to do?”

Last time I turned down Kaoru’s offer, and negotiated with him at the entrance area of his Domain. If Kaoru insists on the same, I won’t have a choice but to heed his request.

“Okay...then I think I’ll take you up on that offer.”

――!?

I’m startled by Kaoru agreeing so readily.

“You okay with that?”

“Hmm? You’re not going to pull a sneak attack on me or anything, are you?”

“Of course not, but...”

“Then it’s alright. Shion, you said it yourself, didn’t you? That we’ll build up our trust slowly. I’d say this is the first step towards that.”

“Let me answer your trust with trust of my own then as well.”

“By the way, would it be better for us to give our weapons into your custody?”

“No, keep them. Well then, I’ll guide you.”

I took Kaoru and his retinue with me, transferring us through the 【Transfer Array】.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))

“Eh? Wha-...? I-Incredible...!!”

Looking at the residential district through the window in the office ― the transfer destination ― Kaoru is lost for words.

“Hmm? Kaoru, you don’t have any residents in your Domain?”

“No, I do have residents, but...not to such a large extent...I mean, look, making residents surrender tends to be quite annoying and the profits are low.”

Kaoru gives one the impression of being cunning, but right now he’s appearing to be unusually frank.

“For better or worse, we’re calling ourselves a nation, so that’s why.”

“I see. This is certainly a country.”

“As for the scale, it’s still no more than the size of a town.”

“Maybe I should build a town myself as well once I get back... By the way, is there any merit in doing all this?”

“Merit, huh...? If it becomes widely known that my residents can spend a happy life here, future Reigns are going to be easier, I guess. Also, the quality of the food has improved.”

“Eh? Shion, you eat?”

“I do it when I have some free time. Well, the ones most delighted about the food improvements are my subordinates.”

“Shion, you have the image of being cruel, but are you unexpectedly affectionate towards your subordinates?”

“I wonder.”

I’m bragging to be kinder in the treatment of my residents and subordinates than most normal Demon Kings, but affectionate...if I were to be asked for my honest opinion, I’d be hard pressed to answer since I do have ulterior motives with this.

“By the way, who are your companions?” I shift my look to the man and the ten arc demons Kaoru brought with him.

I suspect the man to be Barbatos. But I don’t get the meaning behind bringing along ten arc demons. They’d be a bit too weak to qualify as guards.

“I’ll introduce you. He is Barbatos. He’s my prized subordinate who I’m going to transfer to you this time.”

“Nice to meet you, Shion-sama. My name is Barbatos.”

The slender man with the tricorne ― Barbatos, bows respectfully.

“I’m Shion. Nice to meet you. And the remaining lesser demons are guards?”

“No. They’re a present from me. Kind of like a proof of deep affection?”

“I understand. Thank you for your consideration.”

Ten lesser demons, huh...? I check my inventory. I take out an outfit ― the Robe of Magic Crystals and hand it to Kaoru.

“It’s proof of deep affection from me.”

“Thanks! Is this proof of deep affection? Or is it because you don’t want to owe me?”

“Feel free to interpret it as you like.”

The Robe of Magic Crystals is an outfit I’ve become able to create when my Alchemy became A-Rank. It’s ability doesn’t lose out to that of the unique robe that can be made at B-Rank.

“Oh right! It’s a bold copying from you, but I also gave my country a name!”

“Hooh...”

“Now that we’ve formed an alliance at last, it’d be better for my country to have a name as well, right?”

“So, what is it?”

“Kaga.”

“So you used the place’s name just as it is, huh?”

“I wondered whether I should go with Komatsu, but Kaga is cooler, isn’t it?” Kaoru explains cheerfully.

“Then we’re going to form an alliance, right? We’ll stream us officially forming the alliance live to the whole world.”

“That sounds really awesome. I wonder whether I’ll become a celebrity overnight?”

“Who knows.”

Kaoru and I exchange smiles.

“Shion-sama, Kaoru-sama, is everything ready ~ssu?” Tusk, whom I had entrusted with setting up the technical side of the live stream, calls out to us.

Kaoru and I exchange a look, and nod.

“Then let’s go ~ssu! 3, 2, 1...action.”

The red lamp of the video camera in Tusk’s hand turns on.

FU

18 Nameless Adventurer ID:OE5NYQI

So we’re going to get Humans vs. Demon King Alliances from now on?

19 Nameless Adventurer ID:HLO9KF8

That’s impossible, no? Our local Demon King also announced that he’d formed an alliance or such, but they immediately had a falling out through betrayals.

20 Nameless Adventurer ID:NIUL3KI

What you’d expect of Chaos rofl

The Ishikawa Alliance also became a huge topic on the Laplace forums.

1 Nameless Demon King ID...462

Recruiting Demon Kings to ally with Mr. Y☆

2 Nameless Demon King ID...28

How are nameless Demon Kings supposed to form alliances roflmao

3 Nameless Demon King ID...264

>1

First, name yourself. Everything else follows after that.

4 Nameless Demon King ID...462

You’ll believe me if I introduce myself as Honma?

5 Nameless Demon King ID...264

I’d say it depends on the place

6 Nameless Demon King ID...462

【This account has been blocked due to a violation of the rules】

7 Nameless Demon King ID:264

Secret Technique – Eternal Freeze

8 Nameless Demon King ID...301

ID462, what an utter moron lol

9 Nameless Demon King ID...197

Alliance is no special ability, is it?

10 Nameless Demon King ID...596

Nope

11 Nameless Demon King ID...197

You’re saying Kanezawa’s Thirteen Evil Stars member has formed an alliance based on trust alone?

12 Nameless Demon King ID...596

Gotta be like that. He mentioned something about wanting us to judge the future.

13 Nameless Demon King ID...197

Unbelievable. I’d never be able to pull that off

14 Nameless Demon King ID...19

From now on all Demon Kings are probably going to closely watch the Ishikawa Alliance

15 Nameless Demon King ID...637

Shion, was it? He became a celebrity overnight, I’d say

16 Nameless Demon King ID...762

He was a HeartChaDe☆ to begin with, so he was in the center of attention anyway

17 Nameless Demon King ID...507

Come to think of it, that Shion dude is participating in Laplace as well, isn’t he?

18 Nameless Demon King ID...27

I’m Shion. Did you call? roflmao

19 Nameless Demon King ID...507

The real deal is heeeere

20 Nameless Demon King ID...394

Eh? For real?

21 Nameless Demon King ID...397

Lil’ HeartChaDe☆ Shions are poppin’ out all over the place lmao 3

22 Nameless Demon King ID...195

Ah, those are part of a HeartChaDe☆ series no one needs, yep

23 Nameless Demon King ID...83

Considering it logically, he’s a fake

24 Nameless Demon King ID...37

If it was the real deal, he’d suffered an Eternal Freeze after all

25 Nameless Demon King ID...684

I’d really laugh my ass off if the real HeartChaDe☆ Shion got banned lololol

26 Nameless Demon King ID...99

An alliance, huh?

The way how Demon Kings handle things might change

Stuck with having huge attention drawn on me all over the world, I calmly set up my plans for the upcoming future.

Translation Notes: