Chapter 277: Envoy from Toyama

Chapter 277 - Envoy from Toyama

〜♪

The melody informing me of Yataro's call plays on my smartphone.

"Shion here. What's up?"

『Invaders have arrived in the 186th sector, but they seem somewhat odd to me』

"Odd?"

『Yeah. The invading party consists of 24 elves, but...the one standing in front is waving a white flag』

"...White flag?"

Waving a white flag usually means...capitulation?

"Have a suitable bloodkin capable of talking with them head over."

『Roger』

After giving him his instructions, I use my smartphone to check on the situation in the 186th sector.

"My name is MobOne Shion! What kind of business could you have with our Aster Empire to trespass onto our holy land!?" MobOne ― the dhampir bloodkin sent over by Yataro ― asks the invaders in a coercive manner.

"My name is Lute Motoki. I am kin of the honorable ruler of Toyama, Demon King Motoki-sama. Today we have visited for the sake of negotiations with Demon King Shion ― the supreme ruler of Ishikawa."

The handsome, flag-waving elf seems to be a subordinate of Motoki.

"Negotiations, you say...? Very well, then you may concisely state your desire to me, MobOne Shion ― bloodkin of the glorious Demon King Shion-sama." MobOne orders Motoki's subordinate with a pointlessly high-handed tone.

"We request a direct negotiation with Demon King Shion!"

"――!? The likes of filthy elves wish to catch a glimpse of Shion-sama's exalted appearance!? Even fooling around hast its l――"

――MobOne, precisely repeat my words to them!

"――!"

Feeling like things would never get settled with MobOne's belligerent approach, I decide to directly intervene.

"I-I shall impart Shion-sama's words upon you next. 『Demon King Shion speaking. Lute Motoki, I'm currently listening to what you're saying』..."

Freezing for a moment after hearing my words, Lute begins to talk.

"I shall pass on Motoki-sama's words from now on. Listen with caution. 『Demon King Shion, sorry for the sudden visit. Their Demon King speaking. Today I had my kin head over as I wanted to discuss something which would be of benefit for both of us』...he says."

"I shall impart Shion-sama's words upon you next. 『So, what do you wish to talk about?』...he says."

"I shall pass on Motoki-sama's reply. You should listen carefully. 『Won't you form an alliance with me?』...Motoki-sama has said."

...Alliance, he says?

I'm surprised by Motoki's unexpected suggestion. How should I respond to this? ...But before that, I should have this annoying way of negotiating canceled, I think.

"I shall impart Shion-sama's reply upon you. 『If you intend to trust our side and form an alliance, Demon King Motoki, call me directly under the following telephone number――』."

Once I tell them the number of a spare smartphone in order to stop this discussion through bloodkin, Motoki's subordinates leave my Domain.

One minute later.

〜♪

The spare phone I had placed next to me starts to ring.

"Shion of the Aster Empire speaking."

『...Uh, Motoki of Uozu here』

Probably because I introduced myself with our nation's name, Motoki hesitated for a moment before introducing himself as "Motoki of Uozu."

"So what's your business with me?"

『Won't you ally with me?』

Motoki apparently wants to form an alliance with the Aster Empire.

"An alliance, huh...? Why?"

『Haah? Right now we're facing a common enemy, aren't we? The enemy of your enemy is your friend...they say, don't they?』

"The enemy of your enemy is your friend, eh? For us Demon Kings everyone is an enemy. Even the enemy of your enemy is just another enemy. Or am I wrong?"

I think it'd be best to come across cockish until I grasp his aim, and thus I coldly refute Motoki's claim.

『...In short, you're saying you won't ally with me?』

Were my words a bit too strong? Hostility has started to ooze out of his voice.

"That's not what I've said. Just, what kind of gain would I have out of forming an alliance with you?"

『Gain...? There's a merit in it for you』

"Please enlighten me then."

『We can avoid pointless fighting』

"Pointless fighting?"

『Yep! Pointless fighting between you and me!』

"Hmm? I don't quite get what you're telling me. Our Domains aren't adjacent to each other in the first place."

『But, it's just a matter of time until they will be, right?』

"In other words, you've approached me about an alliance after...predicting the future?"

『That's how it is. Excellent rulers must always predict the future and act upon that! Isn't that so, Comrade Shion?』

Motoki starts to become awfully talkative. Having said that, I can't believe those to be his true feelings.

"I see. In that case, how about we postpone negotiating an alliance for the time when our Domains are neighbors? Do you have any further business with me?"

『Wh-!? W-Wait! Please wait a moment!』

Just as I'm about to cut the conversation, Motoki completely changes his attitude, becoming obviously flustered.

"Hmm? What is it? You said it'll be an alliance for the sake of avoiding pointless fighting after predicting the future, didn't you? In that case, it'll be fine for us to negotiate again...once that future comes to pass, right?"

『Ugh!! T-That's wrong!』

"Wrong? I believe I've only repeated your own words, but maybe our perceptions differ?"

『Wrong! No, that's not it! Our perceptions are the same! But, it'll be meaningless unless we form an alliance now!』

"Dear me? If my perception isn't mistaken...our Domains aren't adjacent to each other. It'd be a different story if we could ignore the humans and traverse unhindered between each other's Domains, but the pointless fighting you're talking about is, in short, about us two not fighting each other, no?"

『But! For the sake of reaching that glorious future...we need to form an alliance! Right now!』

"Sorry. I'm probably slow on the uptake and not as smart as you to predict the future. I don't really understand what you're trying to tell me, you know?"

『For the sake of our glorious future...in order for us to become good neighbors, we have to become allies right now! That's what I'm telling you!』

"It's a mystery how us becoming neighbors would connect to a glorious future, but...you'd like to form an alliance to clean up Toyama's humans. Is that what you want to tell me?"

『I guess you could put it like that』

Some confidence has returned to his voice.

Now then, is this guy....possibly an idiot?

"Let's get things sorted a bit, okay? The reason you want us to form an alliance is not to avoid pointless fighting, but to defeat Toyama's humans...would that be correct?"

『I don't mind even if you interpret it like that』

Don't give me "I don't mind even if you interpret it like that." Isn't that completely different from what you started with!?

"I've understood what you want."

『Did I get you to understand the importance of this alliance?』

"(Though I can't understand what's so important about it), I'll put my response on hold for now."

『W-Why...!?』

"This matter is nothing I can answer on the spot just like that. Or do you believe an "alliance" with us to be something trivial, Demon King Motoki?"

『T-That's not what I meant...』

"I'll give you my answer tomorrow."

『Tomorrow, huh...? Gotcha』

I hung up after finishing my conversation with him.

Translation Notes: