BXBX NOVEL Chapter 181: Preparations for the Foundation of a Nation ③
“Shion-sama, please allow us to give you our report.”
Mrs. Tamura and Sousuke lower their eyes on the thick bundles of papers in their hands, and then bow.
“51.142 people have applied for farming, 23.196 for industrial manufacturing, 18.914 for construction work, and 3.026 have volunteered to join the battles. We have counted those wishing to work on wood processing or decorative art towards industrial manufacturing.”
After noting down the numbers I heard from Mrs. Tamura, I compare it with the number of residents on my smartphone. The total number of residents amounts to 111.692. If I tally all numbers mentioned by her…it’s 96.278 people.
“The numbers don’t match, you know?”
“Yes. After having received your permission, I’ve excluded the children.”
“You’re saying there’s approximately 20.000 children?”
“No. The number of children below 15 is 10.874.”
So there were more than 10.000 of them among my residents…? That’s quite a lot. Having said that, the numbers still don’t match.
Seemingly perceiving from my expression what I want to say, Mrs. Tamura continues, “Furthermore, I’m well aware that it might have been impertinent of me, but I added work fields I considered as necessary based on the results of our survey.”
“What kind of fields?
“2.858 people will be in charge of preparing and cooking food for the monsters…no, your subordinates. 542 medical personnel. 582 will work at tree lumbering and ore mining, following the wishes of Akira-sama, your bloodkin. It was also Akira-sama’s wish that those in charge of lumbering and mining would rather lend their knowledge than do the heavy work themselves. Likewise, 320 people are going to transport materials with trucks. And lastly, the number of those caring and educating the children amounts to 238 people.” Mrs. Tamura smoothly and precisely lists all the additional jobs.
238 people in education, that’s a lot, isn’t it?
“Just one thing.”
“Yes, what might it be?”
“About the educators――”
“Shion-sama, please wait a moment. I will be present on-site as the one in charge. While promising you that none of them will ever teach the children anything that would hurt your reputation, you also have my word that the children will be brought up as personnel that will help your country to expand in the future. It’s said that children are a country’s treasure. The development of education is directly related to the upbringing of the children――”
“I got it, I got it… You win.” As Mrs. Tamura quickly rattles down her arguments with a serious expression, I end up approving her request after gradually being overwhelmed by her passion. “I’ll accept the matter with the educators. However, I’ll regularly examine what the children are taught. I think you are aware of it yourself, but if it’s within my Domain…it’s impossible to keep secrets from me. In the unlikely event that someone were to teach the children something going counter my interests ― they will be punished. You understand?”
“I shall keep it in mind, Shion-sama.” Mrs. Tamura meekly agrees with my words, nodding.
Afterwards I use 《Domain Creation》 to create the foundation of the internal administration while discussing things with Mrs. Tamura and Sousuke. As for the industrial manufacturing, I give them access to the mountain of machines we gathered without really knowing what they are for. Moreover, it’s something I found out just recently, but many alchemizable items have been unlocked in correlation to the number of residents. 【Hydroelectric Power Plant】 and 【Windfarm】 are also among those items. Because of this, the environment, where we had secretly leeched wireless electricity so far, drastically improved. This change not only allowed for a dramatic advancement of the Domain’s infrastructure, but also indicated that it was possible to obtain power plant facilities located in areas ruled by humans through 《Reign》.
One should rely on specialists for the best results. I don’t really understand much about how to build houses or water pipes. However, many people experienced in constructing those things exist among my residents. It’s the same with farming and industrial manufacturing. What I could alchemize or create with my smartphone, I provided to the residents upon request. For the rest I simply ordered my bloodkin to collect it outside my Domain.
With that day as a turning point, subordinates and residents ― monsters and humans worked hand in hand, resulting in a rapid development of my nation.
◆
One week after we began improving the infrastructure within my Domain.
Right now I’m visiting the home of a certain bloodkin.
“How is it going?”
“It’s no good ~ssu.” A man with messy hair, star-shaped glasses and an unshaven face answers.
His name is Tusk. He’s a self-alleged PC hacker otaku whom I made into my bloodkin four days ago. He controls all the people working on information management.
Seeing that the human side has started to employ propaganda, our side has to adopt appropriate countermeasures. Because of that, I chose ten people, who knew a lot about PCs, from among my residents. Because I’ve forbidden my residents any contact with the outside world, I turned Tusk, who appears to be rather communicative, into a bloodkin and assigned him to the role of collecting and disseminating information.
The current order I’ve given Tusk is to launch a popularity campaign for Demon King Shion. Or to be precise, we’re publishing the sound and healthy lives of the humans who became residents after 《Reigns》. The idea behind this is to lower the level of difficulty for 《Reigns》.
However, if we upload videos of the residents’ lives, they’ll be immediately deleted. Even our posts written on influential forums and blogs while pretending to be residents are erased right away. We also tried to launch our own blog, but we couldn’t release a single blog post since we’re always shown error messages.
Now that it has become common knowledge that Demon Kings can use the Internet…the humans’ censoring has become very rigid.
“You call yourself a capable hacker, don’t you? Can’t you do something about this?”
“Calling yourself is a really terrible way to phrase it… Anyway, it’s impossible ~ssu. Staging a resistance goes beyond the capabilities of the devices on hand ~ssu.”
“Tsk! …What a pushover… As expected, it might be better to have you work on farming――”
“Wha-!? A sec, just give me a sec ~ssu! Umm, umm…yeah, right! I did gather information that looks advantageous to ussu!”
When I click my tongue in irritation at Tusk who keeps adding one excuse after the other, he tries to show me other results in panic.
“Information? What kind of?”
“This is a piece of information you wouldn’t have obtained without me! A special program coded by me has found it and then extracte――”
“Spare me the details, and tell me what you found out.”
“How impatient ~ssu… Anyway, some Demon Kings have announced the foundation of a nation.” Tusk tells me with a proud look.
“Huh?” I end up flabbergasted by his words.
“A declaration of independence? Announcing the foundation of a nation? I don’t really know what you’d call it, but the first to have proclaimed it was the Demon King of Hokkaido ~ssu. Then, as if they had talked it over beforehand, the Demon Kings of Kanagawa, Aichi, and Fukuoka followed suit ~ssu.”
“Over the net?”
“Right ~ssu. But, their posts were immediately deleted ~ssu. And that’s where my fabulous salvagin…”
I sink into thought with Tusk’s nonsense, which continues to spill out of his trap, as background noise. I also started consciously thinking about a nation around the time when I conquered the prefecture’s north. However, that wasn’t with the intention to really found a nation, but rather, following the idea of preparing an infrastructure similar to a nation’s administration for the sake of increasing my combat force. I didn’t plan to announce my independence or anything like that. I simply associated a nation as a role model that’s super easy to adopt…for the sake of reinforcing my combat power…and for the sake of survival…
“The Demon Kings, who announced their foundation of nations, are ―― the 『Thirteen Evil Stars』?”
“Bingo ~ssu.”
They are ruling over Domains with sizes equal or even bigger than mine. It’s only natural for them to have experience with 《Reign》, and they most likely possess residents, too. In that case, it simply follows logic for them to arrive at the same idea as I ― an infrastructure improvement. I can also understand elevating themselves to a nation in the process of that.
But, why would it be necessary to announce it? Is it because they want to satisfy their need for recognition? Or is it for the sake of showing off how big they are? To begin with, who was supposed to hear their declaration? The Humans? Other Demon Kings? ――Or maybe both?
As I ponder about various possibilities, and the merits and demerits of publicly announcing it, it suddenly strikes me like lightning.
I see.
After thoroughly thinking it over, I arrive at one conclusion.
“…Hey, you listening to me?” Tusk calls out to me, who has finished brooding, after having rambled on about this and that.
“We will also declare the foundation of a nation.”
“Eh?” Tusk looks dumbfounded.
“With that decided, it’s necessary to gather all of the main bloodkin, I guess. …Tusk, are you going to participate as well?”
“Y-Yes…?”
Strike while the iron is still hot. I summon my main cast, including the main bloodkin who have departed on invasions.
Chapter 182 – Preparations for the Foundation of a Nation ④
Three days after I’ve decided to officially announce the foundation of a nation, all my chief subordinates have finally assembled.
“Dammit, ‘n here da invasion was just goin’ so smoothly…wassup!?”
“A dundrawal (※ dungeon withdrawal) in a sec (※ quickly)!”
“So, what urgent business do you have with us?”
The first thing that comes out of Takaharu and Sarah’s mouths are complaints. Their leader, Rina, asks me as if not having heard a single of their words.
“――We’re going to raise a nation.” I answer, not just to Rina, but all my gathered subordinates.
“Shion, weren’t we already in the middle of raising a nation?” Yataro asks back with a sidelong glance at my confused subordinates.
“Correct. Since the day we conquered the north, I’ve been working on infrastructure development with a nation as a role model in mind.”
“As far as I’ve seen and heard, it’s been going well, but…did some kind of problem crop up?”
“No, the infrastructure project is proceeding smoothly. The living standards within the Domain are improving by the day.”
“What’s the reason for you having gathered all of us then?” Yataro asks me as a representative of my currently present subordinates.
“From now on…no, with today as a turning point, we will genuinely aim at building a nation, not just in the name of an infrastructure project! In other words, today will be our National Foundation Day!”
“””――?”””
Everyone openly shows their surprise at my words.
“And the reason why I had you gathered here on this day is because all of you are part of the leadership. I thought that it’d be better to gather all of you for the long-awaited event of our nation’s foundation, and thus I summoned you. Is something wrong with that?”
“Eh?”
“L-Leadership…”
“Me too ~ssu…?”
“I vow upon all gods, be it heaven or earth, I shall fulfill that role to the utmost!”
“Oh my, oh my, me too?” Mrs. Tamura looks astonished.
“I’m also a leader?” Setanta asks.
“Saburou of the Everlasting Darkness ― the Jet-Black Heavenly King, has descended! …Yep, not bad.”
The reaction of my subordinates towards my statement is all over the place. Some are surprised, some are humble, and some are deeply moved by the honor.
“Shion-cchi! I’ve got a question!”
“What is it?”
“Like, I won’t bicker about bein’ part of the leadership…and it’s not that I’d mind Taka-cchi, Rina-cchi, Chloe-cchi and so on. But you see, there’s some freaks with weird glasses and an unknown granny among us. Who are these people?” Sarah turns a look full of blatant distrust at Mrs. Tamura, Sousuke, and Tusk.
“Hmm, you’re right, those glasses are fake, aren’t they? If he’s wearing them for the sake of promoting his shame, they’re somewhat lacking, I think. What do you think? How about boosting your impression by wearing a pink bra――”
――Shut up!
While Sarah has produced an awkward atmosphere, Hibiki produces an atmosphere that causes the temperature in the room to perceptibly drop.
“The woman over there is Mrs. Tamura, and the man over here is Sousuke. Both of them are in charge of the Domain’s infrastructure improvements. This guy here is Tusk. I’ve entrusted him with information management. All three of them are valuable subordinates, working towards the goal of supporting the invasion teams, which also includes you, Sarah, from behind. Get along…is nothing I’ll tell you, but don’t be too hard on them.”
“Nice to meet you, I’m Tamura Masako. I’m fully aware that all of you, including you, Sarah-sama, have been protecting and giving us the possibility to lead a new life here. Although I might not be the most skilled person, I’m planning to do whatever I can to support everyone. I’m looking forward to working with all of you in the future.”
“I’m Sousuke ~ssu! Best regards!”
“Tusk here ~ssu. I’m praying for good cooperation! By the way, the idea with the bra is a no go ~ssu.”
Following my introduction, Mrs. Tamura extends polite greetings, probably because she knows how important a first impression is, and then Sousuke and Tusk also introduce themselves.
“I-It’s…not like I’m complainin’ here or anythin’! You see, I was just, like, asking myself, who are these people, got it!?” Sarah awkwardly averts her eyes, apparently because she’s getting overpowered by Mrs. Tamura’s courteous manners.
“Okay, let’s get on with the story then. There are two reasons why I’m founding a nation.” I raise two fingers as I survey the faces of my silent subordinates. “First, it’s for the sake of improving 《Reigns》. It’s better for humans to perceive a potential surrender as being something done towards a nation, and not to some random Demon King…I think it’ll lower their psychological resistance against the idea of submitting. For this reason, it’s also necessary that everyone knows that we’re running a nation ― in other words, we’ll have a 『Declaration of a Nation’s Founding』.”
My leaders quietly listen to my every word.
“Second, diplomacy. At the present, the difference in power between Demon Kings, between humans, and between Demon Kings and humans is starting to become clear. What has been small skirmishes at first will sooner or later develop into full-blown wars. Unfortunately the 『World Salvation Project』 doesn’t include diplomacy in its system, but eventually it won’t just be about killing each other…but instead, new ways of battles might appear. As a measure to prepare for such a time, we must grow as a nation.”
“Diplomacy, huh…? If it’s discussions, skillfully talking it out will be fine, but…if the other party are adults or a nation, it becomes politics, and the fight might become more heinous than up until now…” Mrs. Tamura mutters with a sad look in response to my statement.
“Hooh… How unexpected. I’d have thought that you’d belong to those supporting a diplomatic approach.”
“Of course it’s the optimum to peacefully talk things over, but…sometimes politics deteriorate into mudslinging…”
“Well, it’ll still take a while until diplomacy will start to play a role. I’m anticipating your advice when that time comes.”
“You can count on me.”
Discussing a future that’s not set in stone yet bears no meaning.
“And lastly, there’s one more reason why I summoned all of you. Since it’s something I can’t decide myself, I’d like you to give me your input.”
“T-This means…my knowledge as a strategist is being put to the test here, right? Right?”
For some reason Kanon gets all hyped up after hearing my words.
“As for the matter itself…I’d like to decide on the nation’s name after talking it over with you.”
A name is essential for the announcement of a nation’s foundation. As my own naming sense sucks, to put it nicely, I’m going to rely on my subordinates for this.
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