BXBX NOVEL Chapter 134: Reign ④
I reveal a smile after confirming the yellow dots displayed on my smartphone’s screen.
The number of dots that switched from red to yellow in the north amounts to 42. In short, it shows that we’ve made 42 humans submit.
For a moment I wondered how it’d turn out over there, but the results are great. Considering their motivation, I think I’ll assign several of the submissive humans to cooking.
Now then, I wonder how Layla’s and Chloe’s units are doing…
I check their situations through my smartphone.
Or rather, simply holding my right hand all the time is really tiring…
◆
~Chloe’s PoV~
“Come on, inferior life-forms…you may choose! Die and become nourishment for Shion-sama, or…offer your life to Shion-sama, our great Creator…! Which will it be!?”
I inform the foolish humans lining up in front of me of Shion-sama’s choices, which are overflowing with his benevolence.
“…”
The foolish humans do nothing but tremble, without giving me any reply at all.
“Say, Big Sis Chloe?”
“What?”
I look in the direction of the big, black ogre ― Noire, who has called out to me with bad manners.
“They’re a pain, so let’s finish them off?”
“Humph! You moron… Our mission is to impart Shion-sama’s will.”
“But, Boss Shion told us to show them our strength, didn’t he?”
…Hmm? Certainly, he did say that.
“Very well! In that case, everyone fini――”
――what do you mean very well, idiot?! Make the humans submit as much as possible!
Hau…!? My whole body trembles due to Shion-sama’s voice directly reverberating in my head.
“Rejoice! Foolish people! The incarnation of compassion, Shion-sama…said that he will grant you life!”
“…”
“――? What’s wrong!? Show your intent to submit right away!!”
“D-D-Don’t screw around!!”
――!?
Screw around…? What’s that inferior life-form saying?
Even though Shion-sama has given them a chance to submit thanks to his eternal benevolence…?
It’s no good…these inferior creatures are too dumb… They won’t be fit to serve as Shion-sama’s manservants…
I grab the bow I had been carrying, and begin to draw the string, aiming at the fools.
“…Fini――”
――Wait!
Ha!? I come to my senses thanks to Shion-sama’s voice resounding in my head.
――Neutralize them without killing them! This is an ordeal imposed upon you guys! ――Show me your power!
A divine revelation was handed down…
“Noire! Rouge! Blue! Kureha! Did you hear!?”
“”Sure did!””
“I heard ~ssu!”
“Yes!”
Once I look back, my subordinates pick up their weapons with ferocious smiles.
“――We will display our strength!”
Then we displayed our power to the inferior creatures.
◆
~Shion’s PoV~
“Shion-san, what’s everyone’s statuuus?” (Kanon)
Kanon sits down on my shoulder, and peeks at the smartphone’s display.
“It looks good on Takaharu’s and Sarah’s side, I’d say.” (Shion)
“Ooh! As expected of the former Demon King duo!” (Kanon)
“Chloe and Layla are like that, you know…? They are loyal, but don’t really understand the inner workings of humans…” (Shion)
“Well, that’s unavoidable, I think…?”
We check Layla’s situation at the same time as Chloe’s by quickly switching between tabs, but…the situation is the same for both groups.
“Would it have been better if I had gone as well…?”
Rina asks worriedly after listening to the conversation between me and Kanon.
“Yep…you’re not wrong. Rina, you’d have understood the human’s feelings if you had been there, I guess. But…” (Shion)
“But…?” (Rina)
“Could you have taken the appropriate measures depending on the situation?” (Shion)
Appropriate measures ― in other words, could you have killed humans?
“…” (Rina)
“The 《Reign》 this time is easy. However, I’m sure there’ll come a time when your power will be needed, Rina. Until then ― gather your resolve.” (Shion)
“…Okay.” (Rina)
Rina answers quietly while hanging her head in shame.
◆
Two hours and thirty minutes after the start of 《Reign》.
All the red dots (hostile elements) have changed into yellow ones (submissive) within the effective range of 《Reign》. My bloodkin, whom I had dispatched in all directions, are closely watching the submissive humans to prevent them from changing their minds.
This 《Reign》 is what you’d call a tutorial 《Reign》.
The number of humans within its range is far below the number of my subordinates, and high-leveled humans weren’t present either.
It’s really a blessing that I could experience my first 《Reign》 in an underpopulated area.
I have found a plethora of points that need to be improved for next time.
For example, this time we were able to carry out 《Reign》 within the two hour time limit, but…what if there had been many humans? What if they had been spread across many places? …We’d have likely failed to satisfy the time condition.
Depending on the area where we’ll enact 《Reign》, it’ll probably be necessary to prepare things in advance. Once 《Reign》 starts, the 180 minutes will begin to mercilessly count down. Hence, if we expel the humans out of the effective range of 《Reign》 before actually starting it, we’ll probably be able to easily meet the conditions.
However, in that case I won’t be able to add humans as subordinates, will I? Then it’d be a valid option to gather the humans in one place, no? Or it’d be fine to start 《Reign》 after surrounding them in advance, so that the humans can’t evacuate, right?
One method after the other about how to handle 《Reign》 from now on pops up in my mind.
It took the least time for humans to change from red to yellow dots when they encountered my subordinates.
Why is that so…? Is it because they encountered a famous Demon King like Takaharu? Is it because they ran into scary-looking monsters like Noire and Rouge? ――The answer is no.
It’s probably because they encountered monsters while being inferior in numbers.
In that case, it’ll be necessary to send a lot more subordinates out of the Domain next time. Even if a hundred humans resist, their will to fight will break…if they are surrounded by a thousand subordinates.
What I need to do to be able to send more subordinates out of my Domain ― is to increase my bloodkin.
I can only increase the number of bloodkin by two per day. For each additional bloodkin, the number of subordinates capable of leaving the Domain will grow by ten. However, if I create two bloodkin everyday, my CP will run dry from just that. In that case, it’s probably realistic to go with one bloodkin per day. It’ll increase the number of subordinates that can leave the Domain by a hundred in ten days, and by a thousand in a hundred days, huh…? Since bloodkin can also raise their LP by growing…they’ll be able to take more subordinates outside, but the road ahead is long.
I want to have Akira improve our gear, by making her use smithing, and there’s also the reward (Random Creation) for Yataro who commands my defenses.
I suppose in the end I’m still troubled with CP…no matter how much I expand my Domain…
As I rack my brain, considering my future prospects…
――!?
The black vortex in front of me brightens up, and then vanishes alongside a convergence of its light. A silver-shining orb ― a 【True Core】 has appeared in place of the black vortex
『Reign finished』
That simple sentence is displayed on the screen of my smartphone.
Chapter 135 – Reign Conclusion
The fruits of having 《Reign》 lead to success this time are ― a domain of approximately 28 km² and an increase of 100 for my maximum CP and DP. And ―― 89 『Residents』.
『Residents』 are the humans who submitted.
It’d also be fine to call them subordinates, but…I deliberately refer to them as 『Residents』.
The reason being――
『
Demon King Shion’s Domain
Sectors: 91
DP: 10000 /10300
Domain Size: 582 km²
Population: 89
Floors: 14
Special Effects: none
』
Population, which had always stayed at zero, had a change in its value this time around.
“Kanon, what’s the difference between subordinates and 『Residents』?” (Shion)
“『Residents』…? Umm, what’s that?” (Kanon)
“The submissive humans.” (Shion)
“Eh? Those are different from subordinates?” (Kanon)
“I’m asking you because that part is unclear, no?” (Shion)
“Please wait a moment, okay…? Umm, it looks like it’s impossible to give individual orders to 『Residents』. What you call 『Residents』 are officially labeled as 『Citizens』…umm…it seems that you can send them out if you give all of them some uniform order, I think.” 1
Uniform order…? Is it okay to perceive that as something like a constitution with a legal force of a 100%?
――『Citizens』, I order you. First, you’re forbidden to fight against your fellow allies. Second, you’re forbidden to disclose any information to the outside. Third, you’re forbidden to kill yourself. Fourth, you are to consider my orders as absolute.
Around this much should be fine for starters? I’ll come up with detailed rules in the future.
I thought that they’d be treated like subordinates once I imposed the last rule, but…there was a single, huge difference.
I can order my subordinates by just thinking about it, and I can watch their point of view through my smartphone. However, I can’t contact 『Residents』 individually by thinking. Even if I give them an order, it’s necessary for me to tell each individual directly.
Even though they are already such a pain just due to being humans, their usability is worse than that of subordinates…?
Once I’m fed up with the unforeseen specifications of 『Residents』…
――!
A big electric bike is closing in from a distance.
Takaharu in front, gripping the handlebars, and Sarah sits behind him while smiling happily.
“…Oi, what’s that?”
I ask Takaharu, who has stopped in front of me.
“A bike, y’know?” (Takaharu)
“I can see as much. I’m asking you about the how.”
“I picked it up.” (Takaharu)
“Took it would be, like, more accurate though?” (Sarah)
Takaharu and Sarah answer without any reservations.
“Damn woman, stop doin’ whatever ya like…”
I reflexively sigh due to their attitude, but…
――!
Wait a sec…?
“That bike…works?”
“I rode it all da way here, y’see?”
In the beginning, when I became a Demon King…everything in my Domain except for my own room had changed into objects. And once I turned my Domain into a dungeon type, all of it vanished.
――However, the bike, which existed in the domain I gained through 《Reign》, is working normally…
When Akira surrendered, the items in her Domain vanished.
――However, this time nothing has vanished from the area encompassed by 《Reign》…
What I can deduct from these two phenomena is…!
“Takaharu, let me on that bike, and hurry back to the humans who have submitted!” (Shion)
“Huh? Shion, ya wanna feel da wind ‘s well――”
“Listen, just hurry!”
“Yer da boss.”
I get on the bike in the back, and we head northeast.
And then, once we arrive at the school which Takaharu and Sarah had put under their control…I draw close to one of the humans who stayed behind.
“Hey! Car! Do you have a car!?”
“Y-Yes…! I-I do!”
“Lead me there!”
“O-Okay!”
After being guided by the human, I get in the small, four-seat electric car.
“Keys!”
“Y-Yes!”
I take the keys from the human, start the engine, and press the start button. The electric car’s engine runs quietly, giving off faint vibrations.
“It moves, huh…?”
I smile at the unexpected harvest of 《Reign》.
“Next… Do you have a PC in the school?”
“Y-Yes.”
“Lead me there.”
Afterwards I discover more than thirty PCs in one of the school’s rooms. I confirm that all of them work. In addition, I confirm that it’s possible to use the electric appliances such as TVs in the gymnasium, which had been used as a cohabitation space.
What will happen…if I use Domain Creation in this sector? All these things will very likely disappear.
But, what if I can transport them over to an existing sector…?
Item Creation is convenient, but I can’t alchemize machines.
The modern devices provided to a Demon King are ― only the smartphone and a refrigerator.
Fire can be lit with magic, or a lighter stolen from humans. Water can be drawn from created rivers. The spaces created with Domain Creation are overflowing with greenery, and are more than sufficient if it’s only about surviving, but…
――All subordinates and 『Citizens』, I order you! Carry all the goods in the new sector to the 90th sector!
I give an order to my subordinates in order to create an improved sector.
◆
Six hours later.
In the end, I obtained more than 20 bikes and cars, more than 100 PCs, countless consumer electronics such as rice cookers and washing machines, miscellaneous goods for living, and food.
After confirming that everything has been transported over, I change the 《Reign》 sector ― the 91st sector, into a dungeon type, with Domain Creation, and just as expected, all human objects that were left behind vanish.
Domain Creation can only be done by the Demon King. However, the remodeling of a sector’s interior, such as building huts and plowing fields, can be done by anyone.
Another possibility would be to activate 《Reign》 in an area with large trucks and construction machinery… Moreover, if I activate 《Reign》 in an area with a large bike shop, it’d become possible to form a bike unit that excels at mobility.
Moving during the day feels like a huge drag for me, but if I were to move in a camping van…I’d be relieved from my daytime lethargy, no?
For the meantime, it might be okay to create houses with Domain Creation, but if the number of 『Residents』 keeps growing, the CP costs won’t be anything to sneeze at either. There’s also the option to have the 『Residents』 build the houses, though.
Nation building, eh…? Currently I don’t possess either the knowledge or the technology to build cars. Even if I can use consumer electronics, I can’t build them. It’s fine to gather necessary machines and parts by repeatedly enacting 《Reign》, but if possible, I’d like to get a production system in place.
While looking at the large number of modern devices, and the newly acquired 『Residents』, I indulge in an vague dream of nation building.
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