The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 104

The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I’m a “Farmer”, Not a Demon King! ~

Chapter 104   Dragons are a staple of another world

“Well then, if we continue towards the capital as planned, and if everything goes smoothly, it’ll take about two weeks.”

“Is that so?”

We’ve distanced ourselves from the city of Karakas, but it’s still a relatively remote place. It’ll take quite some time to reach the royal capital.

While nodding in understanding, Sofia continued with a wry smile, “Even this is considered relatively fast. My family’s estate isn’t exactly in the remote borderlands, but it’s still quite far from the capital. It took about a month just to get there.”

“A month? That’s quite a journey.”

“Yes. The roads aren’t paved like in the city, and they aren’t straight either. Plus, we must be prepared for potential attacks. Since we’re nobility, we can’t rush and march aggressively. That’s one of the reasons. Due to all these factors, it takes time. Distant nobility typically reside in secondary residences in the capital, given these circumstances.”

“I see. Well, if the journey takes months, it’s understandable.”

Ah, considering the distance from this town, even two weeks would amount to about three weeks in total, given the distance from Karakas. So, it’s not that exaggerated for it to take a month.

“Some high-ranking nobles own wyverns and can travel using them. However, it seems they are rarely used for routine travel, as usually only one to three people can ride at most, and it’s primarily for emergencies.”

“Wyverns, huh? Never seen one.”

I know they exist, and I’m aware some people keep them as pets, but unfortunately, obtaining a wyvern isn’t as simple as paying money.

To cultivate a ferocious creature like a wyvern among magical beings, one must possess a vocation related to subjugation or dominion, such as a “trainer.” However, vocations that control other organisms are rare. Because they are rare, there is little recorded about what skills can be acquired, or perhaps one could say what skills are attainable.

Moreover, a trainer’s vocation being rare means that the skills of the first and second tiers are generally not very useful. They seem to involve skills that discern the preferences and states of targets of a certain size or smaller. On the third tier, it appears that one can establish a connection with the target’s mind, which might eventually lead to compliance, but there doesn’t seem to be a skill that directly enforces obedience.

When mentioning “a certain size or smaller,” it essentially means it only works on smaller entities. Tiers one to three are for small entities, tiers four to six for medium-sized, and from the seventh tier onwards, it’s for larger entities. However, this judgment is based on fragmented information, so it might be incorrect. Additionally, when mentioning “small” or “large,” it refers not to size but to the level of ‘class.’

Well, the actual details don’t matter much. After all, I’m not a “trainer.”

Furthermore, there may be hidden uses or methods not documented in literature, so seriously contemplating it probably won’t be of much use. If there’s a need for thought, it’s better to think about it when the time comes.

So, what was I talking about again? Ah, yes, how to raise a wyvern. Besides training through skills, you can manage somehow by raising them from the egg stage once you bring them back, but retrieving the eggs is quite a perilous task. Hence, very few, if any, actually go for egg retrieval, and in the first place, the supply is insufficient. It’s natural since, from the perspective of wyvern, having their young abducted is a given.

Due to these reasons, we didn’t have a wyvern at our place, and I’ve never even seen anyone using one. In fact, I’ve never even seen a wild one.

“I haven’t either. Well, though if you have the chance to see one, I think most ordinary people would be dead, so I’m not sure if having the chance to see one is lucky or not.”

“That’s true. Usually, encountering one means death.”

Even adventurers with specialized equipment would probably die if they’re not skilled enough. While wyverns are inferior to dragons, they are still dragon-like creatures. They can’t be weak.

“But someday, I’d like to see a dragon or something.”

After all, since it’s a different world, dragons are a staple.

“I do want to see it, but there’s no point if we can’t survive, so please don’t do anything reckless.”

“I think it’s possible if we touch it. After all, dragons are living beings, so they should fall within the range of the ‘Fertilize’ effect. Also, even if the effect doesn’t work, I believe we could put the seeds in their mouth, eyes, or even through their nostrils.”

Probably, killing it shouldn’t be much of a problem. It’s a common saying that a dragon’s scales are quite tough, but even so, if we throw seeds into its mouth when it’s about to breathe fire or roar, that should be the end of it. Even if not, targeting the spaces between its claws or its anus and spreading the seeds should probably have an effect.

In other words, there is a way to defeat it.

“Even so, please don’t go out of your way to meet it. There’s no guarantee it will definitely work, and it’s still dangerous.”

I think I’ll be fine, but Sofia seems genuinely worried about me and furrows her brows.

…I’ve just recently experienced danger due to overconfidence, so maybe I should not underestimate things. Also, if I were to weigh worrying Sofia against meeting a dragon, the scales would tip toward Sofia. It’s not that I don’t have an interest in dragons, but unless there are unavoidable circumstances, I’ll refrain.

“…Yeah. Well, that’s true. Still, isn’t it a bit odd to go just to kill a dragon that’s simply living? It’s like breaking into someone’s home, killing them, and taking various things. In addition, dismembering the body is quite gruesome.”

“If you say that, adventurers as well, but also characters from fairy tales in general, all become criminals, don’t they?”

“Calling someone a hero for killing many, it’s all about perspective. From the perspective of the one being killed, a hero is just a criminal.”

“That’s… true. It can be said for everything, not just murder. For those on the receiving end, what’s considered right or wrong is just something trivial.”

As we discuss such things and reach a break in the conversation, it falls silent. Shifting my gaze, I absentmindedly look at the scenery along the street. Nevertheless, unlike Karakas, it seems peaceful.

“Anyway, this area seems peaceful, so we don’t need to worry about the roads.”

“That’s true. In that case, I suppose we should worry more about the weather. Besides rain, during this season, getting caught in snow would definitely cause delays.”

“Ah, snow, huh? I haven’t seen much snow in this country. Do you think it will snow?”

“I wonder? Snow is rare in this warm country, and I haven’t seen it that much either. But I think rain is likely at some point during these two weeks.”

“Well, it’s inevitable once in a while over two weeks, I suppose.”

It’s currently winter. Due to the geography, it doesn’t snow much around here, but rain is quite common. And it’s not the dry season right now, so it wouldn’t be strange for it to rain. In fact, it would be more unusual if it didn’t rain for two weeks.

“But rain… just thinking about getting wet is a bit gloomy.”

If it rains after leaving the town, there’s no place to take shelter from the rain. After all, there are no buildings around. You have to keep moving toward your destination, getting wet in the rain.

“If we can reach some place for shelter from the rain, I can use my ‘Purification’ to evaporate the moisture, so please don’t worry.”

“Seriously? That’s impressive. If you can do that, it’ll be less likely to catch a cold even if it rains. It’s not much use if you’re still wet even after taking shelter from the rain, so being able to evaporate water is quite important.”

“Yes. It’s convenient for draining water from dishes and laundry.”

“I see. But isn’t it called ‘Purification’? If so, wouldn’t it be easier to finish not only water draining but also dishwashing and laundry with the skill?”

“That’s true, but perhaps it’s because my tier is still low. In my case, being a secondary occupation might have something to do with it, but with just the skill, the dirt doesn’t completely come off. The best I can do is to remove water and deal with light mud stains.”

“I see… huh?”

While I was nodding in response to Sofia’s explanation, I involuntarily stopped my movement.

“Is something the matter?”

“Well… that over there.”

“Huh?”

I pointed while saying this, and my expression is probably contorted enough that even someone meeting me for the first time could tell.

Sofia, directed by my pointing, probably found what’s ahead just like me. She paused and furrowed her brows.