The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 110

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

Chapter 110   Late night commotion

“Ah, it’s great to have met such wonderful people.”

Exhaling deeply, I perched on a nearby box and let out a sigh.

Well, I didn’t really think that… it’s not like I completely think they’re good people. But I believe they’re not the kind of ‘good people’ with pure intentions, like saints without any ulterior motives.

To put it more accurately, I believe it’s precisely because there were some ulterior motives… no, ill intentions, that they guided us here.

“Lord Vesnar.”

Naturally, Sophia noticed, given their peculiar behavior earlier. It seemed she understood that something was amiss, as she called my name with a slightly stiffer tone than usual.

“I know. …About this village, or well, whether it’s a village or those two, something is definitely off.”

It’s probably not entirely wrong to feel that the overall atmosphere of the village was somber. And I think it’s related to the strange behavior of those two.

“The man seems to have a mix of wariness, guilt, and malice.”

“Regarding the woman earlier, Martha—I presume she’s the lady of the house, she didn’t seem very welcoming, did she?”

“But I don’t sense any animosity or such towards us. That’s how I feel.”

It wasn’t that they disliked us. Rather, it felt like they were concerned for us. They had been living in this town, a crucible of malice. I have confidence in my ability to discern ill intentions.

“Yes, it felt like they were concerned for us. Perhaps their concern for us has led to a desire for us to leave. Is that the case?”

“It sounds like a hassle just to ask.”

Sofia seemed to feel the same way as I did, understanding Martha’s feelings. But at this point, we could only ascertain that it was a bothersome situation.

“If we consider the possibilities, there might be some looming crisis in this village or this household. And it’s likely a long-term issue, not a short-term one.”

“In that case, it’s unlikely to be a natural occurrence. It might be someone or something with a certain level of intelligence, be it a monster or a person, taking action. Should we consider that?”

If it were a short-term obstacle, the atmosphere wouldn’t be like this. If it were a one-time, momentary event, all they needed to do was evacuate somewhere. It might be argued that easy evacuation wasn’t possible, but even then, this atmosphere was still strange. We should think about whether to flee or not, and if we choose to flee, how to go about it.

However, in this village, there didn’t seem to be any effort to address something.

In that case, it indicated a situation where it wasn’t a one-time event, and they couldn’t take precautions. Moreover, judging from the behavior, it wasn’t a natural phenomenon that might or might not occur, it seemed they were certain it would come.

So, the only possibility was that some entity with a deliberate intention was meddling in this situation.

“If it were just a monster attack, they would strike once and it would be over. The fact that the villagers remain even with a sense of crisis implies that they are deliberately left behind, like sacrificial pawns.”

“Well, logically thinking, it could be bandits or a ritual sacrifice.”

If we think along those lines, we can also understand Scott’s mixed feelings of guilt and malice. He’s trying to save himself at the cost of sacrificing us, but if possible, he doesn’t want to kill us, involve us that’s likely what’s going on.

Now then, we’ve made some educated guesses up to this point, but how should we proceed?

──◆◇◆◇──

Late at night, in a moonless darkness amplified by the rain, I creaked open the front door, making a distinctive sound.

Stepping out into the rain, I walked towards the warehouse where I had led the child and woman who had arrived today. Each step felt heavy. It was only natural—I, too, didn’t think this was the right thing to do.

“Are you really going to do something like this?”

As I reached the front of the warehouse and reached for the door, a familiar voice reached me from behind. The voice seemed to reproach me in some way, and I knew it was indeed reproaching me.

Still, I had no intention of stopping. There was no choice but to do it. If I didn’t, it might be us next.

I didn’t want to do it either. Something like that to a child. But…

“Be quiet. What will you do if they wake up?”

Without turning around, I took a deep breath and gripped the hatchet I had in my hand, checking it with a firm squeeze.

The rain would mask any minor sounds, but human voices have a way of being surprisingly audible. If they heard that, our plan would be ruined.

“However…”

“Enough. This is the only way for us to survive.”

That’s right. There was no other way. This was the only way, the only way for us to survive.

“They seemed to have money, those two. One of them was clearly dressed as a servant. Probably the son of some wealthy person. So, if we hand them over, they’ll likely be satisfied and leave this village.”

This village is targeted by bandits, and not just once, but repeatedly. They come periodically, taking food and anything valuable.

However, even if the valuable items are taken at first, there’s nothing left later. Yet, they keep coming here. If there’s nothing valuable, they punish by killing a villager and abducting a woman.

We resisted. At first, we managed to kill a few, but the number of bandits was greater than we expected. When reinforcements arrived with bows from a distance, we were helpless. We were simply slaughtered.

We considered fleeing. But for some reason, even if we escaped from this village, a few days later the bandits would come with the escaped person’s head. And they said, “We’ll kill anyone who tries to escape.”

So, we couldn’t flee or fight, and we’ve lived like livestock, fearing the next time the bandits would come to this village.

“…Do you really think that will work?”

“It has to. If not, all that’s left is for us to die.”

But this time is different. If we hand over those children, they should consider it as something valuable. Then, no one in the village would die, no one would be abducted.

Even if it’s just a temporary solution. Even so, if we wait, something might change someday. That’s why I have to survive for as long as possible, even if just one more day.

“However, unrelated people… especially children like them.”

“Enough. I’d rather have a hundred unrelated kids live than see you die.”

──◆◇◆◇──

“What do we do about this conversation happening outside?”

I woke up upon sensing the presence and malice of people from outside the warehouse, so I used my passive skill to gather information from the surrounding plants. Outside the warehouse, Scott and Martha were talking earnestly.

When I conveyed what I learned from the outside conversation, Sofia nodded as if it was within her expectations.

“So, it’s indeed the bandits. Given how tidy it was considering it’s supposedly ravaged by monsters.”

“Yeah. If it were a monster attack, no matter how intelligent the monster is, there should be more noticeable signs of destruction.”

The atmosphere in this village is gloomy, but the village itself didn’t seem to have much damage. Of course, I couldn’t see minor wounds due to the rain affecting visibility, but that implies there weren’t significant signs of a monster attack.

“Now, what should we do?”

To be honest, I do feel a bit sorry for them, but at the same time, I don’t really care. It’s not that I don’t have the desire to help, but I also find it bothersome.

If I lend a hand, dealing with the bandits should be a breeze, probably without any issues.

However, I can’t help but think, is it okay to get involved directly without suffering direct harm? If I had faced the bandits and found them to be unpleasant individuals, I might have helped, but as of now, I haven’t met the bandits raiding this place. In this situation, I can’t simply think “let’s kill them” after just hearing their side of the story.

I believe those with power should wield it with determination, not swayed by their surroundings. Hence, I hesitate to lend a hand with such ambiguous feelings.

“What about you, Sofia? Do you think we should help?”

So, I decided to ask Sofia.

You might think that asking Sofia for her opinion means it’s not really my decision. However, that’s not the case. I’ll listen to Sofia’s opinion, use it as a reference, and ultimately make the decision myself.

“I suppose either is fine. There aren’t any particular benefits to helping, and if we prioritize moving forward, it wouldn’t matter to just ignore them, right?”

“I see.”

“But…”

“Hmm?”

“I think helping would be pretty cool.”

“I see…”

Cool, huh… I see. Well, can’t be helped.

“Well, yeah. While I do plan to pay, we did barge in and seek shelter suddenly in the rain. It’s okay to lend a hand a bit.”

“Understood.”

Sofia nodded with a smile at my words, and I returned a faint smile.

“Now that it’s settled, I’d like to hear your story.”

“Hey.”

“Quiet. I’ll do it. Otherwise… huh?”

The slightly roughly opened door revealed Scott, and further, Martha was visible.

Considering the flow of the previous conversation, Martha was probably trying to stop Scott, but she couldn’t stop him to forcefully capture us.

“Ah, I somewhat understand your situation, and we’re willing to cooperate, so please stay quiet if possible. How about it?”

It seemed unexpected for them that we were awake. Scott had a surprised expression as he looked at us, but Martha seemed to understand the situation faster and had a relieved expression.

“You… you woke them up.”

However, this state of affairs didn’t last forever. Scott, regaining awareness, turned around and shouted at Martha without flinching.

However, without being intimidated by Scott’s state, Martha shook her head and then spoke up.

“It’s fine, really.”

“No, it’s not! Dammit! If it’s come to this, then I’ll…”

Scott, seemingly desperate, believed there was no other way. He brandished the hatchet he had, intending to forcefully capture us.

However…

“Please stay still.”

“What!?”

The hatchet, poised in an upper stance with just his right hand, was effortlessly caught with one hand by Sofia before it could be swung down. Scott’s neck was seized by the hand opposite to the one stopping the hatchet.

Well, I don’t know if he didn’t intend to kill or wasn’t prepared for it, but there was hesitation, hence the rather sloppy swing just now. If that’s the case, Sofia can easily catch it.

“We just want to hear what you have to say. Depending on the situation, we might cooperate, so be cooperative. Understand?”

“W-What’s happening…”

It’s understandable to be confused in a situation where the opponent who was about to attack is suddenly stopped and their neck is being held, but if they continue to struggle, I won’t hold back.

Just a short while ago, I considered helping them, but that was based on the situation where we hadn’t suffered any harm. I can understand Scott and their group’s circumstances and sympathize, but that’s a different matter. The fact remains that they attacked us.

While they might not have intended to kill, they still posed a threat. I think it’s already generous to keep such an individual alive, listen to their story, and consider helping them.

“Please respond with a ‘yes’ or ‘no.'”

“Ugh…”

“Understood. I’ll tell you everything. So, please, about that person…”

“Martha!”

Scott tried to turn around and shout after Martha mentioned talking, but being in a situation where Sofia had a hold of his neck, he couldn’t do so.

“Wait! …I’m… even in this state, I’m still the village chief. Let me speak.”

Martha was about to speak, but before she could say anything, Scott shouted.

Personally, I don’t care who explains, but well, since he said he would speak, let’s have him do it.