The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 121

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

Chapter 121   A wizard girl who can’t use magic

“What’s the reason for being here?”

“W-well, for a school assignment… We were tasked with hunting the Fang Dogs in this forest and bringing back their fangs for our academy assignment… I’m always at the bottom, you see.”

In other words, it’s one of those where you get extra credit for completing the task.

But this seems too much for her. I don’t know what her natural talent is, but I don’t think she’s suited for combat in the first place.

“However, you should have some fighting ability or at least the potential for it. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be assigned combat-related coursework.”

Sofia mentioned, looking doubtful, and she has a point. Even if her main occupation is a farmer and a secondary one is a blacksmith, in general society, she would likely be deemed unfit for combat. I wonder why they’d assign combat-related tasks to someone like that.

“W-well, it’s true that I’m a ‘Fire Mage,’ but that’s my secondary occupation. M-my main occupation is a ‘Librarian,’ so I can’t fight…”

However, contrary to our thoughts, this girl seems to firmly possess a combat-related occupation.

Well, if that’s the case, it’s fine, but…

“Was it okay to reveal that?”

Not only the main occupation but especially the secondary one is something usually kept hidden. Revealing it without hesitation seems to lack a sense of caution.

“Whether I say it or not, it won’t change.”

It’s not like things won’t change, but… if she’s fine with it, then it’s fine.

“By the way, what rank are your ‘Librarian’ and ‘Fire Mage’?”

She shared her main occupation, so I thought I’d ask if she’d share the rank too—well, I didn’t expect her to share that much. I asked casually, thinking she probably wouldn’t reveal the rank.

“My ‘Fire Mage’ is still at the first rank, and the ‘Librarian’ is at the fifth rank.”

Exceeding my expectations not only in revealing the rank so readily but also surprising me in another way.

“Fifth rank? At that age?”

In my case, I was considered crazy, training while fainting. That’s how I managed to reach the fifth rank in my current occupation as a ‘Farmer,’ but ordinarily, it should take several decades to reach that level.

“Yes. Um, I’ve loved books since I was a child, and it seems I unconsciously used skills even before my vocation was determined. Because of that, I occasionally collapsed, worrying my parents that I was a frail child.”

“I see.”

So she ended up in a similar state unintentionally, just like me.

While appraisals for vocations are typically done at the age of ten, it doesn’t mean vocations aren’t fixed until then. Since it’s predetermined from birth, there might be cases where you unconsciously use skills without being aware of your vocation.

Normally, at the age of ten during the vocation appraisal, you become aware of your vocation for the first time, understanding how to use your skills accordingly. But in her case, she was doing it without knowing.

Well, if her vocation is a ‘Librarian,’ I can understand. Unlike magic, it doesn’t require specific spells.

The skills up to the fifth rank for a Librarian were, if I remember correctly, speed reading, imitation, memory, and paper creation. And… oh, was it storage? No, restoration? Well, it was a skill set of that kind. Following that, there were skills like duplication and deciphering, if I recall correctly.

Anyway, leaving that aside…

“So, what are you going to do?”

“Huh? What do you mean…”

Seems like the girl didn’t understand the meaning of my words and looked puzzled. But she must have come here with a purpose. Maybe she’s still a bit absentminded due to the relief from the tense situation.

“No, you came here to defeat the Fang Dogs, right? From what I can see, if you leave it as it is, you’re likely to die. Are you planning to continue the hunt?”

Upon hearing my words, after a few seconds, perhaps recalling the situation, her face turned pale, and she trembled.

“W-what should I do?”

Finally finding her voice, it was quite a pitiful sight.

Seeing her like this, I took out the knife I had and approached the dead Fang Dog lying there.

“Was it just the fangs that were needed?”

“Huh?”

Ignoring the girl who didn’t seem to grasp the meaning of my words, I cut off the tail from the Fang Dog’s corpse, the proof of the hunt, and picked it up. Then, I broke a fang and held it up in front of the girl.

“Depending on the quantity, one or two is negotiable. It’s not a particularly challenging opponent to defeat, and they’re not exactly necessary.”

There are five here at the moment. Including those I’ve hunted before, it adds up to about sixteen. It would fetch some money if sold, but it’s not a significant amount, so giving away one or two is not a problem. Besides, I’ve already spotted another group.

Speaking of which, would it have been better to have a carriage for this kind of hunt request? The collected fangs and tails are starting to get in the way.

“N-No, I can’t possibly accept that! You’ve already helped me, and I can’t…”

“Even so, if I leave you here, you’ll die.”

It’s not like it matters if she dies or not, but I don’t really wish for her to die just like that. It’s a bit unsettling if someone I got involved with dies so soon.

“Wouldn’t it be better for you to accept it? If you feel indebted, you can return the favor when you succeed someday.”

Sofia spoke to support my offer. Due to her circumstances, she seemed hesitant, but in the end, she reached out for the fang I was holding out.

“Well, then, just one.”

Saying this, she took the severed fang from me, but…

“Ugh…”

Perhaps because she knew it was alive just a moment ago, or maybe because it was still slimy and moist from saliva… Either way, the girl made a face of disgust while attempting to conceal it. Probably, she’s trying not to show her dislike after accepting it.

And right at that moment, I realized that the group I had been eyeing to defeat next was heading in our direction.

“They’ve come due to the smell of blood.”

There are four of them. They’ve come at just the right time. With this, I have the required number for the subjugation.

“Watch out!”

As I’m thinking this, the Fang Dogs come charging towards me.

The girl shouted as she saw us frozen in place, but at this level, there’s no issue.

For a moment, I send a signal to Sofia with a glance, and she nods and springs into action. At the same time, I also start running towards the beasts.

I handle the one on the right among the first two that leaped at me, and Sofia deals with the one on the left. I dodge the sharp fangs lunging at me, grab its neck with my hand, and activate my skill. This causes the part I touch to rot, turning into a mushy fertilizer. I then proceed to deal with the Fang Dog that followed suit.

After dealing with the two, I turn my gaze towards Sofia. Unlike me, she’s more agile and efficiently dispatching the two beasts.

A knife, huh? It’s easier, so maybe I should have used the skill too. No one would see the skill, it would tidy up neatly, and most importantly, it wouldn’t stink. I’ll be more careful about it next time.

“Amazing…”

After defeating the four Fang Dogs, we confirm each other’s injuries, even though we know we’re unharmed. Then, as usual, I have Sofia perform purification on my both hands.

…As expected, relying on her for this every time is too much, and I should kill more cleanly.

“Ah, th-that was amazing!”

“Hmm. Well, that was just a minor skirmish.”

“Um, why are you so strong?”

The girl looked up at us with shining eyes. Even if I were to explain it’s because of training, that’s probably not what she wants to know.

“Is it okay to ask what kind of training you do regularly, like, for your skills?”

“What kind of training for skills? Well, it’s simple. I use the skill until I collapse. That’s it.”

“…Eh?”

The moment the girl heard my words, she froze as if she had heard something she shouldn’t have, displaying a dumbfounded expression.

Yeah, well, that’s probably how it would be. Because it’s clearly insane. Anyone who has collapsed from overusing skills at least once would understand the abnormality well. To put it in perspective, it’s like enduring excruciating poison every day to build up resistance to it. It’s enough to question one’s sanity.

“Y-you mean… using the skill continuously beyond the usage limit?”

“Yeah. I’ve been doing that since my job was determined. It’s been about four years now.”

Since I learned the skill up until today, well, there were times when I didn’t push to the limit occasionally, but basically, I spent almost every day fainting. Lately, when going to sleep at night, I faint by using the skill to the limit. It’s not exactly sleeping, as Sofia once complained, but it’s a trivial matter. In the end, maybe even Sofia understood, as she stopped saying anything. She might have just given up on me, or perhaps she got used to it.

“But, when you use the skill to the limit, you feel sick and get a headache, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right. What about it?”

“What do you mean…”

The girl once again looked perplexed at my words.

Seeing the girl like that, Sofia let out a light sigh and spoke.

“It would be best not to take this abnormal person as a reference.”

“What do you mean by ‘abnormal’? I simply did it because I wanted to.”

“That, in itself, is abnormal.”

Abnormal? How harsh. Recently, you’ve been doing something similar too.

I’m just working hard for my goal, and I think striving for a goal is a very human thing to do. Setting a goal and making an effort towards it—both are something only humans can do.

So, even if it’s tough, I’m a very human person for working hard toward my goal. It’s not entirely inaccurate to call me an exemplary human being.

Therefore, I’m not crazy. If I feel like I’m insane, it’s just that the people around me aren’t trying hard enough. They lack the determination. If they try harder, people like me will become the norm.

So, in conclusion, I’m not crazy.

“…Wasn’t it difficult at all?”

“No, wasn’t it tough? Feeling discomfort crawling all over your body almost every day, or pain that never lets you get used to it. If I had a choice, I would never want to experience this kind of pain throughout my life.”

Moreover, this pain never becomes something you get accustomed to. If it were just getting cut or beaten up normally, you’d get used to it after experiencing it a few times. But this is a pain that never changes from the initial agony no matter how many times you go through it.

If there’s someone doing this kind of thing every day, well, that’s abnormal, isn’t it? Isn’t their mind messed up?

“Then, why…”

“Why, you ask… it’s because I wanted to. Didn’t I say that? I wanted to see my limits. I wanted to know what would happen if I pushed this job to its utmost limit. That’s all.”

Just that. Now, with this power, I can do as I please, I can compete with others. That’s what I think now. But the initial desire was just that. I simply wanted to know what I could achieve by raising my rank. Just that.

However, even after explaining this, the girl looks at me as if she’s seeing something she can’t comprehend.

…Well, normally, this wouldn’t be understood, and I’m not seeking understanding from her.

“Even wishes that might seem insignificant to others, or one could call them crazy, are important to me. I endure the pain and train to fulfill my wishes for myself. That’s all.”

So, even if these feelings aren’t understood by anyone, I’ll continue to hone my skill, even if it means collapsing.

In the end, it’s just self-satisfaction. If it’s good for me, then it’s enough. So, no matter what anyone says or thinks, I won’t stop.

With that determination in mind, I looked at the girl, and when she heard my words, she frowned and lowered her head.

“I can’t do it…”

“Well, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. I don’t intend to force anyone.”

It’s not like I’m telling her to do this or that. I just answered because I was asked.

Or rather, why am I even talking about this? Ah, I was asked about training methods for skills, right?

“But, you probably won’t become strong without going through something like that.”

After saving and providing proof of subjugation, and since there’s no need to worry about her anymore, I thought about hunting the last one and heading back. While thinking that, the girl muttered with her head down.

“I wonder if that’s necessary to become strong…”

I’m not sure if that somewhat despondent mutter was directed at us, but since I heard it, I thought it might be better to give some kind of response.

“What do you think? … But if you have a mage-related job, even as a sub-job, wouldn’t you have a reasonable level of strength?”

“I… I’m slow to understand…”

Slow to understand… well, that’s how it seems. I don’t think she’s the type to be an honors student, no matter what.

“Well, it does seem like you can’t engage in close combat, doesn’t it? But perhaps you could fight reasonably by casting magic from a distance, right?”

Already intent on distancing myself, I answered rather casually while checking if there were any enemies in the vicinity.

However…

“To begin with, I can’t use magic.”

With that single statement, my thoughts refocused on the girl’s words.

What do you mean by not being able to use magic?