The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 124

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

Chapter 124   Girl’s determination

“Is this…?”

“This is a magic circle. If you combine ‘Copy’ and ‘Paper Generation,’ can’t you just create a paper with the magic circle drawn on it from the beginning?”

Yes. If she can create a paper with a drawing from the beginning, then there’s no need to go through the process of creating paper and then drawing the magic circle each time.

“N-No, that’s impossible!”

“But you just did it.”

“Huh? I did it…?”

“That paper. If you can produce a paper with a drawing from the beginning, it’s the same for a magic circle, right? When there’s no magic flowing, it’s not a ‘magic circle,’ it’s just a ‘drawing.'”

While she might be considering the magic circle and the cat drawing as separate entities, to me, they’re the same. A magic circle is not something special; it’s just a drawing.

“But if there’s no magic infused into it…”

Ah, there’s that issue. Well then, why not infuse magic into the paper when you create it in the first place? She mentioned it’s easier to draw, so perhaps the paper she made earlier has an affinity with her magic, as I thought earlier. Probably.

So it should work, it should. If she put some effort into it, it should work out somehow.

“Put your spirit into it.”

“…Alright.”

She let out a somewhat exasperated sound at my words, but since I can’t use magic, I can only tell her to do her best with determination.

“I understand I’m asking the impossible. But if you can do this, you won’t be a straggler anymore. There’s no assignment or extra lessons here. No more bullying. If you strive here, you might be able to change your life. Are you okay with not putting in effort even then?”

Bullying happens when they know you won’t fight back. If she can create magic circles using this method and learn to use magic, she might not be bullied anymore.

Even if she opposes now, things might get more intense, but if she doesn’t act here, nothing will change.

We’re cooperating in this research precisely because we’re here now, but once we leave this place, we’re strangers. We won’t extend a helping hand. So, if we don’t act here, nothing will change.

Thinking this way, I observed what to do next. The girl clenched her fists and trembled, ready to present the paper.

And without saying anything, she extended both hands forward and began creating the paper using her skill.

A small light floated between her outstretched hands, but this time the transformation seemed a bit slower compared to before. It probably wasn’t my imagination.

However, as I silently watched, the light stabilized, and after it flickered out, a piece of paper remained.

“So, did it work…?”

The girl murmured in astonishment as she looked at the paper that had appeared on her hand.

I leaned over to look at the paper on her hand, and there was a magic circle drawn on it.

“Looks good. Now it’s just a matter of whether it can actually be used…”

“I-I’ll try it!”

She must be nervous about whether she can really use it.

Her hand holding the paper trembled, and she took several deep breaths.

And perhaps gathering her resolve, after taking an especially deep breath, she began to speak—

“Oh, ‘Gather, Flames—Fire!'”

Just like before, flames were emitted from the paper.

After the flames vanished, a silence fell where nobody said a word, not even the one who used the magic. They remained frozen in the posture of extending their hand without a word or a twitch.

“Congratulations. With this, you can use magic anytime now. Well, you’ll need to practice more and shorten the time it takes to create the paper before it’s practical for real battles. But for now, it’s a good start, isn’t it?”

Clapping my hands, I encouraged the girl, and following my applause, Sofia also joined in.

“So, it worked…?”

The girl, startled by the sound, looked back towards us with awkward movements and asked in a trembling voice.

“Yeah, it worked. You’re a real mage.”

As I said this, the girl sat down on the spot, as if her strength had left her, and stared at the palm of her hand.

Turning my face towards Sofia and inquiring with just a look of ‘what should we do,’ Sofia shook her head. This probably meant we should leave her be.

Well, she must have a lot to think about, so I shrugged lightly and, following Sofia’s instructions, decided to leave the girl alone.

“But well, there’s this. If we can use this method, and if remote control is possible…”

“Wouldn’t it become quite a dangerous ability?”

“Do you think so?”

Although we came up with a new way to use magic this time, it seems to have turned into quite a dangerous technique, and Sofia seems to think so too.

As for what makes it dangerous…

“Yes. If you scatter papers with magic circles on the floor, it becomes an instant trap.”

Yes. Currently, it takes time to create a piece of paper with a magic circle drawn on it, but imagine being able to create it in an instant. Scatter these papers with magic circles on the floor, and let’s say someone steps on them. The moment they step on the paper, they trigger the flame-throwing trap by using magic.

Whether it’s outdoors or indoors, nobody would be cautious just because there are papers lying around. In fact, they might even pick them up.

“If rolling or folding the paper has an effect, it can be thrown far away, or discreetly hidden… This is dangerous.”

Rolled-up paper just looks like trash. Even if it flies towards someone, they wouldn’t be wary, and it could be slipped into documents, or folded papers could be discreetly placed in someone’s belongings.

“But well, you can use magic with this now—huh?”

I feel like I’ve developed something quite substantial out of curiosity, but anyway, I don’t even know the name of this girl, and I probably won’t have any future relationship with her. No need to worry. It’s all about how you use it. It can turn into something good or bad depending on the user, so even if something happens, it’s not my fault.

Thinking like that—or rather, giving up on thinking, I turned to the girl. However, upon seeing the scene where I turned, I was taken aback.

“Huh? W-Why are you crying?”

“Huh?”

In the direction I turned, the girl was still sitting and crying. However, she probably wasn’t aware of it. She just responded to my words with a bewildered voice.

The girl placed her hands on her eyes to confirm that they were wet, and upon realizing that she was indeed shedding tears, she began wiping them away with both hands. Yet, the tears wouldn’t stop.

“Why… this isn’t how it’s supposed to be.”

“It’s okay. I understand.”

Even as the girl continued to wipe her tears, unable to stop them, Sofia approached her, squatting down to meet her eyes and spoke with a smile.

“You’re happy, aren’t you? Because the pain you felt all this time was in proportion to the expectations you had.”

It might not be the conventional or orthodox way, but still, she was happy to be able to use magic, understandable in its own right.

But is it really something to be so overwhelmingly happy about that it brings tears?

“I understand being happy about being able to use magic, but to this extent?”

I asked, unable to grasp that particular feeling, but Sofhia turned to me and nodded slowly.

“Yes, to this extent. From your perspective, it might be a trivial matter, perhaps just for your own curiosity. But by seeing that, hearing those words, there are people who find salvation. And for others, it could be a reason to stake their lives on.”

Sofia’s eyes held a seriousness that I had seen before, like the time she told me about her past.

“Expectations are poison. The ones expecting might do so lightly, but for the ones who bear those expectations, it becomes a burden that gradually eats away at their hearts. Some people can turn that into strength, but not everyone is so strong. Moreover, if you can’t produce any results no matter how hard you try, it becomes even more painful.”

Expectations are poison, huh? That certainly might be true. Expectations, in other words, are pushing someone else’s wishes onto another. It’s nothing but a burden that hinders that person’s life.

While a moderate burden might help in personal growth, someone irresponsibly expecting things from others is indeed poison or a burden, and there’s no doubt about that.

“I too was expected to be someone worthy of our family name. To grow into a woman befitting our lineage. However, I was forsaken. The disparity was as painful as the expectations placed upon me. It felt like my entire sense of worth had vanished.”

In Sofia’s case, being born into a noble family, there were expectations for her to possess talent befitting that lineage.

In this girl’s case, she did possess the talent of a “mage” suitable for a noble, hence the expectations.

However, she couldn’t live up to either of those expectations.

Sofia ended up with a seemingly ungrateful calling.

The girl, on the other hand, obtained the talent of a mage but couldn’t use it.

“That’s why just understanding that I can meet those expectations makes me happy.”

Like Sofia, I, too, was expected to pursue a noble occupation fitting my status, but that was also an expectation.

In the end, I couldn’t fulfill those expectations with the jobs of a “farmer” and a “thief,” but even so, if I could have met those expectations… Well, I can’t help but think about it.

We remained silent and motionless for a while, just waiting for the girl to make a move.

And how much time passed? About ten minutes? After a while, the girl raised her face, wiped her tears, and then slowly stood up. She looked directly at me.

Then, she took a deep breath, lowered her head vigorously, and simultaneously extended the Fang Dog’s fang she had been holding in her hand.

“It originally belonged to both of you, and I received it as a gift once, but I’m returning it to you.”

At the sudden statement, I was surprised and blinked, but immediately decided to inquire about the true meaning behind the words.

“Returning it… What’s the reason?”

“I was taught how to fight by both of you. I was taught that I can do it too. That’s why I want to fulfill the task on my own strength… I’m sorry for discarding your kindness.”

“…No, it’s fine. It can be sold for money, and it’s not a disadvantage for us.”

Moreover, if she’s so determined, I see no reason to stop her.

I received the fang, a part of the Fang Dog that I had handed over once.

“Do your best.”

“Yes! To repay the kindness of both of you, I will do my best and strive to do everything I can! Someday, when I become even stronger, I’ll show you that I can be of help to both of you!”

The girl, in contrast to her subdued state just moments ago, energetically said that and bowed again before running off.

But she’s heading into the forest, not towards the town. Is it alright even though it should be getting dark soon?

…Well, it’s probably fine. She acquired the means to fight after all, and if that’s what she’s decided, we shouldn’t interfere.

“Well then, now that everything’s settled, let’s finish hunting and head back. It’s about time.”

“Yes, you’re right. But…”

As Sofia said this, she looked at the beast tail attached to her waist and then shifted her gaze to the tails I was holding.

“I guess we might need a carriage after all.”

…Yeah.