The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 125

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

Chapter 125   Adventurer Guild Kingdom Headquarters Deputy Head

So, I cut off the tails and fangs that seemed valuable in order to prove the subjugation of the Fang Dogs, and then returned to the Adventurers Guild…

“This, this is…”

Unlike when I came to accept the request, the Adventurers Guild building was now needlessly crowded. I piled up the twenty tails I had hunted today in front of the woman at the reception.

Upon seeing it, the receptionist’s eyes widened in surprise, but shortly after, she furrowed her brows and looked at us suspiciously.

“Are these the ones you hunted today?”

“Yeah, is there a problem?”

“N-No, it’s just that you’re a new member, and yet you’re so quick… I was just thinking that.”

Basically, she’s probably thinking, “Are you doing something dishonest?” but we’re not, and there’s no need to.

As I glared back at the receptionist while exerting a little pressure, the receptionist’s words trailed off and she eventually averted her gaze.

Yeah. I’m glad she acknowledged that we did it.

“I have confidence that we won’t lose to the riffraff around here. Oh, of course, it’s about Sofia’s accomplishment.”

To be honest, I’m not sure if it means anything, but I made sure to emphasize that it was Sofia who defeated them. Just to make it clear. The conditions for promotion are to defeat twenty of them alone, so if we cooperated, it wouldn’t count. This has to be counted as all hunted by Sofia.

Well, as long as we bring the subjugation parts, we can make up whatever story we want.

But even if I lie, they won’t bother investigating it just to confirm. After all, it’s just a D-rank matter, and there won’t be much benefit in lying and getting promoted. If it were A or B rank, they might use someone with a skill to investigate lies, but those are rare. They wouldn’t bother reading into it that much.

“Yes, understood. Congratulations on completing the permanent request. Here is your reward.”

The receptionist may still have doubts, but since we have the subjugation parts, she probably thought it would be better to proceed with the conversation without unnecessary resistance. She handed over the completion reward for the request on the counter.

“Also, may I have Sofia-sama’s guild card? As your rank is going up, we will exchange it for a new one.”

“Of course. Here you go.”

“I’ll take this.”

Sofia handed over the card and collected the coins placed on the counter simultaneously.

But, to be frank, it wasn’t a significant amount. I would make much more by gathering precious plants or defeating large monsters and selling them.

However, this is for the purpose of promotion, so I have to overlook financial details.

While waiting, once the process seemed to be done, a new card was handed to Sofia.

“This is your new card. The basic rules remain the same, with one exception. From this rank onwards, by showing your card at the shops affiliated with the guild, you can receive discounts and services. Although at D rank, it won’t be a significant percentage. Still, as you go up in rank, the deduction rate and the services available to you will change. We recommend using the affiliated shops.”

“Understood.”

Though they say deduction rate, at D rank, it was probably around 1% or at most 5% if I recall correctly. Well, even so, accumulating that over multiple transactions can amount to a considerable sum. It’s probably important for those who wander around at D rank.

“Then, we wish you continued success in your future endeavors.”

Upon hearing those words, we left the Adventurers Guild building.

“Is Sofia at D rank now~? I’m envious~.”

While on our way back to the inn, I looked at Sofia and said that with a hint of sulking. Sofia responded with a wry smile.

“Lord Vesner, you can also achieve it once you clear the age requirement.”

“The age is the issue. It will definitely take a bit more than a year.”

“In that case, all we can do is be patient.”

Although there’s an exception that allows ranking up even if you’re under fifteen, in such cases, you need considerable achievements—like dealing with a horde of monsters alone or defeating monsters that can only be taken down at A or S rank. Achievements significant enough that you’d want to bend the rules to keep them under your belt.

I believe I could defeat them if I encountered them, be it A or S rank. But even if someone like me at F rank claimed to have defeated them, I doubt they’d believe it. Even if I were to defeat them in front of a crowd, it’s highly unlikely to happen in a dangerous situation where everyone is watching.

So, it’s highly unlikely that I’ll rank up through the exception.

“Well, that’s true. For now, let’s prioritize raising Sofia’s rank.”

“Yes, I agree. We should be able to raise it up to about B rank relatively quickly, and afterwards, things should become easier for any other actions.”

Until I turn fifteen—approximately within a year—I have a goal of meeting my mother, but to achieve that, I need to create favorable circumstances first.

A month later, we were steadily completing requests, and we were on the verge of accumulating enough points to advance to B rank.

It might seem slow to take a month, but it’s quite the opposite. In fact, it’s the other way around. It can be considered an incredibly fast pace to go from C rank to B rank within a month, considering there are people who stay at C rank for their entire lives.

And so, today, like every day, we went to the Adventurers Guild.

“Sofia-sama, Lord Vesner. May I have a moment of your time?”

“Yes? What is it?”

“Since we’re not in a suitable location here, please come this way.”

We had come to the Adventurers Guild and were on our way to look at the bulletin board, as usual, to see if there were any appealing requests. However, on our way, one of the guild staff approached us.

Even though it had only been a few minutes since we entered, they were unusually quick to approach. Well, Sofia is wearing her usual maid outfit, so she’s easy to spot.

“What shall we do?”

“We have no choice but to go. Refusing doesn’t seem like a good idea.”

We could refuse, but of course, that wouldn’t leave a good impression with the guild.

Well, requests are a competition. It’s quite important whether you can snatch up the good ones in the morning postings. But if we get taken away like this, we won’t make it to the morning posting in time, so there is a reason to decline.

However, even considering that, it’s still not advantageous to refuse. Even though it’s a competition for requests, it’s just for one day. Rather than causing unnecessary trouble by prioritizing that, it’s better to at least listen to what they have to say.

“Deputy Chief, I have brought Sofia-sama and Lord Vesner.”

“Ah, thank you. You may come in.”

And so, we were guided by the staff and proceeded inside the guild building. The place we were led to was the deputy chief’s office. Though it may seem a bit lower in rank to be called the “deputy” chief, since the chief is the top of the country’s adventurers guild, being the deputy chief essentially means being number two in the country’s adventurers guild. It’s not something you can say is low-ranking.

Once we were guided into the room, unable to help feeling nervous about what was going on, it was impossible to avoid the tension. I even wondered if my identity had been exposed.

It’s been over ten years since I disappeared. Even though I’ve come to the capital, it’s only been about a month. I believe it’s impossible for them to find out so quickly, but I can’t think of any other reason for being summoned. It’s understandable to have such thoughts.

However, despite my nervousness, the door was opened by the staff, and we had no choice but to enter.

However…

“Nice to meet you both. I don’t know if you’ve heard of me, but I’m Randel, the future Guild Master!”

That’s the first thing we heard upon entering the room.

The voice that exuded such cheerfulness and seemed out of place came from a young man in his early twenties.

Not only did the young man lack nervousness in his voice, but also in his face. Seeing the young man’s relaxed and cheerful smile, I felt the tension I had been holding onto dissipate.

However, what surprised me wasn’t just his carefree demeanor or voice.

“…An elf?”

Yes. The ears of this young man who introduced himself as Randel were pointed to an extent that was impossible for a human. Their distinctive features were the same as those of the ones I was familiar with, and upon closer inspection, there was a sense of familiarity that I couldn’t quite place.

But why is an elf here? This elf is different from the ones I know; they would never come alone to such a distant place. Or maybe they aren’t alone? In the Royal Capital, it’s quite common to see groups of elves… No, not here. If there were such a group, it should have been discovered in the pre-mission investigation, and I could have asked something about it from Lilia and the others. But I’m clueless. Moreover, I can’t believe an elf would have the audacity to operate in a place like this.

In that case, this Randel elf is acting individually.

“Oh, you’re curious about that?”

“Well, I don’t really care about the Guild Master stuff. I’m more intrigued by your race.”

“Is that so? Well, it’s rare, you know. But personally, I wished you’d be more interested in my introduction… Oh well.”

Suddenly encountering an elf made me feel a sense of nostalgia, and I unintentionally spoke to him in a manner reminiscent of my conversations with elves. But he didn’t seem to mind, which was good.

“Come, have a seat.”

Despite being in a rather significant position as the deputy chief, he seems very at ease. This vibe somehow feels very elven, which adds to the sense of nostalgia.

Even though I say it’s nostalgic, it’s only been about half a year. But traveling for this long and this far certainly has an effect. Well, not just that, considering various things about my future and how to navigate it might also enhance this sense of nostalgia.

Anyway, for now, it’s a conversation with the deputy chief in front of me. I wonder what he wants?

“I know about you two, but can I still request a self-introduction?”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Vesnar, an F-rank adventurer.”

“I am Sofia.”

He’s smiling warmly, appearing gentle… no, relaxed, but having this position suggests he’s more than meets the eye. At least, that’s what I think. But who knows?

Well, it’s important to stay vigilant. Just because he’s an elf doesn’t mean we’re automatically allies. I need to make sure not to incur any disadvantages.

“Yeah, thanks. So, regarding the reason I called you here… Oh, and no need for formal language. I don’t mind at all, and being too formal is boring, you know.”

“Got it. Then, I’ll take you up on your offer.”

…But talking to this guy somehow makes me let my guard down. Perhaps it’s because I feel a sense of familiarity due to the mention of ‘farmer’ since he’s an elf, but it’s tricky considering the positions of both parties. After all, even though I have to approach with caution, there’s a forced sense of familiarity that comes up. It’s probably the same for the other person, but it’s still a troublesome situation.

“Yeah, yeah. Oh, and please enjoy the tea and sweets. I bought them from a quite famous place using the budget, so they’re delicious!”

As Randel spoke, a woman, presumably the secretary, placed tea and sweets in front of us.

Since it would be impolite not to touch what was offered, even though we weren’t in a state of hostility, I followed Randel, who was eating and drinking in front of me, and tasted the tea and sweets. Delicious.

“——By the way, do you happen to know any elves?”

Seeing us take a break after partaking in what was served, Randel asked while keeping his smile intact.