The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 128

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

Chapter 128   A strange trio

“Good morning. I’m sorry, but could you please speak with Deputy Chief Randel?”

“Ah, Vesnar-san, it’s Sofia-san. Good morning. I have already received instructions from Deputy Chief, so please wait in the second room.”

When I approached the receptionist, I was led to a passage behind the counter, but there was no further guidance. It seemed like I was expected to figure it out on my own. Well, it’s busy with work, especially in the morning, and the layout isn’t that complicated, so it’s fine without guidance.

“Good morning! Oh, it’s such a refreshing morning today!”

“Yes, good morning.”

“Good morning.”

And so, Sofia and I went to the room with a plate that read ‘Number Two’ as instructed. However, there was already someone there. The agreed time was supposed to be ‘before the bell rings.’ I didn’t know the exact time, but I thought we still had about thirty minutes.

In the room was the second-in-command of the guild in this country, Deputy Chief Randel. However, there was also someone else besides Randel. I didn’t know what kind of person they were or had seen them before, but somehow I had a vague idea why they were here.

“Oh? Is your energy not up even in the morning? Are you okay with that kind of mood?”

“It’s morning, so of course my energy is low…”

Honestly, I was still sleepy. It wasn’t a problem for me to function, but the feeling of not quite fully waking up hit me when I basked in the morning sun. I might even start yawning.

Even in that state, I couldn’t match Randel’s energy. Not that I ever operate with that kind of energy… I rarely do, basically.

“Ah, well, never mind. More importantly, he’s the guild staff accompanying you today, and this is the child.”

I had a feeling it would be like this.

The man sitting next to Randel stood up in response to Randel’s words and turned towards us.

“I’ve always heard of your exploits. I’ve seen you a few times, but it’s nice to meet you face to face like this. I’m Nidoren, belonging to the Adventurer Guild Audit Department. Nice to meet you today.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Vesnar. I appreciate your help today.”

This man who introduced himself as Nidoren seemed to be in his early thirties. His physique wasn’t clearly visible through his clothes, but judging from the neck and waist, he could handle combat jobs. I think he has quite a bit of skill. Although I haven’t seen his true abilities yet, I can’t say for sure, but he’s likely to lose if it’s just pure technique.

Overall, he gave off a serious vibe. I could sense an atmosphere that made me think he was naturally chosen for the job of assessing someone’s abilities, like this time.

“By the way, what does the Audit Department do?”

“Well, adventurers, you know, there are some with, let’s say, slightly questionable behavior? There’s no evidence, but there are some causing trouble. So, we have specialized staff to investigate such matters and other various things.”

I see. It makes sense. With an organization this large, it’s natural to have specialized departments for such investigations.

“By the way, as an adventurer, I’m at least B-rank, so there’s no issue with my abilities.”

Oh, I see. But, is this a B then? Is the A rank barrier higher than I think? Well, for us who don’t intend to reach A, it’s not really something that matters.

“By the way… Are the others not here yet? The bell should ring soon—ah, there it is.”

Afterwards, we waited while engaging in some light conversation, but just as Randel mentioned, the bell that was supposed to announce the meeting time rang just now.

However, those who had accused us of cheating haven’t shown up yet.

“Well, this is unmistakably tardiness.”

We waited for about ten minutes, but they still didn’t arrive.

Randel ate some snacks he had brought from somewhere while laughing, but his eyes weren’t smiling. And it wasn’t just Randel, Nidoren sitting next to him and Sofia were the same.

As for me… well, it’s not a big deal. I already thought they would be unreliable, always finding fault with us.

“Geez, why do we have to deal with such annoying things? It would be fine for the guild to handle it.”

“Yeah, right. Asking innocent adventurers for unpaid service is a neglect of duty.”

We continued to wait, and around thirty minutes past the scheduled time, we heard voices from the corridor.

The voices gradually approached us, and it seemed like someone stopped in front of the door.

And finally, the door opened…

“Oh, what’s this? Everyone’s already here?”

From the opened door, three individuals with a very distinct appearance and attitude appeared.

Honestly, even I would feel uncomfortable if we were made to wait for more than thirty minutes, and the others felt the same.

We directed cold gazes towards the trio that had entered the room as if nothing was wrong, but whether they didn’t notice or didn’t care, they came into the room as if it were no big deal.

“I’m just curious, what exactly are you asking about regarding today’s gathering? What did I say?”

Ah, even though I haven’t known Randel for long, this much is obvious. Well, anyone could tell. He’s pretty annoyed about this.

“Ah? Ah, is that to confirm that the kid over there and the maid are cheating?”

However, despite Randel’s apparent lack of anger, the way he responded was too nonchalant. He must be used to provoking someone like this all the time… No, could it be… does he truly not notice? Despite being so obvious? …Impressive he’s made it this far.

“Technically, you guys said there’s a possibility of cheating, right? And, sorry for the harsh words, but what I’m asking about is not the content but the timing. When did I say we’d gather?”

“It was after it rang, wasn’t it?”

“Was it? Well, either way, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

These guys, they really are hopeless. They don’t even remember the agreed time.

Randel probably has something to say, but he closes his eyes, holds back his words, lets out a sigh, and then turns his face back towards the trio.

“…Unfortunately, that’s not accurate. What I said was ‘before the bell rings.’ The bell rang over thirty minutes ago.”

“Is that so? Well, we’re all here now, so it’s fine. Let’s just get this over with.”

“We’re already messing up our work for this, and I want to get compensated for today’s earnings.”

“Why not make them pay? If they hadn’t cheated, there wouldn’t have been any problems, you know.”

“Haha, that’s actually a good idea!”

Yet, the trio remains unapologetic. It’s hopeless with these guys. I can’t believe I even considered letting them have their way.

But if they claim there’s cheating, I can’t just ignore it. Even if no one believed a word they said, not investigating after an allegation of cheating is a problem in itself.

“Adventurers may have a free role, but they should act with strict punctuality. Being late for a promise with a client is something that should never happen.”

“Today isn’t a request, right? We’re here because you asked us so desperately.”

“…I see. Well, fine. Let’s move the discussion forward rather than wasting time.”

Randel let out another deep sigh and offered a seat to the trio. It seemed he had given up on having a proper conversation with them.

“As for the objective today, I want you two to take on this request. It’s equivalent to a C-rank request, so if you can handle this, it proves your real abilities. The accusation of cheating would then be baseless.”

Saying this, Randel once again presented the paper containing the request that had already been shown during the waiting period. For us, who had already confirmed it, this was not an issue, but the conversation didn’t end there.

Randel squinted his eyes and directed his gaze towards the trio.

“However, in that case, we will impose a fine on each of you. Alright?”

After saying this, the trio, who had been grinning and looking at us confidently until now, seemed momentarily confused and dumbfounded.

“What? A fine?”

“We’re not okay with that nonsense!”

“And you’re trying to take money from us!”

After a while, they seemed to comprehend what was said. They stood up, visibly enraged, and began shouting without hesitation.

Seeing the trio’s reaction, Randel let out a sigh and, looking a bit annoyed, began speaking.

“I’ve already talked about this last time. …Listen carefully, alright? Belittling others without concrete evidence is prohibited by law. It’s fine to voice complaints and grievances, but when it turns into informing against a public institution like the guild and demanding penalties, that becomes a serious offense. And because of your request, the guild is deviating from its usual tasks. Naturally, this incurs extra effort and costs. You’ll have to pay for that.”

“Huh?! Are you kidding? We reported the cheating with good intentions!”

They claim it was with good intentions, but they certainly didn’t have any good intentions towards us. They reported the cheating because they didn’t like us. Whether there was actual cheating or not didn’t matter to them; just the suspicion was enough. That was sufficient for them to obstruct us, to trip others and take pleasure in it. That’s who these guys are.

“Maybe. But if that’s the case, you should have just said, ‘Investigate because there might be cheating.’ Then there would have been no issue; we would investigate and it would be done. However, you guys firmly concluded, ‘Punish them because they’re definitely cheating.’ Despite us saying we’d investigate. You even shouted loudly at the reception. If it turns out there was no cheating, you severely tarnished their honor.”

“And that’s obstruction of duty.” Despite saying this, Randel shrugged, seeming somewhat angry. You could tell he was quite upset.

Normally, reporting something wouldn’t lead to arrests or penalties. But these guys took it too far. If they had just reported with a ‘maybe,’ there would have been no penalty. But when they spread it so loudly that it affected our work, the situation changed.

“So, yeah! We just did the right thing!”

“If you have a problem with that, we don’t need to prove the cheating anymore! We’ll just spread the guild’s negligence from here! Be prepared!”

However, Randel couldn’t tolerate the trio’s actions. He called out to them as they walked towards the exit.

“I see. Well, even if that’s the case, it’s too late now. We acted upon your request. We’ve already taken action. It’s too late to stop now. In that case, if you were wrong, you’ll face penalties. That’s the decision. Complaining now won’t change anything.”

The trio, startled by these words, turned around, but Randel was just smiling. However, behind that smile, there was a hint of venom.

Although they were only attacking from a safe distance and having fun, now they were caught in a situation where they couldn’t escape. The trio, seemingly struggling with what to do in this unexpected circumstance, exchanged glances but said nothing, unable to find an answer.

“Well, it’s not that strange or an unreasonable request, is it? If what you’re saying is correct and they are cheating, then they will bear the penalties.”

He says that, but Randel himself likely understands that these individuals will end up facing penalties.

“So, what’s the plan? Are we going to confirm their cheating together or not? Which is it?”

I don’t really have to go, but well, I probably will. Otherwise, there’s no hope or anything. Maybe things will somehow work out. I have no choice but to participate while thinking about that.

In that case, it’s going to be a hassle since they’ll probably try to interfere and sabotage us if we fail midway, but if I anticipate that, it should be fine. Anyway, I can’t set up an elaborate trap at this point.

“Tch! I guess I should go!”

“It’s not a big deal if you don’t come. In that case, you’ll be the ones facing the penalties.”

“I told you! I’m going!.”

“I’m glad to hear that. We need to rectify the cheating, and we want adventurers to coexist without grudges.”

They probably don’t really think that.

No, they probably do think that when dealing with regular adventurers, but I doubt they think the same way when it comes to these guys.

Regardless, they’re coming along after all. I knew they would.

“Well then, take care.”

Afterward, we reviewed the recent events once more and departed while being bid farewell by Randel, riding on the carriage provided by the guild.