The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 245

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

Chapter 245   Oh? Lilia’s behavior seems…

With the decision made, we quickly prepared our horses and went outside the city to the designated battlefield.

However, as we emerged, there was a commotion from the enemy’s forces. Probably, they were surprised that someone like me had shown up. Despite having grown reasonably for my age, I do appear too young to represent the city in a battle.

“I’m counting on you. I’ll cover for you even if you mess up, but be serious, alright? Don’t forget you’re representing this city. Can you handle it?”

Even though we’ve come this far, entrusting her makes me feel nothing but unease.

“I’ll be fine. Just leave it to me. I’ll show them how amazing I am.”

However, Lilia casually brushed off my words.

Watching her behave like this, I wonder if it’s really okay. But then, her atmosphere suddenly changed.

Somehow, her usual looseness or nonchalance disappeared, replaced by a dignified presence. It’s the kind of aura that one might associate with a princess, or even something divine.

No, it’s beyond that. It feels almost divine or sacred.

“Lilia…?”

In this unusual state, Lilia dismounted her horse, and something felt off.

Trying to pinpoint the odd sensation, I realized that despite getting off the horse, Lilia’s eye level hadn’t changed much compared to when she was on it.

It’s absurd that her eye level hasn’t changed.

Curious, I looked at Lilia’s feet and saw that they weren’t touching the ground. Lilia’s body was floating in mid-air.

Stunned by this revelation, I couldn’t help but gawk. However, Lilia, seemingly unconcerned, turned toward the enemy camp, walked forward as if climbing stairs in mid-air.

Was that some kind of barrier? Placing an invisible barrier horizontally and walking on it is a common method, but in reality, Lilia was capable of doing just that.

However, Lilia’s actions didn’t stop there.

As she walked through the air, with each step, she emitted a radiant light from her body. By the time she reached a height where she was clearly visible to everyone, including both enemies and allies, light began to shower down from above her head, illuminating the surroundings.

…How did she end up like this?

Due to this extraordinary occurrence, everyone present fell silent. Even the murmurs that were audible until a moment ago vanished. Despite being a battlefield, an almost soundless calm settled in, and in that silence, Lilia began to speak.

“I am Lilia Eldrasil, an ally of the Eastern Boss who reigns over this land, and an Elven princess! You claim yourselves to be the righteous ones, but—don’t make me laugh.”

Her voice wasn’t particularly loud. While she had been provided with amplification tools before departure, it wasn’t just for that reason. Her voice carried an imposing presence that felt as if it could resonate not just throughout the area but perhaps even across the entire world.

Lilia proclaimed boldly, “If you claim to be the righteous ones, then speak! What have you done to us over these centuries? You are nothing but pests trying to invade our homeland! With selfish reasons, you’ve persecuted us, abducted our comrades, and continued your invasion! Is this what those who call themselves just do? If you claim to be righteous, then we gladly accept being the ‘evil’! We are criminals, we are the ‘bad.’ But so what? We don’t care. We don’t like you. You desire to claim this land. Very well, try to forcefully take it! We shall seize and kill to protect what matters to us, trampling over your wishes. Power is the way of this land, the only law. This land is ours! We will fight to protect it! Come at us, you so-called ‘justice’! We won’t let anyone take this place!”

Having stated this unequivocally, Lilia gracefully turned around, facing away from the enemy forces, and descended an invisible staircase with leisurely steps. Although there was a possibility of being attacked from behind with such a slow movement, her dignified figure seemed to say, “So what?” And then, as she approached me, she extended her hand towards me.

At first, it wasn’t clear what she intended, but judging from her gaze, it seemed she was asking for assistance, indicating she wanted to be placed on the horse. I extended my hand, allowing Lilia to mount behind me.

All that was left was to return to the town, but maybe we should take our time?

After all, Lilia unexpectedly displayed incredible prowess. If we hurriedly fled now, her earlier grandeur might be diminished. Therefore, with Lilia on board, I guided the horse towards the town without looking back, returning with dignity.

…But is this really Lilia? It almost feels like someone else is inside.

“Uoooh!”

As we returned to the city, the residents gathered at the gate, waving and cheering as they welcomed us.

Well, it makes sense. They heard those powerful words. There’s no way they wouldn’t be excited.

“Looking cool, miss!”

“I’ll treat you next time!”

“That’s right! This is our place!”

The cheers for Lilia were quite enthusiastic. She did look pretty cool, after all.

“I’m back!”

Lilia greeted the people around her with a peace sign and a cheerful smile.

In that moment, all the dignity she had displayed earlier seemed to vanish. It was just Lilia being Lilia.

The contrast was so striking that I couldn’t help but wonder if the earlier spectacle was some kind of illusion. But the reactions of those around us confirmed that it was very much real.

Many in the city were familiar with Lilia, and that might be the reason. People seemed a bit puzzled by the difference between her usual self and the more serious demeanor she had shown earlier.

Oh, but the elves, including the strays, were ecstatic, throwing up their fists in celebration. Well, even if it was a bit away from the crowded areas.

“Good job.”

After casually observing the residents’ situation, I dismounted from my horse to check the enemy’s movements from atop the outer wall. However, as soon as I got off the horse, Sofia and the others approached.

“Honestly, I haven’t done anything. If I had to say, maybe just serving as a chauffeur?”

“But your appearance has significance.”

“Significance, huh…”

“In the first place, because you partially destroyed the enemy’s army, it created a situation where we could exchange words. You couldn’t just stay away, and you’re not entirely useless either.”

“Well, if you say so.”

More importantly, though, there’s something else to discuss.

“Anyway, forget about that. How’s the opponent doing?”

Even though we made quite a scene, I was thinking there might be an attack from behind. However, there was no enemy attack until we reached the town.

If that’s the case, I don’t think they’ll take immediate action, but who knows?

Originally, we expected the opponent to be buying time, and they might not act immediately. But what’s the actual situation?

Maybe they’re preparing to attack soon, or maybe they’re in the midst of preparations for an assault later to catch us off guard.

“I observed a state of confusion. The people here are criminals, but this place is by no means Karakas. It’s just a nearby town, that’s all. Those higher up may be aware of the connection to Karakas, but at least the ordinary soldiers should have no confirmation that this is truly a base for criminals. In such a situation, especially after the recent speech…”

“They’re questioning their own justice, huh?”

“At the very least, they seem to be uncertain.”

Well, Lilia did declare that what we are doing was ‘evil,’ but in terms of content, it sounded more like a statement from the ‘justice’ side.

Certainly, the forest, which is their homeland, has been invaded many times in the past. It happened long before the establishment of Karakas. It might be a story from decades or even hundreds of years ago, but for the long-lived elves, it’s just a relatively recent event. Some elves might have actually experienced it; after all, Lilia’s mother, Leireine, should be over four hundred years old.

Coming from the Elf princess, such words carry weight. Under normal circumstances, Lilia might not have taken it as seriously.

However, being told, in such a dignified manner, “You invaded first,” or “You always invade,” it’s unlikely that many people can convince themselves that they are on the side of justice.

“Well, there’s a possibility they might withdraw like this—”

“How was it? How was it? Wasn’t I cool?”

But then, Lilia, who should have been praised, followed us and, peering into our faces, spoke like that.

You worked more than expected, and all you had to do was let them carry you and rest. Why did you come over here?

It’s not bad that she came along, but still.

“…Why can’t you be like that normally?”

I was about to say it was good when asked, but my mouth moved on its own, asking a different question in my head.

“Eh? Well, it’s tiring, you know. I like being cool, but, besides, I learned from the boss that I don’t need to exert myself normally.”

“The boss… like my old man… copying only the annoying parts.”

“Besides, this time, my child lent us some strength.”

Saying that, Lilia continues ahead of us with a light step… My child? Who is she talking about?

“My child? That’s not your kid, right?”

“Huh? Pfft~. What are you talking about? I don’t have a child. Do you think I would?”

Lilia points at me and laughs. It’s really annoying, but can I get angry about this? But I am an adult. Calm down, me. Thanks to training my skills, my mental strength to endure something is world-class. Endure it. I can endure it—

“S-so, do you want my child? Hmm? Did you fall for my charm?”

I couldn’t.

“Byaaahhh!?”

The unbearable annoyance of her speaking while poking my cheek was too much for even my trained mental strength to endure.

So, I pointed my finger at Lilia’s eyes and unleashed a splash of water like a water gun.

It’s weak, so it won’t cause injury if it hits the eyes, and even if there were any issues, Lilia could heal them, so it should be fine.