The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 262

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

Chapter 262   Cultivating Treant…?

“So, I’ve decided to go around the locations on this map.”

After the discussion ended in that way, I returned from the meeting place to the Flower Garden Mansion and shared the plans for the future with Kyle and the others.

“Is that so?”

Lilia, who was lounging in the room, asked while eating the snacks that were brought out. This girl is always like this. Don’t you have anything else to do? Well, it’s better for her to stay quiet rather than doing something weird. She seems more like a cat or a dog, behaving quietly only while being fed, and the rest of the time either sleeping or playing.

Well, she was originally in the pet category, so I guess that’s how it is.

“Yeah. So, Kyle, I want you to come as a guard, and Sofia and Bell will also come with me. Prepare yourselves.”

“Got it.”

“Yes.”

The three of them responded to my words.

“Mm-hmm. …Sofia, prepare for me too.”

Following these three, Lilia, having swallowed what was in her mouth, casually said such a thing as if it were a matter of course.

“Why are you assuming you’ll come too?”

“Huh? Why?”

“I want to know why I should take you with me.”

But now that she’d heard the story like this, she’ll probably come along. Well, it can’t be helped.

… Somehow, I’m starting to feel less resistant to the idea of her coming along. Familiarity is a terrifying thing.

“Flora will go too.”

As we were talking, Flora suddenly appeared behind me, peeking out.

She still wasn’t wearing any clothes, but this time, nothing below the chest was visible from me or anyone else, so it should be fine.

She used to float in the air confidently before, but now she’s only showing her face or appearing from behind me. It seems like the education had some effect. It gives me a bit of a sense of accomplishment.

However, if there are people around, everything is visible from behind, so the issue of fixing her clothing is still there.

Or rather…

“Aren’t you okay being away from your main body?”

Technically, she is not the main body but rather a manifestation of the consciousness of the Sacred Tree, so I wonder if it’s okay for her to be away from the main body.

“As long as it’s not too far.”

“By the way, how long do you expect this to take?”

“Approximately two weeks. I need to not only make improvements but also have discussions with the residents and check the surrounding conditions.”

If we spend two days in each village, including stay and travel, we can only visit seven villages at most. You might think there aren’t that many villages, and I thought the same, but villages are generally located within walking distance of each other, so even taking a bit of land can result in quite a few villages.

“And after that, confirming the Parasitic Trees and cultivating the Treant…”

I received Treant seed, so I have to grow them. Edward probably intended to make money, but if the Treant really grow and listen to me, planting them around the city could be quite useful for defense.

Regarding the Parasitic Trees, I might try something somewhere, but I don’t plan to do it openly, and I definitely won’t grow them outside. Because, no kidding, they’re dangerous.

“Treant?”

“Hm? Oh, right. Do you understand?”

As I was thinking, Flora now appeared from my chest, peering into my face with her face sticking out. It’s somewhat creepy to have a face emerging from one’s body, but if you get used to it, it’s not a big deal. But I’d prefer her not to startle me suddenly.

“I understand. …Hmm?”

“What’s wrong?”

For some reason, after hearing my words, Flora tilted her head and hesitantly uttered a troubled voice. And…

“Hmm… Plant them.”

She said that, but is she telling me to plant Treant seed?

“Plant them? You mean the Treant seed? Now?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I was planning to grow them anyway, and if you’re willing to help, I don’t mind planting them. But I’ll be away for two weeks, you know?”

I’m going to be away for a while touring the villages, and since Treant seed are precious, I had planned to check on them daily after planting. If Flora, the sort of supreme plant authority representing the Sacred Tree, says it’s okay to plant now, then it should be fine, but I’m still a bit worried.

“It’s okay.”

“Are you sure…”

“Flora will use them.”

“Flora will? …Well, I guess it’s okay if the Sacred Tree is managing it?”

I don’t understand what she means by “use,” but if the Sacred Tree is taking care of them, it should be fine.

“But where should I plant them…”

“Here is good.”

“Here… You mean, you want to grow it in this garden? Aren’t there better places?”

“Nnn. It’s good there.”

We’re currently in the Flower Garden Mansion, which is a room facing the garden of the Sacred Tree in the center of the city. Flora pointed to the garden from the window of that room.

Certainly, it’s a piece of land created for the Sacred Tree, and it might be a good environment for plants due to the presence of the Sacred Tree. But I feel like it was decided rather arbitrarily. Is it really okay like this?

“Since Flora is saying this, why not try planting them?”

“If it’s the words of the Sacred Tree, there should be no mistake. Regardless of whether they become aggressive or not, at the very least, the cultivation itself should be successful.”

“Well, in case of anything, it’s probably a good idea to inform the people in the mansion.”

“Hmm. Yeah, that’s right. So, after informing them—”

Even though this is still within the city, and the mansion is nearby, and I was about to explain to the people in the mansion that we’re going to grow Treant, Flora stopped me by clapping her hands on my face. She said “stop,” but since she doesn’t have a physical form, it didn’t hurt, but it was effective in stopping my movement.

“What do we do?”

“What do you mean? We can’t just not inform them, right? I’m supposed to be a guard, and if there’s a potential danger, I want to be prepared…”

“It’s fine!”

However, whether we believe it or not, Flora, now completely outside my body and materialized, began to thrash around while hugging my neck. My neck is being squeezed…!

“Why not let her do it?”

Unable to forcefully detach her and maintaining only an airway with Flora’s hands, Lilia, rocking her chair, looked at me and suggested such a thing.

She says that, but Treant are monsters. It would be troublesome if they go wild.

Certainly, if she insists this much, there might not be any problem… No, even if we let her do something, it might just cause a commotion again. In that case, I have no choice but to let her do as she pleases. Let her do it, and if something happens, it’s better to deal with it then.

“Got it. I got it, so let go of me.”

Saying that, I peeled Flora off and went outside the mansion. I decided to grow the Treant a little away from the mansion.

“Water and food. Also, a bed.”

“Water, food, and a bed? …Ah, you mean to use skills.”

“Is this okay?”

“Yeah!”

After confirming by using the skill, Flora nodded with a smile. It seems like it was correct, which is good.

“Grow big!”

“Grow big…《Growth》”

After planting the seeds, there was another prompt for a skill, so I decided to use it. Just like with the Sacred Tree, is it okay to use a skill that forcibly promotes the growth of such valuable items?

“It’s still growing all twisty and big. It feels kind of amazing, doesn’t it?”

“What’s with that reaction? Well, I guess I can’t say I don’t understand.”

It feels a bit like watching fast-forward, which is interesting, but it also gives a creepy feeling. Even though I’m the one doing it. And if you think about the fact that something like this could grow from a person’s body, it becomes even more creepy or eerie… Disturbing, to say the least. Well, it’s not really something I should be saying.

…And how much more do I need to grow these?

“So, Flora, how much more should I grow them?”

“Hmm, a bit more?”

I hadn’t confirmed how much I should grow them, so I was growing them slowly. But since Flora didn’t stop me even after some time, I asked her how much more I should grow them. However, she replied that it’s okay to grow them a bit more. They were already as big as common trees, but she still didn’t say to stop. Is it really okay to let them grow further?

“Hmm!”

“Hmm?”

As I continued to grow them, Flora suddenly made a sound and moved away from my body.

“Oh, Flora!?”

Completely separated from me, Flora approached the Treant and entered into it. The scene looked similar to when she entered the Sacred Tree, but this time it was not the Sacred Tree but the Treant.

“What’s she doing—!”

I didn’t understand why she did that, but I couldn’t proceed like this. I tried to stop the skill, releasing my hands and stepping back. However…

“I-Is it okay not to stop the skill!?”

“I’m trying! But I can’t stop it!”

“You can’t stop it?”

“Flora’s enhancing the skill on her own, for some reason!”

This was exactly the same reaction as when the Sacred Tree absorbed power on its own, and I couldn’t release my hands.

If that was the case, then this must be something Flora was doing, and there was nothing I could do. As I helplessly watched, the growing Treant gradually changed its form.

The scene was, how should I put it… It was like tentacles moving and transforming from a tree into something else. It had that kind of feeling.

In the end, the tree that should have grown to a towering height shrank down to our size, and then…

“It’s doooone!”

It turned into a human.