The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 271

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

Chapter 271   Sofia’s younger brother

“——Beyond here is for the nobility.”

After observing the city for a while, we found ourselves standing in front of a wall that separated the commoner area from the noble and wealthy area.

While looking at the wall, Kyle muttered something that seemed to carry a certain meaning.

“The city’s basic structure is divided into several layers in a circular shape. Well, it’s a typical layout.”

Bell expressed this as her impression after taking a look around.

In the center, there’s the royal castle and other important political points, surrounded by nobles and the wealthy. Beyond that are the commoners, and further out is the exterior of the city.

Although this is a quite rough description and there are more detailed classifications, as well as differences in the city’s facilities, wall structures, and security, it is generally accurate.

The city is divided into these zones by walls.

In other places, there are cities where two adjacent areas, one for nobility and the other for commoners, share a border, or cities like Karakas, which are circular but don’t particularly differentiate the internal layout into zones. However, this layout of the capital is likely typical in this world.

“Yes. It’s designed around the most prestigious king, so inevitably it takes this form——”

“Sister…?”

The moment Sofia heard the voice that seemed to come from nowhere, her words ceased, and her expression stiffened.

Gradually, her eyes widened, and she suddenly turned around.

As I also turned my face towards where Sofia looked back, on the other side of the wall, in the area reserved for nobles, a man wearing extravagantly expensive-looking clothes was standing, gazing in our direction.

“W-wouldn’t it be a waste of time to stay in one place? Shall we move on to another area soon?”

Sofia, however, upon seeing that man, turned pale, her body starting to tremble.

Then, with a smooth motion of ignoring him and turning around, she proposed moving to another area.

She’s desperately pretending not to recognize him, but, well, he must be an acquaintance. Moreover, not just an acquaintance but someone with a significant position.

Considering the way he addressed Sofia earlier, it’s apparent. This guy is Sofia’s younger brother.

I had heard before that Sofia has a younger brother. Although she mentioned having not only a brother but also sisters, what stayed in my memory was her expressing a bit of concern about her brother.

Even so, despite her younger brother being right in front of her, Sofia was trying to ignore him and distance herself.

I wondered if that was the right thing to do, but in situations like these, a certain mindset is necessary. At least, with Sofia looking so pale, it doesn’t seem advisable to acknowledge him.

“Ah, w-wait!”

So, I tried to pull Sofia’s hand and move away from the spot, but I heard a voice from behind. It seems like he followed us over the gate.

What should I do? If we leave it like this, he’ll probably keep chasing us. That’s not good.

To avoid that, it’s better to settle things somewhere, but talking with that guy will inevitably draw attention.

So, what I should do is…

“Let’s escape into the alley.”

But even though I said that and tried to run away, for some reason, our legs didn’t move as expected, and Sofia’s movements were sluggish.

We managed to slip into the alley, but while we were running away like that, he caught up with us.

Then, whether to stop Sofia or something else, he approached us, accelerating his steps and reaching out.

“Hey—ugh!”

“Who are you?”

Even though Kyle probably understands who the opponent is, he couldn’t overlook someone who chased after us despite us running away and reached out to grab us. He took the guy’s arm, made him stumble, and pinned him down.

“Le-let go! Who do you think I am!”

Facing Kyle’s actions, the man complained while resisting, but Kyle wouldn’t let go over something as trivial.

“How—!”

“Sister! It’s me. It’s William!”

Seeing the man pinned down, Sofia let out a gasp, and upon hearing her voice, the man—William, temporarily stopped struggling, shifting his gaze towards Sofia and calling out.

“William…”

“Yes! It’s me, Sister! I couldn’t help you when I later learned that father sold you as a slave… But I’m glad you’re safe!”

…This guy, what’s up with him?

Certainly, there’s no lie in his words about worrying for Sofia, but, I don’t know, there’s something about him.

It’s a feeling I can’t quite put into words, but if I were to express it, it sounds quite condescending. More than that, it seems like he’s disrespecting Sofia—looking down on her. I don’t know if it’s coming from within him or if it’s an idea planted by his parents or someone else.

“Just asking, is ‘that’ your brother?”

So calling him ‘that’ couldn’t be helped. Probably my gaze is colder than usual.

But William, without being daunted by my gaze, stares back at me as if saying, ‘Who are you? Get out of here.’

“…Yes. More accurately, it would be correct to say, ‘a person who used to be my brother.'”

“Eh…?”

However, William’s hostility disappears upon hearing Sofia’s words.

From someone he thinks of as his sister, being referred to as ‘a person who used to be my brother’ rather than just ‘brother’ must have been quite shocking. He is now showing a vacant and stupid expression.

“So, what brings you here?”

Sofia, perhaps having prepared herself to confront the person who used to be her brother, still with a certain stiffness in her voice, firmly gazes at William and speaks.

“Eh, uh… Sister?”

“I apologize, but your sister has died… She was killed. By none other than our own parents. I’ve already been stripped of the family name, discarded as something undesirable. The one standing before you now is not your sister; I am merely a servant serving a single master.”

Her voice lacks emotion, simply delivering the facts in a monotone manner. It seems eerie given what I know of Sofia, but understanding the circumstances, it can’t be helped.

For the sake of parents, for the sake of family, she worked hard, but her efforts were never acknowledged, ultimately discarded as unwanted. I won’t speak of how painful her past was, but at least it couldn’t have been filled with enjoyable memories.

Indeed, when we first met, she was living as if she were dead, speaking with such emotionless tone.

“Wha- No way… Sister!?”

It seems he had never heard Sofia speak like this before. Confused by the coldness directed at him, William struggles again to break free. Unable to escape, he ultimately returns his gaze to Sofia’s face, calling out to his sister.

“I apologize for taking your time with personal matters.”

However, Sofia does not react to his words and instead faces us, offering an apology.

“No, it’s fine, but… Is it okay? I remember you saying you wanted to talk with your brother.”

“In my current position, I am serving as your servant and am currently on duty. I cannot afford to take time away from my master just to have a conversation.”

“I don’t mind, but… well, if that’s how it is.”

“Moreover, just being remembered is enough for me.”

“…I see.”

It may not be a complete farewell or settling of matters, but if that’s what she says, then it’s fine.

Moreover, even if it didn’t work out, it might be better to give it some time. Sofia didn’t have plans to meet him soon, and it’s probably better for her to organize her thoughts.

If, after contemplating, she decides she wants to talk again, then at that time, I can make arrangements.

“Ky—Ah… Once we’ve distanced ourselves, release him.”

I intended to leave the scene and figured it would be better to keep him restrained for a while. If he were freed immediately, he’d likely come chasing again. However, I hesitated for a moment on whether to call out Kyle’s name or not.

In the end, I decided not to call his name and conveyed my thoughts. We left Kyle and William in that place, still restrained.

“We’re back.”

“Yeah, welcome back.”

When Kyle returned to the inn after a while, there was no one behind him. He seemed to have successfully shaken him off.

“How did it go?”

“The moment I released him, he tried to grab me, but it’s not a problem.”

Kyle shrugged while saying that, but I already knew it would be fine without asking. It was just a confirmation.

“By the way, you had a brother, huh?”

Kyle casually spoke to Sofia like that. Did he not know about him?

Now that I think about it, I don’t recall Sofia mentioning her family in our usual conversations. The only times I asked about Sofia’s family were when she first became my skill instructor and during our journey to find my mom.

Well, it’s not the kind of thing you willingly talk about, and in Karakas, it’s not common to inquire about blood relations. So, not knowing is pretty normal, I guess.

“Yes, I had an older sister and brother.”

“Were they not sold as well?”

“Well, you see, everyone else, including my sister and brother, has found positions deemed ‘fitting for nobility.’ My sister, in particular, serves in a prominent role as an attendant to the royal family.”

Bell’s question was quite pointed, but Sofia answered with an unperturbed demeanor.

Well, serving as an attendant to the royal family… I might have the chance to meet her someday.

“We don’t have parents, but it seems tough if you do.”

“Well, everyone has their circumstances. In our case, it’s quite different from ordinary families, I suppose.”

“In my case, my father was an upstart noble, so I was used as a tool to climb even higher. I believe it’s different from typical nobility.”

“In my case, needless to say, yeah.”

My circumstances are undoubtedly quite unique. Born as a prince and abandoned, then raised in a den of criminals. If you just hear the situation, it might sound like a rather harsh life. In reality, I had an easy and enjoyable life.

“I’ve had moments when I wished for parents, but at the same time, I think it’s a relief they weren’t around.”

“If you’re almost dying without parents or almost getting killed with parents, which is better isn’t clear.”

“Well, as I mentioned earlier, we’re not ordinary, so it’s better not to use us as a reference. Normal families are probably much more ordinary.”

“Still, thanks to not having parents, I’m here now. If I had a more ordinary life with parents, I wouldn’t be the person I am now.”

“An accumulation of the past leading to the present, huh… Kyle, that’s quite a profound thing to say.”

“What’s with that way of saying it? It’s like I’m always saying stupid things or something.”

“I won’t say ‘stupid,’ but have you ever made a wise remark?”

“…I have, probably.”

While Bell and Kyle were having such a conversation, Sofia watched them and smiled. However, Sofia’s demeanor still seemed to have a hint of shadow.

“Well, Sofia, if you ever feel like talking, let me know. I’ll make time and create an opportunity for you.”

“Thank you very much. If that time comes, I appreciate your assistance.”

During this conversation, Dad returned with Eddie. After discussing the state of the castle and the plans for tomorrow, we had a casual dinner and then went to sleep.