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

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

Chapter 273 Declaration of independence

…But, well, my mother isn’t here. I suppose she was the second or third queen, so it’s only natural she’s not around. Besides, even if she were here, it’s not like she’d serve any purpose. In fact, it’s probably better she’s not around, fewer complications. Still, it’s a bit disappointing.

Apart from the king, there are three young men on his left. Are they my siblings?

On the opposite side, there are several nobles. What’s their role? Advisors, ministers, or perhaps masters of ceremonies for this occasion?

“Even though the date of the meeting was shifted due to your request, what is the meaning of arriving late?” The scolding words were directed at us by one of the nobles standing next to the king. Well, they’re not entirely wrong. We are considerably later than the originally planned date.

“Well, you see, I did try to come early. However, the gatekeepers thought we looked suspicious and stopped us. Can’t blame them; we do have a rather unconventional appearance, don’t we?”

Yet, even in this formal setting, my father’s attitude remains unchanged. Unapologetically, he speaks his mind. Words like ‘barbaric’ or ‘uncouth’ may be floating around, but both my father and I choose to ignore them.

“Regarding the date… Well, you see, Karakas is a remote place, and it takes time for letters to reach us and for us to head this way. My apologies, my apologies.”

“Very well. Get on with the discussion. Don’t waste any more time.”

“Yes.”

While my father’s words increased the pressure from the surrounding nobles and knights, a single word from the king brought it under control. Well, it’s more accurate to say that the overt hostility eased, but the intent to attack still lingers, as if ready to strike at any moment.

Considering our relationship, that’s to be expected. If this were a friendly encounter, I’d be more surprised.

“First, your names.”

With those words, a noble-looking man beside the king spoke. However…

…

My father stood there, ignoring him with a blank expression, not uttering a word. The nobleman seemed irritated by my father’s behavior, and with more hostility in his voice, he shouted,

“Hey, I said give us your names!”

“Hm? Oh, you meant to ask for our names just now. If that’s the case, then go ahead and clearly ask until the end. I thought maybe you’d introduce yourselves first.”

Well, I suppose with just “First, your names,” it might not sound like an invitation for introductions. Still, considering the situation, it’s understandable that they want us to identify ourselves. Even so, my father’s choice to play dumb was a deliberate provocation, perhaps?

Honestly, there’s no need for such antics. We didn’t come here for negotiations or to secure favorable conditions, and provoking won’t change anything. So, is it just a petty annoyance? I can’t quite imagine my father doing something so childish. Sure, he has a childish side, but I don’t think he’d engage in such antics in this situation. Well, who knows?

“I’m Volke. Formerly one of the top figures in Karakas, also known as one of the Five Emperors, the Black Sword, and Castle Slayer. And this here is my son.”

While the introduction of Eddie and the others serving as guards was omitted, it was expected.

Even though there was an introduction, my name wasn’t mentioned. This was probably to prevent my position and identity from being recognized by speaking it aloud. At this point, I think it wouldn’t matter even if they noticed, but there’s no need to disclose it, and I couldn’t care less.

“Now, for those who may not be aware, I’ll explain the trial that will take place today.”

After Father’s introduction, the emcee started explaining to those present, but a trial… I hadn’t heard anything about that.

Ignoring my question, the emcee continued speaking.

“Approximately a month ago, Volke here and the bandits occupying Karakas attacked the neighboring territory, killed its lord, and seized the land. Some who weren’t killed had their people murdered and their territories taken. Until now, Karakas has been occupied by bandits but was spared by His Majesty’s benevolence. However, this time, these individuals have ventured out to attack other territories themselves. There are suspicions that they are attempting to overthrow the country.”

Benevolence, huh? What a joke… It’s more like weighing the effort and damage to reclaim it against the disadvantages of Karakas’s existence and deciding it wasn’t worth retaking.

And this time, it’s not like we initiated the attack. Sure, we took the land, but they were the idiots who came at us first.

“Such cruel and tyrannical actions toward people at that time are absolutely unforgivable and will be punished severely.”

Tyrannical actions, huh? That’s quite an accusation. I do recall doing something like that. It was led by Edward rather than me, but we used to gift potted plants with nobles in them. They’re probably dead by now, but many people must have seen them.

Wait, looking closely, there are some older guys at the front who seem resentful, while others are confidently smiling, as if saying, “How about that?” Could they be the “former” lords… No, that can’t be. All the lords turned into potted plants. Even if they somehow returned to normal, they wouldn’t have the courage to come to a place like this. So, are they the followers or something?

“However, if there is no rebellion against the country from Karakas, immediately return the land and pay compensation. If you do pay, we will reduce your crimes, and we will allow that city to continue under His Majesty’s benevolence.”

If there’s no rebellion, pay money, huh? It seems like as long as the country profits from Karakas existence, it’s fine.

But honestly, they’re just dressing up their words. In essence, it’s like saying, “Pay up for damages” or “Compensation, please.” It’s as simple as “Give us money.” Aren’t they just like bandits?

Even in this situation, Father is listening with his arms crossed. It’s impressive to maintain such a posture. Weren’t you originally a knight serving this king? How did you manage to stay a knight with that attitude?

“Oh… Can I say something?”

However, as if he had something to say in response to those words, Father uncrossed his arms and raised his hand…

“Are you planning to defy us?”

Upon hearing that, one of the knights shouted while stepping forward with a loud clank. Huh… I didn’t see that coming. Why did he get so angry all of a sudden?

“No need to get all worked up. You’ve got a brain, so listen to what people say and try to understand. Oh, my bad if you can’t understand human words. Didn’t know you were that dumb. My apologies.”

“You bastard!”

In response to Father’s words, the knight who had stepped forward placed his hand on his sword, directing a murderous intent towards us. It seemed like he might attack us at any moment.

However, there was something off about it.

For someone like me who had lived in Karakas, feelings of hostility and malice were something I had grown accustomed to. From my experiences, I could say that there were different types of murderous intent. The genuine intent to kill and the superficial intent to kill, driven by the situation.

The knight’s murderous intent that had shouted at us felt more like the latter. In other words, it was a fake, not-so-serious intent to kill. Moreover, it felt like a lower degree than even a show… like a fashion statement of murderous intent.

As the knight with this seemingly affected intent faced off against Father, there wasn’t really a staring contest happening. The knight might be intending to glare, but Father’s reaction was quite cool-headed. In fact, he had already turned away from the knight, no longer paying him any attention.

… Oh, did the murderous intent intensify? It seems like he didn’t appreciate being ignored. He started moving his feet towards us again.

“Cut it out.”

However, as soon as the king told him that, the knight immediately calmed down and stepped back.

In a situation where he was so angry that his body moved involuntarily, I’d think it’s hard to calm down just because someone said something… Is it all an act?

Probably, there was a predetermined plan for him to act like that. If we were to react or make a move, it would be profitable for them. In the end, we didn’t even respond, let alone become their opponents.

With the situation now settled, Father lightly snorted and continued with the previous conversation.

“At that time, we did kill some nobles, but that was because they attacked us first. Whether they wanted Karakas money, land, or honor, they came at us, and we simply defended ourselves. There’s not a single fact indicating we initiated an attack. Even if you’re trying to trap us for coming here, our fools would set a much better trap, even if amateurish. Investigate properly, you incompetents.”

Quite insolent words towards the king. Normally, such behavior wouldn’t be tolerated, and those around would likely cause a commotion.

However, the murderous intent emanating from Father forbade anyone from speaking out. It seemed like a retaliation for bringing out the knight earlier. It wasn’t just a play; even if you were an amateur, there was a palpable pressure indicating genuine, lethal intent.

That’s why no one could say anything. If anyone dared to speak now, it felt like they might be killed on the spot.

“But well, some of it isn’t entirely wrong. Disloyalty to the country. You hit the bullseye there. Absolutely correct. Should I praise you for that?”

However, in the next moment, that pressure disappeared as Father casually said this in a joking tone.

With the disappearance of Father’s murderous intent, there was a sound like something collapsing right there. Glancing around, I could see some nobles literally losing their composure.

Among the knights, there was no one showing such a lack of composure as to collapse, but even those who had stood tall, spine straight until a moment ago, were now seen with their hands on their swords, some even partially drawing them.

“Here, from this point, it’s your job.”

Father said this and turned towards me, placing his hand on my back, urging me forward.

…That’s right. Being at the forefront in a situation like this has a different kind of tension compared to battle, but even so, it was my decision to step forward. It’s not just about leaving it to Father; I decided to fulfill my role.

Having reaffirmed my resolve within, I took a small, unnoticed deep breath. Then, I took a step forward, confronting the King of the Zaviet Kingdom.

And then—

“We, Karakas, declare independence from the Zaviet Kingdom, abandoning it to form our own nation.”

I declared without any hesitation.