The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 275

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

Chapter 275   Thank you

“Alright. It’s finally quiet now. Well, you little brat, if you’ve got something to say, feel free to say it. This is your chance to speak.”

Things I want to say, huh… Well, in my position, there are probably various things I should or could say.

But even if I were to say something… I don’t know. It feels kind of late, and honestly, from the first time I saw him, I didn’t have strong feelings or anything like that.

Well, if I were to force myself to say something, I guess…

“I’m here because of you. Thank you.”

That’s probably about the extent of my retort.

Actually, it’s not like I don’t have any feelings of gratitude. I don’t like how he made Mom cry, and I’m pissed about trying to abandon and kill me.

But if it weren’t for him, I might not have been born into this world. It’s a fact that if he hadn’t discarded me, I wouldn’t be standing here like this. So, it’s a “thank you.”

Of course, the king, other nobles, and knights who don’t know my true feelings probably have no idea what I’m talking about.

Perhaps the king might become aware of my origin, but he probably won’t make it public. Because if he did, it would be like exposing the country to danger due to his own misjudgment.

Even if there were no such damages this time, if the story spread about the king who discarded his son because he didn’t like his innate talent, it would erode his influence. If the discarded son, me, were alive and came back for revenge, causing harm to the country, it would be even worse.

However, even if he doesn’t say anything, the king would still be held accountable. If I were to say something in this situation, people might suspect a connection between us, and the nobles would likely think, “Isn’t it because of something you did?” and doubt the king.

Or, if the king doesn’t know about me and conveys that, the nobles still won’t believe it outright. They would instead suspect, “Is he hiding something shady?” Either way, it will likely affect the governance in the future.

“…Is that all?”
“That’s all.”

Perhaps puzzled by the fact that I didn’t say anything more, my father furrowed his brow and asked, but for me, what I said was enough.

“Well, if there’s anything else… be prepared.”

While there is gratitude, that’s a separate matter. I’ll let it slide this time, but eventually, I’ll crush you, so be prepared.

Even without words, he probably understands that, but I said it just to be sure.

“So, is there anything else from your side?”
Once my father patted my shoulder, he turned to the king and asked.

However, the king, while showing a reluctant expression, only looked at us with fear and said nothing.

Still, although the king says nothing, those eyes… Has he noticed something?

Well, there are similarities in our appearance, and considering my words and my father’s presence, if he knows a bit about the circumstances, he might figure it out.

“If there’s nothing else, we’ll take our leave, but don’t forget about the independence. Well, it doesn’t matter if you forget.”

Once again, my father expressed his intention to be independent, but this time, no one complained or made a fuss like in the beginning.

“Oh, by the way, this guy is the first king. Uh, the way we address him is Demon King.”

… Are we going to keep using that title here too? It’s embarrassing, isn’t it?

“…Calling oneself the Demon King.”

“Well, from your perspective, the fools in Karakas are evil, and the king leading that evil is also considered evil, right? So, for you guys, isn’t he the Demon King?”

The term “Demon King” can mean the king of demons, but strictly speaking, it refers to an ‘enemy of humanity threatening peace on a catastrophic level.’ Therefore, as a human, the title “Demon King” does apply to me. In fact, if all the guys in Karakas were to seriously turn against humanity, it would cause considerable damage. So, it’s not entirely unreasonable for me, as their leader, to call myself the Demon King.

“Anyway, that’s the situation, so handle it casually.”

“You think I’ll let you escape?”

“Do you think you can stop us? The self-proclaimed strongest in the kingdom died in such a ridiculous and disgraceful manner. Do you still have something left?”

The way he says it is one thing, but the fact remains that the Sword Saint is dead, killed by my father. Moreover, the enemy couldn’t even land a single blow on us.

And as for the question of whether we think he’ll let us escape or if we think we can escape, it’s a challenge. Even if he bluffs, he can’t issue orders to capture us after witnessing this disaster.

Whether he understands that he can’t capture us or not, after glaring at us with a bitter expression, the king opened his mouth.

“I will reclaim the kingdoms territory.”

“It’s already our country. If you want it, come and take it, thief.”

With those words as the last, we left the audience chamber, which now had cracks in the floor, decorations scattered, and people lying around covered in blood, unlike when we entered.

We walked out of the castle at a leisurely pace, just as we did when we arrived, without any particular hurry. Along the way, we greeted the gatekeeper who stopped us, but at that moment, I couldn’t help but think, “Is this really okay?” It just didn’t seem like the attitude of people causing a commotion in the castle and then making a daring escape.

“You didn’t have to introduce me as the Demon King.”

However, during our walk, I complained to my father. Why the hell did he introduce me as the Demon King in that situation?

“In that case, I would have had to tell them your name. Wouldn’t it be better to avoid that? Being called the Demon King alone can distinguish you from others without revealing your name.”

“You could have used a fake name.”

“Well, yeah. But we’ve already settled on the title Demon King. We were planning to spread it anyway, so it doesn’t matter.”

Is this guy enjoying himself?

Certainly, it was already decided, but I never thought we would actually go with the title Demon King. Wasn’t it supposed to be kept as a name for insiders only?

But, you know, the Demon King in this world is considered an enemy of humanity. Let’s assume that Karakas being seen as an enemy of the world is fine. In reality, it’s a gathering of criminals, and from the world’s perspective, they are a menace.

However, if they send a hero, that’s a real pain.

I wonder if a hero will really come later? If they do, it’s… sigh. Annoying.

“Well, I just realized something.”

“What is it?”

“No, it’s a bit late, but I forgot to retrieve the sword I left for safekeeping. I left it there.”

“Oh, that. Well, isn’t it fine? You can buy a new one later. Unlike last time, you don’t have to sneak around the city searching for it. It should be easy to get one now. You’ve grown taller, and you can think about getting a new one.”

Last time, I bought it secretly in the northern district back when there was still a central district. Since then, I’ve grown taller, so the sword from back then might not be ideal for me, but I haven’t used it much anyway. Most battles are finished with skills. It feels a bit wasteful.

But, well, it’s okay for me to get a new one if needed. However, I wonder if my father’s sword was okay.

“Is yours okay?”

“Huh? Mine? Well, isn’t it fine? It’s just a cheap one anyway.”

“Didn’t you say it was expensive when you handed it over?”

“Well, it is expensive. I could buy several bottles of alcohol just by selling that sword, you know? It’s not some cheap thing you throw away willingly.”

So, “expensive” meant that. Certainly, it’s not cheap.

“Well, after doing some sightseeing, let’s head back.”

“Sightseeing? Do we have time for that?”

“Well, it’s also to assess the situation. They’ll probably start moving after today’s events, so it’s not too late to confirm that before heading back.”

Well, I might as well gather information. I can’t afford to neglect information gathering this time.

“So, I’m counting on you.”

“Huh?”

Well, certainly, I did have the intention of gathering information, but… Have I ever talked about doing that? …I don’t think I have.

“Yeah, see ya. Aren’t you good at gathering that kind of information?”

“…You know about that?”

“Did you think I didn’t?”

“Well, yeah. I guess it makes sense for you to know, even if I don’t say it.”

Having talked a bit about the future, we headed back to the inn.