The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 277

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

Chapter 277   Flora’s growth…?

“What is Treant saying?”

“Well, it’s kind of like in a half-asleep manner, calling me ‘Daddy.'”

“Daddy, huh? Well, considering you used your power to grow the seeds that Flora created, you could say you are like a parent, couldn’t you?”

But, you know, the original seeds were created by someone else, and if we’re talking about parents, shouldn’t it be the plant that the seeds originally came from?

“How about asking Flora to clarify?”

“Oh, right. – Flora, can you hear me?”

“What’s up?”

Speaking towards the Sacred Tree, Flora, in her spirit form, came over. Oh, right, I left her vessel back at the mansion.

“Treant is calling me ‘Daddy,’ any idea why?”

“? Daddy is daddy? Flora’s child—”

Flora, with a cheerful expression, made a gesture as if creating something and looked at us.

…Hey, where did she acquire such advanced knowledge… Well, there is a brothel here, so it’s not that surprising. Knowledge sources are all around here.

“Wait, hold on. Looking closely, haven’t you grown a bit? You seem like you’re somewhere between the early and middle grades of elementary school, or maybe a bit older? Well, in that sense, upon closer inspection, it feels like Flora has gotten taller.

I can’t honestly be happy about Flora’s growth, but is that my fault? Should I supervise a bit more strictly? I wouldn’t want her to grow up imitating the prostitutes around here, would I?

Well, as for Flora’s upbringing, I’ll think about it later. For now, it’s about Treant and the others.”

“…Kyle’s prediction seems to be right.”

“Seems like it.”

“Hey, hey. Daddy?”

“Who’s your daddy? Stop calling me that.”

“Aww, but in reality, isn’t it fitting to call you daddy based on the situation? Daddy?”

Lilia is teasingly laughing, but there’s no need to get upset over such teasing at this point. Don’t underestimate my patience, alright? Well, later when she’s sleeping, I’ll make a scarecrow or something and place it around her bed, looking down on her. She’ll probably be pleasantly surprised.

“Anyway, it seems like there’s no problem with the growth conditions.”

“Do you know the situation of the ones planted in the other villages?”

“It’s okay. The ones planted in the other villages have also grown a bit.”

Responding to Sofia’s question, Flora says, “a bit,” which means they must be different from the Treants here, as Lilia also mentioned.

“If Flora says it’s ‘a bit,’ does that mean they haven’t become like these ones?”

“Not yet. Just a little more?”

“So far, is there any sign of them going berserk or any indication of them attacking humans? Anything like that?”

“Hmm, none? Everyone seems satisfied.”

Not only are they growing, but the fact that there’s no dissatisfaction implies that, for now, they are being interacted with, without neglect or mistreatment. However, considering it’s only been around two or three weeks, they might not show a rebellious attitude so soon.

“In that case, it seems the villagers are properly nurturing them without resisting us.”

“Well, I didn’t think they would resist us so quickly, but it was somewhat unexpected that they are genuinely nurturing them. Normally, even if you tell them to grow Treant seeds, they wouldn’t bother.”

“If the village doesn’t fully understand the danger of Treants, it might just end with that, right?”

After all, as long as they don’t move, they’re just trees. There’s no need to handle them roughly.

“Ah, I see. Honestly, the people in the village somehow… ah, sorry for the harsh words, but they seemed a bit foolish.”

Kyle’s words might be a bit blunt, but the sentiment is understandable.

“If they never needed significant knowledge without leaving the village, it’s likely they know very little. It’s the same even if it’s common sense or the situation in the country. If they thought it had nothing to do with their small village, they wouldn’t have tried to learn anything, and due to that ignorance, they might feel the way Kyle described.”

‘Village residents’ sometimes live their entire lives without leaving the village, and their knowledge becomes stagnant. Therefore, they may be ignorant, and it’s not entirely wrong to say they lack education.

“Anyway, about the cultivation status of Treants, it’s fine, including the people from the other villages, right?”

“Yeah, it’s okay.”

“I see. Then let’s continue to monitor and let me know if anything happens. Oh, and later, I’ll show you the map, so if you notice any groups of people entering the vicinity, inform me.”

“Got it! So let’s play!”

“Play, huh… well, fine. What do you want to do?”

“A shop?”

“Playing shop? That sounds cute. It’s quite different from imitating the prostitutes earlier. If it’s just growing up like this, then it’s something to celebrate—”

“Flora’s going to steal!”

…I can’t celebrate this. Are you not only imitating prostitutes but also thieves? Sure, there’s plenty of teaching material lying around, but can’t you learn something else? At least try imitating a swordsman or something.

“…Hey, isn’t there something different you can imitate?”

“Something different? Hmm… lately, making easy money is nice. Drinking good alcohol earned easily is amazing!”

Flora somehow prepared a wooden sword, carried it on her shoulder, and started making gestures as if sipping something.

…Certainly, she’s a swordsman, but come on! That’s still different! Try imitating something more normal!

“…Let’s go back to the mansion and make some sweets.”

“Yeah!”

“Understood!”

I was able to somehow correct the course, and I’m relieved. There might have been some voices other than Flora’s mixed in, but I won’t mind. I have to deal with her anyway, so it’s the usual.

“All right, then I’ll leave Treant to you. Also, let me know if anyone approaches here.”

“Got it!”

And so, we headed back to the mansion.

I hope you continue to grow up quietly like this.

The next day, my father and I gathered at the building in the former central district, the usual place for meetings.

It’s been so many times, but I still can’t get used to the situation of being surrounded by the boss and his guards. It’s easy when it’s a battlefield; you just need to kill or escape if things get tough. However, in this situation, it’s not that simple.

“Everyone is here. Please proceed with the report.”

“Hey, Edward. First, some congratulations are in order. Anyway, how’s that attitude toward our king? What’s up with that?”

While Edward and Carmena were exchanging words, I didn’t mind the pleasantries. I just wanted them to move on with the discussion.

“Oh, my apologies, Your Majesty. Thank you very much for your hard work this time. Now, could you please inform us of what happened over there?”

“Well, forget about that formal stuff. It feels weird to be treated so nicely.”

“Is that so? Well, worrying about you won’t make me any money, and I don’t mind. I don’t need your consideration—well, let’s leave the jokes aside. Well, let me continue to do as I like. But, you also need to get used to being a king. Once you start, you’ll inevitably need that kind of attitude in the future.”

It wasn’t my choice to start with, and it’s a bit late to say that now. Certainly, once started, there’s no turning back. As the old lady said, I need to get used to various things.

However, when I think about the future, a sigh seems to escape from me. Me, a king… that’s not something I’m cut out for.

“And now, please tell us about what happened over there.”

In response to Edward’s words, I explained what had happened—or rather, what I had caused.

I think a knight who was with us should be the one explaining rather than a king, but I felt like my father might gloss over various things, so I took the initiative to explain. Dad might handle things properly when it comes to action, but it’s about his usual behavior or attitude. I’m not entirely confident in that.

“Well, you did quite a flashy job.”

“Not exactly flashy. It was within expectations.”

Carmena sighed in a bewildered manner after listening to my story, but my father easily brushed it off without any remorse.

“However, Doban, was it? It was fortunate to have defeated one of the tenth tier.”

That guy who called himself the ‘Sword Saint’ and had a cool name was tenth tier. I didn’t think I could defeat him, and it would have been impossible without my father.

“One of the eight on the tenth tier, known as the ‘Eight Heavens,’ in the Zaviet Kingdom. So, was I right?”

“Yes, it was Doban.”

“But since Dad defeated him, the Eight Heavens now reduced to seven… it’s still unexpectedly many, huh?”

I knew about the existence of the Eight Heavens, but when it comes to actually fighting them, eight people—no, seven people, seemed like quite a lot.

“It’s surprisingly not so. It’s quite normal. In an ordinary country, having three of them would be considered bountiful. So, having more than double in Zaviet makes it a considerably powerful nation. In fact, thanks to that, they’ve been able to maintain the country even with enemies around.”

“But in reality, we don’t hear much about them moving, huh? Well, most of them are just staying conditionally, so it can’t be helped.”

“That’s correct. They were supposed to protect their status, freedom, and rights in exchange for ‘lending’ their power if the country requested it.”

“Just lending, huh?”

“Yes. Well, they are technically affiliated with this country, but they mostly live in their given lands like autonomous territories—more like small countries. Since they are part of the country, political troubles are taken care of by the nation, and they are free to do as they please in the given land. So, it’s an easy life for them. That’s why nobody leaves this country.”

“Because leaving would cause trouble.”

“Yes. If you leave, you might encounter complications. It’s easier to live by choosing to belong to a country that doesn’t make too many requests and eliminates external threats. And if the country can boast about having a member of the Tenth Tier, it’s beneficial for both parties, serving as a deterrent in times of defense—well, that’s the general idea.”

From the perspective of the Eight Heavens, they let the country handle political matters while enjoying the freedom to do as they please in their given territory.

From the country’s perspective, having a member of the Tenth Tier is beneficial for defense, and it gives them the prestige of having a powerful individual affiliated with them.

It’s a mutually beneficial contract.

“So, are these guys going to be dragged out this time?”

“As far as I heard, yes.”

Given what I heard, it’s still unclear how many from the Eight Heavens will be used. The final decision will be made after formally proposing the expedition to them and adjusting various details.

“This time, the country can’t afford to leave it be. A hostile force within its own country’s territory has suddenly declared independence. If left unchecked, it would damage the reputation and everything the country has built up until now.”

Well, that’s understandable. Allowing independence is out of the question. If one is allowed, others might follow suit or even switch sides. To prevent that, it’s crucial to crush us before it becomes a problem.