The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 283

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

Chapter 283   Divine Soldiers: Five ‘Eight Heavens’

Elliot’s POV

With the instructions given and the camp setup approaching completion, the members of the “Eight Heavens,” who would be active together this time, finally gathered.

“Phew~. Finally, I can take a proper rest. Indeed, long journeys take a toll on this old body. Maybe I should have just waited at the castle?”

The first person to arrive was an elderly man walking with a staff, giving a distinct impression of a mage. It was Asbar, known as ‘Ground Splitter’.

As his alias suggests, he excels in anti-army and anti-castle magic, splitting the earth to annihilate enemies. While not well-suited for defensive battles or defeating individual opponents, his power would undoubtedly shine in a war like the present one.

…However, he wasn’t someone I particularly wanted to act together with, especially in a cooperative mission like this.

“What are you saying, old man? What good is it if you don’t show up? Besides, if you fought in the castle, it would probably collapse.”

Coming from behind Asbar was a man a few years older than me, wielding a spear. It was Barbados, known as ‘Mad Spear’.

This man’s rough appearance and brutish personality make him seem more like an enemy we have to defeat rather than a military man. However, he is still one of the “Eight Heavens” and belongs to the same kingdom as me.

Originally, he seems to have been a mercenary, but his nature was more akin to that of a bandit. For this reason, I can’t help but think of him as being similar to the people from Karakas and remain wary of him.

“Haha! Well, that’s right. My techniques show their maximum effectiveness in a war like this. But, even so, it’s only natural to want some rest, ain’t it? What about you?”

“Me? I don’t really care. I get that moving around can be boring. Moving on my own feet would be faster, you know. But, rather than waiting in the castle, I prefer this. Because, here, I can go wild as much as I want. They’re even talking about giving a special reward once this is over. It’s a series of good things, you know.”

“I wanted to rest~”

As Asbar and Barbados chatted, a languid woman—Adriana, who had been in the carriage, arrived pushing her wheelchair, just as she did before.

This wasn’t because she was injured; it was just a whimsical reason for finding walking troublesome.

The man pushing the wheelchair was not a soldier in our army but a servant directly under Adriana. Even more whimsically, considering him akin to a favorite mistress…

“Huh? Oh, you’re like that, huh? ‘Witch.'”

“I hate being called that~.”

Although she hadn’t been working properly until now, and her attitude was also disliked, what’s required of them this time is combat. If they can defeat Karakas and reclaim the city for His Majesty, minor things like this should be overlooked.

While thinking about this, I realized that out of the five who had gathered this time, the last one hadn’t shown herself yet. Normally, one wouldn’t forget the members of the “Eight Heavens,” but she tends to be overshadowed among such strong personalities, making it easy to forget her.

“…Where’s Lancia?”

“I’m here.”

As I spoke, a voice without much intonation came from behind. When I turned around reflexively, there was a girl sitting in a chair, leisurely holding a cup and some fruit.

“Hah! Can’t you stop moving around without a trace?”

“No. I dislike people.”

The words ‘dislike people’ imply that she is not a pure ‘person.’

She hails from one of the two elven forests within the Zaviet Kingdom, specifically from the forest to the northwest of the capital.

However, she is neither a pure human nor a pure elf but a half-elf born between a human and an elf. While she isn’t mistreated by the elves, given her half-elf status, humans treat her differently.

Even among the already scarce elves, being a half-elf makes her even rarer. If humans were to find such a rare race, they would be captured and treated as slaves.

Although she usually doesn’t leave the elven forest, could it be that this time she accepted His Majesty’s command due to Karakas being a den of criminals?

Moreover, there’s an elven forest nearby, different from her hometown, and within Karakas, there is a city known as Flower Town, where elves have been spotted.

Perhaps she wants to help those elves.

While she is the least involved among the members this time, she is also the person I feel most inclined to be involved with. …Of course, that might be because the others are too extreme.

“There you are, half-breed. You usually don’t show up at gatherings. Surprising to see you in a crowded place like this. I thought you always hid away in your territory.”

Having noticed Lancia’s presence, Barbados sneered, grinning in a way that mocked her half-elf status.

「……」

Without even glancing at Barbados, she brought the cup to her mouth and took a deep breath.

“Hmph! Speak properly. Should I just kill you? Huh?”

“I’ll kill you before that.”

“Oh~? Can you really do that? A bow user barking like that. It won’t be easy to crush me at this distance, you know? Do you understand that?”

“I can easily dodge at this distance. Do you understand?”

While she’s a 10th-tier, she’s a bow user. Therefore, in a pure close combat situation, Barbados would have the advantage. In addition, ‘Spearmen’ excel in speed. With that in mind, at this distance, Lancia is at a significant disadvantage.

However, she neither hesitated nor cared, staring at Barbados with emotionless eyes.

As the tension in the air began to build, and it seemed like a real battle would break out, I stepped between the two.

“Stop it! What’s the point of fighting here?”

“To discipline a half-assed like her.”

“Discipline for the inexperienced.”

Although they answered my words at exactly the same time, the content was nearly identical. Despite the possibility of them being on good terms, the earlier hostility and intent to kill were genuine, so it’s far from saying they get along.

“Inexperienced? Well, it’s easy for you, who has non-human blood mixed in. Unlike us, who have to put in effort, you just casually use skills, and before you know it, your rank has risen. “

Elves live longer than humans, so even if they use the same skills every day, they end up stronger. It’s a much longer life compared to humans. In fact, Lancia is much older than me. Barbados is probably referring to that.

“I am making an effort. Correct yourself.”

However, judging solely by the number of years one has lived seemed to displease her. Lancia’s demeanor changed abruptly, and she stood up, leaving the cup she had been holding.

Smirking with a provocative smile at Lancia, Barbados continued speaking.

“Oh, I see. For an elf, you seem to be making an effort.”

“That’s enough!”

But, this had to stop. If allowed to continue, a real fight might break out.

Thinking so, I decided to intervene once again.

Honestly… facing the enemy, knowing that there would be a significant battle tomorrow, and yet, ending up in such a situation. It’s something unimaginable for regular knights or soldiers. Still, this kind of behavior is permitted due being the Tenth Rank, but dealing with it is truly troublesome.

“We’ll launch an attack on the city tomorrow. It’s good to have the will to fight, but save it for tomorrow.”

“Yeah, yeah. I can’t help but listen to what the great general of this army has to say.”

“It’s the General ‘Assistant.’ Don’t get it wrong.”

“Yeah, yeah. The prince is here, right? …Tell the small fry to stay out of the way.”

Following my words, Barbados stared at me in a bored manner, then muttered something and walked away. Probably heading back to his own tent.

“Sorry.”

Unlike Barbados, who made his dissatisfaction clear, Lancia lowered her head to me without saying anything extra. Although her expression hardly changed, it was evident that she felt sorry. Despite responding to the earlier provocation, she generally has a calm personality. She dislikes conflicts and troubles, and in the first place, she rarely appears in public. Perhaps that’s why she easily apologized. Communication might be an issue, but in terms of behavior, she falls into the category of relatively normal among the Eight Heavens this time.

“Why does it have to end like this? It’s so dull.”

“…Is the conversation over?”

As Barbados and Lancia exchanged words, Asbar and Adriana, the two of them reacting as if watching a play, showed little interest. If these two had intervened together, Barbados might not have displayed such a rough attitude. However, thinking about that now serves no purpose. Even if they don’t lend a hand, as long as they don’t cause any trouble, it’s sufficient.

“Both of you, head to your respective locations and wait. After dinner, we’ll convene again for a meeting, so don’t forget.”

“Understood. I’m aware.”

“Such a hassle.”

Saying so, the two of them proceeded towards their respective tents.

Despite having ample military strength, the challenges ahead were daunting, leaving me sighing in frustration.