The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 286

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

Chapter 286   Divine Soldier: Finally…

Elloit’s POV

“Calm down! It’s certainly unexpected, but we originally came here to fight! No matter how many they gather, they are nothing more than a group of rogues! They may look organized, but that’s just for show! Thieves who can only act selfishly and roam around aimlessly can never engage in proper group combat! There’s no need to be afraid. We, the ‘Eight Heavens,’ are the supreme strength of our country! We can’t lose!”

I shouted to reassure and inspire the soldiers who were anxious about the unexpected situation. As a result, the soldiers gradually stopped making noise, and while some remained on guard, they began to resume their normal activities.

“Making such a racket early in the morning. What’s the commotion, you bastards?”

“I’m sleepy…”

Indeed, it was early in the morning, and my earlier words might have felt noisy to those who were still asleep.

However, today is the day when the war will begin. Yet, here they are with such an attitude.

But there’s nothing I can do by saying it now, so I have to ignore it.

I proceeded to explain the situation to the newly arrived Barbados and Adriana.

“Heh, soldiers suddenly in the middle of the night. That’s quite a situation.”

However, while Barbados verbally acknowledges the situation, he seems to genuinely not care, or more accurately, feel indifferent. It’s not because he sensed that it wasn’t a threat, but rather, he truly seems to think, ‘I don’t care.’ Whether it’s a threat or not, there’s no way he can lose; he’s just here to wreak havoc. That’s probably how he sees it.

“Realistically, what are we going to do? The plan was to have the witch blast through where the enemy is holed up, break down the walls, and then we charge in, right?”

At the strategy meeting last night, the assumption was that we would engage in a siege, so we wouldn’t be fighting outside the city. That’s why the plan originally started with breaking down the walls. However, with soldiers outside like that, the situation changes.

While they are not a direct threat, they could become a hindrance. So, it would be wise to crush them first before doing anything else.

“That was just the initial plan. We anticipated that the enemy might be lying in wait. …Didn’t we discuss this yesterday?”

“Ah, sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Tch. This is why relying on the likes of you…”

I unintentionally muttered words I didn’t intend to say in response to Barbados’s repeated arrogant attitude.

It was a small whisper, but Barbados seemed to have heard it. He twitched his eyebrows in response and then glared at me with displeasure.

“If you’ve got a problem, speak up. I can manage without relying on you guys, you know? If you have complaints, spit them out. I might as well go over there now. It doesn’t seem uncomfortable, and…”

“What? Are you planning to betray us?”

Barbados’s attitude may be bad, but I understand that it’s my fault for voicing ill will. If I need to apologize, I’ll do so sincerely.

However, I can’t leave Barbados, who hinted at betrayal, alone.

“Stop it, both of you. What’s the point of arguing here? Let’s quickly decide on a plan and take action. It’s the fastest way for both of us to get rid of this troublesome situation, isn’t it?”

And there, Asbar-sama, clapped his hands to interrupt us.

…Right. What am I getting all worked up about? I’m the one in charge of summarizing this situation. While I can’t forgive betrayal or even hinting at it, starting a fight in this state would be bad.

Calm down. I need to become more composed to handle this situation.

“…Yeah, my bad.”

“Let’s wrap this up quickly. I’m tired just being here; I want to go home soon.”

“A long journey must be tough for an old lady like you, huh, ‘Witch’?”

However, even if I managed to regain composure, Barbados didn’t intend to keep quiet. He shifted his target from me to Adriana, who was complaining, and with his usual disdainful smile, he taunted her.

“…Drop dead.”

It seemed Barbados’ words didn’t sit well with Adriana. In her usual slow and monotonous voice, devoid of the usual allure, she retorted, “Fine, death it is then,” and simultaneously conjured a spear of water that shot towards Barbados.

Normally, it would be challenging to react, let alone dodge, such an attack, but Barbados casually caught the flying water ‘spear’ and intercepted the subsequent ones. After shattering all the spears, he tossed his own spear towards Adriana’s feet.

Dealing with magic created by a mage isn’t supposed to be as easy as just grabbing it. However, at the speed Barbados executed the series of actions, Adriana, despite her abilities, seemed unable to respond effectively. There’s an unavoidable difference in reflexes and agility between close combat specialists and mages in situations like this.

“Tch! Getting old makes you short-tempered, huh? Or maybe senile? Didn’t that impostor over there tell us not to fight?”

Even after successfully defending against all attacks without showing any signs of fatigue or injury, Barbados continued to provoke with his words.

“No worries. This isn’t a fight; it’s a sermon.”

Adriana said this, and this time, she created something different – not a spear but a small twisted cone. And not just ten or twenty, but it seemed to be over a thousand.

“Hah! Sermons and all that just make you sound even more old!”

Even in such a situation, surrounded by these antics, Barbados seemed intent on fighting or at least had no intention of stopping his provocations. As a ‘Spearman,’ it was unclear how capable he would be without his spear, but whatever the outcome, it wouldn’t end well.

“That’s enough!”

As it seemed the fight was about to start, His Highness appeared with an unusually loud voice, intervening between the two quarreling individuals and putting an end to the impending conflict.

“Both of you, that’s enough. Even those with power might have disagreements. But, we’re in the midst of a strategic operation now. For the time being, hold off for my sake. If you want to wreak havoc, save it for over there; the opportunity will come soon enough without having to hear unnecessary complaints from someone like me.”

With His Highness’s intervention, perhaps out of reluctance or realizing the hassle, Adriana shot a sharp glance at His Highness and us before dispelling her magic.

Barbados, too, seemingly deciding it wasn’t worth causing any more trouble once stopped, shrugged his shoulders and stepped back.

“Are we clear now?”

“Yeah, sorry for keeping you waiting.”

Finally, we could get back to the discussion. While I couldn’t assert myself strongly due to my involvement in the issue, it was certain that we had wasted precious time.

“And then? What are your plans for the future? Can I handle it?”

“Yes, please. Use your large-area magic to split the earth and sweep away those soldiers. After that, the other four can split into two groups and proceed with the plan.”

“Understood. However, if I use large-area magic, I won’t be able to function as a proper force afterward. If I use it in the city, I’ll end up destroying the entire city. Is that acceptable?”

“Yes. I am aware of that. Once you release the magic and clear the enemies outside the city, you can rest. After all, that’s your specialty.”

“Hohoho. Well then, let me take it easy.”

Asbar, the ‘Ground Splitter.’ His fighting style is just as straightforward as his name suggests. With his eighth-tier earth magic, he creates massive rifts in the ground, sending both strong and weak alike plummeting into the depths. That’s how Asbar-sama fights.

Recently, I heard stories of a queen with the earth magic proficiency of a soil mage reaching the eighth tier and making significant contributions on the western border, but Asbar-sama possesses a power incomparable to that. In the western battles, I heard that even with the ground split, enemy invasions continued. If Asbar-sama had been there, there probably wouldn’t have been any further invasions after the initial attack. After all, there would be no remaining enemies capable of such a second invasion.

He could engulf an entire city if he went all out, demonstrating the magnitude of his power.

In this operation, our objective is not to destroy the city but to secure it, so we can’t directly attack the city. However, it’s not a problem outside the city. With that eerie yet formidable army, it should be possible to defeat them without any issues.

“First of all, did we even need to gather like this? We could have just left the extermination of small fry to the old man and dealt with the rest with the army we brought along, right?”

“I’ve said it many times, but Doban-sama was defeated. The enemy has someone on par with us.”

I’ve been saying this since before we set off for this operation.

Nevertheless, Barbados has thrown this question at us several times, showing that he doesn’t quite understand. I get his feelings, but the conclusion remains unchanged. We can’t afford not to be cautious.

“That being said, it’s just one person, right? Gathering five people seems unnecessary. Isn’t it excessive firepower? Well, I understand that two of us are fakes and half-baked, not worth relying on.”

“It’s not excessive; we’re ensuring everything is foolproof. Losing one person is a fact, and we can’t afford any more damage, just in case.”

Barbados might have wanted to provoke us, but as usual, His Highness answered with a smile, not taking the bait.

“Now, ‘Mad Spear’ Barbados, ‘Witch of Misfortune’ Adriana, ‘Magic Bullet’ Lancia, ‘Ground Splitter’ Asbar, and ‘Divine Soldier’ Elliot. With these five, there should be no chance of failure. However, damages might occur even if we succeed. Therefore, I want you all to handle things with the utmost care. For the sake of the country, we cannot afford to lose anyone else.”

This operation won’t fail; success is practically guaranteed. However, it doesn’t mean there won’t be casualties along the way. One of the Eight Heavens has already fallen, and there are suspicious movements from neighboring countries. We cannot afford to incur new losses at this point.

“Well, I’m not planning on dying. I don’t have any intention of working for the country either.”

“I won’t die either, so you can rest assured. However, I’ll leave as soon as it’s over. Oh, make sure to prepare the reward properly, alright?”

As expected of Barbados, but Asbar-sama sent a piercing gaze towards His Highness while saying this.

“I understand. His Majesty is a person who keeps his promises. And so am I.”

“That’s good. I don’t want to disregard His Majesty’s wishes. After it’s over, I’ll return promptly.”

What kind of “reward” this person is talking about probably isn’t a simple amount of gold, and it likely won’t be anything good. It’s intriguing, but it’s better not to dwell on it.

“Well, let’s keep it in moderation, okay?”

Adriana doesn’t seem motivated, but she should at least fulfill the initial instructions.

“…,”

Lancia remains silent, but that’s her usual behavior. She should handle her part of the job properly.

“As Your Highness wishes. I will stake my life for the country and fight,” I declared, kneeling before His Highness.

“Thank you. Now, let’s go through the detailed arrangements, and we’ll attack in an hour. Make sure each of you is prepared,” His Highness commanded.

…Their strength is formidable, but so is mine. Barbados and Adriana, not to mention Asbar-sama, all seem powerful yet distorted in their own ways. I cannot comprehend participating in a war simply because one enjoys the overlapping screams of many dying people and the expressions of those about to die.

Lancia doesn’t speak much, but when she does, she seems reasonable. However, her loyalty isn’t directed towards the country. She joined as one of the Eight Heavens to secure a place for her fellow elves, using the forest as their territory. Despite her seeming normalcy, this poses a significant problem.

“…But with this, we won’t lose,” I murmured. After that, I stood up, issued instructions to the soldiers, and began discussing the strategy once again.

As time passed quickly, it finally came to the moment when we would attack the enemy stronghold.