The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 299

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

Chapter 299   Water is universal against elves.

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Therefore, sensing a lack of hostile intent, I refrained from allowing the seeds already settled within her stomach to sprout.

And now…

“Nice to meet you, Your Highness.”

Before me stood an elf—no, a half-elf, who had come before me surrounded by several, including Sofia.

“Lancia… right?”

I know the name, the position, and the abilities, having learned them through preliminary investigations. We also conversed yesterday, albeit with Flora in between. Still, it’s better to confirm.

“Yes.”

“I heard it last night, but are you really okay with this?”

It might be a question better asked after everything is over, but can she truly betray Zaviet?

“I came here only to confirm the safety of my kin. Naturally, I have no loyalty to the country.”

“Kin, huh… didn’t you ever think they might be forced to work?”

“I knew there was a sacred tree nearby, so I considered it impossible. Also, the water was delicious.”

“Water…?”

“River water. It was delicious.”

Certainly, the river contained water from the sacred tree’s garden—meaning the water I produced using irrigation was flowing and mixed in it. So, even if she’s a half-elf, it’s not surprising that Lancia, being an elf, would be attracted to the water.

It’s not strange, but… if the reason the enemy’s strongest force defected was water, it’s somewhat hard to believe.

Well, it ended easily, so it’s fine. But there’s something… Well, never mind.

…Oh well, it’s fine. Honestly, I don’t want to fight her. If we can settle things through conversation, that’s better.

I never really wanted to go around killing everyone indiscriminately.

Moreover, it’s not a matter of wanting or not wanting to kill her; it’s more like she fundamentally ‘doesn’t want to fight.’ Perhaps because I might lose if she does.

The possibility of losing isn’t just because she’s one of the Eight Heavens and tenth rank. I won’t deny that, but there’s a different reason.

That reason is that among the enemies this time, she was the most threatening.

I’ve fought attackers like the archer before, but she’s much more of a threat than him.

In the previous encounter… I forgot his name, but the S-rank adventurer used some elaborate ‘technique’ called the Arrow Barrier, but that wasn’t the true way of an archer.

The true way is to assassinate from a hidden place in one strike, just like her. That’s the archer’s way of fighting.

She was formidable. This time, she aimed for the scarecrow, but the moment it appeared, she shot it. The speed of that strike was such that, even though I could barely react, that’s all I could manage. If she had targeted my actual body, I would have taken a direct hit and probably died.

The Witch of Misfortune’s water was powerful too, and if I had faced the divine soldier head-on, I might have lost. But in her case, it wouldn’t even be a fight. I would be killed before the battle even began.

Well, if I were directly targeted, Bell would likely perceive the ‘hostile intent towards me’ and react to protect me, so I might be able to avoid it. But alone, I wouldn’t stand a chance. It’s a style of attacking from beyond my perception range with a single strike—a true nemesis for me.

Setting up scarecrows nearby might solve the problem, but constantly creating scarecrows every few meters is impractical, and I can’t afford to do that.

If she, in secret, had genuinely tried to kill me, I would probably be dead. Placed in some building or high location in the city, she would strike if she spotted me. That would be the end of it.

It’s not about whether I can win or lose; it’s that there wouldn’t even be a fight. That’s the level of threat she poses.

So, I don’t want to fight her, and if she wants to be an ally, that would be welcome. So far, there’s no sign of betrayal, and Flora doesn’t seem particularly suspicious either.

Moreover, even if she were lying and planning to kill me, using the skill of a “Pledge master” would prevent her from doing anything harmful. Even if she tried to exploit loopholes in the oath, having her stay at my place and mixing seeds into the food would ensure that if she betrayed me, I could deal with it at any time. Bell can sense any hostile intent or murderous intent towards me under normal circumstances, so I wouldn’t be killed unknowingly.

For now, should I introduce her to Lilia and the others?

“Amazing… How can I put it… amazing.”

So, after imposing the skill of “Pledge master” to prevent any rebellion, I guided her through the city until we reached the sacred tree, and her impression was just that. An impression not of the city but of the elves residing in it.

“Weren’t there more elves around here?”

“No, there were more. But it’s completely different now. They weren’t this silly—definitely not this laid-back.”

True. If elves worldwide were the same as those over there, the elven race would have long since perished. While they have some competence and strength, fundamentally, they have a carefree nature that leads them to mess things up at crucial moments.

“What are they doing?”

After leading her to the plaza around the sacred tree, which serves as a gathering place for elves, Lancia pointed and asked while using her fingers to indicate a particular scene. The momentary breakdown in language was likely due to her surprise.

“Huh? Oh… that? It’s… bathing?”

If you ask what they’re doing, well, it’s bathing. Not completely naked, mind you; they’re still wearing clothes. However, there’s one decisive difference from ordinary bathing, aside from the fact that they’re clothed.

“That they… are they drowning?”

It’s not surprising that Lancia would think that. After all, elves, rather than simply bathing, give off a vibe as if they are submerged in water.

There are water channels around the sacred tree. Although they’re called water channels, the water is clean enough for people to drink without any issues. However, elves float in them like water corpses, gently bobbing up and down.

As for why it turned out like this, I don’t know.

Initially, they would lie by the waterside, basking in the sun, occasionally scooping up water to drink, or even putting their face in for a direct sip. But somehow, without my knowledge, they ended up floating.

“No, it’s not like that, I think… but anything I produce seems to be a joy for plants. So, I regularly provide water around this sacred tree, and it seems the elves took a liking to it… liked it so much they ended up like that.”

Since they’re floating on their backs, they can still breathe, so technically, no one is drowning. I don’t think those elves would do something as foolish as floating in water without being able to breathe.

…Maybe I should assign some personnel for monitoring, just in case someone does drown. Well, even if someone did drown, those idiots would probably keep floating in that water, attracting others like a certain folklore creature.

“Can you produce that water?”

“Well, I can… but…”

Even though I prepared it specifically, it’s ultimately something produced by my skill, so it’s not particularly challenging to create.

“Go ahead.”

Saying that, Lancia leaned her head forward… huh? What’s this? Are you asking me to splash water on you?

“No, by ‘go ahead,’ you mean I should splash water on you?”

“Yes.”

No, seriously, “Yes”…

Well, if it’s just one or two uses of the skill, it’s not particularly exhausting, so if she wants it, that’s fine. Despite initially seeming sensible, I felt a somewhat carefree demeanor reminiscent of Lilia and the others, and it left me slightly bemused.

But, if I don’t use the skill now, it feels like she’ll just keep waiting forever. Oh well, no helping it.

It seems that the water I produce has an intoxicating effect on elves, like alcohol, but she should probably be fine. After all, she’s a half-elf. Being half-human, she shouldn’t get drunk from water.

“Alright, here we go—《Irrigation》.”

I directed my hand towards Lancia, who continued to lean her head forward, and activated the skill.

The water released by the skill splashed onto Lancia’s head and gradually soaked her entire body.

Normally, a woman wouldn’t ask to be soaked by someone else, but I had become somewhat accustomed to it due to the elves’ usual reactions. So, I didn’t particularly resist.

However, is this okay for Lancia? I mean, being all wet in a feminine way can’t be good, right?

The fabric of her clothes is thick, so there’s no see-through effect from the water. Nevertheless, the issue remains that the clothes stick to her body due to the water, potentially revealing her figure. Just being wet gives off an awkward vibe.

“How is it? Did something change?”

Well, that’s how I ended up creating a soaking wet half-elf, but did she get what she was seeking by asking to be splashed with water?

“…”

I thought so, but Lancia didn’t respond to my words. Although she lifted her head after being splashed, she remained frozen in a contemplative pose, with her hand covering her mouth, lost in thought.

“Lancia?”

I called out again, thinking she might not have noticed due to being lost in thought, but the result was the same. What’s going on?

As I pondered, Lancia suddenly lowered the hand covering her mouth and directed her gaze toward me.

However, her eyes seemed unfocused, somewhat dreamy…

“Hehe.”

With that peculiar gaze, she erased the serious expression she had just moments ago and innocently smiled at me.

“Hehe?”

Could it be that she’s… drunk?

The water I produce, or rather the irrigation from the skill, seems to have an intoxicating effect on elves, similar to alcohol. It’s understandable that they would get drunk if they drink it. Anyone would understand that by looking at those fools floating in the water over there.

But is she too weak to alcohol? Technically, it’s not alcohol but water, but well, in this context, using the term “drunk” is appropriate.

Leaving that aside, Lancia is still a “half-elf” after all. She’s half-human, so there shouldn’t be anything strange happening just from drinking water.

At least, that’s what I thought, but it seems I was wrong.

Could it be that, precisely because she’s a half-elf, the peculiar water resistance of elves is inherited in a weird way, making her particularly vulnerable to water?

“Water…”

While I frowned, contemplating this, Lancia once again leaned her head forward.

Feeling a headache coming on as I extended my hand to activate the skill, I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on with her.

“…If you want water, it’s over there.”

However, continuously producing water as she desires seemed bothersome, so instead, I decided to suggest that she make friends with the other elves, pointing them out with my fingers.

“Yeah!”

Hearing my words, Lancia joyfully responded, laughing as she joined the other elves.

…Did I consider that the biggest threat? Where did the serious attitude from a moment ago go? This completely ruins the image. Are there no decent elves?

“Well, do as you please.”

After saying that, I decided to leave Lancia almost freely, despite having assigned some surveillance. It started feeling ridiculous to worry about it. I became ridiculous. She can play around on her own.

Now, it’s time to confirm the enemy soldiers that our comrades have retrieved or will be retrieving—

“Huh!?”

However, just as I was about to start walking, I suddenly sensed a strong force from a distant part of the city, away from where I was.

“…Is this my old man? Why is he using so much power?”

I’ve felt a similar aura before, and I could understand that it belonged to my father. But why is my father doing something like this? The battle is over, and there are no enemies left…