The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 313

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

Chapter 313   One more time with the king…huh?

“Well, that’s true. In addition, there’s the issue of how to handle the fact that there was a war and how to interact with the surroundings. In the villages and towns we incorporated into our territory, there were likely those who were outwardly compliant but harboring resentment. With the defeat of the Eight Heavens, they’ll have to think about their actions moving forward.”

And the problem with the villages is not just that. As Sofia mentioned, there were likely those who hoped to break free from our rule. This applies not only to the villages but also to the city, and perhaps even more so. Those in larger, more powerful cities might have been more inclined to entertain such thoughts.

However, the Eight Heavens lost, and the national army retreated. They can no longer escape from our rule.

Speaking of rule, I don’t think we’re doing anything too harsh. At most, the only major changes are that they now pay their taxes to us, and there’s been a slight increase in bandit activity. There’s also the lingering anxiety about being attacked someday, but that’s about it.

Oh, and there are some shops being swallowed up and absorbed by Edward’s trading company.

Also, there’s the possibility of a branch of Old lady’s brothel opening, resulting in a slight deterioration in public safety and an increase in people trying to imitate us or act rebellious.

…There were more things than I thought.

Well, overall, the damage is relatively minor, and it’s not like things have become absurdly different or visibly changed. Still, some people won’t be pleased. There have been some changes, even if they aren’t drastic.

“So, even though they were trying to break free from our rule, the national army lost and couldn’t escape anymore. If that’s the case, the other side will likely be considering various things, and if we make any missteps, we don’t know how they’ll react. We’ll need to think about and adjust to these aspects.”

“Ah, as for the villages, whatever, but the city… When the scale and population increase, complications tend to arise. Well, I’ll leave the hassle of managing those matters to Edward. It’s nice having him around; it makes things easier.”

Normally, the workload I delegate to Edward would be abnormal. I don’t just hand everything over; if I did, I might risk losing the throne I worked so hard to get. However, if you want it, take it. Ensuring the safety of my comrades and managing this garden is enough for me.

Well, Edward and Carmena Grandma probably wouldn’t desire the throne anyway; they’d likely have taken it from the start. Or maybe the two of them have subordinates scheming to rise in status. After all, neither Edward nor Carmena can manage everything alone, so they use their subordinates for various tasks. There’s a possibility of some scheming happening.

However, even in that case, if you want it, take it. I don’t particularly desire the title of king. More like a demon king. Having such a title might attract a hero sooner or later, and while I’d deal with them when they come, it’s still a bit worrisome.

…However, now that I’ve become a king, reluctantly or not, I think it’s a bit troublesome, but I intend to do it properly. At least until someone who wants the throne shows up and seems fit to be a king. It’s a crazy city, but it’s my hometown. I can’t let someone who might mess things up become the king.

Well, in any case, things have settled down in various ways over this month. I haven’t done anything significant, but I’ve been careful in my own way. However, it’s about time to move freely.

“Well then, since things around here have settled down, shall we start moving to overthrow His Majesty the King?”

It’s probably already a quite dire situation, but it’s not enough yet. We need to cooperate with the Crown Prince, whom we spared and returned, and forcibly remove that king from the throne.

Well, even if that guy steps down as king, I won’t become the new king. It’s too troublesome.

Also, we just gained independence, obtained territory, and it’s still a state of not being completely organized

If he steps down from the throne, my family could gather here… well, I don’t know how Filia would react, but my mother wouldn’t be the queen anymore, so I might be able to bring her to this city. Whether she actually comes is uncertain, but I think it’s worthwhile just to let her know that it’s possible.

“By the way, about that, going to meet the king, of course, is one thing, but interfering around the capital is currently impossible.”

I asked Edward about it in the meeting with that in mind, and that was the response I got.

“Huh? Is there still some issue going on?”

It’s been a month, and most of the issues should have been resolved. That’s what the reports said, and there shouldn’t be any signs of the Eastern nation making any moves. Probably because of my father’s strike. With that blow, the path that the military could pass through was blocked, and the Eastern nation isn’t strong enough to face those who can deliver such a blow head-on. If they had that kind of strength, they would have attacked without waiting for Zaviet to weaken.

The religious state to the southeast, as of now, hasn’t shown any reactions. They’re probably occupied with dealing with the real ‘Demon King’ in the south. How long are they going to fight the Demon King? It’s already the second year, right?

Well, they’re probably leading armies against each other, so it might be a military confrontation. But considering our battle ended in a few days, it just feels slow when comparing.

… Are heroes not that strong after all? No, that can’t be. I mean, they’re heroes. They were brought from another world, so they must be strong. There are stories about the Demon King escaping before being defeated because this Demon King is aquatic, but there must be other issues beyond pure strength.

Well, leaving that aside, there shouldn’t be anything particularly problematic. Or has something new happened?

While I pondered about whether something had happened, Edward furrowed his brows discontentedly and sighed.

… That discontented sigh isn’t because of my incompetence, is it?

I initially thought that Edward might be dissatisfied with my inability to grasp the situation from his expression. However, I couldn’t sense any such feelings directed at me from his gaze, so it seemed he wasn’t dissatisfied with me.

Then why does he seem like that? I wondered, but the reason was soon explained by Edward himself.

“Well, when I say he’s gone, I mean… the king is no longer here.”

“…Huh?”

However, the reason he told me wasn’t immediately understandable.

Huh? What do you mean, the king is gone? What happened? He’s gone?

“What exactly do you mean, Ed-boy?”

“Or rather, a rebel army seems to have moved. Originally, the country was in chaos due to our rise, and when we fought against the kingdom, the Eight Heavens, their highest fighting force, lost over half of its members. In addition, the West, which was hostile, is temporarily safe, and our presence here eliminates interference from the Eastern nations. If the Eastern countries try to meddle with Zaviet, they won’t be able to ignore us strategically. It would create anxiety about being targeted from behind. Well, it’s a good timing if they’re going to take over.”

Well, yeah, it might be so, but…

It’s true that there were potential enemy nations to the east of the Zaviet Kingdom, and the west was in a full-blown war. So if a rebellion occurred, causing turmoil in the country, there was a possibility that other nations might take advantage of the situation and attack.

However, now, the war in the west had shown overwhelming force, crushing the enemy’s army and achieving victory. The western nation had lost its elite demon forces and tens of thousands of soldiers that had accompanied them. As a result, they would need to rebuild their army, so it was expected that they wouldn’t launch an attack for a while.

…And due to the existence of Karakas in the east, if someone were to attack, they would have to deal with Karakas first.

The south is an allied nation, and they would probably choose to fight against the Demon King in the south rather than coming here to cause trouble.

In other words, currently, no one can make a move against Zaviet. The only thing to be cautious about is Karakas, but since it’s originally a nation of criminals and not a legitimate country, even if someone were to usurp the throne, they probably wouldn’t say or do anything.

Actually, even if I heard about a rebellion in some unrelated country, I’d probably just say, “Oh, is that so?” and move on with my life.

“So, taking advantage of the turmoil in the country, it seems the rebel army has taken action. The royal capital has been occupied, and the castle has fallen. Fortunately, or I should say, well, it doesn’t matter to us one way or another, but the king apparently fled with a few of his subordinates, and we don’t know their whereabouts.”