The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 314

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

Chapter 314   Understanding the current situation

…He escaped, huh? Seriously? So that’s why he’s considered “gone.” But still, for the king to flee, it must have been quite a situation.

Certainly, if he got caught, he’d probably be killed, so it’s understandable if he fled to survive…

…I wonder what it is? It’s not like I harbored a deep hatred for him or strongly desired to kill him or seek revenge.

But he was still, in a way, “my enemy.” I recognized him as an enemy, and there were various matters that needed resolution. I had been thinking about settling things in various ways.

When an opponent like that suddenly disappears, in a place completely unrelated to me, right after I had considered chasing him down, there’s an indescribable feeling.

Especially considering it happened just after I had decided to pursue him… It’s like a sense of emptiness or hollowness. I can’t quite put it into words, but it’s a subtle sensation.

Whether he sensed my inner thoughts or not, Edward, after sighing once again, shook his head and spoke.

“There were rumors about the rebellion for a while. I thought they might start moving soon, and it seems I was right.”

“Well, from their perspective, it’s the perfect opportunity considering all the things we’ve done.”

“Yes. However, the immediate actions after the demise of the Eight Heavens are questionable. Even if the Eight Heavens were essentially wiped out, there were still supposed to be two of them left. Yet, to capture the capital in less than a month is too quick. The information I got is that two of the Tenth Rank were supposed to remain in the castle for the king’s protection. I heard this not only from the remaining Eight Heaven, Lancia, but also from others.”

Indeed, that’s true. I heard that two of the Tenth Rank were supposed to be involved in the defense of the castle for the king’s protection. And that information wasn’t only from Lancia, but also from others.

If that’s the case, then the possibility arises that the two members of the Tenth Rank may have abandoned or betrayed the country. After all, not every member of the Eight Heavens pledged loyalty to the country, and considering Lancia’s situation, it’s plausible that others could follow suit.

Another possibility is that there’s someone powerful enough to defeat the two members of the Tenth Rank. I think the likelihood of this scenario is lower, but if it’s true, it would be quite troublesome.

“So, the rebellion possesses such formidable forces?”

“Yes, and these forces include incredibly powerful individuals, formidable enough to take on two of the Tenth Rank at once.”

In response to Edward’s somewhat impressed words, Carmena sighed and then stared at Edward as if scrutinizing him before speaking.

“We know who you are. Stop pretending and spill it.”

“I don’t mean to be conceited, but well, it’s my habit to speak in a way that might be perceived as such. …To put it simply, they are monsters. Moreover, it’s a horde of monsters, including two giant creatures.”

“…Summoning types, huh? But giants, really…”

After muttering those words, the old lady leaned back against the backrest and let out a troubled sigh. However, her reaction was to be expected.

Summoning a horde of monsters is unusual but acceptable. If they were planning to use monsters as their army, it makes sense that, apart from the two remaining members of the Eight Heavens, the forces stationed in the capital wouldn’t be sufficient to resist, allowing them to occupy the capital.

Monsters are generally stronger than humans, and using them in battle is understandable. In fact, the western country—Zaft—employed monsters to invade this country.

However, if giants are mixed in, the situation changes significantly.

In this world, there are three races known as the strongest, and giants are one of them. They boast strength comparable to dragons, and it’s said to be challenging for even someone of the Tenth Rank to win in a direct confrontation.

While the outcome can depend on circumstances and conditions, the fact that they are undeniably ‘powerful’ remains true.

Moreover, easily controlling such formidable beings is no small feat. Normally, when considering using monsters to attack a country, one wouldn’t think of trying to dominate the strongest species.

In that regard, Zaft, the country we fought before, was also insane. They used two dragons—one of the strongest species—in their attack, and that was with the entire country fully committed to the endeavor. Yet, in this case, it’s just a rebellion. The possibility of these rebels controlling two monsters, let alone two of the strongest species, implies a level of threat beyond a mere rebellion.

“Yes. However, their appearance hasn’t been confirmed, so it’s just speculation that they exist. Perhaps there’s even a possibility of negotiating with the giants.”

Negotiating? Not summoning? …Indeed, giants, with the ‘person’ character in their name, have a humanoid form and can communicate to some extent. Well, this applies not only to giants but also to other strongest species. But let’s put that aside.

If they can communicate, then there is a possibility of negotiation in addition to summoning.

“Negotiation, huh… Can you manage that?”

“Well… I won’t say it’s absolutely impossible. As you may know, the ‘Merchant’ class has skills such as ‘Bribe’ and ‘Language Understanding’ to foster favorable feelings in others. While not combat-oriented like the summoning class, it’s a relatively common job. With such skills, one can earn favor with others through gifts and break down language barriers with monsters. In that sense, it’s not inconceivable to have negotiated with monsters, rather than simply summoning them for control.”

“To do that would require considerable skill, but Edward, you’re not calling it impossible. Truly befitting of the boss of the gold, as expected.”

“—The Queen.”

However, just as Edward and the old lady were discussing the events in the capital, my father suddenly interjected.

“Yes?”

“The Queen, what happened to the second queen? And what about her daughter?”

Right! Mother. And also, Filia.

While I still couldn’t quite grasp the details about the king, the fall of the capital, or the state of the remaining forces, there were more pressing concerns than these.

“What about the Queen? And the Prince and Princess?”

“The Queen, along with most of the royal family, seems to have been captured and imprisoned. The Crown Prince and a few high-ranking officials appear to have been killed.”

Edward glanced briefly in my direction before delivering those words, and in that instant, my body reacted faster than my thoughts, and I stood up.

“Wait.”

However, just as I was about to move toward the exit of the room, my father called out.

“What’s the rush? You understand who I am, right?”

While I consider myself a resident of Karakas and my father’s son, I also see myself as the son of the Queen – my mother. In the currently occupied castle, my mother, the Queen, and my sister, the Princess, are captured.

I don’t know the intentions of the rebel forces, but it’s clear they harbor hostility towards the royal family; otherwise, they wouldn’t have initiated a rebellion. If the rebels have taken the Queen and the Princess captive, I have no idea what might happen.

One might think it’s too late to remember this now, but that doesn’t mean my desire to help them has vanished. I might be accused of being overly attached to my mother, but I want to help her.

It’s a situation similar to when I fought the dragon before. Going to aid someone under attack, and in this case, that someone is my mother. The recurrence of such a situation makes me resent my unfortunate circumstances.

“Yeah, I get it. But calm down. It’s your family we’re talking about. You’re planning to head to the capital now, right?”

That’s right. As my father said, I was planning to head to the capital. Going alone into the midst of rebel forces would be reckless. However, doing nothing is not an option.

Moreover, I am strong enough to earn my father’s recognition. I’ve faced and defeated armies before. So, I can do it. I’ll definitely rescue them.

“If you understand, then don’t stop me.”

“But rushing now won’t change anything. If Edward knows the details, it must have happened several days ago. No matter how fast we move, the situation isn’t likely to change.”

My father conveyed this quietly, as if advising me. Indeed, he might be right. It’s been at least two or three days since the castle was captured, and in some cases, it could be a week or more. I understand that hurrying now won’t make a difference.

“Even so! …Even so, I will go to help.”

Saying this, I gazed directly at my father, and he returned the look.

And…

“Eddie. Remember the special attack formation?”

As if resigned, my father let out a sigh, then turned only his head toward the back, where Eddie, who had been accompanying us as a guard, was sitting.