The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 315

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

Chapter 315   Is that really okay?

“What? … Special attack, you mean, right? That crappy method we used back in the knight order.”

Eddie, who was suddenly addressed by father, looked somewhat puzzled. What was it? Special attack? What on earth was his father trying to do?

“Yeah, that’s right. This time it’ll be just the two of us.”

“…Seriously?”

“Dead serious. Besides, I’m not letting this guy go alone.”

“Well, I guess that’s true… Seriously? … Alright, got it.”

Eddie made a dramatic grimace, covering his face with both hands as he looked up at the sky. After a moment, he turned back to face forward and left the room.

“What are you planning?”

“Well, I thought I’d help out my son. Like a father should.”

Helping out… father didn’t seem to have any intention of stopping me, and now he was willing to cooperate. But what exactly was he planning to do? Was he going to fight alongside Eddie?Top of Form

“Specifically, I’ll prepare the means of transportation.”

“Means of transportation? Is that some magical creature for moving around, like Lilia’s Blast Boar? Certainly, the Blast Boar I usually use is much faster than a horse, and if speed is the only consideration without thinking about comfort, there might be even faster options.”

“It usually takes about a week to hurry from here to the royal capital on horseback, but with a magical creature, it might be possible to get there in two or three days.”

“…No, but he did mention the methods from the time of the knight’s order. So maybe it’s different. I’ve never heard of a unit in the knight’s order using magical creatures.”

But then, what am I supposed to prepare? I think it has something to do with Eddie’s strange expression earlier…

Leaving me to my thoughts, my father turned his face towards Edward.

“That’s the plan, Edward. Go and take care of the rebel army for a bit.”

“My intention was not to defeat the rebel army as part of my plans. It’s more convenient if they cause some trouble in moderation.”

“But our Demon King has decided on it. And I intend to cooperate with that. So there’s no stopping it now.”

“Well then, there’s nothing more to say. If you have any requests, now is the time to speak up. I don’t know if they can be granted, but if you keep it in the back of your mind and there’s room for it, it might come true.”

“…Sigh. Is the goal to rescue your family, or is it for other royal families as well?”

After finishing his conversation with father, Edward let out a deep sigh and turned his gaze not towards father, but towards me.

His gaze, unlike the discussion just now, had a slightly different sharpness, as if he were contemplating something.

“I intend to rescue only my mother and sister.”

Despite Edward’s gaze, I expressed this without hesitation.

What I want to save is only my mother and sister. The others don’t matter. If I can help them along the way, fine, but it’s ultimately just a side note. Priority is rescuing the two. Rescuing other royal families, nobles, defeating enemies—everything comes later. I might even abandon them.

If there’s something important, you have to protect it with all your might. People can’t save everything, and reaching out for more might result in losing what’s truly important, turning it into a tragic tale.

“Even though you say sister, it seems you have quite a few of them. Well, I assume you’re referring to your uterine sister. In that case, there’s no problem. As for my request, if possible, I’d appreciate it if you could leave a moderate number of the rebel army intact.”

Certainly, even if I say sister, there might be quite a few if it’s just about blood relations.

However, those are just connected by blood; they’re not my “sisters.”

Even the rebel army, as long as I can save Mom and Filia, I don’t intend to defeat them.

But why did Edward say something like that? Is it really necessary to care about the remnants of the rebel army?

“Why would you say something like that?”

“We’ve just established our nation. This time, we intercepted the army, but we don’t know when they might come back. So, we planned to take measures for that. Let the rebel army play with the kingdom for a while. If that happens, other countries won’t be able to stay still. Especially considering Zaviet, who was a thorn in the side for surrounding countries, is now in turmoil. It’s natural to exploit the vulnerable points.”

Well, that makes sense. The west is weakened by losing in the war, and the east won’t directly engage in battle as long as Karakas is there.

But that doesn’t mean they won’t do anything.

They might secretly provide support, or even create a new rebel army within the country.

Since Eight Heavens is died, those who were under their control in the territory might rise up, seeking a new protection.

In addition, there are various things that can be done when the country is in turmoil.

“And when people move, there will always be openings. Taking advantage of those openings, you can infiltrate or extract pieces, engage in various manipulations. Deliberately leaking information, for example. Well, in such a situation, the country may become chaotic, but that’s not a concern for this country. ——And, I had various other considerations, but fundamentally, that was my line of thought.”

The goal is the stabilization and expansion of this country.

This country is newly established and lacks manpower. Whether it’s governance or control, to run it as a proper nation, more capable individuals are needed. However, it takes several years to nurture them, so Edward was trying to bring them in from elsewhere. If it’s a story about providing labor in exchange for protection, there might be those willing to join, and if the pay is good, there might be those willing to work as hands.

In his own way, he was considering the country… well, probably because it’s related to his money, but I can understand that he was thinking about the country.

But…

“I see. However, depending on the situation, the rebel army might be crushed.”

I’m heading there with the sole purpose of rescuing my mother and Filia, but if necessary in the process, I might have to crush the rebel army.

“Yes, I understand. Well, to be honest, the situation is such that there might not even be a need for a rebel army anymore.”

Edward seems to understand that, too. He sighed as if exasperated, shrugged his shoulders, and said so.

Originally, in the plan, it was the same until I intercepted the kingdom’s army. However, I thought they would retreat without completely defeating them, with Eight Heavens reduced to about half. That’s common sense. I actually considered it a good outcome if they were reduced by half.

Well, if you think about it normally, it’s not something you’d consider, defeating three of the Tenth Rank and leaving the remaining two with severe injuries. Dad said he could handle three, so even if he defeated three, I would probably only be able to repel the remaining two. I think Edward probably had a similar idea. And that was my expectation too. I was prepared to face them, and I was determined to defeat them.

But I managed to defeat them all by myself. Well, one of them defected to my side, but the result is the same.

“However, in reality, the Eight Heavens couldn’t even retreat properly and died. Therefore, it can be said that Zaviet won’t invade us anymore without leaking information to other countries or pulling strings behind the scenes. The army doesn’t have that kind of leeway, and even if they were to send in the trump card, the Tenth Rank, losing five… no, six of them, and sending in the remaining ones, I don’t think they would. Additionally, while it’s not confirmed yet, there is a fear that the remaining Tenth Rank, if any, might have died, and if that’s true, there’s no room for them to invade anywhere.”

The nation’s greatest strength, the Eight Heavens, was literally annihilated. One betrayed, and the rest died. If that’s the case, as Edward said, there won’t be any room for them to invade anywhere. They might even find it difficult to defend themselves.

“So, regarding the rebel army, if there are still some left, they can be useful in their own way, but if not, it’s okay. Feel free to rampage. There are ways to handle it.”

With Edward saying that, the obstacle to me rescuing my mother and the others disappeared.

However, even though he’s thinking about the country, can I, as the king, albeit in name only, act without considering the country?

Thinking about this, I furrowed my brows and fell into contemplation.

There’s no doubt that I want to go and help. Even if someone tries to stop me, I’m still going to help. I’m prepared to defeat anyone if that’s the best course of action.

It was the same in the previous situation. At the western border. Back then, I fought to rescue my mother. Even if someone tried to stop me, I pushed forward.

In terms of determination and strength of conviction, it hasn’t changed from that time.

——But, the circumstances are different now than they were then. The position is different.

Back then, I was just a traveler, or at best, someone acquainted with the princess. Now, I’m the king of the criminal city Karakas, openly in opposition to the Zaviet Kingdom.

As a king, it’s only natural for there to be limitations on my actions, and I can’t help but wonder if it’s really okay to go and help. I can’t help but think, is my course of action wrong? Maybe I should take a little more time to think before acting. Even though the desire to rescue my mother remains unchanged, I find myself thinking that way.