The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 456

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

Chapter 456   At the magic tool shop

“So, the Demon King formed an alliance with the elves?”

I nodded at the Hero’s question, but Darado, still having doubts, opened his mouth again.

“…You mentioned pacifism, but then, why does he calls himself the Demon King?”

“It was originally a joke, you know. You’ve seen those people on the battlefield showing off, claiming they’re heroes and shouting, right? It started as a similar kind of boasting, and the name ‘Demon King’ stuck and became fitting when Karakas was founded… or so I’ve heard.”

In response to Darado’s question, I explained as if justifying myself.

I never thought I’d end up being called the Demon King!

Back then, I was feeling pumped up, and in that mood, I said something like, “Call me the Demon King or something,” thinking it was just a jest. But then it spread, and when Karakas was established, it seemed fitting to be called the Demon King, or so the story goes.

“So, he doesn’t have hostile intentions towards humanity?”

“Well, not at the moment… I guess?”

At least, not now.

If ‘humanity’ comes to attack us or pose a threat, I, as the Demon King of this country, will crush them.

However, at the moment, I genuinely have no intention of doing anything. It’s just too troublesome. I could do it if I wanted, but allocating effort to such things is a huge hassle. So, as long as ‘humanity’ doesn’t do anything, nothing will happen.

Well, if ‘people’ were to just end without doing anything, I think that’s probably not going to happen.

“However, it’s been heard that he ruthlessly killed surrounding lords, sent their corpses to the kingdom’s castle as a declaration of war. Can someone with such malice claim not to be hostile to humanity?”

“On the contrary…”

Did I do something cruel? Sure, I sent the nobles who attacked us as a deterrent by making them sprout plants from their limbs, turning them into potted plants and sent them, but…

During wars, I did things like making plants grow from the bodies of enemies, turning entire areas into a sea of fire, or decomposing the enemy’s bodies into the ground. Is it really as cruel as it sounds?

I didn’t engage in sadistic murders or dismemberment for no reason. I don’t think it deserves such a harsh evaluation.

… I wonder if they won’t understand?

“Well, even if there were some issues with the method, it seems the root cause was those lords. They forcefully invaded, and to deal with that, well, the Demon King fought. As for what happened afterward, it seems it wasn’t the Demon King’s own will, but rather something done by their subordinates. Well, I don’t know personally since it’s not the Demon King, but that’s what I’ve heard.”

Actually, I don’t think we did anything wrong. They attacked us recklessly. As the king of this place, I couldn’t just let that happen.

Edward was the one who dismembered the captured nobles, and I just grew the plants as instructed by him. I didn’t send them; I didn’t give such an order.

Well, if you say that what subordinates do is the responsibility of the boss, then so be it.

…But still, saying that I’m the ‘Demon King’ myself is embarrassing!

“Besides, the real ‘Demon King’ was killed by the hero, right?”

The existence known as the ‘Demon King’ arises at intervals of several hundred years. Therefore, if the Demon King has already been defeated, even if there are others claiming to be the Demon King, they are considered impostors. That’s the general understanding.

However, that common sense doesn’t apply when the Demon King is a human. After all, humans wield unexpected methods and deviate from the expected path to exercise their power.

The notion of the Demon King appearing every few centuries is more related to the concept of the ‘King of Demons.’

So, in my case—the current Demon King from Karakas—there is no guarantee that I am truly the ‘Demon King.’

Even the eldest princess from the other day is the same. She gained power through unconventional means, wielding it recklessly, becoming an ‘Evil God’ and an enemy of humanity.

So, they could argue against my point…

“Well, that’s…”

However, the hero and their companions frown without correcting my words, stumbling over their response.

Among them, the hero, in particular, wears an expression of dismay.

Wondering why they suddenly look like that, I recall that I had mentioned earlier that the hero defeated the Demon King.

It was more of a joke or a slight taunt, but it seems it hit them harder than I anticipated. Well, that’s how it is. Despite acting to defeat the Demon King, they couldn’t actually accomplish it.

Given that this time, the Demon King appeared as a pair, it’s not entirely unreasonable to make a mistake. Nevertheless, celebrating after defeating one half, declaring they defeated the Demon King, and later realizing that… It’s beyond just regretful. Moreover, the whereabouts of the remaining half is unknown.

As a hero, it’s only natural for them to have mixed feelings.

Well, it’s not my concern anyway.

“Also, wasn’t the monster we defeated rumored to be the ‘Evil God? To eliminate that threat, the Holy Kingdom and Bastok attempted to cooperate with Karakas, right? Certainly, this city is a gathering place for criminals, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it poses a threat to humanity. It’s an exaggerated claim to say that we are hostile to humanity, don’t you think?”

“The recent war, where the Holy Kingdom cooperated with us to defeat the ‘Evil God,’ was highly publicized. This implies that the Demon King in Karakas is not what it seems. While he identifies as the Demon King, our actions are quite the opposite. Though we engage in some mischief, it falls within the realm of human societal norms and doesn’t qualify as a significant threat. We are merely ‘criminals’ who can be judged by human laws. Having defeated the ‘Evil God,’ shouldn’t we be considered allies of humanity, or dare I say, champions of justice?”

“Ridiculous! Such a thing—”

“Darado.”

“Y-Yes!”

My words seemed to have irked him. Darado, who had remained relatively quiet until now, raised his voice in protest. However, Canon intervened, calling him by name as if to reprimand him.

Well, as someone affiliated with the Holy Kingdom, he probably can’t accept the idea that those they considered enemies could be seen as champions of justice.

“By the way, is it forbidden to approach that large tree over there?”

Ignoring Darado’s reaction, Canon asked about the sacred tree while gazing at it.

Given their current situation and the sensitive topics involved, it’s understandable that the conversation has been shifting back and forth. While I may playfully tease them, there are undoubtedly things they can’t disclose or complicated circumstances preventing them from delving into deeper discussions. Well, for now, I’m just a guide for sightseeing, so engaging in varied conversations is only natural.

“That’s impossible. Over there is m…..”

I tried to say “my house” but stumbled over my words. In a moment of embarrassment, I attempted to rephrase it as the Lord’s residence, but the title itself made me falter.

“Hmm?”

“No, it’s because the top official of this city resides there. It’s like the lord’s mansion.”

Canon tilted her head in response to my strange behavior, but I quickly corrected myself and provided an explanation. This way, it wasn’t entirely inaccurate, and the term “lord’s mansion” had a more acceptable ring to it. It’s much better than “Demon King’s Castle.”

“Well then, we’ve walked quite a bit, and this is the shop that deals with magic-related items.”

After walking for a while, we arrived at the desired store and proceeded inside. As I was about to introduce the heroes to the shopkeeper (subordinate), something unexpected happened.

“Huh? No way!”

“Lina? What’s wrong?”

Suddenly, Lina raised her voice just before that moment and leaned forward toward a display shelf at the back of the store, seemingly fixated on something.

“Is it that…?”

“Do you somehow understand what it is?”

“It’s the Tears of the Spirit.”

As Lina approached and identified the object, Canon asked me what it was, prompting me to provide an answer.

However, it seemed that even after the explanation, Canon didn’t quite grasp the significance, as she continued to tilt her head in confusion.

“What is that?”

“As the name suggests, it’s a stone formed from the tears shed by spirits, solidifying into a gem. Its effect is that when used in the creation of staves or magical tools, it enhances the effects of the corresponding magic.”

Spirits, in simple terms, are concentrations of magical energy with consciousness. When their tears become stones, it means high-density magical power has condensed.

Therefore, these are often used in magical tools, but because spirits are inherently rare entities and their tears are considered precious, the rarity is heightened, and their value becomes quite substantial.

“Such things exist. But is it really that rare?”

The hero appeared impressed by my explanation, but he still seemed to have some difficulty fully grasping the extent of its rarity.

“Spirits contribute to enriching the land they inhabit, so capturing them is considered a crime. If the spirits are gone, the land will wither. Moreover, the easiest way to make them shed tears is to harm them… Well, in ordinary circumstances, it’s not something easily obtained. Simply put, it’s a prohibited item.”

Even though this place is the Flower Garden and different from the main city of Karakas, it still retains its reputation as a city of criminals.

Dealing with such precious items in a place like this? It’s undoubtedly related to something ‘unusual,’ don’t you think?

“What?! Lina, that guy is…!”

“If you talk about finding hidden gems in a city like this, most of them will be illicit goods. Besides, does it really matter?.”

“We can’t just ignore it! I mean, us using prohibited items…!”

Well, using prohibited items as a ‘hero’ does indeed tarnish their reputation. Not to mention it’s a crime, and the Holy Kingdom would never approve. However, in Lina’s case, she should have come from Bastok. Well, it’s still considered prohibited there, but their laws differ a bit from the Holy Kingdom. While the Holy Kingdom doesn’t even allow possession, Bastok prohibits harvesting but permits possession.

That’s probably why she’s watching with such a carefree attitude. It’s not considered a crime for her.

Also, although they’re making a fuss about prohibited items, there are a few things I’d like to tell them about that.

“You’re misunderstanding. Just because it’s prohibited doesn’t mean everything about it is inherently evil, you know?”