The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 458

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

Chapter 458   Reflecting on the conversation with the Hero

“Hey, my lifespan got shorter, you idiot!”

“That’s right. What are you doing?”

After parting ways with the heroes, I reunited with Kyle and the others who had been waiting nearby the inn where I guided the heroes. However, the moment we met, I received a scolding.

“We were informed about the situation beforehand, and we agreed to it, but… we didn’t expect such an attitude, did we?”

Even Sofia, not as harsh as Kyle and Bell, expressed her dissatisfaction. Well, it couldn’t be helped. This time, it was my fault.

We had discussed and decided on the plan in advance, and all three of them had agreed. However, creating a situation that angered the heroes and turned them into adversaries was not part of the plan. Yet, I created a situation where the heroes reached for their weapons, so it was understandable that they were angry.

However, if I were to make an excuse, I thought that I needed to make them understand this city. It just didn’t sit well with me that they were looking down on everything without understanding anything.

“Well, um… sorry about that. When talking to that hero, I just felt like saying something.”

“It feels like more than just saying something, but well, it’s fine.”

When I apologized, it seemed that Sofia, perhaps thinking it was pointless to be more angry about something already done, sighed and forgave me with an air of resignation.

Observing Sofia’s attitude, Kyle and Bell seemed to exhale as well, switching their moods.

“So, how was it? The plan was to observe the hero’s personality before our true identity is exposed… well, I feel like you already figured that out when you took that attitude.”

As Kyle mentioned, there were several reasons why I took on the role of the guide this time. One of them was to “see the hero’s personality.”

I had heard about it through hearsay, but talking directly is different. I didn’t know whether we would end up as enemies or allies, but I thought it would be a good idea to get to know them first.

“Well, he’s naive rather than sweet. No, he may think he’s considering things, but his mindset is fundamentally ‘off’ because he comes from a world with peace and no battles. There’s a sense of deviation.”

The hero originally lived in a peaceful country in another world. It was a place where even a mere quarrel would cause a disturbance, an excessively peaceful country. Coming from such a place to a dangerous world full of constant battles, it was only natural that there would be a deviation in consciousness and perception.

Even after spending several years engrossed in battles in this world, it wouldn’t change easily. After all, despite the dangers, as long as he had the power of a “hero,” there would rarely be a real threat to his life. Moreover, his life was guaranteed by the Holy Kingdom and the Church, so whenever he could stay somewhere, it was likely to be a luxurious life similar to that of a noble. With such a background, there was no way he could adapt to this world or truly understand it.

“But it was also mentioned that it was to implant Vesnar-sama’s impression. Is that okay? If we talk after he knows you’re the Demon King, it will inevitably be distorted by preconceptions. The intention was to have a calm conversation by talking first with the guide boy whom he met before…”

“You were clearly showing hostility.”

What Bell just said was the second reason.

Someday, I might meet the “hero” face-to-face. Or rather, it would happen.

At that time, the result would be quite different depending on whether we talked from the beginning as if I were the “Demon King” or if we talked with the impression of the “boy guide” whom they had met before. Perhaps, in a situation where a fight would normally break out, we might be able to end it with just a conversation.

…Well, our chances are slim anyway. It’s partly because I talked to them with a confrontational tone, but that’s not a significant reason. Originally, if they didn’t intend to fight, there would be no reason for them to send the “hero” to a place like this. Regardless of my attitude or impression, they have the intention to fight. So, what I did probably won’t have much impact.

“Well, that’s… normal, isn’t it? It’s typical for people in this town to interject hostility or malice during a conversation. So, it’s fine. Probably.”

Moreover, being confronted with hostility in a quarrelsome manner is normal in this town. If there’s something they don’t like, it tends to happen, so it’s not unusual. …Well, I admit I was careless.

“And one more thing. Did you have any results regarding the current situation in the Holy Kingdom?”

“There were some results, but… Is Lilia here?”

They must have been waiting in a distant place. Whether they didn’t hear our conversation or not, Sofia asked.

But before responding to that question, there was something I wanted to confirm…

“Lilia? Oh, she went somewhere saying she’s bored during surveillance.”

It seems that Lilia, the person I wanted to confirm, is no longer around. Well, surveillance was just walking around, and there was no battle, so it must have been boring for Lilia. But if she’s not here, there’s nothing I can do. It’s not like I urgently needed to confirm something, so let’s continue the conversation.

“Well then, have you heard of anything unusual happening around here recently? Mainly related to plants.”

“No, we don’t know.”

“Neither do I.”

“Me neither. But if you’re asking, does that mean something’s going on?”

I nodded to Kyle’s question before starting the explanation.

“I received information from the ‘shadows’ in advance, but it seems that there are indeed abnormalities in the plants. And not just a decrease in harvest in some parts, but a complete extinction of all plants throughout the Holy Kingdom. However, there seems to be no impact on our side, which is quite mysterious.”

The information from the ‘shadows’ infiltrated into the Holy Kingdom was there, but hearing the same from the heroes, it seems to be genuine.

It’s not that I didn’t trust the ‘shadows,’ but confirming information from various angles is only natural, and it adds to its credibility. Moreover, if the source is individuals close to the center of the Holy Kingdom, one can reasonably consider this information confirmed.

Considering the hero, there’s hardly any possibility of lying, and the Holy Kingdom has no reason to fabricate such lies.

Therefore, it can be concluded that there is indeed a crisis in the Holy Kingdom due to the withering of plants.

However, despite such a large-scale anomaly, there is no change in this neighboring country.

Kyle looked up at the Sacred Tree, and following his gaze, I also looked up. However, there was no apparent impact on the Sacred Tree—Flora’s main body.

“… It seems fine.”

“Yeah. The plants around this town haven’t suffered any harm.”

I also tried asking through my skills to ‘everyone,’ but there didn’t seem to be any significant abnormalities.

“But, in the Holy Kingdom, things are clear, right?”

“Yeah. Moreover, it seems to be changing right at the border. I tried checking with the guys on the Holy Kingdom side, but still, no response.”

“What about arranged flowers? Normally, you’d have flowers arranged in your room, right?”

“That’s probably a lost cause too. If you have the luxury to display them, you’re probably eating them instead, don’t you think?”

Flowers, depending on the type, are edible, and in a situation where all plants are withering, even decorative flowers might be consumed. Besides, in such a circumstance, it’s uncertain if live flowers can be obtained at all, and their absence wouldn’t be surprising.

“So, yeah. Because of that, he said he’s looking for a way to deal with the plants.”

“So, is that why the hero came to this place?”

“At least, that’s what it seems like from that hero. Well, I don’t know the true intentions of the ‘higher-ups,’ and I don’t know what the ‘Saint’ and the ‘Shield Master’ are thinking or what orders they’ve received.”

The hero mentioned searching for a solution, but sending a hero for that reason raises some questions. Why send someone so absent-minded? This city is dangerous, and having some level of combat prowess is certainly valuable. If they were sending someone for “investigation” or “procurement,” it would make more sense if the person were cunning or at least had some wit.

Ideally, understanding their motives would have been helpful, but since entering this country, neither the Saint nor the ‘Shield Master has mentioned anything about the hidden circumstances. Unspoken matters are, unfortunately, beyond my grasp.

“Also, it seems they want to meet the Demon King. Any ideas on how they can do that?”

“Is it to defeat the Demon King?”

“Who knows? The hero himself didn’t seem to have any intention of fighting, but given that it’s a ‘Hero’ and a ‘Demon King,’ who knows.”

What exactly the ‘Hero’ wants to achieve by meeting the ‘Demon King’ remains unclear. It could be a request for assistance in dealing with the anomaly or a plea for support to survive. There’s even the possibility of the ‘Hero’ genuinely coming to defeat me.

“If anything, they might consider the idea that Vesnar-sama is pulling the strings behind this plant abnormality.”

“It’s not an impossible story. After all, your opponent is a ‘Hero,’ and you are the ‘Demon King.’ Having suspicions is only natural.”

While Bell and Sofia discuss such possibilities, it’s true that considering my involvement is not entirely baseless. However, judging from the hero’s demeanor, it doesn’t feel like he came here for a fight. If he did, he seems remarkably nonchalant about it.