The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 463

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

Chapter 463   About the Hero

“Well, that’s fine. We won’t know the details until we actually talk to her and investigate further. Do you have any other information?”

Other information… yes, there is. Rather than my impressions of the heroes, that’s the more crucial point.

“There is. About their objectives…”

“What? You found out that much?”

“Probably. The hero let it slip. Now, about their objective, it seems they’re looking for a remedy.”

“A remedy? …Coming all the way here for medicine, that means it’s something shady… from the Church, right? The elves’ secret potion, perhaps?”

My dad seemed to think someone might be injured or sick, but it’s not that. However, just saying “medicine” might lead to a misunderstanding.

“No, well… ‘medicine’ might not be accurate. To be precise, it seems they are searching for a solution to a problem, and as one of the possibilities, they are looking for a ‘remedy.'”

“A problem?”

“Yeah. Dad probably knows, but over there, there’s a disturbance, and as a result, there’s a famine occurring.”

“That story, right. I’ve heard something like that… Ah, so that’s the ‘remedy.’ I remember, in the Holy Kingdom’s territory, all the plants have withered, right? And the cause of that is unknown.”

My dad, familiar with the situation in the Holy Kingdom, quickly grasped the meaning of my words. It seemed my mom, too, had been listening intently.

I nodded in response to my dad’s understanding and continued the story.

“That’s right. It seems they came to find a solution to that issue.”

“A solution, huh… don’t they know anything about it?”

“They don’t know. Maybe if they ask an Elf who is a specialist in plants, they might have some idea… but no, it’s probably impossible. I talked to the Sacred Tree in Lilia’s place before, but even that Sacred Tree didn’t know the cause, so I doubt an Elf could figure it out.”

If the Sacred Tree, which is essentially the creator of plants and the father of all existing vegetation, didn’t know, it’s unlikely an Elf, even a plant specialist, would know.

…But perhaps that Sacred Tree had some knowledge about what happened. Even if there was no certainty, it must have been aware of the possibility. Still, it pretended not to know, either because it didn’t want to talk about the severed Sacred Tree or because it didn’t want to interfere with the revenge of the severed Sacred Tree.

Even if it knows the solution, it probably won’t tell me.

“But even so, I won’t give up. Maybe they’ll attack, thinking this situation is the fault of the Demon King.”

“Well, I think there’s a possibility for that. But in that case, we’ll meet in this castle, anyway. They don’t know what the ‘Demon King’ looks like.”

If they knew my appearance as the Demon King, they might attack me the moment they meet, or at least try to capture me at an opportune moment. Even if that weren’t the case, the fact that they didn’t bring it up was suspicious.

In other words, as long as I’m not introduced as the ‘Demon Lord,’ they won’t attack.

“Well, whether the heroes will attack or not is one thing, but about that disturbance… we might have found out the cause.”

When I said that, my dad raised an eyebrow in surprise, looking at me.

Mom, too, widened her eyes in surprise.

…But, Mom, it’s okay to take care of me, but you don’t have to wipe off food crumbs from my clothes or clean around my mouth when I’m speaking seriously. Even with a serious face, you can’t cover up that way.

“…Really?”

“It’s not confirmed, though. It’s just a hypothesis, saying it might be like that.”

“Even so, if you found out, that’s a harvest. What’s the content?”

Dad took a deep breath and, more seriously than before, asked.

Considering the content of this story might affect the future of the country, it’s natural for him to be concerned.

“The Sacred Tree over there has withered. Or more precisely, it was cut down.”

“…Cut down? I’ve never heard of such a story… What’s the deal with that? And, in the first place, I’ve never heard that there’s a Sacred Tree.”

“It’s a story from hundreds or maybe thousands of years ago. Some elves might not even know about it, and there’s a chance those in the Holy Kingdom don’t know either.”

Dad seemed surprised when he heard about the Sacred Tree being cut down, and he asked with a puzzled voice.

But it can’t be helped; this is an event from a time that could be considered ancient.

Even if it was hundreds or thousands of years ago, the Holy Kingdom’s upper echelons, and maybe even the current Holy Maiden and Hero, might not know. If they do remember the existence of the Sacred Tree and the fact that it was cut down, they would likely investigate that first if there were abnormalities related to plants. Even if it lacked credibility, they would still investigate since it’s a really dangerous situation.

But in reality, they came here. That means they themselves have probably forgotten about the Sacred Tree they cut down.

“…But, anyway, it’s just a guess. There might be other possibilities, but I don’t know them.”

“…Considering what I’ve heard, it does seem like your guess about the Sacred Tree might be on the mark.”

Dad sighed deeply and glanced at the Sacred Tree—Flora. Probably, he was thinking about what would happen if Flora withered, but as long as I’m here, I won’t let her wither. We can think about measures for future generations later.

“Well, I’ll look into it on my end and share it with Edward and the others. But that’s a separate issue. So, they said they want to meet the Demon King, what are you planning to do about that?”

“Hmm… I don’t want them causing trouble, and if they genuinely want to meet the Demon King, telling them they can request a formal meeting might work. They might come soon. I’m considering accommodating them when the time comes.”

“What, ‘Meeting with the Demon King’? Are you really going to meet them?”

“It’s troublesome if they keep suspecting us. It might be better to have a proper conversation once. ”

I already know about the personality of the Hero, and I’m not interested in them or feel threatened. However, from their perspective, it’s different, and we might end up meeting eventually. In that case, taking control of the situation on our terms would be more comfortable.

When I mentioned this, my mother, who had been taking care of me nearby, paused her movements. It was a coincidental reaction, but seeing it, I turned towards her and spoke.

“Mom?”

“Are you sure it’s okay? Even if a Hero comes, I’ll knock them out right away if they try to harm Vesnar, but it’s still dangerous.”

I feel like she’s making statements that don’t match those of a noble’s daughter or a queen. However, she does have the power to back it up, and it’s understandable that she worries about me.

“Thank you for your concern. But meeting them here shouldn’t be too dangerous. After all, we have the Knight Commander. …Well, he was there earlier too.”

Even if she worries about me, it’s appreciated, and dealing with the Hero requires being on high alert. However, even if there are some oversights, as long as my father is on standby, things should work out. Honestly, I doubt my father could be killed, even if it were a legendary ‘Hero.’ He’s already such a monster. Despite being strong before, receiving a fragment of Flora’s power as a wedding gift further enhanced him. It’s like dealing with a genuine monster. He’s practically a demigod or a quasi-god, wouldn’t you say?

“Well, Dad is here, so it should be fine, right…?”

My words seemed to be accepted by my mother as she turned her face towards my father and spoke.

“Rest assured. I won’t let any fools do something stupid like getting killed right in front of us. No matter what happens, I’ll protect both of you.”

“Well…”

My father unusually smiled gently and my mother, surprised and delighted by his demeanor, let out a bright voice.

…Is it okay for me to go home now?