The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 465

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

Chapter 465   The Hero Goes to the Demon King’s Castle – Part 2

“Lina, what do you think?”

“What do you mean, like, whether the Demon King is really a ‘Demon King’?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, um… probably, but I don’t think the Demon King intends to become humanity’s enemy. I mean, why else would they create a place like the ‘Flower Garden’ where even ordinary people can safely stay? It doesn’t make sense.”

“True. It’s hard to believe that a ‘Demon King’ labeled as an enemy of humanity would create a place for friendly interaction with humans.”

“Such a thing might be intended to lull ordinary people into a false sense of security, serving as a cover to gradually snatch people away. It’s also possible they’re manipulating human movements to make their own actions easier. Or maybe, once a sufficient number of people gather, they could launch some large-scale operation.”

While Darado denies Lina’s words, he can’t help but be impressed in a way, thinking, ‘She comes up with such things.’

“That’s not entirely impossible, I guess. Somehow, I feel a subtly unpleasant atmosphere coming from that castle.”

“Unpleasant…? Does that mean there’s something going on in the Demon King’s castle after all?”

“Well, whatever thoughts we might have, at least communication is possible, right? Maybe they could help resolve the situation.”

She smoothly brushed off Darado’s dismissive words without offering any counterarguments or reconsidering her own opinion.

“There’s no way that could happen! Our adversary is the Demon King!”

“But they’re still human. If we can communicate, there’s a possibility that they might help us if it’s mutually beneficial, you know?”

“But as a member of the church, such things—”

“Stop, stop! Both of you, quiet down. It’s not good to make a fuss here, especially with the Demon King’s castle right in front of us and a gatekeeper present.”

The two, who had started arguing without concern for the fact that the Demon King’s castle was right in front of them with a gatekeeper, were hastily stopped by me.

Upon being stopped, both Darado and Lina seemed to recall their current location and immediately ceased their argument, falling into silence.

However, it wasn’t a complete silence. Lina, after exhaling a sigh, spoke up.

“But you know, you keep going on about the Demon King being the Demon King, but how do you believe that it might not be the Demon King’s doing?”

“If the Demon King himself were to come to our country, we could consider it less likely to be related to this incident.”

“Sigh… Even though he claims to be the ‘King,’ ordering him to follow us, ‘the likelihood is low’… How absurd can it get?”

Listening to Darado’s words, Lina sighed again, but this sigh seemed to carry a different meaning than the one just a moment ago.

Still, I can agree with what Lina is saying. Even if he’s the Demon King, he is still a king. It’s unreasonable to expect him to follow us about our country, and saying ‘the possibility is low’ after letting it go that far is a bit much.

Although I trust Darado, there are times when I wonder about this somewhat blindly trusting or intense conviction aspect.

“In the end, we won’t know until we actually meet. As Lina mentioned, if the adversary is the Demon King of humans rather than a monster, we should be able to talk. After all, that’s why we’re making this move.”

Thinking that continuing the conversation might lead to another argument, Canon intervened and brought the discussion to a close.

“Who the heck are you guys?”

With that, we walked towards the Demon King’s castle, but naturally, we were stopped by the gatekeeper.

“I’m Yuuki Asahi, the ‘Hero.’ I want to meet the Demon King.”

As I said that, the gatekeeper had a momentary expression of confusion, glancing at each other.

The guide we met earlier mentioned that if a ‘Hero’ came and claimed to want to meet the Demon King, they might be allowed in. Is that really true? If it’s a lie, we might have to escape from here…

“A Hero? Seriously? Came to meet the Demon King…”

Huh? What does he mean by ‘seriously came’? Did he anticipate my arrival here?

“You may pass.”

“Huh? Is it… is that okay?”

“It’s an order from above. If someone claiming to be a Hero comes, let them through.”

Could it be that simply claiming to be a Hero is enough to meet the Demon King? Is it okay to just pass like this? As a ‘Hero,’ shouldn’t they think I’ve come to defeat the ‘Demon King? Or maybe, they just don’t care about someone like me? If it’s like the villains in games, they might not take me seriously…

No, for now, I should be grateful that I can meet him straightforwardly. However, I didn’t plan for this today. What should I do now?

“…What should we do? The plan was just to make a reservation today, right?”

“That was the intention, but…”

In response to my words, Canon furrowed her brow, showing a troubled expression.

But yeah, that makes sense. If we leave now, we might not get another chance to meet him. It’s uncertain whether it’s okay to simply go back as planned.

“Why not just go in? They seem to be aware of our actions, and it’s too late to withdraw now. Besides, there’s no guarantee we can gather information properly.”

Well, indeed, as Lina pointed out, it seems they were expecting us to come here. They probably already know that I, the ‘Hero,’ am in this town. So, if we withdraw now, it won’t make much sense.

“Canon and the others probably understand, but what if we miss this opportunity, and they tell us they won’t meet us again after trying once and failing?”

“…We can’t afford not to meet them, huh.”

And so, we were guided inside the castle to meet the Demon King.

Even though we entered the castle, it didn’t seem like we would meet him immediately. We were told to wait in a reception room for a while.

During the wait, I looked around the room and even observed the inside of the castle before arriving here. It didn’t seem like a typical ‘Demon King’s Castle’; it felt more like a normal, beautiful castle.

“Still, I never thought we would meet so suddenly.”

“Neither did I. Even if a regular noble had some free time, they would at least schedule the audience a minimum of two days later. If it were a king, it might take several days. It’s different for royalty or envoys from other countries, but…”

“Technically, couldn’t we be considered envoys?”

“I am a person from another country holding the position of ‘Hero,’ and I came here based on instructions from the Holy Kingdom. In a sense, couldn’t I be considered an envoy?”

When I said that, Canon glanced at me briefly, then shook her head before responding.

“We don’t have any written documents, and there was no prior notice, so we can’t call you an envoy. Additionally, even though we’re not currently taking hostile actions, there is no denying that this country and we are enemies. Just expressing a desire to meet doesn’t mean it will happen smoothly.”

Hmm. Well, it’s true we didn’t make any contact beforehand and just came here suddenly, and we’re not exactly on good terms, so I guess I can’t be called an envoy. I don’t really understand what conditions need to be met to be called an ‘envoy.’ But if Canon says it’s different, then it probably is.

“But, in reality, we’re able to meet.”

“…Yes. So, let’s discuss what to do next.”

With that, for the time being, we set aside the fact that we could meet and started discussing our plans for the future.

However…

“Huh?”

Suddenly, when I looked out the window, I saw something unusual for this setting. Well, not something, but someone.

“Is something the matter?”

“No, isn’t that a child over there?”

When I pointed outside the window, everyone turned their heads in that direction.

In the garden where we were looking, there was an elf girl who seemed out of place for a location called the ‘Demon King’s Castle.’

… Well, maybe not a girl. I only thought so because of the distance and her childlike behavior. But considering her age, she was probably in her late teens.

However, regardless of the age of that girl, it seemed inappropriate for her to be in the Demon King’s castle. It felt like she belonged more in the depths of the forest, playing with fairies and spirits. Everything about her appearance and behavior seemed pure and childlike.

“An elf girl, huh… I’ve seen them in the town, but is it allowed for them to enter a place like this?”

“An elf… They are followers of a different faith. Can’t say I’m fond of that.”

Canon and Darado expressed their thoughts on the girl as they observed her.

Referring to her as a follower of a different faith refers to those who, unlike the followers of gods such as Darado, Canon, and the Holy Kingdom, they worship the spirits of plants, as is the case with the elves.

While Darado’s remarks, discriminating against people based on their religion, felt unfamiliar, being part of a country where religion holds power probably explained it. Yet, I could understand what Canon was saying. Despite the Demon King allowing elves freedom in the city, I never expected them to be allowed into such a crucial stronghold.

Could it be that the Demon King here isn’t the ‘enemy of humanity’ type after all?

“…Hey, this is quite serious.”

As I thought about that, Lina, who usually maintained a relaxed attitude, changed her expression to a more serious one and muttered.

“What’s serious?”

“The power. It’s abnormal. She has an incredibly high amount of magical power, way beyond what’s normal. Honestly, that level is monstrous. It even feels like it’s being supplied continuously from somewhere. To put it simply, you could call it ‘infinite.'”

“…She looks like a regular child to me.”

I couldn’t comprehend the amount of magical power Lina was talking about. But just looking at her, she seemed like an ordinary girl. No, not ordinary—something about her seemed exceptional and enchanting.

Come to think of it, I have elf acquaintances in the Holy Kingdom. They weren’t around the castle much, so we weren’t very close, but we got along well enough for casual conversations. When I returned to the Holy Kingdom after defeating the Demon King, I was busy and couldn’t meet them. When I go back this time, will I be able to see them again?