The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 483

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

Chapter 483   Intruder in the night

“If the situation can’t be resolved with simple strength, then even a ‘Hero’ is just a form without substance…”

I didn’t mean to say anything ironic or malicious; it was just a muttered remark. However, it seems like those words were heard. I received a glare from the Hero, but I don’t really care. Facts are facts.

Ignoring the Hero’s gaze, I resumed exchanging words with Canon, discussing our plans for the future.

…Well, the Hero has no right to say anything. I’m not really changing anything by not doing anything either.

Nightfall.

“Naa naa, wake up.”

After finishing the preparations for camping without any significant issues following our previous conversation, I was unexpectedly woken up by Flora.

“…Flora? What’s wrong?”

“Someone’s coming.”

“Someone? Who is it?”

“Well, um, a little kid.”

“A little kid?”

Flora may act childishly, but her intelligence is not at that level. Therefore, she won’t make mistakes in assessing situations. If Flora says it’s a ‘little kid,’ then it probably is.

However, among our group, there’s no child that would be described as ‘small.’

So, who could it be?

“Lead the way.”

I asked Flora to guide me to where the person had arrived, wanting to figure out who it was.

“Who’s there?”

Having reached the indicated spot, it seemed someone was still there.

When I called out, the ‘little kid’ jumped in surprise, knocking over a nearby box. Normally, such a slight collision wouldn’t have caused the box to fall, but it turned out it was empty.

“Oops… Sorry, sorry, sorry! I-I was just so hungry!”

We were in the carriage, where provisions were supposed to be stored. As evident from his words just now, this person—a young boy—had come here seeking food.

“…Haa.”

As expected, the intruder within our camp turned out to be the ragged boy I had seen during the day. He had been going around houses asking for food but apparently hadn’t gotten anything. That’s why he resorted to sneaking in at night to get something to eat.

As a result of his intrusion, he now held a piece of bread in his hand. However, it was not in pristine condition; it looked partially eaten.

In fact, he must have been eating various items like bread and fruits here. If he had achieved his goal, he could have left right away. Still, from the time Flora called me until I arrived here, he hadn’t run away. It seemed he couldn’t resist eating the food he found right in front of him.

Furthermore, around him were various items, all crammed into tattered cloth. Surprisingly bold, this one.

However, being discovered while eating, the boy offered the partially eaten bread and the makeshift bundle of food wrapped in rags to me. He probably didn’t expect to be forgiven, but by doing so, he was betting on a chance to survive. More than that, it indicated he wasn’t inherently inclined towards theft or similar misdeeds.

After all, if he were someone who felt no guilt for stealing, he would have fled the moment he was discovered. Moreover, he might have bought time by pushing away or attacking the discoverer before making his escape.

This is not just speculation or bias; it’s something I can confirm without a doubt.

Because I used to be that person.

When I was caught stealing, I pushed away the store clerk who scolded me and ran away.

Choosing to harm someone in a momentary action reveals the essence of that person, even if it’s impulsive and they don’t usually do such things.

If the one caught stealing caused harm and then fled, it means they are that kind of person.

But this boy was different. Even when caught, without attempting to escape or deceive, he immediately apologized. I don’t think he’s a bad person; the circumstances were just unfavorable.

“Alright, take that much. By the way, you can have these too.”

As I said this to the boy, who was prostrating and rubbing his head against the bottom of the cart, I ignored the offered rags and went into the cart. I picked out some proper food from the luggage I had loaded for disguise, wrapped them in a nearby cloth, and handed it to him.

“Huh…”

The boy, witnessing my behavior, let out a dumbfounded voice. Well, that’s a natural reaction. After all, he was the thief, and I was the victim. In any normal situation, a fight would be expected.

Yet, it must be puzzling for him that I forgave him.

“You’re not at fault for the current situation. So, no need to apologize.”

“But… I stole… the bread…”

Perhaps overwhelmed by guilt, he couldn’t bring himself to say clearly that he had stolen. His words were fragmented and didn’t reach a complete confession.

Seeing such a sight, there might be fools saying that stealing is wrong and should be punished. However, those are the words of someone ignorant who can live in peace without any worries. If they think that way, they should experience the same hardships first before passing judgment.

Days and days without eating, the constant sensation of the body withering away. If someone has experienced that and still says stealing is wrong, then I’ll consider their words. But if not, there’s no value in listening to them.

I was the victim of the theft, so I’ll decide how to deal with this boy.

“Oh, that’s nothing unusual where I live. Every day, somewhere, thefts or killings are happening, so I won’t fuss over something like this. If anything, I’ll commend you for infiltrating this far.”

I’m saying this quite seriously. We had security measures in place. Granted, there might have been some complacency, thinking that nothing could happen in a village like this. Still, we were on guard. Nevertheless, for someone to infiltrate this far, it’s not about their rank but purely about high skill. In short, he has talent.

For a group like ours, seemingly “important people,” breaking into our place requires more than just ordinary courage. Especially at night, unlike during the day, if he was discovered, it would mean death for sure.

Since he would die if he didn’t eat, might as well give it a shot. Maybe he thought that way. However, it should still be terrifying. Suppressing such fear and infiltrating this far is no small feat.

With talent and courage, success is almost guaranteed as he grows.

If he eventually makes thieving his profession, he might be able to steal anything. That thought crossed my mind.

It felt like a waste to kill such a genius here.

I understand that he might become my enemy in the future. After all, this is within the territory of the Holy Kingdom. It would be normal to think of rising to power here.

But even so, I thought it was okay.

“So, I’ll do this. Consider it a reward for infiltrating this far.”

“T-Thank you very much!”

As I handed over the food almost forcefully, the boy shed tears while bowing repeatedly.

“Don’t raise your voice too much. If you’re found by the scary woman during the day, I won’t be able to protect you.”

If Canon finds out, it might lead to consequences due to what happened within the Holy Kingdom. Even though I decided to let the boy go, that would be too disappointing. So, I don’t want him to make too much noise.

“Go now. Make sure not to be found by the guards.”

Saying that, I saw the boy off. However, he stopped along the way and bowed his head again. Responding with a raised hand, he smiled, glanced back, and this time, continued running without stopping.

…He’s talented, after all. I should have been watching carefully, and I used to be able to sense his presence. However, now it seems I’ve lost that ability. Perhaps it’s because I’ve been overly reliant on the plants recently and haven’t been actively honing my ability to sense presences. It looks like I’ve dulled quite a bit.

However, even with this dulled state, there are things I can still discern.

“So, the ‘Hero’ I thought was an assassin, was actually a stalker?”

After seeing off the boy, I addressed the Hero, who had been hiding in the shadow of a nearby carriage.