The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 485

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

Chapter 485   Invitation to the Boy

I have an idea about the thief. Probably, it’s the villagers I noticed acting strangely while I was watching the village. They were chatting happily.

Back then, I thought they were relieved because we were going to disappear, but they seem to be pleased with an unexpected income. If someone were to say that they were reacting that way, I could understand and might even consider it more “typical.”

After taking a breath and looking back, I caught the eyes of a few villagers who seemed to be observing us. Some of them turned pale and quickly disappeared.

They probably think the food they took from this boy was stolen from me, but it was given to him by me, a noble. I wonder if they feel guilty about taking it.

However, I have no intention of punishing them. This isn’t my territory, and I can’t do as I please. If I were to kill them just because I don’t like them, without them doing anything to me, it would certainly become a problem.

Also, as I mentioned earlier, the one who got robbed is at fault here.

Thinking like that, I exhale again and return my gaze to the boy. He might die like this, but what should I do? I don’t have anything for healing.

In the worst case, I could let a parasitic tree take root in him, ensuring automatic healing to protect the host, but that’s probably not an option. The other option is to use medicinal herbs, but even that wouldn’t have an immediate effect. What should I do…?

“What happened?”

It seemed that my sudden appearance piqued her interest. Lilia, with an excited expression, approached me, peering over her shoulder while calling out. Kyle and Bell also joined, visibly relieved that nothing happened to me.

But I’ll probably get an earful later. Because their faces are getting scarier by the moment. Well, I can’t blame them since I acted on my own.

“Lilia, perfect timing. Heal this guy.”

Nevertheless, since Lilia, a ‘healer,’ had come so close, I should make good use of her. If it’s just a minor injury like this, she should be able to heal it without feeling too exhausted.

“Eh? This kid? Is he your friend?”

“Does he look like my friend?”

“Hmm. I often see kids like him in Karakas, so it’s not strange even if he’s not your friend… Oh, but you don’t have any friends, do you! So, he’s not… Ah, but—”

Lilia seemed to ponder for a moment before giving an answer, but she said something quite rude, so I playfully gave her a flick on the forehead.

Even though she’s not a combat class, the power of a tenth-rank must have been painful. With a reasonably forceful blow, Lilia let out an awkward cry, staggering backward and falling on her rear.

“Quit blabbering and heal him quickly, idiot.”

“Ugh, fine, I got it…”

Lilia, brushing off the dirt from her rear after standing up, reached out to the injured boy and used magic.

“Heal!”

Without chanting a proper spell or even mentioning a name, it seemed quite haphazard. Nevertheless, true to her skills, the magic activated, enveloping the boy’s body in a faint glow.

Gradually, the injuries on the boy disappeared, and once all the wounds were healed, the light surrounding him dissipated into the air as if melting away.

“You should be able to move now. But don’t let your guard down from now on. If this were Karakas, you’d be dead.”

In Karakas, a mere assault wouldn’t be enough. They wanted something. If they had a desire, they’d kill and take it; that’s how it worked in Karakas. Because if you didn’t kill, you’d face retaliation later.

“Karakas…?”

The boy repeated the word I casually mentioned. It seemed to catch his interest. He echoed my words like a parrot.

“Yeah, it’s the city… country where I live.”

To those living in this country, Karakas might be a place to avoid. However, this boy seemed unfamiliar with what Karakas was, showing a puzzled expression.

Well, it’s understandable if he grew up as an orphan in a village like this.

…But, come to think of it, why not? This might be a good opportunity. I decided to talk to the boy about Karakas.

“There, it’s full of danger, and you might die or get kidnapped even within the city. However, you’ll never go hungry for sure.”

“Never…”

That’s right. You’ll never starve there. Of course, as long as I’m around, but I’m in the process of ensuring that it’ll be fine even when I’m not here. In another ten years, it should run smoothly without me having to intervene.

“Yeah, so if you ever feel like it, just come. That city welcomes anyone, no matter who they are.”

Anyway, living in a place like this, this boy doesn’t have much of a future. Maybe he’ll face a similar fate again and might die this time.

In that case, wouldn’t it be better to take a chance in Karakas, even if it might mean death?

Of course, if I guide or take him there, it would be favoritism. Although it wouldn’t cause much fuss since I found the talent, it’s not something amusing for those who built themselves up from scratch.

So, I won’t do anything. I’ll extend the invitation, but whether he decides to go to Karakas, progress that far, or survive there—it’s all up to him.

“Live. Struggle to live. Those who desperately cling to life, they’re pretty cool.”

Some might say that putting in effort is embarrassing. However, I don’t think so.

I find the sight of someone desperately struggling and putting in effort much cooler than just leaving behind results.

With that, I said only that and returned to the carriage with Lilia and Kyle.

“I apologize, Holy Maiden. I must have taken up your time.”

“No, it’s not a problem, but…”

“Let’s go.”

Canon and the hero probably couldn’t believe my actions. They looked surprised, and Canon seemed like she wanted to ask something, but I ignored it and boarded the carriage.

“I understand what you want to do, and I won’t blame you for it. Your actions are not to be criticized, and I understand the value of what you’re doing. However, please give me a word before you take any action.”

“Ah… sorry.”

Returning to the carriage, I received a scolding from Sofia, but it was accurate, and I had no choice but to apologize sincerely.

“Well, the situation is what it is. You must have been in a hurry.”

“Even so, please take a moment to calm down before taking action. This time, nothing happened, but there was a possibility that it could have been an enemy trap.”

Kyle, who witnessed yesterday’s events directly, defended me, but Sofia’s words didn’t stop.

In reality, what she said wasn’t wrong. This is the Holy Kingdom, and I expected someone to set a trap to try to kill me.

I believed the assassination attempt would occur after the investigation of the Sacred Tree, but that was not certain either.

Perhaps someone just wanted to kill me and acted on that desire, which was entirely possible.

“…Yeah, you’re right. I forgot that there might be enemies here, thinking it’s not Karakas. I’ll be more cautious from now on.”

Gathering this many powerful individuals should be safe. How careless I was. Sofia’s words prompted me to renew my determination.

And then, I made up my mind about one thing.

“Holy Maiden, may I have a moment?”

Canon and the others were talking outside the carriage, and as they were about to return to their carriage, I called out to them.

“…How did it go?”

Canon halted in her tracks, took a brief moment, and then turned slowly to face me.