The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 488

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

Chapter 488   Something different

“Ugh… feeling gross…”

“Lilia, are you okay now?”

“I still feel a bit off, but it’s not like I can’t move. Well, for now, I guess I’m okay?”

As she said, she probably wasn’t in top condition. She lacked her usual energetic demeanor, but as long as she could talk normally, it seemed fine, and I felt a bit relieved.

Or rather, it’s impolite to say this in front of someone who’s unwell, but she seems more subdued and intellectual when she’s a little under the weather. Considering her original appearance was beautiful, the combination of looking unwell gives off a vibe of a delicate unfortunate beauty.

Well, I’m not thinking about such trivial matters now; it’s about Flora.

“I see. About Flora, do you know what we should do?”

“Hmm, let’s see… Vesnar, you should share your power with Flora.”

“Share power… How do I do that?”

“Just do your usual thing. You know, that skill to make plants grow bigger.”

“Is that okay?”

“Just try it. Come on, give it a shot.”

“――《Growth》.”

Without any proper explanation, urged by Lilia, I used the skill, and the light from the skill was absorbed into Flora’s body.

Wondering if it had any real effect, gradually, Flora’s complexion seemed to improve.

“Flora, how are you feeling?”

“Mm… still feels a bit weird, but not painful, maybe?”

As the strength in the arm that was holding her diminished, for a moment, I worried that something strange had happened, but apparently, that wasn’t the case. Flora answered with a clearer voice than before, and hearing that, I breathed a sigh of relief.

“So, it seems that, for the time being, it wasn’t a mistake as a temporary measure.”

“What? You didn’t believe what I said?”

Well, yeah, I want to say that, but despite her usual behavior, it was true that this time her advice had helped. It’s better to remain silent than to say something that would make things awkward or difficult.

“More importantly, is this okay now?”

Flora and Lilia might not be completely fine, but with time passing, their complexions seemed to be improving.

In that case, would it be okay to continue without addressing the issue further?

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know…”

“I really don’t know. Maybe the flow of power from the Sacred Tree around here is acting weird…”

“So, it doesn’t work. We won’t know unless we see it directly.”

Lilia seemed to have tried to trace the flow of the anomaly that happened to them, but still, she didn’t seem to understand the details. After showing a thoughtful expression for a moment, she shook her head.

“Do you know anything at the moment? Even small details would be fine. What does it mean for the flow of power to be strange?”

“The feeling is like eating what you think is a strawberry shortcake, but it turns out the inside is chocolate cake?”

Well, I don’t know if the information I asked for will be useful or not.

“…No, I don’t get it.”

Even though we were talking about magical power, Sacred Trees, and anomalies, suddenly being given an example like strawberry shortcake was confusing.

“Is it like being able to eat it, but being surprised because it’s different from what you expected?”

“From Flora’s condition, it seems like it’s more than just that…”

“Is it not poison?”

As I struggled to interpret Lilia’s words, Sofia and the others voiced their own thoughts.

“I guess it’s not so much like poison. Hmm.”

Listening to that, it seemed understandable, but with those words, Lilia showed a troubled expression.

“Normally, we receive power from the Sacred Tree, but it seems the supposed flow of that power is getting tainted and turning into something else?”

After pondering for a few more seconds, she chose her words more carefully, offering an explanation that we could understand. However, it seemed she couldn’t explain it perfectly and ended the sentence with a questioning tone.

However, if the power is being tainted by something else…

“Could it be that it’s already a different entity?”

“It’s a different entity, but not exactly different… it’s become strange, but still, it is ‘power,’ and the essence of that power remains unchanged, coming from the Sacred Tree… I feel like that’s the case.”

The essence of the power hasn’t changed, but there’s some contamination. Could it be compared to the ratio of components in the air one breathes suddenly changing?

“But I don’t feel anything. I also receive power from the Sacred Tree, and in terms of conditions, I should be affected too, right?”

While I am a human, receiving power from the Sacred Tree through Flora makes me somewhat similar to an Elf.

“If you were born that way, it’s not the same, right? The conditions are different from ours. Besides, that Sacred Tree is Flora, right? Maybe it’s just stopping there?”

As she said that, I looked at Flora, who was smiling as if trying to play it off. Seeing her like that, I understood that she was indeed stopping the anomaly that was supposed to flow to me. In fact, maybe that’s why Flora’s symptoms were worse than Lilia’s?

“Is it okay to proceed like this? Currently, it seems to affect Flora, Lilia, and probably other elves, but if we continue, couldn’t something happen to you, Vesnar?”

For a moment, I considered turning back, but as if speaking on behalf of my thoughts, Kyle spoke up.

“Isn’t it okay? I don’t know, but it seems like Flora is stopping it, and probably, if I regularly share power with Flora, it should be okay for a while. I think. Surely…”

“I see. By the way, how about you guys?”

“Me? I’m already fine. There’s still a bit of discomfort, but I’ll get used to it soon.”

With some understanding of the situation, although there was a tentative solution, there was still no absolute guarantee of safety. Perhaps the symptoms could worsen as we proceeded, and there was a possibility that my skills might not be sufficient to deal with it.

So, if we were to turn back, it would be now.

“Flora, what do you want to do? If you don’t want to proceed any further, there’s no need to force it.”

“I want to go!”

However, Flora expressed her desire to continue forward.

Perhaps it was because she initially insisted on going to the Holy Kingdom, and now she couldn’t simply turn back because of her own decision. That could be a possibility.

“Are you sure? If there’s a chance that something might happen or if you’re saying this because you’re worried about me…”

“I want to go!”

Once again, I questioned Flora, but she raised her fist and swung it around like throwing a tantrum.

Seeing her like that, I understood that no matter how much more I said, Flora wouldn’t agree. With a sigh, I decided to proceed forward as she wished.

“…I see. If you feel something strange, be sure to let me know. It’ll be a problem for me if something happens to you.”

“Got it!”

This Flora is not the main body but a detached entity. So even if she dies, there won’t be any issues. The memories during this journey are not synchronized, so they will be lost, but it won’t cause the Sacred Tree itself to wither.

However, she is still ‘my child Flora’. Therefore, I’ll protect her as much as possible.

“My apologies. Now, let’s continue our journey.”

I called out to one of the guards waiting outside, and shortly after, the carriage started moving again.

“Lilia, are you really okay?”

Even though she said she was getting better, Lilia still looked unwell, so I spoke to her.

“Hmm? Well, I’m fine. I’m not as bad as Flora. In my case, it’s like having some extra dirt that shouldn’t originally be there. If something happens, I think I can manage it by purifying myself.”

“I see… Just don’t push yourself too hard.”

Even though skills might offer some relief, it’s similar to using painkillers when you have a headache – it doesn’t necessarily address the root cause or improve overall health. So, I advised her not to overexert herself. Hearing this, Lilia looked somewhat surprised and then chuckled.

“What’s up? Treating me so gently… Did you eat something strange you found on the ground or something?”

“Don’t compare me to you… Well, if you notice anything strange again, let me know.”

“Got it. Ugh… understood.”

I gave her a light tap on the forehead, and she intentionally swayed a bit as she lay down on her sleeping space. With a casual wave, she indicated her understanding.

“Oh!”

Just when I thought she was settled, she suddenly sat up, shouting loudly.