The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 492

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

Chapter 492   Between farce and conspiracy

“We have arrived, everyone. This is the Holy Capital Alfreya, the Eadran Royal Castle,” announced Canon, who is the Holy Maiden, came specifically to inform us, probably to ensure that unnecessary trouble does not arise by entrusting the message to others.

Although we currently have no intention of causing any commotion, it’s understandable if others find it hard to believe.

In any case, we have reached our destination. However, upon arrival, we were greeted by a large castle, just as we were told.

While this country is considered a religious state, there is still a king in place. Nevertheless, the king’s authority is considerably weaker than kings in other countries, seemingly always trying to please the church.

So, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the most influential figure in this country is the head of the church, whether it’s the Pope or some other religious leader.

Knowing this, I initially thought that if we were to make a greeting, it would be directed towards the church. However, it seems I was mistaken.

“After completing your greetings to the king, we will guide you to Alfreya Cathedral and extend our hospitality. As for the other escorts, they will head to the cathedral first. We cannot bring such a large number of people into the castle,” Canon informed us.

So, greetings are to the king, but the hospitality is from the church. I see. This means they’ve made some effort to maintain the appearance of respecting the king. Regardless of how weak his power might be, he is still the king of this country. Ignoring that and proceeding directly without showing respect might create conflicts. In some cases, it could even be interpreted as a sign of rebellion.

However, by demonstrating this respectful attitude, it becomes challenging for anyone to openly make a fuss. Regardless of the royal family’s true feelings.

“To welcome a king, they lead us to the cathedral instead of the royal castle. We can understand each other’s positions quite well.”

It seemed Canon heard my words. She had taken a step forward to guide us, but her foot paused for a moment. However, the only change she showed was that brief pause. Without saying anything or turning around, she continued walking. Seeing this, we exchanged glances as a signal to stay alert and followed Canon.

Following Canon’s guidance, we entered the castle. Similar to the city, it was adorned with greenery. There were flowers arranged in vases inside, and glimpses of a beautifully crafted garden were visible.

Well, the garden I created is more impressive. The plants there cut unnecessary flowers on their own and present themselves in the most vibrant way possible. It’s impressive, or rather, impressively strange in a different sense.

Setting that aside, the abundance of greenery here is still odd. Why is there so much greenery only in this place?

If it were sparsely scattered, it would seem like they were somehow managing an anomaly. However, with such richness, it feels more like there’s another anomaly beyond the anomaly.

Moreover, my ability, ” Mindlink,” is only partially active compared to its usual state.

I can hear voices, but it’s within the original range of the skill. I can’t receive assistance from the sacred tree, and for some reason, not all plants are sending their voices.

And, the voices I hear are different. They lack the usual energy and enthusiasm.

I don’t understand how these things are related to the anomaly, why there’s so much greenery, and why the plants seem lethargic. Still, it’s something worth investigating.

Lost in these thoughts, we seemed to have arrived at the audience chamber as Canon’s steps halted. In front of us was a door that screamed “royal” with excessive embellishments.

…Breaking this down would be quite refreshing. Unlike the doors in my castle, I doubt this one has features like self-destruct upon breaking or extraordinary strength. Well, doors used in places like these probably don’t need the strength to withstand attacks or self-destruct features.

“Your Majesty, the ‘Hero’ Yuki has returned with an envoy from Karakas!”

I thought Canon would do something, but she wisely refrained from being intrusive in this situation. She turned towards the hero, who nodded at her, and loudly called out beyond the door.

It was fine in itself. As the hero called out, the door began to open, and everything was proceeding smoothly.

However, there was one dissatisfaction. We don’t recognize them as being led by these guys. Well, or rather, Canon, in a way, probably wanted to imply that their position is superior. Politics is a struggle for leadership, and such accumulations are crucial. Probably.

But we have no intention of being bothered even if they try to establish dominance like that. After all, no matter how pompous they act, a punch to the face would settle it, right? In a world where bullets and bombs can be deflected, most audacious things become feasible with enough strength.

We’re not planning to do something like that right away, but with that mindset, we can endure whatever annoying things they might say. Well, more than enduring, it’s more like ignoring. It’s just childish prattle; we’ll generously forgive and forget.

Well, if the other party goes too far, a discussion with fists will start without any room for negotiation.

Thinking about such things, as the door to the audience chamber fully opened, we walked inside.

Currently, I lead about twenty people, including the negotiating party led by Granny. Among them are, of course, guards, and strangely, everyone is armed.

It’s something that should normally be removed, but perhaps thinking it would be troublesome if we resisted, or maybe to show some trust in us on the surface, they didn’t ask us to disarm.

However, even if we had disarmed, using skills would allow us to conjure weapons as needed, so it wouldn’t matter.

Moreover, Lilia and Flora are not with us. It would undoubtedly lead to complications. Especially Flora, and even Lilia.

It’s impossible for them not to notice the elf addressed as the ‘Saint,’ and Lilia, if approached, might say unnecessary things. Therefore, I decided to have Lilia rest in advance.

However, leaving no elves might raise suspicions, so I brought one decent-looking elf from among them.

Having thus progressed into the audience chamber, we were about to meet the king of this country…

“——You, you stand before His Majesty the King. Kneel!”

Those were the first words spoken.

It wasn’t the king or someone from the church who said it, but a noble of some sort who likely held a certain degree of power to be present in this setting.

Whether it was a personal decision or the collective will of the Holy Kingdom was unclear. Glancing around briefly, none of us seemed flustered or grimaced at the noble’s words.

…This is probably a staged comedy, isn’t it?

They want to see how we’ll react. If we kneel, we acknowledge ourselves as inferior. If we don’t kneel and respond in a certain way, our humanity and abilities become apparent.

Well, I’ll just go as I am. I won’t consider or humble myself, not thinking about the current situation or the future. Just as usual, saying what I want to say.

As the king of Karakas, that’s what I should do, and I believe it’s the best course.

“What are you talking about? I came all the way here because you said you were in trouble with the title of a king. What’s with that speech? Sitting there and looking down at us… well, I’ll let it slide. He’s also a king. But kneel? That too, for someone like you… are you underestimating me?”

Addressing the noble who shouted at us, I released a killing intent. It wasn’t as intense as my father’s, but to ordinary people living in a safe place, it would be quite frightening.

The man who received my killing intent embarrassingly fell backward on the spot, trembling with chattering teeth.

“What the—”

Even so, he seemed to be trying to fulfill his role, attempting to speak, but his mouth didn’t seem to cooperate, and he couldn’t say anything more.

Having had enough of the noble, I dissipated the killing intent and sneered down at him.

“Yo-you—”

“Sorry, Holy Maiden. You showed your true colors, desperately bowed your head, begging for food, and these guys seem to want to ruin that story. The abnormality of the plants doesn’t seem to matter to them.”

The noble who fell backward was about to say something, but ignoring him, I addressed Canon, who had brought us here.

“All right, let’s withdraw. We came this far, but it seems we’re unwanted here. We’ll go back—”

“Hold on.”

Speaking to my companions while turning my back on the throne, a weighty and dignified voice stopped me.

The identity of the speaker could be easily guessed, or rather, there was only one person who would stop us in this situation.

“Allow my subordinate to apologize for the disrespectful behavior.”

Upon receiving the words of restraint and turning around, as expected, the king of this country clearly spoke those words while looking directly at us.

Since the king apologized to someone like “me,” the people around suddenly started making a commotion.

Some expressed surprise, others widened their eyes, and some furrowed their brows. Their reactions varied, but their gazes were unanimously directed at the king.

Glancing briefly at those nobles and church-related individuals, I returned my gaze to the king, who continued to stare at us.

As our gazes met again, we exchanged a brief, meaningful glare, lasting only a few seconds. However, in those few seconds, I learned something.

They say you can understand a person’s character by looking into their eyes, and that’s true. By looking directly into the king’s eyes, I somehow grasped what kind of person he was.

Until recently, I had the perception that the king of this country was a puppet of the church or merely a lackey or subordinate. However, it seemed that was not the case.