The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 495

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

Chapter 495   Audience ended

“Well, fine. I don’t mind about the limit permit, but when will it actually be usable?”

“In about three days, including the permit, everything should be ready.”

“I see. Well, then the conversation is over—oh, wait. There was one more thing.”

Although I had already finished talking about the originally planned topic, there was something I wanted to ask about, a question that arose since coming here.

I averted my gaze and looked out of the window, where I could see greenery. Even in the midst of the anomaly where plants were withering, the plants in this city never seemed to wither. It was undeniably abnormal.

“Why are there so many plants growing here? How is it that this city remains unharmed amidst this anomaly?.”

“This land has been blessed by the gods—”

“There’s no way I’m believing that this city alone is blessed while the entire cursed country is in the midst of this anomaly. Nonsense.”

Unable to bear the Pope’s silence, other believers spoke up in his place, but I interrupted them without letting them finish.

… Are these people idiots? The Pope understood, which is why he stopped talking earlier. Do they really think it’s appropriate for someone of lower status to speak up when the Pope himself remains silent?

Normally, one wouldn’t think about such things, but well, faith can make people do strange things. For the sake of what they believe in, they might abandon common sense, make self-centered interpretations, and do forceful things.

This male believer seemed to be one of them. Ridiculed in his faith, he couldn’t help but speak of his legitimacy and greatness. Well, from my perspective, it was an action that could be summed up with a single word: “foolish.”

… Oh, right. Speaking of curses, there was something I remembered.

“And by the way, weren’t you under a curse not long ago, with tears and nasal discharge that wouldn’t stop, and at worst, facing death? For a city blessed by God, isn’t that a bit too cursed? Or are you going to claim that it’s also a trial from God?”

A land cursed so frequently can’t be considered blessed by any god—it’s a poorly constructed joke.

Well, as for tears and nasal discharge, it’s my doing… well, my improvement—or rather, worsening—of the plant’s pollen. It’s similar to anaphylaxis caused by bee venom. While a single exposure poses no problem, repeated or continuous intake triggers an exaggerated immune response, causing harm to the body. In other words, it’s hay fever.

Hay fever is common in modern Japan, but surprisingly, this illness didn’t exist in the past. It doesn’t matter if it’s due to changes in people’s lifestyles or the environment—the important thing is that hay fever didn’t exist in this world either.

Moreover, if the cause is unknown, people would appear to suddenly start sneezing and shedding tears.

Even if you “purify” the area, pollen is still lurking around, so if you ingest it again, even if you were once cured, the symptoms will reappear.

Additionally, there’s another crucial point: hay fever can be fatal if it becomes severe. People who don’t know what hay fever is, can’t deal with it, and simply leave it untreated may end up dead.

Therefore, even before the anomaly of the plants withering occurred, rumors spread in the Holy Land that the Holy Land itself might be cursed.

Well, the plants causing hay fever were almost completely wiped out in this anomaly, but that’s fine. After all, I have the original seeds, so I can use them again if needed.

“The reason this land has yet to be affected by the anomaly is because of the barrier we set up. Sensing the anomaly, we managed to at least protect the area around the capital by putting up the barrier.”

“A barrier… Could you provide some information about that as well?”

At that time, judging from the words Canon murmured in the castle in Karakas, I somehow understood, but if possible, I wanted more details. Even though I didn’t expect them to tell me, I wished for some kind of information, even if it was just a made-up story. But…

“I don’t think it’s necessary.”

Well, of course. It’s their barrier to protect themselves; there’s no way they would disclose the details. However, that doesn’t mean I intend to back down immediately. At least, even if I can’t get them to tell me, I should persist a little longer before giving up.

“I believe it is necessary. It’s a barrier to prevent anomalies related to plants. If I understand how it works to prevent anomalies, it would make it easier to understand the nature and cause of the anomalies, right?”

“However, unfortunately, information about the barrier is classified, so I cannot casually discuss it.”

“Does that mean you’re doing something that can’t be talked about?”

“Isn’t that a bit of a twisted way to look at it? It’s simply a matter of needing to keep it technically confidential.”

After exchanging these words, we stared at each other for a few seconds or tens of seconds. Realizing that they wouldn’t tell me anything more, I let out a small sigh.

“Well then, is there anything else to discuss? If not, I’d like to leave soon. Living in an unfamiliar land can be inconvenient. Considering your origins, problems might arise. Therefore, we will assign guards and advisors. If there is a need to resolve the anomaly, you can inform them. We will cooperate as much as possible.”

Though they mention guards and advisors, it’s basically surveillance, right? They are essentially assassins for emergencies. Well, it was expected. They won’t let us roam freely, and imposing some form of restriction is as anticipated.

Well, even if they assign surveillance, it’s not a big deal, maybe just a little annoying. After all, we are all warriors and skilled assassins capable of stealthy movements. It’s easy to act when an opportunity arises. They can’t monitor everyone, and, oh, when I say everyone, I mean everyone except Lilia. She’s not an assassin and probably never will be. It’s just who she is.

However, the fact remains that I got done in, as expected.

And I’m not one to just take it lying down. So…

“Oh, feel free to use the food we brought however you like. Whether you eat it yourselves, distribute it to the people, or use it for your hospitality, it’s up to you. — Of course, once we settle on a price, though.”

Just before turning to leave the audience chamber, I smirked and delivered those words to the king.

We brought food this time, but it’s just temporary provisions. We’ll only start bringing them in earnest after making a proper contract and getting paid. Still, even though it’s temporary, there’s no way I’m giving it away for free. Of course, we’ll charge for it.

They might have thought that the food we brought could be obtained immediately. Perhaps they considered it a token for negotiations or a gesture of friendship.

The kings and popes of the Holy Land showed no reaction, but the surrounding nobles seemed uneasy, wondering if they wouldn’t get any. I was somewhat satisfied by their worried expressions.

“I’ve arranged accommodations at the church. It’s advisable to stay there for a while. However, you are guests of our country, so you have permission to move freely within the castle. Feel free to come anytime.”

As I turned away to leave, the king spoke to me, but I ignored him and continued walking out of the room.

“Lord Hero, you must be tired from your long journey. Any necessary matters will be communicated through others, so take your time to rest.”

“Yes, I appreciate your consideration.”

However, the king’s actions didn’t end there. Despite accompanying us to the room, he addressed the Hero without saying anything significant, causing the Hero, who seemed about to leave with us, to halt a few steps into his departure.

“Huh? Where’s Canon…?”

“I still have matters to report, so please go ahead.”

It seems Canon decided to stay behind without following us.

Well, there’s probably a lot to report, unlike this so-called ‘Hero.’

“But, if that’s the case, maybe I should stay behind too…”

“No. …It might sound rude after telling you to rest, but there are things that only the Hero can do. Although we keep the fact that he is the Demon King a secret, we can’t predict where the information might leak. We don’t know how ordinary people will react once they find out. And if, by any chance, he gets injured, it would be a loss for us. So, make sure no one lays a hand on him, and stay by his side until he returns to the room.”

In other words, be their watchdog, that’s what it boils down to.

But, that’s probably not the primary reason, I think.

Certainly, having the Hero around will deter anyone from bothering me, and even if someone does, I can easily settle it by mentioning the name ‘Hero’ without making a big fuss.

However, they probably already have surveillance in place, and areas we pass through have likely been cleared of people. Frankly, I think the Hero is in a state where there’s nothing for him to do.

Even so, Canon probably asked the Hero not to stay behind to keep him away from this place.

They want this Hero to remain the pristine ‘Hero.’ They probably want to shield him from the shady side of nobles and royalty that their going to encounter. He’ll be more useful to them if he remains unaware of such things. So, they’re probably trying to come up with a reason to send him back.

“…I see. …Got it. In that case, I’ll head back first. Canon, take your time and rest once you’re done reporting.”

Upon hearing Canon’s words, the Hero showed a brief moment of confusion but still nodded.

Whether he understood Canon’s true intentions or not, or if he sensed something odd, we couldn’t tell.

“Yes, thank you.”

And so, when the Hero left the room, the unnecessarily extravagant door closed. The guards or advisors, or whoever they were that I mentioned earlier, were waiting outside, and we were guided by them. As we walked towards the church where the others had been led before us, it was decided that the three of us, excluding Canon, would join.

“Well then, let me guide you.”