The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 498

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

Chapter 498   Holy Maiden: Treatment of the Hero

“However, once the anomaly is resolved, you say. How successful do you think you it will be?”

As I immersed myself in reading the document after our conversation lapsed, the Pope, His Holiness, gradually posed this question.

When I looked up from the document, our eyes met. I twitched ever so slightly in response, but quickly focused on considering the previous question.

How successful would it be…

“…I had the opportunity to witness the power of the one claiming to be the Demon King during our journey. If such incredible power exists, I believe it could truly resolve the anomaly.”

The power demonstrated by that being who identified as the Demon King during our journey was beyond expectation. Instantaneously, he transformed a withered land into a lush one, producing a variety of foods. The spectacle was almost reminiscent of the reputed power of the Sacred Tree.

With that kind of power, whether it be the cursed Sacred Tree or any other cause, it seems possible to somehow manage and resolve the anomaly.

“If that’s the case, we might indeed need to consider dealing with it.”

By ‘dealing with it,’ the Pope referred to the Demon King himself, whom we had brought to this country. While I didn’t inquire much about that aspect, I believe His Holiness probably had no intention of killing the Demon King, or perhaps, it had a considerably low priority.

However, that was because I considered the Demon King to be a puppet, and killing him would be meaningless. Receiving a report from me about the Demon King’s power during this journey, and having an actual conversation, the Pope recognized that he wasn’t just a child being easily manipulated.

That’s why, considering that it would be better to handle him now to avoid unnecessary issues once he grows, the decision was made to deal with him now.

…However, thinking about this matter is not my concern. As someone who serves God, I believe in and act to protect the teachings. It’s an expression of gratitude to the church that lifted me up as an orphan and the role demanded of the existence called ‘Holy Maiden.’

“By the way, how is the relationship between the Hero and the Demon King?”

Yuuki… no, the relationship between the Hero and the Demon King…

Reflecting on the events leading up to now, I opened my mouth to respond.

“It can’t be called hostile, but I wouldn’t say it’s friendly either. The Hero seems to be conscious of the Demon King, but the Demon King appears to have lost interest in the Hero.”

It’s not a relationship in the true sense. Rather, as I just mentioned, it seems the Demon King views the Hero similarly to any other random person.

Initially, he played the role of a guide, seemingly interested and coming to observe. However, it’s different now. Probably, after interacting, he lost interest, and that seems to be the most accurate way to describe it.

“I see. I thought that the Hero and the Demon King would inevitably be aware of each other…”

I, too, had hoped for more significant developments when the Hero and the Demon King met.

Of course, the Demon King is not the kind of “enemy of humanity” found in fairy tales, so I had thoroughly considered the possibility that there might not be an immediate conflict. However, I still felt dissatisfied with the lack of any major developments.

Ideally, the Demon King would have viewed the Hero as an enemy, unilaterally killed the Hero, and, in the process, if even one of the Demon King’s subordinates died, it would have been a gain. While the death of the Hero would have been a loss, if the Hero were unilaterally killed after coming to Karakas for the sake of solving the famine, it would have provided a righteous pretext for the Holy Kingdom to attack Karakas, involving surrounding countries.

In this way, if we seized everything in the war, we could recover both food and elves, and even obtain land not affected by the curse.

However, that plan failed. It was partly due to the fact that the Demon King was more rational than expected, but probably the main reason was that the Hero was too incompetent.

“Perhaps the Hero’s behavior is the cause.”

“…Ah, it was mentioned in the report. I see. Well, if that’s the case, then it can’t be helped. For someone who has the blood of royalty and has become the king of a country, it’s only natural not to feel a sense of rivalry if the Hero is like that.”

It seemed the Pope understood everything I said, and he let out a sigh that contained a hint of exasperation, shaking his head slightly.

This sentiment wasn’t limited to the Pope alone. It was a shared understanding among all the higher-ups who knew how to handle the “Hero.”

That Hero was too young, or rather, too foolish. From a military perspective, there was no problem. He was stronger than the three tenth ranks in our country.

However, his inner self was still that of a child. He lived without thinking, like the son of a noble who had lived his life aimlessly and admired heroes.

Of course, from our perspective, it would be easier to manipulate him if he continued to be like this, and the education he received led to this outcome. However, he was still too foolish. So foolish that he occasionally acted on his own without understanding our intentions.

However, due to the fact that the opponent was the “Hero,” he held a higher position in public than me, who was outwardly a “Holy Maiden,” and in a sense, he held a position higher than that of the “Pope.” Because of this, it was impossible to forcefully bend his opinions and deny his actions.

“But, if that’s the case, it really seems like there’s no use for him anymore. Should we just stick to the original plan and let him die?”

Having defeated the Demon King, who is the king of the demons, the Hero is no longer needed.

In reality, we haven’t completely defeated the Demon King yet, but his ability is such that only when both of them are together can they be called the “Demon King.” Once we eliminate the remaining part, even if the Demon King were to appear again in the Holy Kingdom, we should be able to deal with it on our own.

Therefore, the Hero, as an existence, is unnecessary and, rather, is in a state of holding a bomb that moves arbitrarily and causes trouble.

Hence, the easiest way to handle this situation without repercussions is to kill him. Even if he dies, there is a way to use him, so his death might be more useful.

“If possible, I’d like to lead the Hero and the Demon King into a one-on-one battle. Or perhaps, a battle with each of them bringing a companion. Either way, if they fight head-on, and as a result, the Demon King kills the Hero, it would be convenient for us to proceed.”

In that case, we could proceed with the original plan of conquering Karakas and the surrounding countries. Despite having trusted and invited the Demon King, if chaos erupted within the Holy Kingdom with casualties, including the unexpected death of the Hero, it would be the best outcome.

“If it’s possible to involve His Majesty the King, that would be ideal… but you should plan separately for that.”

I haven’t been informed about the king. However, mentioning it like this suggests there might be something, but it’s not something I need to be concerned about.

“What about Lina? She is on loan from Bastok, so even if we try to take action, her cooperation may be delicate.”

Lina is a mage who joined the “Hero’s party,” but she doesn’t belong to the Holy Kingdom. She’s from Bastok, our allied nation, as the most powerful mage in this area.

While the Holy Kingdom has powerful mages, they are not as strong as Lina, and solving the Demon King issue on our own might cause tensions with neighboring countries.

Therefore, we cooperated not only with Bastok but also with other countries. If we had cooperated with Bastok, it would not have been a matter of neglecting other nations that did not receive requests, but rather, it would have been because there were no suitable individuals to form a team with the Hero.

After defeating the Demon King, there is no reason to act together, but Lina said she would come along, so we are still acting together. It is probably an instruction from Bastok, but… in reality, it is unclear. Lina’s actions and personality are unpredictable, making it difficult to determine whether she will cooperate or firmly refuse when asked for assistance.

In the worst-case scenario, if it comes to killing, I would prefer not to kill Lina as it could strain relations with Bastok.

“If the ‘Twin Mage’ behave herself, that’s fine. Bastok likely has no intention of worsening relations with us, and if Karakas falls, it would be favorable for them as well.”

Bastok also sees Karakas as a nuisance and has made several attempts to eliminate it. Therefore, if we take action, Lina, being from Bastok, is likely to remain non-hostile, even in the worst-case scenario.

“Thank you for the report. How about the document?”

“I have finished reading the main points, so there shouldn’t be any issues.”

With that, I returned the document to His Holiness while saying, “Then, I will retire for now. If there are any further instructions, please inform me later.”

“Understood. Rest well. I’ll convey any instructions if needed.”

I bowed once more and left the room, then bowed again before returning to my quarters.