The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 499

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

Chapter 499   Eavesdropping is useful even in Holy Kingdom

“——That’s the situation.”

I was escorted to the room, leaving my subordinates to check for any potential traps that might be set up in the room. I leisurely sipped tea and waited, appearing elegant.

However, that was just a facade. In reality, I focused my awareness on my ability, eavesdropping on conversations within the church and the castle.

For some reason, the plants here lacked vitality, yet my abilities operated without any issues. In fact, I felt even better than usual. Skill activations went smoother than ever, and the eavesdropping this time was crystal clear.

While eavesdropping, I discovered an interesting combination of the Holy Maiden and the Pope. I gathered information from the flowers in the vase in the room. However, I happened to overhear something extraordinary.

Well, not exactly extraordinary, more like, you know? It felt like I had heard something on the lines of being able to say, “You’re the culprit!” before the incident even occurred.

It’s like the beginning of a suspense novel where the name of the culprit is highlighted with a marker, and there’s a note saying, “This person is the culprit.”

I mean, I’m the king, and it’s a good thing to know who the culprit is and their intentions before something dangerous happens… but sigh. The disappointment is quite overwhelming.

“What’s up? Have you already fallen for a trap? Not much fun, huh?”

“Well, it’s true that it’s not very exciting. But, I am the king. If there’s a threat to my life, I don’t need excitement. I seek safety and certainty.”

That being said, in reality, I felt a sense of incomplete combustion, similar to entering a match where the outcome was already determined.

After all, murders where you know the culprit and their motives can be prevented, right?

Although I don’t know the means, if I know what they are aiming for, it’s easy to deal with.

“For a Demon King, you’re saying things that don’t sound very demonic. Well, I won’t make a bad move.”

I plan to tell Granny everything I just learned. Since I won’t be staying here forever and Granny will be dealing with the castle and church, I can’t afford not to inform her.

I’ll also inform the subordinates who came with me. Knowing the situation will enable them to act appropriately.

“Starting now, it seems I can move around freely to some extent, so I’ll leave the information gathering to each of you. Although I can use the plants in this holy city, there are things I can’t handle alone.”

“Yes, sir!”

“But don’t let your guard down. It might not be something I need to say to those raised in Karakas, but this place is a nest of evil in a different sense. Be cautious.”

“Yes, sir!”

With that, after examining the room and receiving a neat bow from the several attendants—disguised as followers—I had stationed in the room, they silently and promptly left.

Just when I thought they were gone, someone entered the room a little later.

“Oh, Lilia.”

Several rooms were assigned, and while I had Lilia checking the room’s safety, she was in my room under the pretext of supervision.

In reality, I just sent her away to not interfere while talking to Granny. After all, even if I put her in the role of supervisor, she wouldn’t be of any use.

But well, that’s a different matter. She probably got bored being alone. She must have noticed that people had left my room, so she came over here.

“What~? That reaction uncalled for~?”

I frowned at Lilia, which prompted her to pout a bit and express her dissatisfaction.

However, it wasn’t because Lilia came that I made a face.

“It just means I’m comfortable enough around you. Even with such a greeting, you won’t get mad, right?”

“Huh? Well, yeah! Because I have a heart as wide as a spring!”

“…Isn’t a spring not that wide?”

“Huh? Is that so?”

Watching Lilia tilt her head while contemplating, I recalled the conversation with the Pope and others earlier.

But I had no intention of telling her about that.

It’s quite an important matter. It would be better to make it a common understanding for everyone who came here.

If they are seeking elves to incorporate into the barrier, the elves we brought are arguably in the most dangerous position.

So, logically, it would be best to tell everything and have them be cautious afterward.

However, despite knowing that, I decided not to tell Lilia.

After all, elves are being forcefully used in the barrier. If I share that information, she might start moving to help. That’s not good.

She might get upset later for not telling her, and she might even dislike me for it, but it’s still better than her moving right now.

But protecting everything without informing all the elves is difficult. Therefore, the only thing I won’t tell them is about the barrier that utilizes elves and the sacred tree. I intend to inform them that they are being targeted. By doing so, even if it’s not foolproof, I can at least ensure they maintain a minimum level of vigilance.

“Lilia, don’t leave my side.”

If she stays close to me, I should be able to protect her. Even if I can’t protect her completely, as long as she isn’t immediately killed, I can take action.

Moreover, this is another country. While I could have managed things when I was in Karakas, causing problems here might be irreversible. Therefore, I didn’t want Lilia to act on her own.

In that sense, I wanted Lilia to stay close to me.

“Hoe? …Rejected!”

However, Lilia tilted her head as if confused and then stood still for a few seconds without any reaction. Wondering what was happening, I saw Lilia suddenly open her eyes as if she had noticed something, then stood up, crossed her arms, and shouted.

“Huh?”

“I know, so I’m rejecting it!”

I couldn’t understand why Lilia shouted and rejected so suddenly, and I let out a dumbfounded voice.

But ignoring my reaction, Lilia began to speak as if she suddenly remembered something.

“Isn’t that the thing? When a man says those words to a woman while trying to pick her up? And then, they kiss and get married, I know that!”

…Huh?

Well, I guess if you only consider the words, it might not seem that way. I’ve never seen or heard someone actually saying, “Stay by my side,” but I do know that characters in games and anime sometimes use such lines.

No, this world is indeed a place where life is at stake, unlike games. It’s much more dangerous than Japan, and uncertainties about one’s life are common. In such a world, people live in the moment, often driven by emotions rather than reason, and sometimes emotions can lead to uncontrollable outbursts.

Actions that may seem like a theatrical performance to me might be quite normal for others. Probably.

“…Who gave you that information?”

But regardless of the appropriateness of such dramatic behavior, who taught Lilia that? Someone has to be meddling in troublesome matters.

“Huh? I don’t know. I saw something like that while walking in the town… Oh? But was that a threat? He cornered her against the wall and blocked her escape with his hands. In a situation like that, you can’t help but nod, right? I mean, being stared at from such a close distance is scary. Well, it’s not scary for me because I’m amazing, but that woman must have been scared, and she was probably bullied—”

“There’s no need to worry about that.”

It seems she encountered it in town. Probably in Karakas or Flower Garden. Certainly, in a place like that, you might witness such actions, commonly known as “wall slam.” People there tend to act more on their emotions than on manners or reason. In that environment, you might encounter these kinds of bold approaches.

However, although I understand that Lilia wasn’t taught by someone, it’s still troublesome. It’s not that I don’t want her to grow, but unnecessary knowledge complicates things. So, it’s a bit of a dilemma when she acquires new information.

…But being scared of a wall slam, huh. Well, it might be scary. Even if it’s done by someone you’re on good terms with, having your escape blocked is frightening. Actually, wasn’t that a kind of bridge effect? The fear and excitement caused by having the escape route blocked, which could be mistaken for the excitement of romance.

Well, that doesn’t matter much.

“That’s a kind of expression of affection, so don’t worry about it. By the way, I didn’t declare my love for you, so relax.”

To dispel the misunderstanding from earlier, I wear an expression of exasperation, making a dismissive motion with my hand and casually addressing her.

It might be quite a rude attitude, but I believe that through this attitude, Lilia understands that I don’t have any romantic feelings toward her.