The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 500

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

Chapter 500   Leaving for the sacred tree

However, upon seeing my attitude, Lilia pursed her lips and glared at me.

“…But, I’m cute, right? You must have wanted to confess to me unconsciously, right?”

It seemed she didn’t like being told that she wasn’t a romantic interest. While saying this, Lilia struck a rather old-fashioned and unconvincing sexy pose, placing her right hand behind her head and her left hand on her hip.

“Well, not really. I do admit you look cute, though.”

I acknowledge her cute appearance, the entertaining reactions, and her popularity among others. However, no matter how cute she is, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s more of a friendly or even pet-like cuteness, not something romantic.

“See!?”

Despite not putting much significance into my words, Lilia seemed to really like what I said. She beamed a smile and, like an excited child, stood up and sat next to the Granny.

“Granny, tell him I’m cute!”

“Oh, is that so? Well, that’s good.”

“Yeah!”

The old lady listened to Lilia’s enthusiastic report and affectionately stroked her head.

As for Lilia, she didn’t seem to mind having her head petted and just let it happen.

In actual age, Lilia is older than me. She’s a hundred years old, after all. Despite her appearance, the old lady is around eighty years old. Lilia’s mental age doesn’t really match her hundred years, but if they’re okay with it, who am I to judge?

“Can we get back to our conversation?”

“Huh, conversation? …What were we talking about?”

Why does she forget what we were talking about just a few minutes ago? She was making a fuss about it until a moment ago.

“Because you’re being targeted, I said not to stray too far from me or Granny. But I’ll head to the Sacred Tree in a few days, and Granny will stay here. That’s why I told you not to leave my side.”

“Well… I guess there’s no helpin’ it! You’re going through a lot, so I’ll stay with you!”

She confidently declared, placing her hand on her hip. Seeing her like this, I let out a small sigh.

“Fine, whatever. Just promise me that if you go anywhere, at least take Sofia or Bell with you. I’ll have other guards accompany you too, but it’s easier if you’re with familiar faces, right?”

“Roger that!”

…Where did she even pick up that word?

Well, for now, I managed to secure a promise from Lilia. That should be enough.

“Your Majesty, the travel permit is ready, so I’ll give it to you.”

“Ah, it’s done.”

Three days later, as promised, the domestic travel permit was ready, and Canon, the Holy Maiden, brought it over.

“Also, we’ve finished investigating the location of the Sacred Tree. I can guide you there anytime. How would you like to proceed?”

“Anytime works for me. Should we head there tomorrow?”

“Then let’s do that.”

As expected, just like when I informed them of my visit, they would suggest going the next day. Canon nodded smoothly without any hesitation.

“Well then, I’m going to head towards the Sacred Tree for a bit… Granny. Can I leave the rest to you?”

Having received the permit from Canon, I returned to the room and called out to Granny, who was playing with Lilia using a cat toy.

“Oh, sure. Just come back before you know it. I might as well neutralize about half of the upper echelons of this country by the time you return.”

“You don’t have to go that far… Well, having more allies is always appreciated.”

Granny paused the cat toy’s movement and placed her hand on Lilia’s head, wearing a carnivorous smile.

From her demeanor, it seemed like she was planning to do something extravagant… Half of the upper echelons? That’s practically dismantling the entire country.

“But be careful. In the worst case, you can ignore us and run away.”

I think Granny should be fine, but the current situation is unpredictable. If Granny were to be killed, it would be a damage beyond words. Even if we were abandoned, we could manage on our own, so if there’s a situation where it seems like death is imminent, I want her to escape without hesitation.

“Sure thing. —By the way, you’re quite overprotective, just like your father. He was protective of you, and you’re protective of your comrades.”

“It’s natural for a leader to care about their subordinates. After all, they entrusted their lives. If you can’t do that, it’s better to give up the leadership position.”

Protecting one’s subordinates is the duty of a king. Sometimes, sacrificing a smaller part for the greater good is necessary. That’s understandable. However, it should be the last resort.

Sacrificing the small part is a choice made to somehow protect the country and the subordinates. Choosing to discard from the beginning makes a king mediocre. It means lacking the strength to enforce one’s will—being weak. You see, mediocre?

Of course, if one cannot even choose to sacrifice a small part in that critical moment, they are mediocre, or rather third-rate. Those who cannot think for the people or their subordinates are out of the question. Such individuals should never become leaders.

Well, both mediocre and third-rate are not the path I’m aiming for. I aspire to be a first-rate who doesn’t have to discard anyone. In other words, a first-rate villain.

…Somehow, with this phrasing, I feel like I’m in the same category as Lilia, but that’s just my imagination. It’s just that the words are the same; the intentions behind them are different… or so I hope.

“Well, anyway, we’ll be fine here. You take care too. Given the possibility of an ambush, you should be cautious enough.”

“I’ll be fine. If it’s outside the building, no one can surprise attack me.”

Talking to distant plants is still impossible, but I can communicate with the ones around. Even while sleeping, if I cultivate plants around before going to bed, any enemy surprise attack is bound to fail. Even if they move silently, hide their presence or disappear from sight, it’s unavoidable that they’ll step on the plants underfoot.

With that in mind, the next day, I headed for the investigation of the Sacred Tree. But…

“That’s quite a large group.”

This time, there are no plans to carry a large load like food, so the personnel brought along include a few guards and those who take care of the elves and other general tasks. It totals around two hundred people.

But with this number, even I wouldn’t call it a ‘large group.’ After all, the number of people brought along is more than that. However, when we head towards the Sacred Tree, for some reason, the Holy Kingdom side has also gathered people under the pretext of guards.

The number is roughly five hundred. That’s more than double our side.

In total, it’s over seven hundred. No matter how you look at it, it’s too much.

“I can’t let a foreign king go without guards. It might be troublesome, but please understand.”

Even so, I don’t think there’s a need to gather this many people. After all, even if we bring them along, the chances of being attacked are practically non-existent.

Currently, dangerous animals and monsters are likely absent due to the withering of plants. There might be monsters that burrow underground and don’t require plants or animals, which could pose a threat. However, such creatures generally don’t attack humans.

As for thieves, they wouldn’t dare to attack us. Given the sheer number of people, it’s likely they are significantly outnumbered. Thieves are, at most, a few dozen in number, and they wouldn’t engage in a losing or seemingly unwinnable battle.

Moreover, displaying the national flag of the Holy Kingdom and the church’s emblem should signal to anyone that we are not to be messed with. There are likely those who, upon seeing these symbols, would reconsider attacking.

So, additional guards aren’t necessary, and even if they were, a small group indicating affiliation with the Holy Kingdom would have sufficed. At most, a hundred people? There’s absolutely no need for this many.

Nevertheless, the fact that they’ve prepared this many suggests that there must be a reason…

“Indeed. Surveillance is necessary, and you’ll need strength both for monitoring and, when the opportunity arises, for potential assassinations. I don’t mind at all.”

Top of Form

While the Holy Maiden’s cheeks seem to twitch, it might just be my imagination. After all, she’s the “Holy Maiden.” There’s no way she would be plotting something. So, for someone to boldly point out such a conspiracy, causing her cheeks to twitch… Haha, impossible.