The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 501

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

Chapter 501   A problem occurred immediately

“So, you’re joining the surveillance too, huh? Oh, I see. How about staying by our side all the time? It would make surveillance easier, and you could easily spot weaknesses, right? You can even ride in the same carriage. Well, in that case, you’d be the only one riding with us due to the number of people.”

Does the holy maiden had the courage to ride alone in the carriage with the Demon King? The answer to that was…

“No, it takes several days to reach the Sacred Tree, and during that time, you won’t be able to rest easy if I’m with you. Therefore, I’ll stay quietly with our group.”

It seemed she didn’t have that kind of courage.

Well, I wouldn’t want to ride with her. It’s troublesome.

But in that case, I could use her as a hostage in case something unexpected happened.

Even if she’s called a holy maiden, she’s just a replaceable piece. Taking her hostage might not make sense, but if a situation arises where a hostage is needed, buying even a moment of time could be enough. At the very least, ordinary believers would panic.

If things got serious, I might even grow some plants from her body and show them to induce panic.

If I did that, it would be a clear declaration of hostility, so I wouldn’t want to do it if I could avoid it.

“What about you, Hero? Are you coming too?”

As Canon turned away from the Demon King and headed towards her carriage, I noticed the Hero’s figure at the edge of my field of vision and called out to him.

“…Of course. Or is there some inconvenience?”

“Well, not really. Even if you come along, it won’t change anything, and I don’t have any intention of causing trouble.”

…This guy, his expression seems different from the last time. Expression, or rather, his gaze? Somehow, it feels sharper.

Considering his personality, it’s not like his hesitation has disappeared… Could it be that he’s been manipulated by the Pope? There were discussions about throwing the Hero at me.

…It’s troublesome not being connected to the Sacred Tree at times like this.

Since the plants constantly report everything they see and hear, it’s annoying to be constantly addressed. I’ve made them report only the truly important things.

However, I can’t judge what is important among the information gathered by the plants, and if I miss asking about certain topics, I might miss useful information.

I did ask them to inform me once the armed group starts moving, but that only tells me when they are seriously taking action. I don’t know about their preparations and behind-the-scenes efforts.

The changes in the Hero this time are likely one of the scenes I missed by not asking.

“Demon King, you are mistaken.”

With just that, the Hero turned his back to me and walked away.

“…What does he mean?”

“I apologize. If I offended you, I will apologize on his behalf.”

“No, it’s not really offensive, and in its own way, it’s enjoyable to watch… Hm.”

Ignoring the lightly bowed Canon, I gazed at the departing Hero.

Even if something happened now, he wouldn’t be much of a hindrance. Still, I was curious about the reason and content of his change. …I wonder what really happened?

“Lord Vesnar.”

“Sofia? What’s the matter?”

Shortly after that, as we were about to set off towards the Sacred Tree, Sofia approached me. Initially, the plan was to take about five days one way. However, when we were about halfway through the journey, Sofia spoke up. Her voice seemed tense or rather, rigid.

Wondering what could be the matter, I made a prediction and checked my own condition, ready to act at any moment.

“You are being targeted with hostility.”

As I suspected…

Sofia’s ‘Attendant’ skill primarily detects hostility and malice directed towards the master. Normally, I rely on the plants to inform me, so I’m aware of such individuals before they get close. However, currently, there are no plants around, and I have to rely on my innate sensing abilities.

My range of perception is at most around fifty meters, and even that is only if I’m consciously aware. Beyond that, I wouldn’t know if someone is observing me.

However, Sofia’s ability, though I’m unsure of its exact range, should extend far beyond mine.

“Kyle, Bell.”

“” Yes.””

When I called out, the two of them were already prepared, transitioning into a state where they could fight at any moment. Seeing this, I nodded once.

“They’re here. Seems like they’re lurking in the rocky area. What do you think?”

“Just ordinary bandits, or perhaps…”

“Assassins from the Holy Kingdom.”

It’s hard to imagine a group of several hundred being just ordinary bandits, so it’s almost certainly the work of agents from the Holy Kingdom.

“Stay on guard as if we’re expecting an attack. Kyle and Bell, in general, rely on Flora and the others for defense.”

Saying that, I extended my hand out of the window and signaled to our companions trailing behind.

This way, our allies ahead will surely inform those advancing behind, and we won’t be caught off guard.

“If the Hero is seriously fighting, they might just be ordinary bandits…”

“But there’s a possibility that the Hero doesn’t know anything and the Holy Maiden and the Holy Kingdom set this up without his knowledge.”

“Ah, I see. With that Hero, there’s plenty of room for him to be left out of anything other than battle.”

The Hero, who espouses a clean sense of justice, seems to want to deny ‘evil,’ and he probably wouldn’t approve of ‘bad things’ like our assassination. However, the church and the Holy Maiden are different. Therefore, it’s quite conceivable that they executed their plan without involving the Hero.

Even so, for now, let’s observe how they handle it on the other side, right?

“Yeah.”

With the Holy Kingdom’s guards accompanying us, let them serve as our shields.

Shortly after that, we were attacked.

“Kyaaaa!”

From the carriage of the advancing Hero, a scream could be heard. Probably Canon’s voice, and the fact that she raised such a scream suggests that she was unaware of this attack. I won’t assert that it’s definitely not an act, but it seems she truly didn’t know.

“Enemy attack!”

Someone’s voice echoed, and the sounds of hurried movements began.

“Both sides are trapped between walls, making it difficult to move and setting up ambushes. There’s no escape, and we’re being attacked from above, huh? …Well, if you’re going to launch an attack, it’s a reasonable, if not ordinary, place.”

Where we are right now is a narrow passage squeezed between rock walls, seemingly tailor-made for an ambush. Due to the long line of carriages, our surroundings are vulnerable, and even if the enemies gather, coordinating and fighting properly would be difficult. With Holy Kingdom soldiers positioned in front and behind, it’s hard to communicate effectively even if we try to escape, and being attacked from above makes counterattacking difficult.

“For now, it seems they’re fighting back in some way.”

Despite being under attack, or rather precisely because they are under attack, the Hero has come out of the carriage to engage the enemy.

However, the scene is not what you’d call a proper “fighting.” The enemies haven’t descended or shown themselves at all. They’re attacking from above with bows, magic, and occasionally dropping rocks or debris, making it difficult to deal with. At best, they’re preventing things from falling on them and slowly chipping away at the enemy with long-range attacks.

The attacks from falling objects can cause significant damage when directed at carriages like ours, but this time, we have Darado with us, the “Shield Master.” Despite not appearing to be particularly active, being a faith-soaked old man, his ability is truly remarkable. It’s befitting of the Hero’s party, befitting of the tenth-rank.

When Darado raises his shield above his head, a semi-transparent barrier—or rather, a shield—covers the entire overhead area of our long caravan.

Thanks to this, all the attacks fall to the side without hitting us, and our attacks pass through to the other side.

“What do you think you’re doing?! This carriage bears the emblem of the church. Attacking it is tantamount to attacking the church itself. Such actions will not be forgiven by the gods!”

After being temporarily relieved by the shield’s defense, Canon shouted.

The way she shouted just now seemed genuinely angry… Are they really unrelated to the church? It’s surprising how loudly she shouted.

“What gods?! I ain’t believing in that crap!”

As he said this, a man pushed aside his comrades and appeared from the cliff on the right.

In battles like this, it’s obvious that attacking while hidden gives an advantage, so it’s unthinkable for the leader or commander to reveal themselves.

Yet, why would someone acting so grand deliberately show himself? To draw attention there?

Or perhaps to detain us by engaging in conversation, preventing us from escaping?

“You all have Fragments of the Gods. Why don’t you believe in the gods?”

Canon addresses the man who showed himself, but I doubt attempting persuasion at a time like this would have any meaning.

I mean, if they were prepared to reconsider based on words alone, they wouldn’t have attacked a carriage bearing the emblems of the church and the Holy Kingdom in the first place, right?

That’s something you can only do if you’re prepared to make enemies of the country. Yet, even if words were spoken, it wouldn’t make any sense.

Well, persuading even enemies with words is indeed a “saintly act,” I suppose.