The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 502

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

Chapter 502   Dishonorable occupation

“Believing won’t do a damn thing, considering it’s useless. Sure, we also have a divine calling. What you guys from the church call a ‘dishonorable occupation.'”

Oh, that’s quite a coincidence. They’re a dishonorable occupations too. Well, whether it’s dishonorable or just unlucky, it doesn’t really matter. The fact remains that I’ve been looked down upon and abandoned by my father for that reason.

“In this country, do you have any idea how those with such an ‘dishonorable occupation’ are treated?”

I don’t know.

Well, I mean, I do have some knowledge. I’ve had plants investigate information about this country, and back when I could communicate with plants, I occasionally peeked into the situation within the Holy Kingdom.

But when asked if I can really feel it, I can’t nod.

No matter how much I’ve heard about the persecution and struggles, even if I’ve seen images, I can’t truly feel it.

I understand, it must have been tough—those words can only be said by someone who has truly experienced similar hardships or by a shitty guy who talks on the surface, showing off sympathy.

“Rejected by those around, nearly killed. A god who spreads such teachings is worth less than trash! The church that believes in it and the spineless fools who follow it are all worthless. None of them have any value.”

Those who have been given a lower status due to their occupation, deemed unfavorable or dishonorable, are oppressed.

Sure, you could probably say it’s not necessary. After all, there’s no such thing as an unfavorable job.

Even someone like me, considered to have an unfavorable occupation, became strong enough to be called the Demon King through training and utilization. It may not be the intended use or the expected way, but the use of power depends on the mindset of the user. Whether it’s cutting vegetables with a kitchen knife, stabbing someone, or using it as a substitute for a ruler, it depends on the wielder.

The same applies to other occupations. No matter what job you’re given, with the right mindset, you can excel.

Therefore, the notion of an occupation being useless or unfavorable is impossible. If someone says that, it simply means they are using and training it incorrectly.

However, I don’t think gods intend to discriminate based on occupations. Calling it the “Fragments of God,” we don’t even know if this power is truly given by the gods. Perhaps in this world, anyone, regardless of being human, automatically receives power. It could have just flowed in, and in that case, you might be able to call the world itself the gods. Well, that doesn’t matter.

What’s important is that generally, the so-called “gods” who give skills or job probably didn’t intend to persecute.

Because if they had the intention to persecute, they could simply refrain from giving divine jobs in the first place.

Nevertheless, persecution is happening in this country. It means it’s not the will of the gods but rather the church interpreting and spreading “grateful words” or the “divine will” that suits their convenience.

“You know, Holy Maiden, the person behind you is some big shot from another country, right?”

Oops, the conversation has shifted towards me.

I don’t like looking up too much because it strains my neck and tires me, but if the conversation involves me, I have to look.

Thinking that, I stick my head out of the carriage window and when I look up at the cliff, my eyes meet with the man who was looking at me.

It’s impressive that they managed to find me among all this chaos and a large number of people. Well, if there’s someone calmly looking up from the carriage without panicking even in this situation, you can tell they’re an important person. In fact, this carriage had emblems and decorations, unnecessarily luxurious. Perhaps that was the main reason.

“I don’t know what lies ahead, but well, that’s irrelevant to us even if we were informed. What’s more important is… if those guys die, you’ll be in trouble!”

“Hey, where did you get that information!?”

The hero… Come on, there’s a possibility of leaking information, so stay silent.

Well, considering that he knew about the Holy maiden, it was probably a well-founded action. Moreover, his words just now. It sounded as if he had been told by someone. It had a subtle nuance that could be taken in various ways contextually, but if he didn’t act out of sheer resentment but moved with someone’s guidance or cooperation, things could get complicated. Well, they’re already quite complicated.

As a hero, there’s a possibility that he understood up to that point and asked the question. Even if he asks, she probably won’t tell, but maybe she would let something slip unintentionally, so he might have tried.

However, it’s hard to believe that the hero grasped that so quickly, and he probably just reflexively responded with a question.

“You… Ah, Hero-sama, huh. Hmph! To think the protagonist of a fairy tale is a brat like you!”

The man looked down on the hero, ridiculing him and snorting. But that’s understandable too. When you talk about a hero, even I, in this world, know about the protagonist of the fairy tale. Most children grow up hearing stories about this hero, and many dream of becoming strong with thoughts like “I want to be a hero too” or “I want to be friends with the hero.”

Although it’s not the birthplace of heroes, in the Holy Kingdom, where heroes are actively supported, and their actions are orchestrated, hero stories have spread extravagantly compared to other countries. They’re called the “Savior Hero,” the “Guardian of Humanity,” or the “Symbol of Justice,” and so on.

The books I read were primarily Zaviet’s, so the heroics weren’t exaggerated to that extent. However, every book still described heroes as magnificent beings. I used to think heroes were probably not all that impressive, but I still wanted to meet one, even if just a little.

Growing up in the Holy Kingdom, expectations and evaluations regarding “heroes” must be tremendous.

Yet, what he encountered was “this.” It’s understandable why he’s being sneered at. After all, he looks unreliable, not in terms of physical strength, but in a human sense.

“Where did I hear it? Well, I won’t tell you that. Or what? Did you think we’d just tell you who and where we heard it from? If that’s the case, you’re quite naive.”

Addressing the disappointing hero, the man spoke with an expression tinged with anger.

As expected, he won’t spill the beans. But, the fact that he heard it from someone is now certain.

Right now, he asked, “Where did you hear it from?” If he hadn’t heard from anyone, he would’ve asked, “How did you find out?” Because the hero posed the question, usually, one would unconsciously respond with an equivalent phrase. However, he chose to conceal “who told you” rather than “how did you know.”

It’s a small thing, but it reveals the unconscious truth. I learned this from my life in Karakas.

Now, the possibility that they attacked us just because we happened to pass by is ruled out. Well, it was obvious from the start. After all, organizing and moving with such a large group is quite a hassle.

Nevertheless, did they just happen to be here when we passed through? Absolutely not. They were definitely waiting in advance.

Knowing it already, having that confirmation provides a little relief. However, I won’t categorically assert that their actions so far aren’t a bluff.

Moreover, if you consider that someone sent people to kill us, everyone will be more vigilant and tense than before, making it easier to handle if it happens again. Even if this assault was just a result of coincidence, it will end up being just unnecessary worry. That’s okay too.

“Why do you guys do this? Why attack people? Aren’t we all human beings?”

The hero, casually cutting through rocks falling from the sky, questioned.

Perhaps because of seeing that scene, the man who had been visible opened his mouth with frustration in his voice.

“…Well, look at you. You were summoned from another world, got a good job directly from God, were flattered by the people at the church, and have been living a life without any inconvenience. Even now, you’re probably living a luxurious life without hunger, you bastard.”

It was probably a cry representing the inner feelings of everyone who had been bestowed with a ‘misfortunate’ and ‘dishonorable’ vocation.

If only I had a different job. If we had obtained a good vocation like them.

Why am I going through this? Why can they still laugh so carefreely?

A lament of envy towards someone.

I am blessed, and I have no complaints about my current life.

However, there have been times when I thought the same way.

Just because I’m a ‘farmer’ now, so what? I can say I don’t know misfortune, but at first, I lamented, “Why a ‘farmer’…”

…Well, I can understand their words, but I don’t sympathize with them. After all, I worked hard.

I put in effort, gave it my all, and trained desperately. That’s how I made it this far.

If an ordinary person like me, given a vocation labeled as ‘misfortunate,’ could achieve this, then they can do it too. If they wanted to change their current situation, they should have worked as hard as I did. I can’t empathize with the words of those who didn’t strive and just talk about their divine vocations.

But well, I did make it this far because my environment was favorable. It’s because of that environment that I could collapse every day, continue training without dying even when bedridden, and receive care. Ordinary folks wouldn’t be able to endure such intensive training in such a short period.

However, it’s just a matter of not being able to do it in a short period. If you put in ten or twenty years, you can reach the tenth rank. To achieve that, you’ll have to endure incredibly difficult and painful days that can’t be expressed simply as ‘struggling’ every day. But it’s not impossible if you have the determination.

So, I can understand and comprehend their situations and thoughts, but I don’t feel sympathy or empathy for them.