The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 521

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

Chapter 521   Take a break

“…So, ‘Moribito’ doesn’t mean ‘Forest People,’ but rather ‘Guardians’?”

Roroel had referred to himself as ‘Moribito,’ and it seemed it was because the elves of this land, or the species that protected this forest from the sealed curse, were known as such.

“I don’t really understand the difference between those two. After all, they sound like the same word to me. But if you’ve grasped that difference and found some meaning in it, then that’s probably the correct answer. It seems this term was used by a past hero.”

Ah, well, that makes sense. This kind of wordplay wouldn’t be understood unless you were a Japanese speaker. Past heroes, huh… The current hero is probably Japanese too, and the heroes from the past were also Japanese. I wonder if the summoning magic specifically targets Japanese people, or if it’s just that Japan is somehow connected to a specific location. Maybe the magic just happens to bring people who are convenient for the summoner, and it turned out that they were all Japanese. The details are unclear.

For now, the immediate issue is how to deal with the hero, who seems to be scrutinizing me after understanding the term ‘Guardians.’ Well, I can handle him casually. After all, he’s just a hero (hehe).

“Of course, the title I’m using now is just something I came up with on my own. Originally, I shouldn’t have the qualifications to call myself a ‘Moribito.’ Well, that’s the end of my story. Any questions?”

“”……””

…Probably because Roroel’s story was so intense. The atmosphere in the room lightened a bit due to my conversation with Roroel and his seemingly casual attitude. However, no one spoke up, and everyone just directed their gazes toward Roroel.

The hero, who usually jumps at every opportunity to argue, fell silent without any retorts as he did moments ago.

“…Certainly, being so devoted to protecting humans to the point of becoming like this is foolish. Well, maybe they wanted to protect the entire non-human world, but even so, I think they’d be considered foolish too.”

Amidst this silence, I opened my mouth and addressed Roroel.

“But they persisted in such foolish ideals until death. In a world where wishes and promises are easily forgotten, they upheld the oaths of their ancient ancestors and stayed true to their own will. That, I think, is remarkable.”

To me, their actions may seem foolish, but these elves here stuck to their beliefs until they died. In that case, it’s commendable, worthy of admiration.

Others’ opinions don’t matter. They did what they wanted to do because that’s what they wanted. Even if no one else praised or disparaged them, I will affirm their way of life. “You guys are amazing, your companions are cool.” I want to praise them wholeheartedly.

“…Sorry. I feel like there should be more words, but I can’t find the right ones.”

However, despite feeling this way, it’s frustrating that appropriate words to express the elves’ greatness and awesomeness don’t come to mind.

“…No, thank you. If you, as the child of the Sacred Tree, can say that, it’s more than enough. Besides, everyone would probably be happier with heartfelt words rather than embellished ones.”

“I hope so.”

As we finished our conversation, Flora, who had been eating the offerings given by Roroel, hopped down from her chair. She approached Roroel and spoke.

“Is Roroel okay?”

She’s a kind child who can feel sadness for the pain of others. She’s probably similar to Lilia.

…Well, let’s leave it at that for now. I understand it’s an emotional moment, and it felt a bit strange to correct things at a time like this. The way it was phrased might have given off the impression that Lilia and I are a married couple who had a child. It felt like dialogue you’d hear between spouses. So, yeah, let’s leave it as it is for now.

“Sacred Tree-sama… Yes. I… I don’t have any issues. There is absolutely no pain from the attack.”

“Really? That’s great!”

Roroel’s response to Flora’s inquiry felt a bit off, and I furrowed my brows. However, Flora, relieved to hear that Roroel was okay, smiled.

However, seeing Flora’s smile for some reason made Roroel grimace in a self-deprecating manner.

“Well, we’ve talked about some pretty dark things. We’ve covered the basics, haven’t we? There might be other things you want to ask, but let’s take a break for now. Just listening to these kinds of stories continuously can be disheartening. We can continue tomorrow.”

Feeling that we couldn’t bear to continue this heavy conversation any longer, we decided to disperse for the time being.

——◆◇◆◇——

Night fell. Although our conversation would resume tomorrow, it didn’t mean we could afford to neglect our investigation.

We had already allowed people to conduct surveys in this area, but there was one thing that remained unclear—the state of the Sacred Tree, or more precisely, the surroundings of the Sacred Tree.

This forest was protected by a barrier. Currently, we were only on the outside of that barrier, and the village of the Sacred tree and Elves—Roroel’s hometown—was within the confines of the barrier.

Ideally, I would have liked to investigate there, but entering the other side of the barrier was impossible for people, and my telepathic communication with plants was also disabled. Only Elves seemed to be able to enter the barrier, but a few who ventured in quickly reported feeling unwell, leading to their withdrawal.

Well, that couldn’t be helped. According to Roroel’s account, curses were accumulating within the interior of the barrier. Even if there were some malfunctions in the barrier causing those curses to flow out across the entire country, there were undoubtedly more intense curses within the core. Trying to enter there would inevitably make someone feel unwell.

Nevertheless, we couldn’t just do nothing. In the worst-case scenario, we might have to enter and deal with the situation, even if it meant exposing ourselves to harm.

To make that judgment, I felt it was necessary to see the real thing with my own eyes. Thus, I sneaked out of the house and approached the vicinity of the barrier.

“It feels unpleasant from here…”

This sensation was likely the effect of the curse. Normally, it should have been flowing through me too, but thanks to Flora holding it back, I felt nothing. However, it seemed I could sense it when I approached closely enough.

I considered checking out what it was like inside, but then I remembered that humans were repelled. Still, being the Sacred Tree’s child, there was a chance I could enter successfully.

Even if I could enter, I wouldn’t proceed further until I discussed it with my companions. However, checking whether I could enter or not was harmless. With that in mind, I took a step towards the barrier.

But…

“If possible, I’d prefer you not to proceed beyond this point.”

At that moment, I heard a voice stopping me. It was Roroel. It seemed I was too focused on the barrier and curses, and hadn’t noticed his presence.

However, judging by the skill he demonstrated in silencing Darado earlier, he should also be at the tenth rank, and his agility was considerable. In this forest environment, it might have been difficult to notice me even if he were not overly absorbed in his thoughts.

“Roroel? What’s wrong? …And what’s with that axe?”

Turning towards the direction of the voice, I saw Roroel. In his hand was something I hadn’t seen during the day—an axe.

“I sensed a presence approaching the barrier, so I checked it out. This is… because I was just cutting down ‘trees’ until a moment ago. Oh, when I say ‘trees,’ I don’t mean those from the original elves, you know? It refers to others.”

Roroel casually lifted the axe and explained. There seemed to be a twisted smile on his face, but it was probably better not to delve too deep into that.

“…Barrier. So, this is the one that sealed the curse?”

“Yeah. The trees there and the trees here, all part of the barrier, all former Elves.”

I see. I had been focused on the pressure from the curse and the barrier, but if there was a barrier, it meant there were also Elves here acting as part of it, becoming the wedges to uphold the barrier.

“Beyond this point, there’s the Sacred Tree, right?”

“Yeah. …Want to go there?”

“Yeah. That’s why I came here.”

To resolve the anomaly, we needed to accurately understand the situation. To do that, I had no choice but to approach and confirm directly.

However, Roroel might oppose us doing so. After all, for him, this place could be considered the resting place of his comrades. It would be hard to believe he would willingly let other Elves, even if they were of the same kin, into this place. And despite being chosen as the Sacred Tree’s child, he probably wouldn’t want a human like me to enter.

So, if I were to be stopped, then I might have to fight against Roroel…

“I see. Well, I won’t stop you,” I thought. However, contrary to my expectations, Roroel straightforwardly allowed me to enter the barrier.

“Is it okay?” I asked.

“I’d prefer you, as the Sacred Children of the Sacred Tree, not to enter if possible. But I also want to resolve this curse. Even though there’s no turning back for the Sacred Tree, and our companions are in the same situation. Yet, if there’s a chance that you entering might reveal a way to break the curse, a possibility that could change things, then as the remaining ‘Moribito,’ it’s something that should be done. When I think about it that way, I just can’t bring myself to stop you. While I should stop you if I don’t want you to die, it’s not that simple,” Roroel explained.

Well, if he’s the descendant of the clan that has been protecting this land to break the curse, it might not be wrong to bet on the possibility of resolving the curse.