The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 526

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

Chapter 526   I’ll save you guys

“Hey, Roroel. It’s not like I want to help the folks in this country. If we resolve this curse issue, the Holy Kingdom will likely become our enemy. To be honest, leaving them alone would be better for my sake.”

“What’s gotten into you all of a sudden…?”

“Isn’t it painful knowing that your comrades are left cursed?”

“Huh…”

“Living beings don’t care about what happens to their bodies after they die. Because once you’re dead, it doesn’t matter. You can’t perceive anything beyond that, and it becomes irrelevant to you. But even so, being cursed even after you die doesn’t leave a good feeling. At least, I don’t want my body messed with after I’m dead, and I don’t want to be cursed indefinitely.”

I’m not trying to talk about disrespecting the dead. I do similar things, like turning them into fertilizer for Treants or parasitic trees.

But when someone who dedicated themselves to a cause—someone I like—is being subjected to mockery and continues to be, I don’t like it. That’s why I intervene.

Thinking it’s okay for others to be mistreated but not for yourself or your comrades is the mindset of a tyrant.

But that’s fine. Because I’m the Demon King. I’ve figured out all the logic and ethics. I do what I want because I want to do it.

“Isn’t that the case for you? Even if it’s the body after death, even if it takes a form far from the original, wouldn’t you dislike watching your comrades being cursed right in front of you?”

As I posed this question, Roroel erased his masked smile and clenched his fist.

“And besides, the Sacred Tree wouldn’t feel good witnessing something in this state, right? You said you still want to protect this tree, didn’t you?”

“…Certainly, it’s not a pleasant feeling about our comrades, and if I can protect the Sacred Tree, I want to. But even so, there’s nothing we can do for our comrades. As for the Sacred Tree… once it’s come to this, there’s nothing more we can do.”

“Not yet. The tree hasn’t died yet. You understand that, don’t you?”

“…Yes, that’s true. But it’s almost dead. It’ll undoubtedly die in a few decades. Maybe it’ll die tomorrow. It’s practically no different from being dead, right?”

Certainly, under normal circumstances, you could say that this was a state close to death.

But you should know too, right? Plants, even if the visible parts are withered, are still very much alive.

If they are alive, they can grow again and bear flowers.

“No, it’s a big difference. You say it’s dead, but don’t you also wish it wouldn’t die? Aren’t you still hoping it can live? You say it’s dead, but do you still expect it to live in this state?”

“Expectations… just look at this form. In this state, how do you think it can survive?”

“Plants are surprisingly resilient creatures. Even if the trunk is cut, they can sprout new shoots and survive. You should know that without me telling you, right?”

Plants are much stronger than people think. I won’t let you say otherwise, especially considering you, an elf who grew up with the Sacred Tree in the forest.

“Yeah, that’s right. Certainly, I understand that without being told. If the roots are intact, it can recover from there.”

In response to my words, Roroel chuckled and said so.

However, he quickly furrowed his brows and stared at the stump of the Sacred Tree.

“But let me say it again, look closely. You must understand. This curse is corroding the Sacred Tree. As long as the curse exists, the inevitable fate of death won’t change. This Sacred Tree is beyond salvation.”

Those words felt like a self-convincing statement, as if saying, “This is the way it is.”

“But even though you understand that, you didn’t let them approach here. Why is that? Is it because you still believe it’s alive, still want it to live? If they got close, you felt like even the slim possibility might be crushed. So when they tried to approach the Sacred Tree, you deliberately stood in their way.”

“…Even if that’s true, what do you propose?”

Roroel murmured my words as if affirming them, but that wasn’t the end of his statement.

“It’s natural to think it’s not dead! It’s natural to wish for it to live! This Sacred Tree is a precious existence. It’s a parent, a sibling, a grandmother, an ancestor from ancient times… It’s a god. It’s only natural to wish it wouldn’t die, that it would live. That’s something completely normal!”

As if expelling the emotions he had suppressed until then, Roroel shouted.

“I ran away at that time, but if I can at least protect this Sacred Tree, it would be redemption for running away. I could find meaning in running away at that time. I ran away to ensure the survival of the Sacred Tree.”

That must have been something he had been thinking continuously for the hundreds of years since the Sacred Tree was cut down. By convincing himself of this, he had protected his sanity.

“While thinking that, I’ve tried to do something about it all this time. But it was futile. It was hopeless. The curse had spread throughout the entire Sacred Tree, and not only that, it had permeated the entire forest. I even sought the power to exorcise evil, but there was no way I could purify the entire forest.”

That’s right. If he survived with the goal of somehow dealing with the curse, it’s only natural that he would try not just to maintain the situation but also to find a way to do something about it.

“After thinking about it for hundreds of years, and still being unable to do anything, what do you suggest now?”

But it wasn’t found. There was no way to return the Sacred Tree to its original state, let alone find a way to dispel the curse.

But that’s also the end of it today.

“Lend me your hand. I’ll find a way somehow.”

“…Find a way somehow? Even after I spent hundreds of years, you think you can do something when you’ve only been here since yesterday?”

Roroel’s response was devoid of any smiles and his words sounded somewhat harsh. He was hurling what could be considered disrespectful words at the Sacred Tree’s Child, whom he should naturally revere. Yet, I didn’t mind, and frankly, I didn’t care.

That’s fine. I’m not looking for superficial words that don’t hold any meaning.

“Not absolutely, but there’s a possibility. If it’s me—”

“Wait~. It’s not just ‘me,’ it’s ‘us,’ okay? Don’t forget about me~”

“Oh, right, right. It was ‘us,’ wasn’t it?”

Lilia interrupted the conversation while poking my cheek with her finger.

Poke. Poke, poke, poke… Oh no, this is bad. It’s annoying.

But she’s saying something sensible, so I’ll just grab the finger poking my cheek and give it a little twist to let her off the hook.

“Eeeek!? My finger, my finger hurts—uggh.”

Lilia adjusted her body to relieve the pain from the twisted finger, but she couldn’t maintain her balance and fell with a snap, holding her head. It doesn’t matter for now.

“Once again, we’ll save all of you. This forest, the Sacred Tree, everything together.”

There’s an elf rolling on the ground with hands pressed against the head in the background, and the background music consists of elven moans, creating a somewhat awkward atmosphere. Yet, in a way, it’s not entirely uncharacteristic of us.

…But I don’t really like the idea of considering this kind of situation as “characteristic.” After all, that would imply that such things happen routinely.

However, thanks to this, or maybe because of it, Roroel let out a relieved smile, as if a burden had been lifted from him.

And then…

“As survivors of the ‘Moribito,’ we humbly request the Sacred Tree’s Children for help. Please, save our Sacred Tree and my comrades.”

“Leave it to us.”

“Leave it to us!”

Even though she was rolling on the ground just moments ago, it seems Lilia was still listening, as her voice harmonized with mine. When I turned around, Lilia, still on the ground, extended her right hand with a raised thumb toward us. …Can’t she at least act cool after getting up?