The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 528

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

Chapter 528   Return to the holy city—?

So, Roroel. How are you feeling?”

Around the time we finished the purification process, I noticed Roroel approaching from behind, so I turned around and asked.

“Well, I don’t know how to put it into words. Honestly, I’m not sure of anything. Just a mix of various emotions, I guess.”

After I posed the question, Roroel remained silent for several tens of seconds, but finally, he started speaking in such a manner.

“What have I been doing for these past few centuries? Was there any meaning to my existence? Did running away at that time even have a purpose? If you, who came from elsewhere, managed to fix it, then maybe everything I’ve done was just a pointless embarrassment. Those are the thoughts swirling around in my head.”

Well, from his perspective, he had struggled for seven hundred years without finding a solution, and then suddenly we, newcomers, managed to resolve it. It’s not unreasonable for him to feel that way.

But…

“Hey, do you think my life had any meaning?”

“There was, without a doubt.”

There’s no way this guy’s life was meaningless.

“Well, where?”

“Where? It’s about meeting me.”

“Meeting you?”

“Yeah. If you weren’t here, I wouldn’t have known what to do with the curse. Maybe I would have just returned. Hell, there’s even a possibility that the curse could have activated earlier than when we came here, possibly before I was even born. Considering the church guys might have invaded, or travelers got lost and caused trouble, there could have been a chance the barrier broke. Yet, until we arrived, this forest was protected, all because you were here. Because you stayed here, this forest, the sacred tree, and all your friends were kept safe. Stand proud, ‘Moribito.’ You protected this forest until the end.”

We’ve only purified this area and the sacred tree here; there’s still another source of the curse. Until we resolve that, the sacred tree won’t be completely safe and secure.

But even so, it’s an undeniable fact that this forest was protected because Roroel was here.

“I see. Then, could I become everyone’s comrade?”

As Roroel reached out to a nearby tree and said this, his expression seemed to hold a sense of relief.

——◆◇◆◇——

“Thanks for everything.”

“No, thank you.”

After spending one more day observing, with no abnormalities occurring, we decided to return to the Holy Capital as planned.

“You probably won’t come to this deserted place again, but if you ever decide to, you’re welcome.”

Roroel shrugged his shoulders while saying this, and his expression wasn’t a forced smile; it was a genuine one.

“Yeah. Well, regardless of whether it’s deserted or not, unless our relationship with this country improves, it won’t be easy to come here casually.”

“Come to think of it, you weren’t on good terms, were you? If you ever need anything, just find a way to contact us. Even if it’s impossible now, after a while, the sacred tree will probably regain some power, and I’ll be able to help. The next sacred child will probably take at least a hundred years, or more. First, the sacred tree needs to be able to produce spirits. Once that happens, I’ll be able to contact you in about two hundred years or so.”

We confirmed this ourselves, but whether it was because of the power of Flora, the sacred tree, or the water I spread, or for some other reason, a sprout of the sacred tree emerged from the stump.

As Roroel confirmed, there was no sign of this before. It was likely due to the disappearance of the curse.

But still, maybe it’s because they’re elves. Everyone agreed with Roroel’s estimation that it would take a hundred to two hundred years for the next one to grow. At that time, we may or may not be alive.

After all, they’re elves. As Roroel said, growing them takes about a hundred to two hundred years, and at that time, I might be dead.

Though, normal people in this world usually live to about seventy or eighty years. Even if you live longer as a high-ranking individual, it wouldn’t be anywhere near two hundred. If you had the skill to stay forever young like Granny, it might be possible, but I don’t have such a skill.

“A hundred years… I’m not sure if I’ll be alive by then.”

“Huh? What are you talking about? True, you’re human, but as the child of the sacred tree, you should live longer than usual, right? You should easily live four or five hundred years, not just two hundred. Even if it’s derived from the divine tree, it’s still a god’s power, you know?”

“…It feels kinda inhuman.”

While it might be true that it’s considered the power of a god, I couldn’t offer any proper response to such a statement. It’s amazing, I guess… When I think about it calmly, it’s quite intense, isn’t it? I should seriously contemplate it a bit more. Maybe I need to have another conversation with the sacred tree in Lilia’s place to confirm things again.

“Well, by that time, this forest should be a bit cleaner. I’ll focus on recovery for a while, so the withering of plants in this country will continue until then. After that, the flow of power should return to normal.”

“By the way, how long is that ‘for a while’ you mentioned?”

“Well, assuming you handle the issues in the capital and depending on the sacred tree, I’d say about five years.”

“Five years…”

“It might seem long for humans, but considering you shortened the self-inflicted damage from centuries to five years, I think it’s a significant reduction.”

“Well, that’s true, but… Well, I’ll make the most of that time and progress our discussions advantageously.”

Originally, we had no choice but to wait for all the creatures in this country to perish, and only then would the curse automatically disappear. However, since we can now avoid waiting for that demise, it has undoubtedly been significantly shortened.

However, it seems that the conditions of the plants won’t immediately return to normal, so during that time, I’ll try to make a profit by importing food or something.

“Well then— Oh, right. I had something to give you.”

I thought it was time to part ways after finishing our conversation, but suddenly Roroel seemed to recall something and began rummaging inside his clothes.

Then, he pulled out several accessories, including rings, bracelets, and necklaces.

“What are these?”

“These are magical tools for creating barriers that I made a while ago. Well, I don’t have a technical job, so they’re not well-crafted, and their effects are lower than those properly made. Still, they contain the power of the tenth-rank, so they should at least withstand an equal power once.”

As he spoke, Roroel handed the items he held in his hand to me and nodded satisfactorily, then took a step back and knelt down.

“To our forest’s benefactor, heartfelt gratitude. If possible, I hope that my clumsy tools can be of help to you.”

“Barrier tools, huh… Thanks. If I received such a grand gift, I guess I’ll have to do something about the curse in the Holy Capital.”

“I didn’t really mean it that way, but if it really turns out like that… Yeah. I’d be happy.”

With a smile, Roroel stood up again, and this time it truly became a farewell.

“Well then, until we meet again.”

“Yeah, until then.”

With that, we left the forest.

“Hmm?”

“Lord Vesnar? Is something the matter?”

After traveling in the carriage for a while, a faint voice reached my mind.

This was the usual report from the plants, but I hadn’t heard it in this country for a long time.

Well, not only because there were no plants around, but also because the sacred tree that would transmit such messages to me had not been functioning.

However, I heard that voice again.

Moreover, it was not just a voice but more like a scream, conveying a sense of urgency and panic.

“…That forest, besides Roroel, was there anyone else living there? Not just residents but also bandits or anything like that.”

“We conducted checks, but we haven’t received any reports like that.”

“I saw it too, but there were no traces of people.”

“Did you find something?”

Ignoring Sofia’s words, I continued to ask, and Sofia, Bell, and Kyle, sensing something unusual, nodded while remaining cautious and answered.

“There were animals, but dangerous magical beasts weren’t present, right?”

“Um, yes. There were animals near the edge of the forest that had escaped from the curse, but there was nothing we could consider dangerous.”

While we were talking, the echoing voice in my head grew stronger, and finally…

“What in the world is————- Aghhh?”

The scream-like voice turned into a real scream, no, a shriek.

“Lord Vesnar?”

Sofia peered into my face with concern, but I had no time to respond to such words.

“…Turn back.”

“Huh? Um, what happened?”

“I said turn back! Quickly!”

As I shouted, the three of them, looking puzzled, immediately started moving. We retraced our steps into the forest.

“Everyone, arm yourselves! We’re heading back into the forest!”

I opened the door of the running carriage, appearing on the roof of the carriage. I shouted to the entire team, making it clear that we were heading back into the forest.