The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 529

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

Chapter 529   Eat “that”

The soldiers in Karakas showed a perplexed expression at our sudden actions, but even so, they seemed to sense my mood and quickly shifted to a state of alert, hastening into the forest faster than when we had arrived.

The knights and heroes of the Holy Kingdom seemed confused by our sudden actions and were unable to keep up, but that didn’t matter.

After checking the situation outside the carriage, I returned inside and sat heavily in my seat.

“…Damn it!”

I tried to calm myself with a deep breath, but instead of breath, those words came out.

If I were to hurry, it would be faster for me alone or with a few guards. But I won’t do that. Because there’s no point. It’s already—too late.

“What’s going on since earlier?! If you don’t explain, we won’t know what to do!”

In response to Kyle’s demand for an explanation, I looked up and surveyed the three of them present, plus the drowsy Lilia and Flora.

And then…

“Roroel has been killed,” I uttered as if squeezing the words out.

“Huh!?”

“What!?”

“What… do you mean by that?”

Lilia and Flora still seemed not fully recovered from exerting themselves, appearing sleepy for the past few days. So, it seemed like they hadn’t fully grasped what was happening now. They tilted their heads in confusion at Kyle’s astonished expression.

But part of me was relieved they didn’t ask.

“By people.”

And not just one or two, probably dozens in a group.

“My Lord Demon King! What has happened to you?! Why are you turning back?!”

Shortly after turning back, voices like that could be heard from outside the window.

There were guards gathered around my carriage, so they probably couldn’t approach. Even though the voice came from a distance rather than nearby, I could still clearly hear it.

“…It’s you guys.”

Even though I didn’t show my face to the Holy Maiden, just hearing that voice filled me with discomfort, naturally making my expression stern.

“Kyle. Do you remember how many people there were from the Holy Kingdom?”

“No. I heard about five hundred or so, but that’s all. I don’t know the exact number.”

“Exactly, there were three squads of twenty, totaling sixty, and then five hundred and fifty followers including two hundred and fifty servants, plus four the Hero and his party. But there might be fewer now due to attacks on the way.”

“Do you know the current number?”

“Well, that’s impossible…”

…Well, I guess that’s true. Just knowing the number should be good enough.

Confirmation can come later.

Thus, having turned back, we arrived in the forest…

“Roroel…”

There lay Roroel, leaning against a tree, covered in blood.

There were signs of struggle around, and a clearing had been made in the forest. It seemed like a fierce battle had taken place.

I couldn’t help but think it was impressive to fight against a Tenth-Rank and survive, but the enemy wasn’t just one person, but a large group. There must have been a way to handle it. After all, the fact they managed to do it led to this situation.

“Huh—”

“Huh!?”

While leaving the surrounding investigation to the others, I crouched down to check Roroel’s condition. Surely, Roroel, who should have been unquestionably dead until then, suddenly gasped for breath.

“Hey there, it’s an early reunion, isn’t it?”

“You’re alive! Lilia—”

“It’s pointless. Look.”

Ignoring Roroel’s joking remark, I tried to call Lilia, but my actions halted as I saw Roroel’s raised arm.

“This is…,”

“It’s arboreal transformation. I told you. Elves, when they’re on the brink of death, transform their bodies into plants.”

As Roroel himself said, his arm had turned into something resembling a plant.

Upon closer inspection, although the wounds were dyed red, the flesh that should have been visible from there was no longer human.

“Stabbed, almost dying from the poison, I transformed my body into a plant at the brink. Now I’m in the midst of that transformation, and there’s no turning back.”

While saying so, Roroel’s body continued to change, and eventually, even the parts that couldn’t be concealed by his clothes were covered in brown bark.

“The culprits are among those lying there and their comrades. As a Tenth-Rank, I couldn’t just lose without doing anything, but maybe I got too careless after it seemed over. The initial ambush was significant. Indeed, wizards aren’t meant to fight alone.”

As Roroel spoke, his gaze fell on about twenty corpses. Apparently, the enemies weren’t just these, there were still others.

“But more importantly, it’s their target. They’re after the Sacred Tree. I don’t know if they’ll kill it or take it. But please, reinforce the barrier. It won’t hold for long.”

His focus was gone. He probably couldn’t see me or hear my voice.

Still, he must believe I’m listening.

“I may not be able to keep my promise, but if possible, please protect our Sacred Tree and the next Chosen One—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Roroel transformed his body into a tree.

“Let’s go.”

“Hah!”

The soldiers around me responded in unison, and we headed deeper into the forest, towards the Sacred Tree.

“Damn it! Hey, hurry up and deactivate the barrier!”

“The spellcaster’s dead, so it should be gone soon. No need to rush.”

“Yeah, yeah. We came all the way here just to fight those monsters. Look at our comrades. Many have died. We can’t keep going without a break.”

“That may be true, but…”

“Why are you in such a hurry? Give us a little break.”

“Just because we’re not dead doesn’t mean we’re not injured.”

As we sprinted through the forest at full speed, our enhanced bodies picked up such voices.

…Yeah, there’s no doubt. These are the enemies.

“You seem to be having quite a lively conversation.”

Without hiding and observing the enemy, I jumped out.

I should have been more composed, surrounded the area with my subordinates, and then revealed myself. Even though I understood that, I couldn’t stop myself. I’m still immature as a king. Not being able to control my emotions is nothing but immaturity.

However, as if to assist me, my subordinates moved quietly to surround the enemy. I’m grateful for that.

“Lord Vesnar. They are all knights or servants who came from the Holy Kingdom.”

In front of me were five men and women. All of them were dressed differently from the knights who came with us this time, but as soon as Sofia, who followed me out, confirmed the enemy’s presence, she spoke up.

“Are you sure?”

“The ‘Attendant’ skill includes a skill called ‘Record.’ It allows me to save what I see in my head while the skill is active. When we first met, I recorded the faces of all of them.”

“I see… I see…”

Sofia is stating it with such certainty. There’s no doubt about it.

But that means, these guys are here because…

“I see. Well, that makes sense. Yeah. After all, there’s no reason for people to come to a place like this. Especially not at this timing. It’s more natural to think that it was ‘the guys I brought’ who did it than to think someone else came.”

Yeah. It’s because I brought them here that these guys are doing whatever they want.

“Oh, we were just left behind—”

There was someone making a grating noise, but it was just perfect. I’ll use you for this.

“Parasitic Tree.”

I took out a seed of the parasitic tree from my ‘Storage’ and shot it towards the man with his mouth open.

“Eat that.”

The seed of the parasitic tree shot at his head rapidly grew, sprouting roots and vines from his head, blooming small red flowers.

“Ugh…!”

“W-what are you doing?!”

The man’s companion watching nearby said something. They would see through my plan, but that didn’t matter right now.

“How about it? Do you understand?”

“Y-yeah…”

“Try saying your name.”

“M-Markus…”

Success.

This parasitic tree is slightly different from the ones before. It’s a new species of parasitic tree that I improved, capable of reading the memories of the host it takes over.

Moreover, as it only takes over the head, the body’s functions remain human, so if the infestation progresses, it will eventually be able to use its skills, making it an excellent specimen.

I wish I could use this with the giant… Well, there’s no use crying over spilled milk. For now, being able to use these guys is more than enough.

They still can’t speak clearly, but once they get used to controlling their bodies, they’ll eventually be able to speak properly.