The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 533

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

Chapter 533   What do you want to do?

“The conversation got off track, but anyway, the opponent’s goal is probably to eliminate you and us. The ultimate goal is to occupy Karakas or secure the elves, but to do that, they’ll have to wage war on Karakas. As a preliminary step, they probably want to weaken our forces as much as possible, don’t you think?”

Ah, yeah, we were in the middle of discussing that kind of thing.

But, well. The Holy Kingdom… or rather, the Church, huh? I can understand why the Church would want the elves and why they would attack us for that reason.

But, they’ve already lost once. The Hero and the Tenth rank invaded Karakas, and as a result, they had to retreat.

It hasn’t been that long since then, so are they really coming back?

“…Well, I can’t say I don’t understand that line of thinking, but didn’t they already wage war on us? And failed. It hasn’t been that long since then, so are they coming back already?”

“That was just under the guise of ‘subduing the Evil God,’ right? Plus, the Holy Kingdom didn’t directly engage in the battle, so the damage wasn’t that severe. Well, you may have caused some damage by stirring things up, but they’re always ready to move if they want to.”

Come to think of it, even though we said they retreated, at that time, they only clashed with the giant (parasitic tree) a bit and didn’t really engage in a proper battle, did they?

I recall the second princess becoming a mutant, and when we defeated her, the Southern Alliance collapsed, and the forces they relied on were gone, so they went back… Yeah, that should have been the case.

Right. In that case, even though the fact that they invaded and lost remains, the damage on the Holy Kingdom’s side wasn’t that significant.

“Still, it’s a fact that they lack the strength. So, to make up for that, the Demon King would launch an attack or something, and they’d come up with some excuse to force the neighboring countries to move. If that happens, it won’t just be about one or a few countries forming an alliance like before. The Holy Kingdom and Bastok are given, and the countries behind them would probably join in if the conversation goes that way. Even the Zaviet Kingdom might find itself in trouble if it refuses, as it might expose its connection with us.”

Last time, Second Sister— the Southern Alliance acted as the spearhead and formed a sort of siege around Karakas, but this time, they want to take the lead themselves.

The risk of having to take responsibility in case of failure increases, but perhaps they judged it better than leaving it to others and increasing the chances of failure?

“So, were those bandits and the knights who followed us part of that?”

The bandits who attacked us clearly had someone pulling the strings behind the scenes.

I think it’s highly likely that it was the Church, but the reason is probably to instigate that war, isn’t it?

The knights who followed us at that time, however, were weak for members of the “Holy Knights,” who are said to protect the Church. To be honest, they were pathetic. They were pushed back by bandits, for crying out loud.

Why did they assign such a pathetic group to be the guards of another country’s king? It was because they were pathetic. In fact, their weakness was a blessing in disguise. They put them with me for that reason— to die.

“Bandits? Ah, so you’re suggesting they were set up as sacrificial pawns to claim they were attacked by the Demon King instead of bandits, to maintain the illusion that the Demon King was the one who attacked? It’s not an implausible scenario. They were probably targeting the hero too, weren’t they?”

“In fact, I think the Hero was their main target.”

“In that case, the likelihood increases. If the Hero were killed, it would provide ample justification.”

At that time, the thieves were targeting us too, but their main targets were the knights and the hero.

Although it’s the Holy Kingdom pulling the strings, they aimed to kill their strongest force, the hero and his companions. Perhaps their aim was to frame us by having the hero killed.

I heard from the plants before that from a pontifical perspective, the hero’s role seems to have ended, so it wouldn’t matter if he died.

However, even if he’s the hero, it’s unlikely that someone capable of fighting the Demon King on equal footing would die so easily. They would have considered the possibility of failure themselves.

But if he did come back injured, perhaps they intended to take advantage of that vulnerability and kill him.

…No, he might have already been killed by now. Or perhaps he will be killed today.

Even now, the excuse of ‘being attacked by the Demon King during the journey’ could still hold.

“Now, considering all that, I’ll ask. What do you intend to do… or rather, what do you want to do?”

“What do I want to do… hmm. If I were to say what I want to do, I want to break the barrier enveloping this town and completely erase the curse.”

It’s not about awakening a sense of justice or chivalry. It’s simply because I took a liking to Roroel, the elf I met in that forest where the sacred tree was cut down.

I’ve lived risking my life to fulfill wishes that seem foolish to others.

I thought their way of life, which ended with such conviction, was very cool.

At first, there were many bad parts, embarrassing parts, like running away, being unable to take any action, cutting down the tree out of self-satisfaction and revenge.

But still, I thought they were cool, and I liked them.

So, to fulfill that wish perfectly, to achieve the removal of the curse he wished for… and beyond that, to resurrect the sacred tree, I want to accomplish that.

“And then, I want to eliminate the Pope.”

…And, out of a grudge for having someone I liked killed, I also want to kill the pope, who is the mastermind behind those who killed him.

“But that’s not okay, right? Erasing the curse is fine. If we say that the barrier was broken during the process of removing the curse, we can probably handle any complaints. But killing the Pope, well, that’s something you can’t just do on your own.”

There’s no aversion to killing the pope itself. But if ‘I’ were to harm the pope, it would be detrimental to many others.

“If I do something like that, it’ll inconvenience everyone. Even Granny who’s been with us all this way, and what you guys have done will be in vain. I may call myself the Demon King, but I’m a king. And as a king, I have to consider everyone’s well-being more carefully when I act. Right, Granny?”

I am a king, and a king’s choices affect the entire nation.

When I talked to Sofia before, I decided to live freely. But that’s about me personally.

Even if there’s something I want to do, I have to consider whether it’s right or wrong.

Even if there’s something I want to do, I have to adjust and act properly after considering various factors.

“However, it’s not like I’m completely giving up on the Pope. Having the current Pope around is not just a problem for me, but for all of us. Well, eventually, I’ll follow proper procedures and lend a hand to the king to deal with it, and it should be fine.”

But, as Sofia told me, I’m not abandoning my own thoughts and becoming a puppet. I’m just taking in some opinions and considering the situation a bit.

Instead of acting solely based on emotions at the moment, even when dealing with the Pope, I need to follow proper procedures, gain legitimacy… That’s what it means to do things properly.

It’s just about being a bit more mature, that’s all.

“What nonsense are you talking, young man?”

“Granny?”

“It’s heartening for those watching to see a child grow. If you accept your role as a king and then think things through, I’ll support and help you, sure. But if you bend yourself and say something silly like ‘I’ve grown,’ it just makes me furious. That’s not growth; it’s just compromise and running away.”

However, the Granny sighed in exasperation at my words.

“You can do as you please. Don’t worry about being normal; go ahead and make a scene. That’s more entertaining. Didn’t both of those girls tell you the same thing? ‘Do what you want.’ But… that was only meant for personal matters, right? It doesn’t apply to situations that could inconvenience the entire country.”

“You don’t need to worry about that. We, because we find you interesting, have elevated you to the status of a king. It’s not about bloodline, circumstances, or position. We’re breaking away from the norm and common sense, shaking off the boredom. That’s why both I and the folks in Karakas see you as a king. So, don’t confine yourself to conventions; go ahead and wreak havoc as you please. We’ll take care of the aftermath. That’s why I’ve come this far with you.”

It’s reassuring to hear that. To have someone as remarkable as Granny say such things makes me genuinely happy, and I feel like I’m not wrong.

But not everyone thinks that way, though.

“…But not everyone shares that mindset. Edward, for example, would surely have objections.”

“Well, Eddie-boy’s thoughts might differ slightly from ours. He might have objections, yeah. But at the core, we’re the same. He was born and raised in Karakas. He doesn’t just want a peaceful life. After all, if all he wanted was to earn money, he wouldn’t need to be in Karakas. If he sought stability and safety, he’d move to another city or country. If he wanted to pursue the path of a ‘merchant,’ it would only be natural for him to leave Karakas. Even with his abilities, he could handle the shady business. But he chose to stay.”

Well, that makes sense. With Edward’s level of ability, he could have become quite wealthy by conducting legitimate business in a normal place. He could have easily bought a title with his wealth.

“Whatever you do from now on, whatever the outcome, that kid will complain but still enjoy it somehow. So, don’t worry; do as you please. Isn’t that what makes you the ‘Demon King’—acting according to your whims?”

“I didn’t come up with that name… But thank you.”

Well then, yeah. That’s right. I’ll do as I see fit. After all, I’m the ‘Demon King.’