The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 534

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

Chapter 534   Meeting with the King of the Holy Kingdom

“So, Demon king, what are your plans for the future?”

Future plans, huh…

It’s certain that we’ll eliminate the Pope and dismantle the Church as well.

But before doing that, I need to think a bit.

It’s not like I’m giving up on removing the Pope, right? After all, that was just mentioned.

Before execution, I need to strategize so that the enemy can’t escape. I need to ensure no one slips through and that it ends perfectly. And on top of that, to make sure it doesn’t become harmful to ‘us,’ but rather beneficial.

…Maybe this is the kind of growth Granny is seeking.

It’s not enough to just not abandon oneself. It’s not enough to just do what I like.

It’s about doing what I want and then making others acknowledge the results.

It’s not about sacrificing oneself for the stability of the situation or for the sake of others, it’s not about running away or compromising.

It’s about pursuing the true meaning of growth by striving to achieve the best I envision and making everyone acknowledge the results.

That’s what I need to aim for.

It’s probably going to be very difficult. I have no idea how to achieve my desires while making everyone happy.

But still, I have to do it.

So, if I were to say what I should do now…

“Well then, I think I’ll organize a charity meal.”

“…A charity meal?”

Granny furrowed her brow as she repeated my words, tilting her head.

Her reaction was unusual, and I couldn’t help but smile, though I got scolded enough to feel like a fist might come flying at me, but this is fine. …Well, getting hit, not so much?

——◆◇◆◇——

“I never expected to be allowed inside the castle.”

While I mentioned organizing a charity meal to Granny, I found myself at the royal castle now.

Oh, don’t get me wrong; when I say I came to the royal castle, it’s not for a showdown. It’s just a regular discussion. Well, I’m the king, and the other party is a king too, so what’s normal may not be so normal.

Now, accompanying me this time is not Sofia—rather, it’s Granny disguised as Sofia and my guard, Kyle.

Originally, I intended to choose a more intimidating guard from among my companions, but considering the situation, I thought it might be better not to intimidate too much. Hence, I changed my mind and opted for Kyle. He should be fine in terms of combat prowess. After all, he’s a Seventh Rank. In a normal country, that’s a pretty high position in terms of strength, so even if there were a fight, he could buy us some time.

I brought Granny along so she could directly assess the situation and point out things I might have missed.

She disguised as Sofia because my usual handmaid wouldn’t be suspected, and besides, her face is pretty well-known. Also, considering combat capability, she’s one of the strongest among the companions who came to the Holy Kingdom this time. If we talk about someone who could rival her, it would be me or Lilia, maybe? Then there’s a slight drop in level, but perhaps a few from the elves?

In case of an attack, Kyle would hold them off while buying us time, during which I and Granny would prepare to deal with the enemy. That’s roughly the plan. I don’t think there will be a fight, but even that’s not guaranteed. So, it’s important to be cautious.

“I am the king. I must not bend the words once spoken. If it could be settled in private, it might be different, but when it concerns another country…”

“Even if it was just a courtesy remark at the end?”

“Yes. Even if someone took the courtesy seriously, rejecting it would mean lying.”

It might seem impertinent to address the king with such irony, but it’s a bit too late for that now. After all, I messed up quite a bit when we first met.

Moreover, even in the worst case, if they become hostile, I can’t kill them, and if worse comes to worst, I can just kill them and flee. Thinking about it that way, it’s quite relaxing.

So, I can just let those words that seem ironic to pass as my misunderstanding. Well, I wonder who actually took the courtesy seriously.

“I see. Well, that’s certainly true. Whether in the shadows or in plain sight, trust and reliability are crucial. Even a small lie is unacceptable.”

That being said, it’s not that I ‘won’t deceive.’ I don’t lie. That’s all there is to it. Well, when I really want trust and reliability, I won’t deceive.

“So, what brings you here? Surely not just for idle chatter like this.”

Normally, there would be a longer preamble, but we’re not on such familiar terms, and probably the king is in a hurry. That’s probably why he’s trying to move the conversation forward himself.

I agree with pushing the conversation forward quickly.

But before that, there’s one thing I need to do.

“Yes. Before that, allow me to use this.”

Saying so, I activated the barrier I received from Roroel.

The king showed a faintly puzzled expression at that, then subtly scanned the surroundings without drawing much attention to himself.

In the direction the king looked, there were guards and attendants stationed along the wall, not reacting at all.

“Is this… a soundproof barrier? Quite a high-quality one.”

“Indeed. It’s a gift from an acquaintance.”

Ordinary barrier tools have a faint color and emit a wave-like sensation when used, but the one I received from Roroel is different. It can quietly erect a barrier to the extent that even the user doesn’t notice it. Moreover, it not only serves as a soundproof barrier but also has the effects of a regular barrier, so calling it ‘high-quality’ is an understatement.

However, if we keep talking like this and the guards can’t hear, they’ll soon notice. They were about to move as soon as they realized— but the king gestured to stop them, and they returned to their positions along the wall.

With this, we’re finally ready to have our conversation.

“Now that preparations are in place, there’s something I’d like to ask before we get to the main topic.”

I’ve had various conversations with the king. Not just about the charity meal, but other matters too.

But before that, there’s something I have to ask, something I need to confirm.

“Can we interpret the attack on us as the opinion of this country?”

Depending on the answer, I might have to consider not only the Church but also this king as an enemy.

Of course, I wouldn’t expect a straightforward confirmation here, but humans tend to react in some way. It might be a small reaction that most would overlook, but I’m not so naive as to miss it. Plus, even if I overlook it, Granny is behind me. If it seems like a lie, she’ll give me a signal, so I can say I’m almost never deceived.

“…About the incident with the bandits. In that case, no. Our country harbors no such intentions.”

“Our country, you say?”

“That’s correct.”

“Our country” is quite an ambiguous answer. It could refer to the faction supporting this king, or it could literally mean “this country,” including the Church.

“In that case, if we were to identify the perpetrators who attacked us, what would you do?”

“If there are individuals, even unofficially, from another country whom we have invited, harming a king of that country, the word ‘problem’ would hardly suffice. It would be appropriate to execute them as soon as they’re found.”

“Even if they were members of the Church?”

“Even if it were the Pope himself.”

Even the Pope will be punished. Those are not words that would come out if this person were in league with the Church.

In other words, when he said ‘our country,’ he meant ‘this country that I lead,’ and the Church is not included in that.

Well, I noticed from our initial encounter that these supporters of the king aren’t fond of the Church.

But the Church probably understands that too.

And probably, among the attendants in this room, there are likely agents of the Church. They’re essentially here to monitor.

Despite the presence of such individuals, the clear mention of hostility towards the Church is probably because I set up the soundproof barrier. He probably didn’t do it himself, but if it was me, there’s no helping it. Perhaps he’s planning to smoothly pass it off as if it’s just something that happened?

Well, if smooth talking is all it takes, I’ll let myself be used as much as they want. After all, I’m also planning to use them.