The Strongest Farmer in Another World ~I'm a "Farmer", Not a Demon King! ~ - Chapter 535

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

Chapter 535   King of this country

“So, the purpose of coming here today is to conduct a soup kitchen.”

“A soup kitchen? Hmm… I see. We don’t mind, but we cannot provide the food ourselves.”

“I’m aware of that. Although we’ve handed out what little we have to the citizens, the food that hasn’t been distributed yet, despite having enough to distribute to the citizens, is nowhere to be found. Well, at this point, it’s probably because there isn’t enough to distribute.”

The king looked puzzled upon hearing about the soup kitchen, but his expression turned even more grim as he listened to my following words.

But that’s how it would be. After all, even this king understands perfectly well why such a situation arises.

In simple terms, it’s because the church takes the majority, if not all, of the resources and only leaves a small portion for the citizens. Maybe none at all for the citizens. But the king has no choice but to watch it happen. After all, externally, he’s just a lapdog of the church. He can’t afford to go against the church’s wishes.

“Karakas has a bad reputation. Well, considering our actions so far, it’s understandable, but still, since we’re going to do business from now on, I hope we can become a bit more friendly.”

That’s one reason, but not the only reason, nor the main one. It’s more like a peripheral reason. It’s like a thin skin covering the true purpose.

But I mentioned such a reason first because I’m still unsure how much I should reveal.

Naturally, the king wouldn’t believe such a reason, so from here, a probing exchange of words will likely begin.

“If that’s true, then we have no objection.”

However, despite thinking that way, when the king readily nodded, it was my turn to look puzzled.

Because I’m sure he must realize there’s more to this story. There’s no way he wouldn’t understand that.

Perhaps noticing my reaction, the king wore a smirk and spoke.

“Even if you’re aiming for something, it’s better than allowing the people to die due to foolishness in the shadows.”

That mocking smile was probably directed at himself. It’s a mockery towards a king who can only gauge the church’s mood and do nothing else.

“—Instead of that, how about dropping the pretense of being well-behaved?”

“Pretense of being well-behaved?”

I wonder where in my attitude he saw good manners to say such a thing.

“It’s about whether there’s any point in probing each other’s intentions.”

In other words, is he suggesting we speak more directly?

In the worst-case scenario, this conversation might end up in violence, but that would truly be the worst-case scenario. Ideally, I’d like to resolve this with just words, but I lack too much experience in political deception and maneuvering. So, from my perspective, having a more direct conversation would be less troublesome and appreciated.

However…

“Is it alright for a king to speak like that?”

“Normally, I wouldn’t speak like this. But, given the current situation, there’s no need for pretense. No one is here to make a fuss, and no one else is listening. Moreover, you’re the king of Karakas, a gathering of lawless individuals. In that case, what is there to be concerned about?”

Well, indeed, I don’t care about such formalities. If I did, I wouldn’t be addressing a king of another country with such an attitude.

Besides, with the soundproof barrier, nobody else can hear us except for us, and there’s no one else interrupting our conversation.

So, as a king, I suppose I can afford to be a bit more relaxed.

“And above all else— I don’t have time right now.”

…’I’ huh? Referring to oneself as ‘I’ instead of ‘we’ indicates revealing one’s true feelings. In other words, it’s a way of saying, “I’ve shown you my true intentions.”

And by doing so, the king proves how serious he is about this negotiation.

No time… Well, it’s true, time is of the essence. After all, the fact that we’re here is probably already known to the church, and they might interfere with this negotiation, especially in the days to come.

While they might not interfere today, it’s entirely possible that we won’t have the opportunity to talk privately again from tomorrow onwards.

Therefore, the only time we have to talk is now. If we don’t decide everything now, we might miss the chance to overturn the situation with the church.

And besides, if we talk for too long now, it will be harder to deceive later when explaining things.

Understanding all of this, I exhale deeply, then lock eyes with the king and speak up.

“…I’ve thought this since we first met, but you dislike this country, don’t you?”

“No. I don’t dislike this country. In fact, I quite like it. …But, the church is another matter.”

The king paused there for a moment…

“I am the king of this country, not them.”

He stated it clearly.

The king’s expression remained unchanged, but his eyes seemed to gleam sharply.

These eyes… they carried ambition… no, that’s not it. It’s something heavier. It feels slightly different, but if I had to put it into words, it would be the eyes of someone seeking revenge.

Born to be a king, yet in reality, nothing more than a lapdog of the church. While bowing to the Pope might be understandable in a religious state, having to even consider the whims of priests seemed beneath him.

Can such a situation be tolerated? The answer might vary from person to person, but this king couldn’t tolerate it.

So, he wanted to shatter the situation where the church held sway.

“Is this curse a convenient event for you?”

“I won’t say it in those terms. It wouldn’t be appropriate for a king to say that it’s good for such a thing to happen while the citizens are suffering from hunger. However, it’s a fact that I’m trying to use the situation to my advantage.”

While this might be only applicable to the current situation, it would be beneficial if we could establish a cooperative relationship.

Given this situation, it should be fine to simply… or rather, bluntly state what I’ve been thinking. It would move the conversation along faster.

“Well then, let’s talk about changing the situation. First, regarding the food supplies to be sent to this country. There seems to be a discussion underway about additional supplies apart from what we initially brought. However, there hasn’t been any talk about regular deliveries afterward, has there?”

Apart from the food supplies we initially brought, there was a plan to bring additional food to this country. In fact, we’ve already received word about it and preparations are underway.

However, that was just for the first batch decided in a hurry. There hasn’t been any discussion about regular support thereafter.

Presumably, the castle needs to consult with the church’s wishes, and the church likely wants to keep costs as low as possible.

The longer it takes, the more people suffer from hunger in the current situation. However, by purchasing food from us, they’ve gained some leeway in time. That’s why they’re haggling to keep costs down. Of course, even if they’ve gained some leeway, it’s only for ‘their’ time. The citizens are still starving, so the need for a quick decision hasn’t changed, but I suppose they’re not concerned about that.

Yet, here and now, we’ll decide on the price of the food the church has left undecided.

“That sounds about right.”

“I intend to determine the price for it, but I’ll sell it at an absurdly high price. So, be prepared to buy it.”

“…Are you planning to sell it to the church as well?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Regardless of the price, it would have to be an amount so outrageous that even the king of Karakas would call it ‘absurd’. They won’t buy it… Well, hmm.”

Upon hearing my words about selling it at an exorbitant price, the king seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking.

“Gold, land, or title. Which one do you want?”

“What, are you buying them?”

I had thought he would, but I still asked to confirm.

In response to my words, the king snorted softly and then answered.

“I have to buy them. To undermine the church’s faith.”

The castle’s royalty depletes their personal wealth, buys food at exorbitant prices, and gives it to the people.

But the church hesitates to buy, saves money, and does nothing as the people suffer.

If that happens, the foundation of the righteous church to save people will be shaken. After all, they didn’t help.

This king understands and agrees with the idea of undermining the authority of the church. That’s why he asked what I wanted in response to my proposal.

“As conditions, I want land within and outside the holy city. And gold. Well, regarding the gold, as long as it’s an appropriate amount, it’s fine, but at the very least, hand over one national treasure. The details are written on this paper.”

The paper I handed over contained the details of the food trading contract for the next ten years.

To be honest, I’m not interested in national treasures or anything, but the perception of simply paying for something and buying it, versus buying it by selling national treasures, is quite different.

If it’s known that land was sold to the people of Karakas, there might be people saying that the country was ‘sold’. Mainly from the church.

But if saving the people is achieved by buying food in this way, those who were saved wouldn’t complain.