#1117 Not Knowing What You Don't Know

Now that we've hammered out all the opinions on the farm, it's time to head out and make an announcement to the wider world. 

First stop: the Demon Kingdom. 

Off to see the Demon King. 

He was the one who suggested this idea in the first place, so if I'm going to report my decision to anyone first, it should be him. 

So I asked Belena to use teleportation magic, and we zipped right over. 

I worried it might be rude to show up unannounced, but fortunately the Demon King was home, and he welcomed me warmly. 

"Lord Saint! I'm so glad you've come!!!" 

I expected him to be swamped with kingly duties, but he smoothly escorts me to what looks like a reception room. Moments later, we have fresh coffee and top-quality sweets, all served up in a flash. 

It’s almost like he knew I was coming. 

"The truth is... I've been waiting for you to arrive." 

The Demon King, seated across from me, confesses this with a bit of hesitation. 

"Not long ago, I floated an idea I knew you couldn't respond to right away, and I ended up confusing you. So I've been bracing myself for whenever you decided to give me your answer." 

He never knew when I might come to a conclusion, yet he was ready and waiting... 

I guess that's the Demon King's version of sincerity. 

I decided to respond in kind, giving him my answer. 

"I've decided to consider it positively." 

In other words, founding the Farm Kingdom. 

"Oh…!!!" 

Upon hearing this, the Demon King practically springs off the sofa. 

"That's wonderful… truly wonderful!! If you're the one taking this on, our world will flourish all the more!" 

Right.  

If I'm going to be deeply involved in shaping this world, I'm determined to do my best.  

I won't run from my responsibilities anymore. 

"Excellent. This brings us a big step closer to our goal: turning the newly developed frontier regions into a hub state that connects the Demon Kingdom, the Human Kingdom, and the Mermaid Kingdom." 

He says this with some gravity. 

"For truly uniting all races... you, Lord Saint, are the perfect symbol. You don't belong solely to any race, yet you have ties to all of them. Your generosity could solidify peace for the whole world, and I have high hopes for that." 

"Ha… ahahahahahaha…!" 

All I can do is give a sheepish laugh.  

The Demon King's expectations of me are no joke. 

I feel like saying "That's a bit over-the-top," but I tossed my humility out the window last night.  

If I'm leading my family, friends, and a whole bunch of people, then I'm the Saint... someone with great power and responsibility. I need to rise to that. 

"Understood. Let's make this world a better place together." 

"As my comrade in leading the world, I look forward to working with you." 

We seal it with a firm handshake.  

The Demon King's grip is incredibly strong, and that pressure radiates through me, stiffening my resolve. 

"Now then, let me introduce you properly to my subordinates. We'll have a sit-down with the leaders of the Demon Kingdom, get everyone acquainted, and from there, we'll officially launch your new nation—the Holy Kingdom!!!" 

Wow, the Demon King is totally pumped.  

I guess my agreement made him really happy. 

But, uh… we were leaning toward "Farm Kingdom" for the name, so where'd this "Holy Kingdom" thing come from? 

"All right, first thing's first: I should share this good news with my right-hand man! Lucife Focale! Someone, fetch Lucife Focale at once!!!" 

The Demon King calls out in a booming voice.  

He's got this larger-than-life aura, like a tidal wave in every gesture. Must be the hallmark of a true ruler. 

*** 

We spent about ten minutes chatting over coffee before we heard hurried footsteps outside.  

Then the door burst open. 

"My lord Demon King! Prime Minister Lucife Focale, reporting as ordered!" 

"Good." 

"I was told this was urgent business, Your Majesty. Has that big idiot, the Great Demon King, gotten another ridiculous idea in his head?!" 

Long time no see.  

This is Lucife Focale, Prime Minister of the Demon Kingdom. 

He’s the man responsible for running the biggest nation in the world, politically speaking. He backs up the Demon King behind the scenes like an unsung hero. 

In fact, he's the one who truly runs the country's affairs, which is why people call him "the busiest man in the world. 

He must've been in the middle of something vital, then dropped everything the moment the Demon King summoned him. 

"Indeed, I bring good news, Lucife Focale. Regarding that matter of establishing a Holy Kingdom, the other party has given their consent." 

"What?! Then the Saint has agreed?! He, who has influenced the world so massively behind the scenes all this time, will finally step onto the public stage?!"

He's really giving me a grand introduction. 

Was my presence really that huge? 

"Yes. Things are about to shift quickly again, and we demons must be on our guard so we aren't left behind!" 

"Good grief, more work for me…!!!" 

Lucife Focale offers a weak chuckle.  

He's probably juggling an unfathomable amount of tasks already.  

I can only imagine. 

"Opportunities tend to show up without considering our schedules. If we shrugged them off saying we're too busy, someone else would snatch them right from under our noses. To keep the demons leading the pack, I, Lucife Focale, Prime Minister of the Demon Kingdom, will do my utmost." 

"I appreciate that." 

"And on that note…" 

Lucife Focale begins shifting in place, looking uneasy... 

"Before we put any grand plans into motion, I have one request, Your Majesty." 

"Hm?" 

What's he being so formal about? 

He bows respectfully, then speaks. 

"I humbly ask for an audience with the illustrious Saint. Even if he forms a new country and takes the lead, it'd be inconvenient if he and I, a key figure in the Demon Kingdom, remain strangers. So, please, grant me a chance to meet him face to face!" 

"Huh?" 

The Demon King's confused shout mirrors my own.  

Wait, what? 

What do you mean "meet him face to face"?  

Lucife Focale and I have met tons of times. 

"What are you talking about, Lucife Focale? You and the Saint here have met on multiple occasions." 

"Pardon?" 

That's basically my reaction, too. 

Lucife Focale responds. 

"What on earth does Your Majesty mean? You say the Saint and I already know each other? And I never noticed?" 

"This is the Saint in question." 

Howdy, I'm the Saint.  

Namaste. 

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!"

Judging by Lucife Focale's utter shock, he really had no idea I was the Saint. 

"He's the man who was at that hot spring inn with me, right?! And I recall spotting him at Orkubo's Castle, too!" 

"Well, that's natural. Lord Saint built that hot spring inn, and Orkubo Castle was established by orcs under his leadership. Of course he'd be there." 

"Then why didn't anyone tell me?! I assumed he was just some passerby!" 

Yup, I'm the Saint, easily mistaken for a regular guy. 

I guess I don't radiate much aura, which honestly comforts me a bit, given how everyone's been hyping me up lately. 

"Huh? Didn't we mention it?" 

"I never heard any of this!" 

The Demon King himself seems a bit baffled by the revelation. 

"I suppose I have introduced him to so many people that I can't recall who met whom. I also thought my father had introduced you to him, so I assumed you'd already known…!" 

"Grrr, that worthless old man again! He always prioritizes his own fun and doesn't do a lick of his actual duties!" 

So that's how all this confusion happened... 

Proper communication is important, but so is confirming that everyone's in the loop. 

"This is ridiculous… I put so many redundant safety measures in place precisely because the Saint's identity was unknown. If I'd known all along, I wouldn't have wasted all that effort… I can't believe I ended up doing a ton of unnecessary work…!" 

Lucife Focale's "overworked prime minister" rating just shot up again...! 

Of all the hardships one can face, nothing wears you down faster than needless toil. 

Such is the life of the ultimate busybody prime minister, I guess. 

Anyway, since this is apparently our "first official meeting," let's exchange cards and make it all official. 

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happy lunar new year everyone

so sorry for the lack of updates since last week; ive been rather busy with moving places and also trying to find a job. rest assured backlog chapters will be uploaded as soon as possible, like always