#1116 Courtesy Call

It’s me.
Starting the Farm Kingdom requires support from all sorts of people.
I got so carried away the other day that I rattled off everything at once, so let me backtrack and go through things in order.

First off, when I told Platy about my decision, she just gave me an easygoing laugh.

“If this is what you’ve decided, then I have no problem with it at all. A wife is supposed to follow her husband in silence, after all.”

Not that I can recall Platy ever silently following me anywhere.
Still, I appreciate how wholeheartedly she’s on board with my idea.

“Hmhmhm... If you’re going to be king, that makes our three sons princes, right? I’m not big on fancy titles, but it seems I just can’t escape nobility wherever I go. Must be my fate.”

…Right.
Let’s just pretend I didn’t hear that.
Anyway, I checked in with the other farm residents, and most of them seemed fine with it too...

The first ones I talked to were Orkubo and Gobukichi, two vital leaders in the farm’s operations.
They lead their own orc and goblin teams, and they gave me a firm, united response:

“We exist to serve you, My Lord. Whatever you decide to do, we shall follow.”
“Just give the word. Our purpose is to carry out your will, My Lord.”

What a reassuring statement.

But hey, guys, you’re not just living for me anymore.
You’ve got families now, so don’t forget to put them first, all right?

“W-Well, that’s true…!”
“But if we accomplish this great mission from Our Lord, our children will have something to be proud of…!”

Ahhh, I get it now.
So they’ve found some personal motivation in all this. That’s great news.

I hope Orkubo and Gobukichi can show off how a dad’s got a bit more swagger during the daytime.

Next, I visited the two biggest powerhouses on the farm.
Veil the dragon and Sensei the Lifeless King.

When I told them about my resolution, Veil was the first to speak...

“That’s fantastic. The greater my master’s status, the more prestige I get by association, right? It fills my thirst for power!!!”

That’s a very Veil-like way to be excited.

“So, once the kingdom’s built, you’ll conquer and absorb neighboring territories, then unify the entire world into a grand empire, right?!”

I have no such plans, thank you very much!
Dang it, dragons really do have a knack for taking things in a brutal direction.

“No worries! Anyone who opposes you, Master, I’ll just incinerate with my dragon breath! Then we can sow seeds in the smoking ruins and turn it into farmland, slash-and-burn agriculture style!”
“Cut that out.”
“Ow!”

Veil yelps as Sensei smacks her on the head with his staff.

“I thought you’d mellowed out a bit under Lord Saint’s guidance, but your destructive dragon instincts are still raging strong. Then again, talk of founding a nation is a pretty big deal, so I can’t entirely blame you.”

I’m sorry, Sensei.
I know you prefer a peaceful lifestyle.
If the farm becomes recognized as the Farm Kingdom, your dungeon might become famous, disturbing your tranquil life.

“Oh, I’ve had nearly a thousand years of peace already. I’ve enjoyed it quite enough. From now on, I’ll mingle with the hustle and bustle of humanity. In fact, I’m already having a grand time.”

Right, of course.
Sensei’s running the Farm School, teaching countless students and guiding their growth.

What started as just one of our “projects” has fully become his domain.

Once the Farm Kingdom is established, I hope to create an even bigger institute of learning and have him lead it.

“Speaking of which, Sensei, how are your students doing these days?”
“They’re growing splendidly. I can’t wait to see them spread their wings and do great things.”

He looks genuinely happy, daydreaming about their bright futures.
I want to help make that happen by founding this Farm Kingdom.

Next, I went to see the elves.

“Starting a kingdom? Eh, do what you want.”
“Elves couldn’t care less about nations! Wherever there’s forest, that’s where elves belong!”
“No matter what they call our home, as long as we can keep firing our pottery under Lord Saint’s care, we’re good!”
“I’ll just keep making leather goods!” “I’ll keep blowing glass!” “And I’ll keep carving wood!”

They do things at their own pace, that’s for sure.
As long as they get to keep creating, that’s all that matters to them.

I’ll have to remember that and keep an eye on their needs after the Farm Kingdom is established.

Moving on to another group.
The satyrs, who handle the farm’s dairy needs.

“Well, if our existence becomes public, we’ll find it easier to travel back to our homeland.”

So says Panu, the leader of the satyr tribe.
Overall, she’s pretty positive.

“I ran into some other satyrs the other day, and it made me a little homesick… Of course, the farm is a wonderful place to live too!”

She made sure to add that last part.

I was most worried about Bacchus, the demigod who oversees our liquor production.
He’s half human and half deity, descended from the celestial god Zeus, and is always distilling new concoctions with the help of his Maidens who worship him.
There was a time when the gods took all the demigods up into the heavens, cutting off all careless mingling between gods and mortals.

But Bacchus alone defied that summons and kept wandering the human world.
All in search of the perfect drink.

It’s rare for him to stay in one place, so I guess our farm’s out-of-this-world booze must fascinate him. But the thing is, he’s a born wanderer. If the farm becomes a proper kingdom with strict boundaries, he might decide not to stick around.
I was worried enough to check in with him carefully, but…

“No prrrroblemo!”

Guess it was a needless worry.
Though…why does it sound like he’s speaking in an accent all of a sudden?

“I’m both a god of wine and a seeker of the finest drinks. Wandering is merely a means to that end. There’s still so much to discover here! Until I brew the ultimate liquor in this place, I don’t care if it becomes a village, a kingdom, or if it crumbles to dust. I’m not leaving!”

Well, if it literally crumbled, you might have a tough time staying put, but okay.
I’m just glad we’re not losing Bacchus anytime soon.

Next, I went to see the earth spirits, the personification of this land’s vitality.
They’re always bustling around, cleaning up and whatnot. While passing out treats, I brought up the topic of founding a kingdom.

“Kingdom-building!”
“Estabwishing soveweign authowity!!!”
“Fight for independence!!!”
“Knock down the cowonies!!!”

They seem pumped about it too.
...Though they might be picturing something a bit more dramatic than I had in mind.

Anyway, with the groups informed, it was time to ask some individuals.

First was Garra Rufa, the farm’s medic.

She’s a mermaid, the last remaining from the original group of potion-making mermaids who came to the farm and left one by one to get married.
She did get a proposal once but turned it down and just kept right on working here.

Since her research is finally recognized back home, I wondered if this might be her chance to return to the Mermaid Kingdom in triumph, but…

“What are you talking about, Lord Saint? If the farm’s evolving into a kingdom, that’s the perfect stage for me!”

Instead, she’s fired up.

“My dream is to make vaccines and immunization treatments commonplace across the world! After proving the existence of bacteria and viruses and getting that accepted far and wide, this is the next step! And building a new nation with a fresh approach to medicine is the ideal environment for my work!!!”

Sure, I’d actually appreciate a solid healthcare system in the nation I’ll build...
If Garra Rufa’s in charge, I couldn’t ask for anything better.

Next, I stopped by the tailoring department to chat with Batemy.
Hers might actually be the trickiest situation.
She’s married into demon nobility yet still works as a tailor, basically juggling two major roles.

Once the farm becomes recognized as a kingdom, she’ll have to clarify her status in both countries, which could cause more headaches.

On top of that, Batemy gave birth to a healthy boy during the baby boom.
She’s still on maternity leave, but whenever she can find a spare moment between childcare duties, she’s back at the loom, practically by instinct.

When I explained the situation, she frowned thoughtfully…

“With my husband’s position, this could get complicated. I can’t stop making clothes, obviously… and while my apprentices are shaping up nicely, officially choosing one side or the other might look like betrayal to somebody…”

It looks like she’s plenty worried about it.
We might need more discussions to figure out her future.

“Oh! How about Belena?”
“She’s fine.”

And with that, I’d pretty much finished checking in with most of the farm’s inhabitants.

I can’t shake the feeling I’ve forgotten someone… but if I did forget, then maybe it’s not that big a deal.
Time to move on to the next phase.