#1093 Defense is I

It’s me, hard at cultivation work.

I’m still out here overseeing the land development project instead of going back to my farm.
Of course, I return to my family by sundown every day, but you get the idea.

The settlers here are way more at each other’s throats than I expected. If I take my eyes off them for even a second, they’re ready to start brawling again.
So I show up each day to keep a close watch and make sure everything stays on track.

I can’t call on the orcs or the goblins for help this time.

This is a matter between humans and demons, and any conflict between the two races has to be settled by understanding the feelings on both sides.
Letting other races butt in wouldn’t really solve the core issues.

Since I’m a person from another world but still technically counted as human, I’ve been given the nod to step in and mediate.

So here I am, glowering like a stern teacher while making both humans and demons work together on the clearing.
You know, when people join forces towards a common goal, bonds naturally start to form.

My plan is to use this opportunity: to push the development forward while nudging them closer to reconciliation.
It’s a two-birds-one-stone deal.

“Hand of Supremacy!!!”

Time for me to break out my ultimate move, which hasn’t flared up in ages.

When I swing my hoe, the next several dozen square meters around me instantly get plowed up, the earth turning soft and fluffy, rich with air, giving rise to a perfect field.

“Wow! He did all that alone, in the blink of an eye?!”
“So this is the power of Lord Saint?!”

Cheers rise up from the settlers.
These newcomers seem to know a thing or two about the “saint,” and apparently everything I do leaves them awestruck.
It’s flattering, but also a bit…awkward?

“I spent my days of exploration searching high and low for the saint, and now he’s right before my eyes…! Is it really okay for something this inspiring to happen so easily?!”
“Just this moment alone made coming to this frontier worth it…!”

They’re seriously moved. I’m starting to feel a little embarrassed.

“Hey, hey, getting to see the saint in the flesh should be an emotional experience, right?”
“Exactly. Consider how grateful we should be that this hidden guardian of the world is here among us. Go on, everyone—bow, worship, pay your respects!”

Huh, who’s talking like some old-timer who’s been a fan from day one?
I turn around and…

The Demon King and Ritheseus?!

What in the world are they doing here?!

“This large-scale development project was originally meant to be a big undertaking led by both the Human and Demon Kingdoms. It’s not strange for the top brass like us to come inspect it.”
“Before now, some pesky saboteurs kept us from paying a visit.”
“That’s why we snuck out without telling our subordinates this time!”

So that’s it.
I had wondered why the ever-competent Demon King and Ritheseus weren’t intervening in the rising tensions out here—it definitely seemed off.

There must have been more going on behind the scenes.

“Oh! It’s the Demon King himself!”
“The Demon King has come personally to check on our work—this must really be an important project!”
“Now I can finally believe we’re doing something that matters…!”

The Demon King’s royal charisma is off the charts. Just the sight of his face maxes out everyone’s morale.

“Who’s that younger guy over there?”
“I heard he’s the new king of the Human Kingdom or something?”

As for Ritheseus, he’s still a work in progress.
He’ll develop that commanding aura and kingly vibe in due time.

“So, Lord Saint… about the situation here on the ground…!”
“Are things being influenced? Word about Lord Saint is spreading nicely?”

The Demon King and Ritheseus lean in to whisper, looking for intel.
Is that their hidden motive for this surprise inspection? To gauge the rumor mill’s impact?

No worries.

Everyone’s basically good people here...

Or I was about to say that, when trouble decided to show up uninvited.

“Is there a so-called ‘saint’ here?!”

A voice booms out.

The sheer force in that shout makes everyone turn around.

Marching towards us is a soldier in armor, radiating hostility.

His posture is stiff, his attitude none too friendly. I find myself tensing up, too.

“There’s a saint here, right? Answer when asked!”
“What do you want?”

I step in, trying to calm the nervous murmurs.
The soldier stomps right up to me and says...

“I carry an official writ! It bears the joint decree of King Zedan of the Demon Kingdom and King Ritheseus of the Human Kingdom!”
“A decree?”

From the Demon King and Ritheseus?

But they’re both standing right here…

I glance over at them, but they just look confused.

So, a letter they supposedly issued, yet they know nothing about it?

“Let me read it aloud. Show proper respect as you listen!”

The soldier unfurls a parchment and reads in an overly theatrical manner.

“‘Hear this, Saint. This land is being cleared by the Demon and Human Kingdom and is thus the territory of both. Therefore, we do not recognize the residence of anyone who refuses to serve both nations.’”

So they “do not recognize” me.

Wow.

“‘…Hence, the Saint is to promptly swear allegiance to both the Human and Demon Kingdoms. Refuse, and be treated as an illegal squatter, subject to immediate removal.’ …That is all.”

Well, well.

That’s what they’re pulling, huh?

“I am instructed to bring back your answer at once. Now choose! Submit or face destruction!”

In other words, he wants me to either obey or die.
It’s so over-the-top that I can’t help feeling insulted.

But before I say anything else, there’s something this soldier needs to reckon with.

“A command from the Demon King Zedan?”
“A command from the Human King Ritheseus? It’s ‘President,’ by the way, no matter how many times I say it you never remember, huh?”

The aura that flares up now is beyond intense, practically lethal. No one could miss it.
The soldier spins around, probably sensing something’s off. Too late, buddy.

Death arrives long before you can talk your way out of it.

“Hyegh?!”

Poor soldier. The Demon King’s hand clamps down on his right shoulder...
...And on his left shoulder, there’s Ritheseus’ iron grip.

They’re each strong enough to keep him locked in place.
He’s like a frog crushed in the coils of a giant snake.

“I don’t recall issuing any such letter with my name on it. Strange, isn’t it? Care to explain how that came to be?”
“I’d love to learn something here, too. I’m still new at this ruler thing and want to gain experience, but apparently, even you’re in the dark, Demon King?”

Both the Demon King and Ritheseus speak calmly, but there’s no warmth in their eyes.
It’s like a mafia boss about to deal with a traitorous underling. The atmosphere is anything but friendly.

“So, grunt, you do realize that forging an order in your sovereign’s name is a crime punishable by death?”
“If you value your life, spill everything you know right now. Don’t wait for us to ask twice.”

Ritheseus is starting to look a lot like a proper king, isn’t he?

I can definitely sense he’s got that “obey or die” vibe down pat now.

So, somebody tried to use a phony royal decree to force the ‘saint’ into submission.

They hoped official-looking orders would corner me, but made the fatal mistake of including the kings’ names without permission.
To top it off, they had the worst luck: the actual rulers are right here.

“I was worrying about what might happen when word of Lord Saint spread, and look, this is about as bad as it gets.”
“Trying to subjugate Lord Saint and conquer the world, were they? We’ll have to squash this idea so completely that no one ever dares to try again.”

They’re scaring the poor guy stiff. I’d better step in.

Why?

Because this challenge was aimed at me, after all.

I can’t pretend I’m completely off the hook here.

The Demon King and the others took every precaution, worried that something like this could happen. Then I went and spilled the beans in a fit of excitement.

It would feel awful to leave them to handle the fallout for my slip-up.

So…

I guess it’s up to me to thoroughly crush this mess, ensuring no one ever dares to stir up trouble like this again.

“Hey, soldier. When you get back to the person who wrote that letter, give them this message:
They offered me a choice between servitude and destruction, right? ...Well, let them know I choose destruction.”

Of course, the one facing destruction won’t be me.

Bring all the troops you can muster.
My farm’s going to show you what real power looks like.