#1088 The Saint’s Proof of Being

Here I am, giving the pioneers a good old-fashioned lecture.

Seriously, these folks have zero manners.

I don’t want to nag, but if we’re all going to live peacefully without any hiccups, we’ve gotta talk things out.

Sometimes, you just have to say the hard stuff, even if no one wants to hear it.

No one likes being the buzzkill, but maybe it’s an elder’s duty to set things straight.

“You... you’re the Saint of the Farm? The one we’ve been searching for all this time...?!”

But before we dive into that, it looks like I need to prove I’m the Saint.

Man, if only I had some kind of ID to flash around.

Life in another world sure isn’t easy.

“...No way! I don’t believe it! You think I’d just accept that? The Saint of the Farm is a legendary utopia—the dream of every explorer! The Saint who lives there is practically a god! There’s no way someone like him would just stroll up to us!”

“Why not?”

I mean, what’s wrong with him wandering around?

But for some reason, this demon guy just won’t admit that I’m the Saint.

“Lord Saint... Lord Saint...!”

Hmm?

Wait a minute, I know you from somewhere.

...Oh yeah.

You’re one of the applicants from that S-rank adventurer exam a while back.

You were the only one who passed.

Your name is... Corgi!

“It’s Corey! More importantly, it seems many of the pioneers from the demon side are former explorers.”

Explorers?

What’s that about?

“Explorers are said to have sailed the seas chasing the world’s mysteries. They were probably looking for you too, Lord Saint. They searched the whole world but couldn’t find you, and now they’ve stumbled upon you without any effort. I think they just can’t accept that.”

Ah, I see.

So they’re the type who really value the journey.

Normally, I’d set up some kind of orientation to give them that sense of accomplishment but now’s not the time.

Keeping the peace is priority number one.

So, I’ll just straight-up prove that I’m the Saint.

It’ll make convincing them a lot easier.

“Behold, the sword I present to you...”

I draw my holy sword, Dreischwarz.

It’s one of only seven holy swords in the world and my trusty blade since I started the farm.

I swing the holy sword high above my head...

...Shoot!!!

WHOOSHOOOOOOOOSH!!!

“Whoaaaaaa!”

How’s that?

A massive flash unleashed by the holy sword. Bet they’ve never seen anything like it.

There aren’t many who can withstand this light anywhere in the world.

So, will you acknowledge that I’m the Saint who can perform such miracles?

“Nope! Not buying it at all!”

Wow, tough crowd.

They’re not impressed with my holy sword showcase.

“Holy swords are something even our Demon King possesses! It’s second-rate! You can’t prove you’re the Saint by copying someone else! The Saint is one of a kind—he should be able to do something no one else can!”

That’s quite a tall order.

Something no one else can do... what could that be?

...Oh, wait a minute.

“Come forth, Veil!!!”

I call out, snapping my fingers high toward the sky.

About thirteen seconds later...

Stirring the air with majestic wingbeats, a dragon appears.

“Masterrrr, what do you neeeed?”

“A-A-A-A dragonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn?!”

The pioneers are utterly stunned.

How about that? Even the Demon King can’t summon a dragon on a whim.

Plus, the first time I was recognized as the Saint was when Veil, in her dragon form, appeared on the battlefield between humans and demons.

Back then, Veil introduced herself as “the Saint’s servant dragon.”

So, Veil’s presence is solid proof that I’m the Saint.

Well?

“The legendary Saint who commands a dragon...?!”

“So it’s true...? That unremarkable-looking guy?”

Hey now, being plain is part of my charm.

No complaints, please.

“So, what’s the deal with summoning me? Is there some fool who needs to be incinerated by my dragon breath?”

“Nah, it’s just that some people didn’t believe I was the Saint. I thought if they saw you, they’d come around.”

“What? Doubting my master? They truly are fools! If I turn them to ash with my dragon breath, the world would be a tidier place!”

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Calm down, take it easy.

But by me calming down an angry dragon, I guess my credibility just shot up.

Pacifying an enraged dragon is a true Saintly act, or so they say.

“The dragon truly obeys him...?!”

“He really is the legendary Saint?!”

So, have I finally convinced you?

“Well, this is... this is just...!”

“But I don’t want to accept it. The value of treasure lies in overcoming great hardships to find it...!”

Looks like they’re torn between undeniable facts and their stubborn ideals.

They must really love the thrill of the chase.

“But I can’t keep indulging this, so let’s get back to the main issue: this pointless fight you’re having over this land.”

Why are you guys even fighting?

Weren’t humans and demons supposed to join forces here to expand our territories?

“I don’t know anything about that! Those humans just barged into our land!... Uh, Lord Saint?!”

“What are you talking about? We heard we were supposed to work with demons to develop this land!... Well, sort of... You’re the ones who ignored that and picked a fight with us!”

Hmm.

They were just at each other’s throats a moment ago.

A quick resolution might be tricky.

And it seems there’s some miscommunication.

Did the message that humans and demons are supposed to collaborate here really not get through?

“There’s no doubt that the development here is a joint effort between humans and demons. I heard this straight from the Demon King and the human president, Ritheseus.”

“Direct talks with the Demon King and Human King?!”

“So the Saint truly stands at the pinnacle of this world...?!”

I set their astonishment aside and ponder.

This situation isn’t going to be resolved by just scolding them or flexing some muscle.

There’s something deeper going on here.

Sensing that, I steel myself.

It’d be irresponsible to meddle halfway and then say, “Good luck with that!”

The future of all humanity hinges on this project. I can’t just sit back and watch.

“All right then, I’ll take over your operation.”

“Huh?”

“This land is right under my nose, practically my backyard. With the skills I used to build my farm from scratch, I’ll show you what real development looks like.”

Yep, I’m commandeering the project.

Normally, this wouldn’t fly, but if I don’t step in, the whole endeavor might collapse.

Think of it as an emergency measure—please cut me some slack.