#986 The Demon Prince in the Saint’s Eyes

It’s me again.

...That was one heck of a struggle.

I never expected the vegetables in the field to suddenly tech up and symmetrically dock and then, to top it off, say something like, “I shall transcend human and beast to become a god!” You’re vegetables, for crying out loud.

Stuff like this happens all the time on our farm. Come spring, the veggies start dancing, transforming, and combining themselves.

They really overdo it with the spring fever.

Anyway, with the help of Orkubo and Gobukichi, we chopped up the fused veggies and simmered them into this hearty soup.

Thanks to that, I ended up being late to welcome the Demon King’s son, Goetia, who was supposed to visit today.

By now, Platy has probably shown him around the Farm School.

Guess I’ll head straight there and serve this veggie-packed soup to everyone there!!!

...Or so I thought. When I got to the Farm School, the usual chaos greeted me.

“Gyaaaaaa! A Lifeless King?! There’s a Lifeless Kinggggggg!!!”

“What a lively young lad.”

That terrified kid over there must be Goetia.

He’s grown so much. The last time I saw him was at the God Figure Tournament.

He’s changed a lot since then. Kids his age grow up so fast.

They don’t just get taller; their faces become more mature, and they get stronger in body and mind.

Well, right now, he’s trembling in fear, though.

“One of the World’s Two Greatest Calamities, the Lifeless King?! But there was just a dragon here a moment ago!”

So, he’s already met Veil.

They usually meet pretty quickly. Looks like Goetia has already gotten a thorough initiation into our farm life.

“Ah, you’re finally here, Dear. You’re late for our guest’s visit!”

Platy scolded me.

Sorry, unexpected farm troubles are a constant around here, really.

But it’s true I kept our guest waiting, so I apologize sincerely.

“Hey, Goetia, sorry for the late welcome. I’m the owner of this farm!”

“A-A-A-A-A-A Lifeless King...?!”

He’s a goner.

The sight of the scariest being has drained all the spirit out of him.

Well, that’s the normal reaction to seeing a Lifeless King up close...

“This won’t get us anywhere, so, Sensei, if you would kindly.”

“Mm.”

I bring the Lifeless King in question, Sensei, forward.

“Goetia, this is a Lifeless King we call Sensei. He’s a good person and thus is harmless, so don’t worry.”

“H-Harmless?!”

Goetia, completely freaked out, stares at Sensei in disbelief.

“...”

Sensei smiles back at him.

But that just seemed to scare him more...

“Waaaahhh!!!”

Goetia starts crying loudly.

That’s a bit rude to Sensei.

“Now, now. It’s natural for a Lifeless King to be feared by all creatures... Even though it’s easy to forget, his reaction is actually the correct one.”

Sensei, trying to comfort Goetia, looks a bit lonely!

Give him some proper reassurance, will you, Goetia?!

But he’s too scared...!

“What is this place?! There’s a dragon, a Lifeless King, and someone who can fight a dragon on equal terms with wings, plus an insanely strong human princess and the Mermaid King’s sister! Is it okay for a place like this to exist?!”

Oh, you met Horkosfon, too?

Angels can be quite a shock to the uninitiated. They could be considered the third greatest Calamity.

“It’s dangerous! This place is way too dangerous for the world! We’ll have to bring the entire Demon King’s Army to attack and destroy this place! A preemptive strike is the only way!!!”

It looks like his thoughts are heading in a dangerous direction.

What should I do about this?

I need to try and convince him...!

“You’re being a disgrace, Goetia!!!”

Snap!

The thunderous shout made not just Goetia but everyone else around him jump in shock.

Who in the world could that voice belong to? All eyes turned to...

“Father?!”

“The Demon King?!”

Yes, it was none other than Goetia’s father and my friend, the ruler of the most powerful faction on earth, the demons.

“Pathetic! Losing your composure over something like this and rashly trying to mobilize the army! Do you really think you can succeed me with that kind of behavior?!”

“F-Father, why are you here? I thought you were in the Demon Capital handling affairs since you didn’t come with me…”

Goetia’s right.

Demon King, you should have been here supporting your son.

“I purposely came late to see how you would handle the farm on your own without distractions. The result was a complete disaster!”

“But Father! This farm is far too dangerous! For the eternal prosperity of our Demon Kingdom, we should eliminate it immediately!”

Wow, Goetia’s really on edge.

Is our farm really that scary?

But everyone here is pretty nice despite the potential power they hold...!

“Listen carefully, Goetia...”

At that moment, Mrs. Astres, Goetia’s mother, gently approaches.

Looks like she accompanied the Demon King, her husband.

She whispers softly into her son’s ear.

“...No matter how much the Demon King’s Army tries, they will never defeat this farm.”

“?!”

Goetia trembles all over as if struck by lightning.

“That’s right... I kept getting told, ‘Even if the Demon King’s army were ten times stronger, it would still lose to the farm!’”

“To forget such an important detail is disgraceful. With such a weak resolve, you definitely can’t become the next Demon King.”

Everyone sure is tough on Goetia.

“Listen, Goetia. There are absolute realms in this world that one should never touch. Enter them foolishly, and it means destruction. For humanity, those realms used to be dragons and Lifeless Kings. But now, there’s another - the Saint’s Farm.”

Huh? Wait, Mrs. Astres, you think of our farm like that?

We’re just a harmless, friendly farm, honest!

“I, too, once attacked this farm, aiming to destroy it...!”

“Huh?! What happened then?!”

“I was soundly defeated. Not by the Sensei or Veil, but by a few orc and goblin farmers. I’ve never experienced such a one-sided defeat in my life.”

Oh yeah, I remember that.

That was the start of our friendship with the Demon King and his family.

“Mother, you were once one of the Heavenly Four of the Demon King’s Army and the strongest among them...! No one was said to be your equal, and yet...!”

“Huh? Did they really exaggerate the story like that? There are plenty stronger folks in the Demon King’s Army, you know?”

Platy, please...

Understand a mother’s desire to look impressive in front of her child. You’ve been there too, right?

“Power isn’t everything in the path of conquest. If we made an enemy of this farm, our Demon Kingdom would be crushed in a day. But by approaching it with goodwill, it blesses us with endless gifts. This farm exchange program is to help you understand that!”

“Mother!”

Ah, the brainwashing is complete.

Demon King, any thoughts?

“Well... I’d like to think our relationship with Lord Saint isn’t just about calculated benefits...”

He has a very conflicted expression.

While the Demon King and I are friends, Goetia, as his successor, will have to navigate treaties and formalities. It’s a tricky situation.

“Understood, Father, Mother! As the next Demon King, I will study at this farm and build a friendly relationship!”

“No, no, no, that’s not it...!”

It’s good to be ambitious, but...

“I just want you to study diligently at the Farm School. You must realize by now that everything here is incredibly useful.”

“Huh?”

Yes, and the one teaching these useful things is our very own Sensei.

With Sensei’s terrifying appearance, which is one-of-a-kind in this world, poor Goetia finally succumbs to the fear and faints, foaming at the mouth.