Chapter 6

“This is not what was agreed upon!”

The young cleric was awoken from the shouting coming from outside. It was already morning, she didn’t even realize that she fell asleep near the fire while waiting for the farmer to come home.

“Wha-wher-” The young cleric still having a hard time digesting everything that have happened so far. She rubbed her eyes as she recalls the events that transpired yesterday, remembering how she watched as her party members get slaughtered, and returned to see their remains mangled. 

“Like I said, what am I to give you if there’s nothing to give?!”

The shouting continues as the young cleric starts to accept reality. She hurries to the entrance of the house, putting on her boots as she continues to listen to the commotion going on outside.

“That’s not my problem, you need to give the amount that was agreed upon!”

“Tch! You people taking taxes even though I’m not getting protection, this is just extortion you know.”

“Watch your language! This is still part of the Kingdom! If you don’t like it, then go to a different country!”

“And if I refuse?” The young cleric peeks through the window and sees the farmer talking to someone neatly dressed with a carriage behind him. 

“That must be the tax collector.” The young cleric recalls the farmer informing her of a tax collector coming, and that she could hitch a ride with them. She watches as that tax collector signals someone inside the carriage to come over as two men come out, one muscular and huge while the other one slender with a saber on his side; most likely, they’re thugs hired to threaten civilians.

But the farmer looked calm in front of them, of course, he’d face bandits, wild monsters, and even defeated the boar general of the Demon King’s army. Two hired thugs are just infants in front of him.

“Look, just take the basket as payment for the tax.” The farmer, referring to the basket filled with the best looking vegetable he could harvest in front of him and the tax collector, negotiated.

“Threatening me to leave is useless. Without me, this farm will become a useless plot of land.” He added. 

“Trying to beg for your life? Teach him a lesson boys!” The tax collector orders the two thugs, as he backs away to watch from the sidelines. The muscle-bound man went up first, staring down at the farmer who looked unfazed, bored even. 

“Try not to resist little man, or you’ll be experiencing more pain than you’ll have to” The muscle-bound man threatens, cracking his knuckles as he walks towards the farmer. He then pulls his fist way back, preparing to launch a punch. Though very inefficient when it comes to combat, his motive is to scare the farmer with a wide swing punch, usually this method is effective as any ordinary human being not used to fighting would cower in fear the moment a muscle-bound man walks up to them and threatens them with a punch, but the farmer is no ordinary man, not even an ordinary human being.

The muscle-bound thug throws a punch, it was an intimidating yet ordinary punch, it was so ordinary that the farmer effortlessly dodges it.

“Oh ho? So you can dodge huh?” The thug remarked with a hint of annoyance. He throws another punch, and the farmer dodges it, he throws another, the farmer dodges it as well, he keeps throwing punches after another but the farmer would dodge everything thrown at him without even breaking a sweat. 

“Oi! I’m paying you to play around!” The tax collector seemed irritated.

“You! I was kind enough to hold back, but now I’m gonna rough you up for good!” The muscle-bound man, fuming with anger, shouted before throwing yet another punch. The farmer, seeing how pointless this is going, catches the muscle-bound thug’s fist then lightly brushes his foot off the floor causing him to fall on his back.

“Let’s just stop right now…” The farmer said. The tax collector, now pissed, looks at the slender thug with a saber as if saying that it’s his turn. Realizing that playing around will not only piss off their employers but will be humiliated as well, the hired swordsman cautiously approaches the farmer as he draws his sword; making the farmer nervous.

“Hahaha! Look at him! He’s scared!” The tax collector laughs, referring to how the farmer looked as if he’s troubled. True enough, the farmer is troubled but not because he is intimidated by the presence of a sword; no, not at all.

“If these bastards were to know that I can fight, I would definitely be conscripted to the army. It’s bad enough that that young girl already knows what I can do, well I think she’s reasonable enough to understand that I want nothing to do with all the fighting…” The farmer carefully assesses the situation.

“Well, giving them a good beating is a good option. Like they’ll blab about getting beaten up by a farmer, right?” The farmer clenching his fist, ready to do the worst.

The hired swordsman and the farmer were about to make their move when all of a sudden…

“Stop it!” The young cleric shouts as she emerges from the front door of the house.

“Shut up! And who are you anyway?!” The tax collector angrily shouted back. The young cleric looks at him seriously while she pulls something out from her shirt.

“I am the Cleric of the Hero’s party, and here is my proof, the King’s insignia.” The young cleric holds up a necklace with the king’s insignia on it. Though it was small, the tax collector was able to recognize it by squinting his eyes.

“Ohh— Ah, what brings the Hero party to this god forsaken land?” The tax collector quickly bows in panic, forcing the hired thugs to do the same.

“This man is currently assisting us on our quest…” The young cleric stated, taking a deep breath before continuing.

“Will you please stop harassing him?” Though it may seem like a polite request, her face is telling that it was more of a threat. Despite not being as tall as them, she is looking down on them.

“Take what he is offering as payment and leave for now.” She ordered. 

“Y-yes ma’am!” The tax collector hurriedly takes the basket while the slender thug helps the muscle-bound thug up before leaving in their carriage. 

“Haaaaaaaaa!” The young cleric lets out a huge gasp as she falls weak to the dirt road as soon as the tax collector’s carriage is no longer within their view. 

“It’s really hard trying to be like our party leader!” She ranted.

“Weren’t you supposed to hitch a ride with them to a nearby town?” The farmer asked.

“After threatening them like that? Who knows what they’d do to me when we're alone.” The young cleric replied with a hint of fear in her voice.

“Besides, the only one capable of finishing this quest is here” The young cleric looks at the farmer.

“I’m sorry but the answer is still the same.” The farmer refused.

“But why? If we let the Demon King be, who knows what he’ll do to this Kingdom! No, to the whole world! For sure, many people will suffer!” The young cleric argued.

“So why do you still refuse?” The young cleric, getting teary-eyed out of desperation, asked.

The farmer lets out a huge sigh.

“Do you have people waiting for you? Like family or friends?” The farmer asked calmly.

“I do, that’s why I want to help with the subjugation of the Demon king! So that the people I care about can live a peaceful life.” The young cleric, getting emotional, replied.

“Well I don’t.” The farmer replied.

“But that doesn’t mean–” The young cleric was about to reply hastily out of emotions when the farmer interrupted her.

“This farm is all I have, and if I go on a journey with you what do you think will happen to this farm?” The farmer, with a serious look on his face, asked.

“W-what do you mean?” The young cleric asked. She thinks that he’s just refusing out of selfishness.

“Let’s say that I join you in this quest, how long will it take for us to subjugate the Demon king? Probably a couple of weeks right? What do you think will happen to my farm during that time?”

“You’re still thinking about your farm even though the world is about to fall apart?” The young cleric tried to suppress her emotions out of consideration.

“Look, in my absence, wild beasts can wreak havoc in my farm. If not, bandits may come. If not, the tax collector may take this land.” The farmer stated. The young cleric falls silent as the farmer’s argument starts to sink into her.

“What I’m trying to say is that, after completing this subjugation, you still have people waiting for you. As for me, I might become homeless. Sure I saved countless people, but will they offer me a shelter? Do you, for a fact, know that the King will reward me with whatever I want should I do this quest?”

“There is that!” Focusing on the subjugation of the Demon King made the young cleric forget about the reward the King is offering, and the young cleric is reminded of that from his argument.

“The King promised that all the assets of the Demon King will be divided among the Hero party.” The young cleric stated.

“Can the King of this kingdom even do that?” The farmer is a bit skeptical.

“From what I could understand, at war times, all assets of the defeated one goes to the victor. But since the Kingdom could not afford to send their soldiers to war, and risk losing them, they’re sending the Hero party to subjugate the Demon King and in return, instead of going to the Kingdom, all assets will go to the Hero party members.” The young cleric explained. Though she did not really hear it herself, it was explained to her by the young mage who was briefed by the court wizards. 

“I see…” The farmer replied.

“Wait, won’t that make me the next Demon King?” The farmer, with a confused look on his face, retorted.

“I don’t think so, I mean, you’d have to be a Demon to become a Demon King right?” The young cleric argues back.

“Hmmm… Ok, I’m in…” After a few seconds of thinking, he agreed. 

“but first, we need to prepare.”