Chapter 125: The True Nature Revealed

The True Nature Revealed

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Extra-sama shouts, urging me to be cautious.

A trickle of cold sweat runs down my brow as I take a fighting stance with my fists raised. The golden magical power Prough emits washes over my skin in a merciless 【Intimidation】. The sheer amount instantly envelops my surroundings…my body, trying to overwhelm my mind and force me into submission.

…Don’t underestimate me. Compared to that chattering black lizard, this is nothing.

I’ll kill you.

I release my own murderous intent in response. The golden power and my jet-black power clash with a hissing sound, struggling against each other – the golden trying to devour me, and me desperately resisting.

“…I’m surprised. This is the genuine divine power I borrowed from the Harvest God. How can you endure it? This won’t do.”

Prough lets out an exasperated sigh as he stops emitting the golden power.

“Emi, just who are you? You don’t give off the aura of being an apostle or favored child of any god…yet where does that power come from?”

I’ll respond for now.

“I’m just a traveler.”

“A mere traveler couldn’t be this strong, could they?”

“I trained hard to get strong.”

“…You’re not willing to answer honestly, are you?”

No, I am answering honestly! I can’t provide any further explanation, you know?

Come to think of it…

“What are you?”

“Hm?”

“What’s this about borrowing the god’s power?”

Stop asking me everything.

“Ah, aah! My bad, it wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t explain myself too!”

Prough says that as he puffs out his chest proudly, extending his arms out.

The golden magical power he had suppressed begins overflowing again.

“Then let me reintroduce myself properly, Emi! My name is Prough, a divine child blessed with a divine mission from the Harvest God Muwidgi!”

With an entranced expression, Prough makes that lofty declaration! The golden power spills out, trying to ensnare me again – how annoying. I brush it aside with my murderous intent.

Don’t treat a lady so casually, brat. I’ll kill you.

Meaning he’s likely a reincarnator too, right Extra-sama?

“Emi, I was sent to this world by the Harvest God to preach the proper way of living to the people dwelling here!”

“The proper way of living?”

“Yes! Say, Emi. Do you know why humans are given life in this world? The reason for our existence?”

“……”

What’s with this guy?

Suddenly becoming so long-winded.

I dislike philosophical talks like this.

I’ll kill him.

“You don’t know? Ah, sorry, was that too difficult a question for a dummy like you?”

What’s with this guy?

I’ll kill him.

“Want to know? You want to know the reason humans must live, don’t you Emi? The purpose of life! Let me teach you…after all, teaching and guiding people is my very mission!”

Prough continues speaking excitedly with exaggerated gestures. The open clearing in the forest has become his personal stage, with the moonlight pouring down as his spotlight.

“The purpose people live for! The true reason we are given life in this world! The mission entrusted to all mankind…it is!!”

Twirling around once, he spreads his arms wide and shouts loudly!

“It is…to cultivate wheat!!!”

……Huh?

“Listen well, Emi! Me and all of humanity exist as slaves to wheat! Our mission is to cover this entire world’s surface with wheat, creating a golden sea!”

Wh-What is he even saying?!

“Thus, the Harvest God sent me to the earth! To properly guide ignorant humanity and transform this world to its proper form…a wheat field!”

Prough continues ranting, almost shouting. The golden divine power overflowing from him causes the ground to rapidly sprout vegetation that instantly grows to waist height and turns golden in color.

That’s wheat.

A wheat field is spreading outward with Prough at the center!

“Ever since I was born in this land, I’ve been acting to fulfill that mission! First, I corrected the villagers’ minds and removed any obstructors! I had them adopt rituals to receive the Harvest God’s blessings as their village culture! And I continued expanding the wheat fields further and further!”

What are you saying…?!

No, why are you agreeing with his nonsense too, Extra-sama…?!

“Thanks to my and the villagers’ efforts, the wheat fields steadily expanded…but eventually, that momentum reached its limits. An issue the god’s power couldn’t solve started plaguing this village. How vexing.”

The joyful expression on Prough’s face twists into one of anguish. The grinding of his teeth echoes through the night forest.

You’re really into this, aren’t you Extra-sama?

Wasn’t it just a labor shortage or something?

“That issue was precisely…a labor shortage!!”

Wow, I guessed right.

“No matter how much the Harvest God’s bread enhanced the villagers’ bodies, each person still had their limits. Managing the expanded wheat fields already exhausted their capabilities, leaving no surplus labor to further increase the cultivated area. Even incorporating any wandering adventurers didn’t amount to much. I was troubled…at this rate, I couldn’t fulfill the Harvest God’s will! I couldn’t realize a world covered in wheat!”

“That’s right, when you arrived here by chance, Emi…!”

Why did you guess right?! What is this about?!

“Watching you work in the fields, I was amazed…! That tremendous power dwelling within you, far beyond human limits! I was convinced that with such power, the wheat fields could expand even larger! With your…superhuman labor force!!”

Well, that’s a rather common perspective, isn’t it?

“The results you produced while working in the village exceeded my expectations every time. Land clearing, fertilizing, watering, weeding…with just you alone, the wheat fields expanded over ten times faster than before! It was wonderful. I became convinced – you must be the ‘Wheat Warrior’ the Harvest God sent to this world.”

Don’t convince yourself of that. What’s a ‘Wheat Warrior’ even mean?

“So you see, Emi. I don’t know why you’ve regained your senses, but…I can’t let you leave this village.”

“!!”

The cheerful atmosphere around Prough suddenly turns chilling…!

I instinctively tense up, readying for combat again!

“I don’t want you to leave. Our encounter was fate, I believe.”

Prough reaches into his pouch and takes out…bread!

Bathed in the moonlight…no, the baguette-shaped bread itself faintly glows, appearing hardened.

If struck by that while Prough is enhanced by divine power, even I would be in danger.

I raise my fists before me and take a deep breath.

Focus. I need to focus.

…But the delicious, fragrant aroma of the bread is distracting me, making it hard to concentrate…!

“Now, Emi! Let’s dream together once more! We’ll create an endless golden horizon with our own hands! …All for the sake of wheat!!”

Saying that, Prough takes an overhead stance with the bread…and charges at me!!

“First, you need to settle down a bit!!”