C332: The Match Between the Students and the Farm’s Five Strongest Residents – Part 5

To put it short, Gobukichi is one speedy beast.

He rides his unique horse and jumps around at speed faster than the naked eye can follow.
His sharp mana metal scythe could cut our heads off like dry grass.

With its many obstructions, the forest was the perfect place for him and his horse to maneuver, and with the tree trunks’ recoil, they jumped in all directions.

“Ah! Where did they go?!”
“Everybody, freeze! Keep your backs to each other to eliminate blind spots! We’re not fast enough to deal with them!”
“Wait…You can’t see anything but the blurry silhouettes, but two things are flying around like crazy!”
“Gobukichi is off his horse! And he’s moving just as fast!!!”
“Then why does he need to ride a horse? Ahhhhhhhh! Two things moving at high speed make this even more confusingggg!”

In addition, they regulated their speed to the extent that we could catch them. But if they get serious, we won’t be able to tell what’s happening.
We’re being toyed with.

“He’s strong…”

I knew Gobukichi’s strength was the real deal.
Teacher Belena’s magic, Princess Letasreit’s superhuman strength, and Lady Platy’s formidability are meaningless in the face of his speed.

It’s because he’ll make the first move before anyone of us can do anything about it.

So, this is a real taste of the farm’s strongest…
The power of Gobukichi, the Takehaya Susano-o Goblin.

“And the farm’s strongest…” Gobukichi stops and returns from the world of extreme speed to reveal himself and says, “…has one other person. No more games this time, so let me introduce you to your fifth opponent.”

Someone’s deep in the forest.
I hadn’t noticed him before, but I suddenly did because he had made his presence known after holding his breath for so long.

“Don’t tell me that’s where…”

There he is, the other strongest person.
Orkubo the orc.

He, too, is astride his beloved horse, Gigantirock, and carrying his favorite ax (for logging).
His appearance is almost that of a ruler.

“Wait up…”

Seriously? We were being rushed off our feet by Gobukichi, but now he’s introducing Orkubo?
How inconsiderate is that?!

“I’m your last opponent. But it seems you guys can’t keep up with Gobukichi’s speed, so I will assume your defeat is set. However, we’ll still fight, and I’ll show you a different form of strength than Gobukichi. It should prove useful in your future endeavors.”

Please!
It has only been one shocking event after another that my comprehension can’t keep up anymore!
This is overloading my brain!

“I present to you a different shade of defeat: Emperor’s Pressure!”

At that moment, a tremendous aura emanates from Orkubo’s body.

No, wait…

Are auras normally visible?
The air around him is so dense that it feels like the atmosphere is glowing.

And it’s not just visible.
The thriving trees are snapping and falling from the pressure!

An aura with mass and destructive power?!

“Orkubo, don’t go knocking down trees recklessly.”
“I know. I’ll be sure to end this quickly to minimize damage.”

With that, he faces us with his intimidating aura!
We’ll be crushed to death if that thing swallows us!

Slowly but steadily, Orkubo approaches with each step as if a massive wall is drawing closer and closer.

A power different from Gobukichi’s but still powerful all the same.
If Gobukichi is dynamically the strongest, that makes Orkubo statically the strongest.
If Gobukichi is the speedy one no one can catch, Orkubo is the power no one can fight back.

Sandwiched between these two undeniably strong people, all we could do was cry for dear life.

“Anddd, that’s a wrap!”

The looming aura wall stopped right in front of our eyes.
Until then, we didn’t feel like we were still alive.

Orkubo’s aura disappeared, and the invisible Gobukichi stopped skipping about.

“Did we scare you a little too much? Hopefully, that gave you an idea of the farm’s general level of strength.”
“I think this was an overall great experience for you because your questions were answered in the field.”

No…
The experience was too shocking for our minds to follow…

Just how strong of a force is Lord Saint’s farm military-wise?!

“Then again, strength doesn’t really mean anything around here.”
“Huh?”
“A farm is a place for farming and self-sufficiency. We don’t need anything more than self-defense,” carefreely says Orkubo, who probably is the most powerful being on land. “That’s the first thing our Lord wanted to convey through this series of battles. We are neither proud of our strength nor think it is necessary.”
“We have something more important to do, and we need to remember that always.”

Hearing Orkubo and Gobukichi, I felt as if something heavy went inside my stomach.

Coming to the farm has taught me many things, and I think I’ve grown stronger.
In fact, I’m sure that part is true.
Still, no matter how strong I get, there’s always this empty feeling. Because on this farm, there’s always someone stronger than you.

Under such circumstances, you can never be arrogant, no matter how strong you become.
But I think that’s the most essential part of being strong.

“The day will come when you will finish your studies and return to your home nations.”
“Today’s experience will help you apply what you have learned when that time comes. You will use the power you have developed to protect the weak, not to oppress them.”

I can’t believe we’re being lectured by an orc and a goblin…
Not only are they strong, but virtuous too.

I’ve never seen orcs and goblins like them!

“This is the end of the fifth round. Sorry to have beaten you up, but think of it as a future asset!”
“Now, let’s clean up those trunks you knocked down.”
“I wonder if Madam Aileron would like it if we chopped it up for firewood?”
“Maybe if we grafted the tree onto the stump, it would revive faster? There’s also the hyper fertilizer.”

What meticulous attentiveness!

How can they be so powerful and yet be so considerate of nature?
They’re farmers at heart, not warriors. No doubt.

Is this what makes Lord Saint’s farm a farm…?

“…Oh, right. Ritheseus.”

Gobukichi called my name?

“Your movements during the battle were quite impressive; you were able to follow me with your eyes.”
“Oh, you think so too, Gobukichi? He even showed the determination to resist my Emperor’s Pressure until the end, and when it came down to it, he almost came with a slash. That’s why I panicked and stopped him.”

Um, no…
It doesn’t matter if I did either of those.

Even if I can follow Gobukichi with my eyes, I won’t be able to deal with him unless my entire body can keep up with his movements.
And me standing up to Orkubo’s aura was purely out of desperation. Daredevil courage.

They’re all vain attempts!

“It’s proof of talent to be able to humble yourself like that. You’ll make a fine leader one day, Ritheseus.”
“A man who will shoulder the new age…”

I naively accepted the two gallant monsters’ prediction.
The present happenings prevalently sink deeper into my mind than the future.