I Raised the Northern Grand Duke as a Farmer Behind My Father’s Back Chapter 25

Chapter 25

“Question the village residents as well. Find out whether anyone has gone missing.”

According to that investigation……

Paul had been the one who first brought the Northern Relocation Flyer into District Z.

So, for the time being, they had sent a search request to the North.

The problem was what happened afterward.

Near District Z, traces had been found suggesting that Paul and the others had fallen into a ravine and died.

Marc looked confused.

“But the man named Paul is dead, isn’t he? At the cliff……”

“No.”

Dantelion calmly shook his head.

“That ravine was used to dispose of corpses. We cannot guarantee that the remains found there belonged to them. The bodies were too badly damaged.”

“That’s true, but……”

Marc muttered uneasily.

“Then are you saying he really took a child with him all the way into that dangerous northern territory? If it were me, I think I’d hide somewhere in the South or West……”

“If he had already been interested in the North, there is a high chance he would have gone there in an emergency. Besides—”

A strange gleam passed through Dantelion’s violet eyes.

“There is hardly any place better than the North for hiding something.”

“……”

“It is the only land in the Empire beyond the reach of both the imperial family and the Temple.”

The two slowly made their way outside.

Another of Dantelion’s lieutenants was waiting with his white horse.

“Understood. Then I’ll report any news from the North as soon as it—”

At that moment, Dantelion smoothly mounted his horse.

“C-Commander? Where are you going?”

Marc asked in surprise.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to the North right now?!”

Dantelion casually fastened his silver vambrace.

“It seems His Grace the Grand Duke is too busy even to write a reply.”

“……”

“So I’ll have to confirm things myself.”

“Commander!”

Neighhh!

The horse reared with a loud cry.

Marc hurriedly mounted the horse tied nearby and chased after him.

Dantelion tightened his grip on the reins.

He knew it too.

This wasn’t like him.

And yet……

for some reason, he couldn’t stay still.

I will find them.

An inexplicable obsession flickered in his violet eyes.

Whenever he thought back to District Z that day, something about it left a strange aftertaste.

As though there had been someone he absolutely should have met……

but failed to.

……So that was it. Because I let people who may have ties to heresy escape.

He remembered an old phrase once used among holy knights.

Those who turn their backs on the Holy Sword are those who betray God.

Those two fled after seeing the Holy Knight Order enter District Z.

There had to be a reason.

Either they were involved in this incident……

Or……

they had some other reason just as serious.

Whatever it was, they clearly had not fled for an innocent reason.

That must be why he was so fixated on them.

Then this pursuit was only natural for one who served God.

Even if it meant……

capturing a small child.

If they are people who oppose the teachings of the Temple……

“……”

His hand tightened around the Holy Sword.

“Commander! You still need to assess the situation in the East on the way! You know that, right?!”

Marc’s shouting faded into the distance.

Chapter 6 — Someone Came

March.

Thud!

Basil drove his shovel into the ground.

This is the last section we planned to cultivate this year.

It had already been a little over a month since they began seriously preparing the farmland.

In the distance, people were leveling the overturned earth.

By now, it was finally starting to look like an actual field.

The barley seed was also being kept nice and dry.

In a few days, they should be able to sow it without much trouble.

Haniel’s land was from here to here, right?

Basil looked across the divided plots.

About one-fifth of all the land they had decided to cultivate belonged entirely to Haniel.

Truthfully, since Basil had agreed that the harvest from his farming would be shared, dividing the land didn’t have much practical meaning.

It only gave Basil more work.

And yet he had stubbornly planted a sign bearing Haniel’s name in the best possible plot—

the one closest to the village,

with excellent drainage,

and plenty of sunlight.

For later.

The amount of land could always be expanded, but when it came to location, the one who claimed it first got the best spot.

When it’s time to sow, I’ll pick out the best seeds too.

I’ll show you what a real bumper crop looks like, baby hippo. Heh.

He secretly stole one shovelful of manure from the neighboring plot and spread it over hers.

Over the past month, Basil had steadily grown into Bethel Village’s number-one farmer.

At first, the villagers had been horrified to see their Grand Duke working in the fields.

Now they treated the sight of him carrying farming tools as part of the village scenery.

After finishing the first stage—

turning over the soil and adjusting its acidity—

he worked with the villagers to dig drainage ditches and create waterways.

They connected channels to the little stream running through the village, a tributary of the Veil River, and secured proper drainage.

Water management was the lifeblood of farming, after all.

After that came endless hoeing to break up and level the earth, followed by making ridges and furrows.

And for the final step……

“Everyone! Listen! Now we’re going to do something really, really important!”

Haniel’s cheerful voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

The child had smiled brightly while handing a bucket to Basil and each of the knights.

“Okay? From now on, make sure you collect it properly in heeere!!”

“……Collect what?”

“The cheapest thing in the whole world that makes crops grow big and strong! An absolutely essential farming material!”

“Something like that…… exists?”

Haniel had clenched her tiny fists.

“Of course!! Everyone has it! Be brave and push with all your strength!”

“……?”

“It iiiis~ your pooo—”

Basil had immediately covered Haniel’s mouth and ordered someone to use the remaining money to buy several sacks of manure.

I know…… I know it’s important.

But somehow, it felt like both he and that brat had come dangerously close to losing something they should never lose.

Their dignity, maybe.

Anyway—

the foul-smelling manure had also been spread thoroughly across the farmland.

Now all that remained was sowing the seeds.

More importantly……

Basil cracked his neck and looked into the distance.

Thinking about Haniel naturally brought back the conversation they’d had a few days ago.

Ah…… this is difficult.

“Even if people discover you have divine power, if I say you belong to my fa—my household, even the Temple won’t be able to take you away however they please.”

Family…… is probably too much, right?

It was obvious that the child hadn’t let go of her longing for her father.

“But…… there’s only one Dad……”

She had even muttered it without realizing.

Papa Hippo, just how good of a guy were you……?

If Basil had met him while he was alive, he might’ve even washed the man’s socks.

Basil roughly ruffled his own hair.

Haniel had looked so unhappy at the time that he’d hurriedly backtracked.

“……I just mean we should define our relationship so we look close to outsiders. Publicly.”

Thinking back on it, that had probably been the right thing to say.

Someone like me becoming family……

Ridiculous.

Because Basil didn’t really know what family was supposed to be.

Still, the child was now a resident of his territory.

One of his people.

So he intended to protect her no matter what it took.

If that required pretending to be a real family or a fake family or whatever else—

he was willing to do it.

He just had no idea what exactly acting like family was supposed to involve.

I never had to worry about things like this when all I did was cut off monster heads.

You had to have had a family in the first place to know how one worked.

“Your Graaaace! We have a problem!”

At that moment, Camilla came running.

“What happened?”

“Haniel……”

Basil heard only that much before throwing his shovel aside.

“She got hurt in the village!”