My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 208

“Ugh!”

After Praus left, Chris groaned while clutching his wrist.

The knights arrived late and poured a potion on him. Only then did the bleeding from the severed area stop. Shortly thereafter, Logia, who had hurried over, managed to reattach the severed hand by unleashing an immense amount of magical power.

If Tina had used her All-Cutting Sword or infused it with Aura, there would have been no chance of reattaching it due to mana interference. However, since Praus had merely cut it in a fit of revenge, it was possible.

But apart from that, something seemed wrong in the process of reconnecting the nerves that had been severed. Chris noticed that his hand didn’t move as he intended.

After repeatedly clenching and unclenching his fist, he suddenly shouted.

“Damn it! Damn it!! Conver! Kill him! Right this instant, kill Praus!”

“…I will follow your command.”

Knight Commander Conver replied without hesitation, but just as he was about to leave, Lupin spoke up.

“Wait.”

“…What is it?”

As Conver stopped, the other knights also froze in place.

“Do you still not realize? Even one gesture from the elf that Praus has under his command took out the knights in one blow. Do you think you can battle someone with that kind of power?”

“With the Magic Guild and the Royal Knight Order, we can definitely kill Praus! If not, I’ll borrow the private soldiers of other nobles! If we use them, we can somehow kill Praus!”

“Chris, after seeing that Meteor, you still think like that?”

“Praus has committed treason! He has threatened the Empire!”

“However…!”

“The Majestic One said, right? If Praus sets his mind to it, he can bring down the Royal Family. So doesn’t that mean we need to kill him before that happens?”

‘He’s completely lost his reason.’

Lupin sighed at Chris, who was spouting foolishness in his excitement.

“What will you do after killing Praus? Who will stop the demons then?”

“If this goes on, we’ll fall to either Praus or the demons; either way, we’ll be doomed.”

Even though he had lost his reason, that statement crossed the line for Lupin.

It was a remark that couldn’t be made without underestimating the Empire.

“I must have misjudged you after all. How could someone who should lead the Empire abandon it?”

Lupin realized why Praus hadn’t supported Chris.

‘It was a problem that I cared too much because he was my eldest son. He couldn’t even see right from wrong. But was it that Praus saw his true nature through a son who didn’t show his colors?’

“I’m not abandoning the Empire…!”

Chris tried to explain but was stopped by a gesture from Lupin.

“Enough. You have five days. Step down from the throne after five days. And hand over the next emperor’s position to Seri.”

Traditionally, disputes over the throne like this would cause unrest among the citizens.

But Lupin instinctively felt that having Chris on the throne would not only endanger his life but also jeopardize the safety of the Empire.

“Majestic One!”

“I said it. You bear the responsibility, Chris.”

Lupin looked at Conver. He was contemplating whose orders to follow.

“Conver.”

“Yes! Your Majesty Lupin.”

“Have the Royal Knight Order move as planned today. You don’t need to worry about Chris’s orders.”

“Majestic One!”

“…Understood. Then I’ll take my leave first.”

Conver decided to follow the orders of Lupin, whom he had served for a long time. The Royal Knight Order would follow the command of their commander.

The knights returned to their original positions, leaving only the current Emperor, the former Emperor, and Logia behind.

“Logia.”

“Yes.”

“I want you to protect Chris for the next week.”

“Understood, Your Majesty Lupin. Leave it to me.”

“Don’t have any more unnecessary thoughts. If you still don’t listen after I’ve said this much, then I’ll give up on you, Chris Aiter Prétium.”

“…”

He looked up at his father, biting his lower lip, and bowed his head. The overwhelming humiliation that came from his intense frustration shattered his confidence.

Chris thought he could do anything if he just willed it, like a god, but everything was merely an illusion created by status.

In the end, he was just a human, and a useless dictator at that.

—

“Is it just a week?”

The teacup Seri picked up shook slightly. It seemed that she, too, found it hard to accept the sudden change in succession.

“Get ready.”

“Um… is it really alright for me to become the Emperor?”

“…Are you scared now that it’s time to go through with it?”

Her self-esteem was now far from its peak.

It wasn’t just a matter of confidence; it was an undefined anxiety. It was merely temporary fear of something she had never done before.

“There’s no one else but you.”

“What?”

“You’re the only leader who can achieve harmony between humans and other races and lead the future of the Empire.”

Finishing that sentence, he sipped his black tea. As the hot liquid entered his body, his unsettling feelings calmed down a bit.

“…Something surely happened, didn’t it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Praus may seem indifferent, but his eyes can’t meet mine directly. His voice lacks the usual clarity. Can I ask what happened in the Beastmen’s Forest?”

“I’ve told you everything.”

Except for information about Leoness.

“There have been thousands of beastmen killed this time. It could even be over 10,000.”

I couldn’t be sure because I didn’t know how many beastmen were in the forest.

It wasn’t like in that other world where people’s personal information was data-ified, so estimating that number wouldn’t be easy.

“That’s terrible.”

“Yes. If the Demon War breaks out like this, it won’t end with just this. At least tens of millions will die.”

“…That’s heavy. It’s my responsibility to protect their lives. Am I really going to lead people to death?”

It would surely be agonizing. The guilt would torment her for months. But she would overcome it.

“You resemble me.”

“Huh?”

“You will definitely do anything to achieve your goals. I guarantee it.”

Seri’s expression widened in surprise as she covered her mouth. She blinked several times with her eyes wide open before murmuring.

“…Couples are said to resemble each other… Is this our fated bond?”

“…”

I heard her mutter but pretended not to. If I reacted, it would just make things tedious.

“Is not reacting a sign of guilt?”

No, if I pretended not to hear, shouldn’t she just let it slide?

But it was alright. I had a technique saved up for such moments.

“…Huh? What did you say?”

I pulled off the secret technique of a light novel protagonist, ‘Huh? What do you mean?’

“Hmm~ well, let’s just let it go for now. By the way, what about my disciples? It’s unusual for them to be missing when we are alone like this?”

The tone seems like she particularly wants to let it pass. It felt like my technique didn’t work.

“They’re asleep. They must be tired in various ways.”

Even if you label it as a Hero’s trial, they were still just kids only fifteen years old.

Those kids had witnessed grotesque scenes several times. It wouldn’t be surprising if they developed PTSD.

Still, my personal hope was that they could hold on until the Demon War didn’t happen. Overcoming the Demon War without heroes is completely impossible.

“…Praus.”

A gloomy voice echoed in the reception room. When I turned to look, I saw Urka, the pink-haired cat beastman, standing there with her head lowered.

“Urka?”

It seems she rushed out as soon as she heard the news right after I returned to the Duke’s mansion.

“…Can I ask you one thing?”

“What is it?”

“Why… is this happening to our Beastmen? Are we cursed not to be born? It hasn’t been long since we gained independence… why is all this happening?”

“…No. If there were such a curse, it would be the humans who should bear it, not the beastmen.”

I met Urka’s gaze, whose eyes were red. I recalled Iris crying as well.

I wonder if it’s sad for a complete stranger to see their kin die. Or perhaps she had someone she knew among them?

…Either way, does it even matter?

In the end, it remains a tragedy.

“The Beastmen’s Forest is located on the border of the Empire but also adjacently linked to the Demon World. It was a geographical problem.”

Considering the Elf Forest didn’t suffer damage, it could be said that it was purely bad luck this time. That doesn’t mean it’s fine if elves were massacred, though.

“I believe the demons attacked the Beastmen this time to instigate division between humans and beastmen or to reduce their numbers. It would be burdensome for the demons if humans and other races joined forces.”

Though I mentioned two possibilities, the actual intent was likely a combination of both.

Raghur’s contract with Chris was probably meant to sow distrust between humans and beastmen, and unleashing demons in the Beastmen’s Forest was probably to lower their numbers.

“The fights will become even more intense moving forward. In that process, whether human, beastman, or elf, many will surely die.”

“So you intend to use me for that. If the Emperor of the Empire is favorable to other races, it’ll be easier to achieve harmony.”

“Exactly. Do you dislike it?”

“No. Frankly, if it were just for selfish desires, I might be a bit upset. But what Praus intends to do is save this world, isn’t it? If you need my help for that, I will do it willingly.”

Her mindset is surprisingly well-structured. It’s hard to even imagine she had been living as a recluse.

“I’m grateful if you think that way. If you sat next to me, I would have patted your head. But you’re a bit too far.”

As I said that and raised my teacup, Seri had unexpectedly moved right next to me. And she sat there demurely.

She subtly leaned her head towards me. Although it wasn’t something I sincerely meant, this was really crafty.

“Uh… I washed my hair, so…”

“…Alright.”

I placed my hand on her head and gently stroked her golden hair. Seri began to enjoy my touch while smiling shyly.

Then I shifted my gaze to the motionless Urka.

“Urka.”

“Y-yes?”

“Don’t worry too much. The Empire will change now. The sight of humans and other races mingling was something only seen in Aus Territory, but soon it will be visible throughout the country.”

“Yeah. Since Praus said so… it will surely come to pass.”

Urka nodded, and her expression finally softened a bit.

“Praus.”

“Hmm?”

“Can I borrow your thigh for a moment?”

“My thigh?”

As I looked puzzled, Urka climbed onto the sofa and laid her head on my thigh.

“I’ll just stay like this for a while.”

She’s so crafty.

“Ah~ only you, Urka! Can I also do it later?!”

“…Do as you wish.”

I began to stroke Urka’s head, who was comfortably lying on my thigh. Her thin tail began to sway in response.

Is that what they mean when they say you shouldn’t have your hands too full?

But if the heroes had seen this scene, they would have had a seizure, right? I should be grateful that they’re still kids.