My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 101

“It’s a towel and some water.”

I handed a towel and a bottle of water to Tina and Iris, who approached without any hesitation.

“Ah, truly the Teacher! You’re overflowing with sensibility!”

“Thank you, I’ll drink gratefully.”

Tina remained cheerful, while Iris was composed.

I watched the two of them, wiping their sweat with the towel and gulping down the water.

As they grew older, they were becoming taller and more womanly, with muscle beginning to show in various places on their bodies.

They looked incredibly sturdy.

Every time they moved their arms, their muscles flexed dynamically, leaving me in awe.

“Huh? Teacher, why are you staring like that?”

Tina cocked her head in confusion at my gaze.

“…I just think you look better now than when you were all thin and scrawny.”

“Well, with such delicious meals made by the Teacher, it would be odd if I didn’t gain weight. Right, Iris?”

“That’s right. I’m always thankful for the meals prepared by the Teacher.”

Iris said, snapping the cap back on her water bottle. It seemed she had finished it quickly.

Feeling refreshed, her fluffy white tail swayed from side to side. I wanted to touch it; it looked so soft. I should definitely ask for permission later.

“Considering that you’ve been made strong so that your rights aren’t taken away, I think I’ll owe you a debt of gratitude for life.”

“…That’s not what I was hoping for.”

I answered a beat late because I was lost in thought.

“I know. You’re a humble person and thoughtful of others before yourself.”

She’s really putting me on a pedestal. Are they all banding together to tease me?

I eyed Iris suspiciously, who was picking her words carefully, totally mismatched to my demeanor and actions.

She met my gaze and tilted her head cutely, her ears twitching on top of her head.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“…It’s nothing.”

“Anyway… I plan to serve by your side for life. After all, there’s no family to return to where I used to live…”

What on earth is she talking about?

Once the Demon War is over, neither I nor the heroes will have to fight the Demon Tribe until death.

In other words, the heroes’ roles are only up to the Demon War.

So even if she wanted to leave and enjoy freedom with lots of money, nobody would criticize her. Yet she wants to stay with me, who is so boring.

I just couldn’t understand.

“Are you serious?”

“I am serious.”

Seeing her firmly assert that made me scratch my head.

“Well… let’s just say that’s the case for now.”

Even as I spoke those words, anxiety filled my mind.

If the girl stayed, my plans to marry a simple country girl would be crushed…

Honestly, I had fantasized dozens or hundreds of times about dating and marrying characters like heroes or nobles from games.

But the deeper I got into those relationships, the more I feared that my ‘weakness’ would be exposed.

If they found out that I was actually very weak, I might have to pay the price for all the insolent words and disrespect I had thrown around until now.

That’s why I had been trying to avoid personal relationships as much as possible…

And now it was all falling apart.

“Yes, for now, that’s enough.”

Iris smiled. Tina, upon seeing that, raised her hand like a mischievous child.

“Teacher! Me too! I want to stay together with you for life!”

What a ridiculous sense of competition.

“…If you haven’t changed by then, I won’t stop you. Of course, I won’t stop you even if you leave.”

“Then if I don’t leave, we’ll be a complete ‘family’ then! Hehe.”

I stared blankly at the bright smile of Tina as she laughed.

She finally noticed our reactions and began to alternate her gaze between me and Iris. With each glance, her smile faded, and she began to look cautious.

“Um… um? Did I say something wrong?”

“Family… I see.”

Iris’s lips curled into a soft smile. In response to Tina, she shook her head lightly.

“No, you’re right.”

“Ah… yeah… I knew it, right? Hehe, were you just trying to tease me?”

Is that something that can only come from someone so innocent?

I found it ridiculously sweet, but at the same time, a small part of my heart ached. It was a bittersweet feeling.

Could they really be family…?

As I pondered her words, an odd dissonance struck me.

Why did the notion of family conjure up Paroco’s face instead of my parents back in that other world?

…I don’t know.

“…Teacher?”

As I momentarily drifted into thought, a familiar voice pulled me back.

Turning around, I saw Maria, her golden hair swaying, reaching out vaguely.

“Is that you, Maria?”

“Yes. I was doing magic training and went to an empty place for a bit… even with a barrier, mana could run rampant, you know. But what were you all talking about?”

“Well, that is…”

“We decided to live with the Teacher for life!”

That was way too condensed.

I definitely shouldn’t let Tina take on the mission of delivering my messages. Her way of speaking was perfect for creating misunderstandings.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Maria’s gaze shifted toward Iris, having deduced she might not get a proper answer from Tina.

Honestly, that was wise.

“…I just thought it would be best to stay together if nothing major came up.”

“Ah… I see. It’s definitely better that way. The Teacher’s cooking is really delicious.”

Iris casually remarked, and Maria nodded in agreement.

“But don’t you want to go back to your hometown, Iris?”

“Huh?”

Iris let out a confused sound at Maria’s question, looking flustered.

“You mentioned that if Princess Seri ascends to the throne, then there would be slave liberation, and we could return to where we used to live.”

“…”

She bit her lip. Maria’s words seemed to leave her speechless.

After a long silence, Iris forced a smile, but it looked as if she was desperately trying to control her emotions.

“Going back… would be meaningless. There are no family or acquaintances there anymore.”

“Well, that’s true…”

“And I don’t think I could live in a village setting again. I’ve learned too much about the conveniences of city life by mixing with others.”

Even within the Beastman Tribe, not everyone was treated equally.

In fact, the opposite might be true; they may be more savage than humans. Their culture was fundamentally built on survival of the fittest.

The strong become the leaders, while the weak are cast out and subjected to all kinds of humiliations.

That was their culture.

To put it simply, it was a race that followed their instincts.

Maybe that’s why they adapted so easily to being slaves.

On the other hand, the Elf Tribe operated on principles of equality.

Unless it was a special position like an elder conversing with the Spirit King, class distinctions held little significance.

Age was the only factor that influenced whether to use honorifics or not.

Thus, Elf Maria couldn’t understand Iris’s perspective as a Beastman.

“Do you know why the Beastmen and Elves hang out together even after being freed from slavery?”

“Is it because they have no place to escape outside the Empire?”

As soon as I heard Maria’s answer, Iris shook her head firmly.

“It’s because they acknowledge that human civilization is superior.”

“Human civilization?”

“Yeah. They were dragged here powerless, but eventually, they found this place to be better than they’d anticipated. Of course, they face some discrimination due to being from other races, but once they escape slavery, they can work with proper compensation and do what they want.”

Iris had perspectives that both Tina and Maria lacked.

This was rooted from her months of experience living as a slave.

“And above all, there’s the Teacher, who values me… no, Lord Praus is here. So I believe this is my place.”

Iris subtly snuggled closer to my left arm, her cheeks turning pink with shyness. Maria pointed at her in bewilderment.

“Wait! Iris… are you—”

“I want to! I want to stay by the Teacher’s side! Please make me lots of delicious food!”

Seeing Iris cling to me seemed to make Tina jealous, as she wrapped herself around my right arm. Because of that, I couldn’t properly hear Maria’s words.

“Tina… let go.”

“But Iris is clinging to you too! It’s unfair to ask me to let go!”

Tina whimpered, pointing at Iris. But Iris didn’t look at Tina at all; she only smiled meaningfully at Maria.

A subtle tension hung in the air between the two. Tina glanced between them, scratching her head.

“What? Are you two fighting?”

“We’re not fighting.”

“Not fighting at all.”

Iris and Maria replied simultaneously. Satisfied with that, Tina nodded repeatedly.

“Good to hear!”

Thanks to Tina, the strange vibe that had been between the duo dissipated.

“But Teacher, does that mean we don’t have to attend that noble meeting anymore?”

Tina asked, pulling her gaze away from the two of them.

“If a problem arises, we will have to go, but Seri will manage everything on her own.”

I’ve given her all I could. She’ll handle it well; she’s capable enough for that.

“So what’s the plan moving forward? Should we just cross the border and slay some monsters like before?”

“No. Starting tomorrow, we’ll be heading to the Todiah Territory.”

“Todiah Territory? Ah! Are we going for a duel?”

“No.”

Tina openly expressed her disappointment.

“What’s the occasion then?”

“Well, I plan to meet the Water Spirit King there. And I intend to receive the ‘Water Sword – Mare.'”

I was determined to acquire the attribute weapon, the “Water Sword – Mare,” crafted by the Water Spirit King, at all costs.

To facilitate that, I sent Ariel into the Spirit Realm to convey my message.

Though not a close friend, I believed she would convey my issues well, as we’d exchanged words previously.

And if possible, this time I aimed to attempt a ‘contract’ as well.