My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 108

“……What?”

Naiad’s expression is enigmatic.

She looks both angry and surprised at the same time. A whirlwind of emotions mixed together makes it impossible to pinpoint exactly what she feels.

“Player, you say…?”

Listening to Ariel’s mumble, I looked over at the expressions of the other Spirit Kings. Each one wore a face of confusion.

The fact they’re reacting like this means…

Could it be they understood my words? How?

In this world, no one should understand the term “player.”

If they did, it would mean they were aware that this world is based on the game “Three Heroes of Pretéum.”

If they knew that, they would have tried to recruit heroes before me. They definitely wouldn’t leave artifacts sitting around.

Yet, until now, no one has stood in my way.

So how do these Spirit Kings understand the term ‘player’?

Should I assume there’s someone else from another world like me?

Is there perhaps a cliché about a legendary hero being reincarnated from another world?

My mind is a mess. My thoughts are spiraling out of control due to the abnormal acceleration of my reasoning. I shook my head.

This is not something I should be fretting over alone.

I needed to confirm whether they indeed knew about players.

“You… what did you just say—”

“You. How do you know ‘that word’?”

Just as Naiad looked at me, Phoenix suddenly butted in. She appeared before me with an intensely suspicious glare.

Her crimson eyes burned like fire. It felt as if her pupils were ablaze.

“…What do you mean by ‘that word’?”

“You know what I’m talking about. The word ‘player.’”

At this point, it’s clear the Spirit Kings know the term player.

“Well, I just blurted it out without thinking.”

“Don’t joke with me.”

As I tried to play it off nonchalantly, Phoenix took a step closer, her expression turning fierce.

I could feel a powerful aura from her sharp features. Her long, red hair started to flutter in the air.

There was a sound of clicking from the ground. It felt like she could ignite a spark at any moment.

“Not a hero, just a mere ordinary human…! Explain yourself now. Otherwise, I’ll force it out of you.”

I needed to tread carefully regarding the information from that world. I had to find out what they knew, while keeping my own secrets tightly guarded.

I glanced subtly at Ariel.

Ariel would be the most useful one here. I had Pasma under my control.

Plus, she had spent time with me and had witnessed my achievements firsthand. She would surely have built up some trust in me.

But using her would come later.

For now, escaping this situation was my priority.

There was one thing I had to do.

I needed to touch upon what the Spirit Kings could never give up.

“Children.”

At my words, the heroes immediately reacted. As if instinctively sensing something, they stepped in between me and Phoenix.

“!”

“I’m sorry, but we can’t allow you to touch our teacher, even if you are a Spirit King.”

Iris whispered while drawing her sword. Tina and Maria were ready for a counterattack as well.

Seeing the obedient heroes, Phoenix looked back and forth in disbelief among the three.

“Don’t you… still understand? You’ve been deceived by him. He’s blatantly impersonating a hero, yet you want to be used by him?”

Even the Spirit Kings had to be weak in front of heroes.

There are two reasons for this.

The first is that only heroes can save the Spirit Realm from the Demon Tribe. Specifically, they are the only ones who can defeat the Demon King.

The second is the wonderful precedent set by the first hero. Whether one liked it or not, the memory of fighting together centuries ago was inevitably overlapped in the minds of the current heroes.

To put it simply, it’s like having rose-colored glasses.

“Accepting that is our responsibility. I don’t think it’s something for the Spirit Kings to worry about. Besides, our teacher has brought me along from the start to use me. Knowing the reason only makes me trust our teacher even more.”

“From the beginning, our teacher never claimed to be a hero. That was merely our assumption.”

Phoenix smacked her forehead as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing from Iris and Maria.

“What on earth have you done to them? Did you brainwash them?!”

“Can you brainwash someone with delicious food?”

“……?”

Tina’s ridiculous question left Phoenix dumbfounded.

“Putting everything else aside, I would probably have died begging on the street without our teacher. Winter… well, it’s cold.”

Having lived in conditions where she couldn’t even afford a decent piece of clothing, she understood how cushy and happy her current life was.

“If you attack our teacher, I’ll have no choice but to fight you. Our teacher always does what is right.”

The determination of the three was unwavering.

Indeed, I was glad I had prepared my insurance. If I play my cards right, I might be able to change the flow smoothly.

“Hah… so you’re using those young heroes to protect yourself? How pathetic for an adult.”

“It’s wise. It avoids needless conflict.”

“…Then answer just two things.”

Naiad stepped closer, seemingly having decided to mediate the situation.

“What does ‘player’ mean? And why did you refer to yourself as a player?”

That much I could answer.

Since I couldn’t define a player as just someone who plays games, I pondered how to respond. Then I thought of the most plausible explanation.

“It means the one who understands this world the best.”

It was a statement that made sense while concealing the essence.

“…Are you saying you understand this world better than us, the Spirit Kings who have lived for hundreds of years?”

“That’s one way to look at it.”

“Arrogant. Truly, humans without the qualities of a hero…”

“Humans are naturally selfish and arrogant. That’s why we can see what you Spirits cannot.”

Naiad and Phoenix, the two Spirit Kings, were left speechless.

They didn’t even know that the three children before me were heroes, nor did they know that the Second Demon War would take place.

They wouldn’t have any excuses.

In truth, if I were born in this world, I wouldn’t have known anything either.

What could I do? I played that game.

…Thinking back, if I hadn’t played this game, I wouldn’t be suffering now. Tsk.

“…Are all the things carved there ‘truths,’ then?”

His cryptic words made my ears perk up.

There?

It was definitely something directly related to the term player.

If he said every single thing was truth, it meant there might be words from that world besides the term ‘player’ inscribed there.

But I decided not to ask about that.

If I started questioning the other Spirit Kings, I’d inevitably have to reveal some of my cards.

“Whatever your reasons, let’s quit the small talk and get to the main point.”

I shifted the topic immediately.

“Main point?”

“Why do you think I am here? It’s to meet you, Naiad.”

“…I see. Since you’ve passed the test, despite impersonating a hero, you have enough qualifications to meet me.”

Still doesn’t believe I didn’t impersonate a hero until the end.

“Alright. What is the reason you wanted to meet me?”

“To put it bluntly: I have come to obtain the blade of the first hero…the All-Cutting Sword.”

“!”

Naiad’s arms, which were crossed tightly, relaxed ever so slightly. She stared at me, dumbfounded.

“How do you know the name of that sword?”

“The questions ended with the two I mentioned earlier. I came here planning to acquire that sword.”

“That sword has been dormant for hundreds of years. It holds no power now. It’s nothing but an old, useless sword. Taking it would have no meaning whatsoever.”

“That’s for me to decide.”

I spoke firmly.

If they can’t even properly assess the performance of an artifact and just leave it to rot in storage, they should just give it to me.

Naiad seemed to grit her teeth at my tone, evidently feeling a sense of defiance.

“Even so! I can’t readily give away my contractor’s sword! Doing so is to betray the bond between the sword master and me.”

Well, that would be expected.

I didn’t think she’d hand it over easily.

So I was planning to push a bit harder.

“If you refuse to hand it over, these children will undoubtedly die in the upcoming Second Demon War.”

“!”

I didn’t need to check how much impact my statement had.

It was evident that the Spirit Kings and all the Spirits present were shocked, and even the heroes protecting me were startled, turning their heads back to me.

“Teacher, what do you mean…?”

The term player.

The word truth.

I didn’t know what players meant to the Spirit Kings or what was inscribed ‘there,’ but my words definitely held power.

“The only way to win the Demon War is for these kids to survive until the end. If even one of them dies before the Demon King is defeated, it would mark the end for everything. Not just the Human World, but the Spirit Realm would fall into the hands of the Demon Tribe.”

The Spirit Kings understand just how powerful the Demon King is. No matter what anyone says, they fought on the front lines with the heroes centuries ago.

“How do you know such things? How do you know what even the Spirit Kings do not…?”

“I believe I’ve answered that question already.”

“…The one who understands this world the best…”

Naiad muttered as he closed his eyes tightly, and after a moment of contemplation, he finally spoke.

“I understand. I will hand over the legacy of the first hero.”