My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 116

“Hmm…”

“Ah… I’m not going to just depend on Praus.”

As I covered my mouth and pondered, Urka waved her hands and spoke.

“I tried to speed things up, just like Praus said. But it hasn’t been working out… Even though it’s been a while since you told me, I haven’t grown at all.”

Even if I asked her to tell me the method, I was at a loss.

Since it was a dramatic scenario right before death, the way to grow was somewhat vague. That’s why she couldn’t explain it in detail.

But leaving it like this wasn’t good either.

Now that it’s come to this, I guess I’ll just have to list all the game theories I know one by one.

“Have you ever tried to manipulate mana within your body?”

“Manipulate mana? No, I haven’t.”

“Then first, get used to manipulating the mana in your body. Understand the flow of your internal mana and concentrate it in the body parts you wish to use.”

That’s the most basic yet effective way to manipulate internal mana.

She has a tendency to try to do this instinctively, so I made sure to clarify.

Honestly, I’d never manipulated mana before, so I wasn’t sure how effective this advice was. I was just quoting lines from the game.

“When moving, concentrate the mana in your legs and inject more strength than usual while training. Urka, you generally tend to instinctively understand mana, so I want you to clearly understand that in your mind.”

“Did you say I tend to understand mana instinctively?”

“Yeah.”

“…Can Praus see the flow of mana within an opponent’s body?”

She asked back with a bewildered expression. I crossed my arms and shook my head.

“No. I don’t have the eyes to see that. I just noticed your movements were consistent during our sparring, so I figured you weren’t manipulating internal mana.”

In reality, I was so close to dying from heat during our spar that I didn’t have the luxury to pay attention to that.

Finding her movements was no easy task, as they were too fast for my eyes to follow. My dynamic vision was just too ordinary to keep up with Urka.

However, to be convincing, I had to have some plausible reason, so I had to mix in a little lie.

“…Is it bad?”

“If you want to grow stronger, that’s a basic requirement.”

“I see… So how can I concentrate mana on a part of my body?”

“That’s something you need to feel for yourself, so I can’t really say. But, since you have sharp senses, you’ll probably realize it within a few days.”

Not really getting it from words, she tilted her head before reluctantly responding.

“Okay. I’ll give it a shot.”

“Once you manage to manipulate internal mana, you should also learn about external mana utilization.”

“External mana utilization?”

“Basically, only Sword Masters or Magicians can fully release their magical power outside their bodies. However, those who are contracted with Spirits can release mana outside since the Spirit acts as the medium.”

The fact that she could infuse mana into her weapon despite not being a Sword Master was also due to the Spirit’s power.

“Understand the limits of the magic you can release through your Spirit. If you know your limits, you’ll learn how to utilize that power effectively.”

There was surely a clear limit to wielding the Spirit’s power. If you pushed it to the limit, you wouldn’t be able to use the Spirit’s power for a while.

In simple terms, that meant you would enter a state where releasing mana was impossible.

After that, you’d have to rely purely on your own strength, and that would be a golden opportunity for Urka. Her physical abilities surpassed Soro’s.

In other words, if she could endure the mana fight as efficiently as possible, victory would lean towards Urka.

I planned to explain Soro’s abilities later about the strategy. For now, I wanted her to focus on her training.

“Okay. I understand.”

“Just to clarify, this isn’t telling you to surpass your limits. It’s telling you to identify the limit within the power you can exert.”

I hadn’t asked yet about when the formal duel would take place, but it wouldn’t be far off.

At most, it’d be within two weeks.

If during that time you tried to break your limits and exhaust your mana, that would just be a loss.

“And lastly, I’ll prepare a weapon that amplifies your power. That weapon will elevate your strength to a hundred percent… no, even beyond that. Of course, it’s just a loan. Don’t think about owning it. Got it?”

I had conveniently obtained a weapon that suited her. Just for this time, it would be alright to lend it.

“…What’s this, Praus?”

“What do you mean?”

“Was I that worrisome to you? Afraid I might lose?”

Worry? No way. It’s your first big loss to the Emperor! I can’t just let you lose.

“Are you going to lose?”

“Of course not.”

Urka smirked and shook her head. Seeing her relaxed demeanor, I felt no more need for concern.

“Well then, that’s settled.”

I stood up from my seat.

It seemed that Urka didn’t need encouragement. Or rather, was giving such advice in itself encouragement?

“I… will do my best.”

She also got up from her seat.

“Thank you, Praus.”

Saying that, she suddenly threw herself at me for a hug.

I had no way to react. With a tight grip, I couldn’t escape.

As she rubbed her head against my shoulder, she smiled brightly, looking just like she was feeling happy.

But I was dying inside.

The moment her ample chest pressed against my body, my mind went blank. The thin fabric made the sensation feel incredibly real.

Having no immunity to this, I desperately tried to think of anything else to quell my rising urges.

Stay calm. Please.

“I’m always indebted to you, Praus. I’ll definitely repay you someday. Truly.”

“Ur… Urka… for now, can you let go—”

“Lady Urka!!”

Suddenly, the Heroes rushed in to pull her away from me. I was saved. I escaped humiliation.

“What a shame. If you’d stayed just a little longer, I would’ve felt that way.”

…That way?

Could it be? This girl… was she doing it on purpose?

Licking her lips playfully, she laughed. With that swaying tail, she seemed genuinely serious.

I decided right then to avoid any contact with Urka in the future and tightly shut my eyes.

*

Three days had passed since I gave her my advice, and Urka abruptly visited me at night.

“Praus… I’m feeling unwell.”

“…It’s only natural since you pushed your body to the limit.”

Surprisingly, she had mastered the internal mana manipulation method in just one day. Although she still couldn’t adjust the mana to delicate parts like her fingertips, she learned quickly, probably due to her sharp senses.

“My body hurts in various places…”

“That’s why I told you to stretch properly, didn’t I?”

Since she concentrated mana on specific body parts, it was unavoidable that her body faced strain compared to before.

I insisted on stretching before and after exercises to relieve any muscle pain, but it seemed she didn’t do it because it was too annoying.

She really doesn’t listen at all. Is it because she’s a cat?

“How can I feel better right away?”

She silently stepped into the room and asked.

Click. The door closed. Then she locked the door and walked toward me.

“Healing right away isn’t possible. But if you drink something like a potion, it’ll relieve the discomfort.”

I sighed and took a potion out of my bag. Urka looked at it with a puzzled expression.

“Isn’t drinking a potion for muscle pain too wasteful?”

“But if it affects your training the next day, then you should drink it without thinking about waste.”

“Then how about… a massage?”

“…A massage?”

At her subtle suggestion, I narrowed my eyes to grasp her intent.

“Yes.”

Are you seriously asking me to give you a massage over that revealing outfit?

Should I say it’s bold or simply shameless? Either way, it was nothing less than impure.

“Just… I just need a little help to relax… but I can’t quite do it myself… Can’t you help me?”

If I could show expression, I would’ve turned beet red from embarrassment. Luckily, I was relieved that my emotions didn’t show on my face.

“Aren’t there plenty of servants at the Duke’s Residence? There’s no reason for me to do it.”

“I want to receive it from you. Is that… not okay?”

She peeked at me, her cheeks flushed with shyness. This was just too stimulating to bear.

“…I’m not good at massages. Is that still okay?”

“Yeah, it’s fine.”

“Sit down.”

I had no choice. To maximize her condition, I needed to ensure her effectiveness in training.

If she loses after all this, I’ll give her five hundred taps on the head.

Justifying myself, I moved closer to Urka, who suddenly lay back on the bed.

Her robe rode up, revealing her black panties and her thighs, which weren’t fully covered by her stockings.

What is this? A provocation?

“I told you clearly to sit!”

“A massage is supposed to be done while lying down, right?”

“Ha… I don’t understand why you dress like that.”

“Because I like it.”

I was at a loss for words. It was just too ridiculous.

“Hehe. I see you’re not denying it.”

“I like women who preserve their modesty, though.”

“I wear this because it’s easy to move in, but I’m modest!”

Right, sure you are.

Even if there is a system of slavery in place, the era’s attitudes towards sexuality are still relatively conservative.

And yet, I guess Urka can get away with this because of the game’s setting.

It seems that the gap between illustrations and reality is one of those things that’s hard to overcome. Though visually appealing, it’s still a stark contrast.

“From now on, dress properly.”

I rolled up my shirt sleeves and said.

But how does the massage order go again? Was it the back first? Or the legs?

“…Tell me where it hurts.”

“Um, everywhere?”

“I’ll only help with your back, arms, and legs.”

There was no way I was going to touch any sensitive areas.

I approached her, who was lying on the bed face down, and gently laid my hands on her. She flinched and let out a soft moan.

“Ugh!”

“…What was that?”

“It’s… cold.”

Why do I have to do this for her?

What a folly it was to offer this suggestion. I was starting to regret it.

But why is her skin so soft in the first place?

I kept trying to calm my increasingly rapid heartbeat as I applied pressure with my hands.