My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 120

“Where are you going?”

Two knights blocking my path in the corridor were at least twenty centimeters taller than me. With their armor, they looked even bulkier. Generally, people of this size are among the top-ranking knights in the order.

Placing such knights in our private corridor could be interpreted as the Crown Prince using them to monitor us.

“I’m going to meet Urka. Step aside.”

“When His Majesty the Emperor arrives at the Duel Arena, the duel will begin shortly. For the stability of the contestants, please refrain from visits—”

“I said I’m going, so move.”

<Activating skill "Killing Intent.">

As I glared at them, the knights flinched. Their expressions twisted, and their breathing grew erratic. They were clearly struggling against the pressure of my intent.

“But…”

“Unless you’d like to have a duel with me before the duel between Urka and Soro? If that’s the case, I’m up for it.”

Please! Just step aside! Be terrified by my killing intent!

Placing my hand on the sword of revenge, the knights hurriedly retreated, hands on their swords, wary of me. A deadly tension hung in the air as we exchanged glances.

“If you just let me pass, nothing will happen.”

After a glance at each other, the two knights subtly released their grip on their swords. My bravado had worked.

“Understood. It will just be for a short while. I’ll consider prolonged delays as misconduct.”

Seriously, it’s not even during the duel, and you’re being this strict about me simply wanting to meet our contestant.

“Fine then.”

I relaxed my stance, releasing my grip from the hilt of my sword, and pushed past the knights.

The two knights seemed intent on tailing me to the contestant waiting room where Urka was.

Knock knock.

I knocked at the door, standing in front of it.

“Ah, four!”

A cracked voice responded from inside. The door opened slowly, revealing Urka with a distressed expression, her hands clasped together.

“Praus?”

I glanced back at the knights, then quickly slipped inside and closed the door, remembering to lock it.

“Lord Praus, why are you locking the door?”

“Are you trying to invade someone’s privacy? That’s why you don’t have a lover.”

“What does being single have to do with this…?”

“Pfft!”

“What are you laughing at?”

Hearing the commotion outside between the two knights, I took a seat in the chair opposite Urka.

“How’s your condition?”

“…I’m fine. Did you come because you were worried about me? You really are kind, Praus~.”

It wasn’t so much that I was worried but rather anxious. I had equipped her with weapons and helped with training; losing now would be a problem.

I’d prefer the misunderstanding of winning through cheating. Just winning would be helpful in various ways.

But if she lost, things would be a total disaster, and everything could fall apart.

“Well…”

“Is it bad?”

“It’s not bad. No muscle aches, and I have plenty of mana. Thanks to resting all day yesterday, I’m in good shape.”

Urka clenched her fists and smiled. It was a forced grin, and upon closer inspection, I noticed a slight tremor. Was she nervous?

I offered her a water bottle filled with lavender tea. I had prepared it just in case.

“Here. It’s lavender tea. It’s a bit cool now, but it should help you relax.”

“Ah, okay.”

Gazing down at the bottle, she cautiously took a sip. Each gulp made her throat move.

As I watched her quietly, I suddenly remembered something I forgot to mention.

“Oh, by the way, I drank from that, so is it okay?”

“Pfft!”

She sprayed the tea everywhere as she coughed, drenching my face and clothes.

” cough! Praus… cough! Sorry, cough! Sorry!”

I wiped my face with my sleeve as I tried to stop her from getting up abruptly. Just a few days ago, she had made such seductive advances, yet now she was concerned about something so trivial as indirect kissing?

“No, it’s fine, so just calm down.”

“Huuh. Haah. Hoo….”

After getting through the crisis, Urka took a breath to collect herself and suddenly slammed her hands down on the table, exclaiming.

“W-What are you suddenly talking about?!”

“Don’t you already know? Aren’t you pretending to react like a pure girl?”

“To the Beastmen, being in your thirties is just coming of age. Don’t calculate it like a human’s age.”

They say the lifespan of Beastmen is two to three times that of humans. Roughly calculated, that makes her about fifteen.

…Fifteen? Is that true?

I flinched at the thought of her being fifteen; however, that was only by Beastmen’s standards. By human standards, she was certainly an adult.

“But you’ve lived with humans since you were young, right? You must know everything.”

“Shut it!”

“…Are you embarrassed about kissing me even after all that?”

“That’s different! You idiot!!”

“Irrational,” I thought. The word felt more endearing than shocking. Had I just heard so many rude insults that this sounded pleasant?

“…Anyway, it seems like your tension has eased, which is good.”

“Huh?”

While Urka stared at me dumbfounded, I got up from my seat and approached her. I took off a red gemstone necklace in front of her and placed it around her neck.

The necklace lost by Ignis.

As named, it found its way to its owner. Well, technically, that’s me.

“This will protect you in battle. I hope to have it back after this duel. It’s important.”

“What’s this?”

She examined the gemstone hanging around her neck, murmuring softly.

“It feels familiar… even though it’s the first time I’m seeing it.”

Because the owner of that necklace was the spirit you contracted with.

“It means it’s easy to handle. There are no special skills, but it’s invaluable against ice attributes.”

“And why are you lending me such a nice thing like Flamme…?”

“This spar is the first step towards your dream and my reality. It’s only natural to invest.”

“I see…”

Urka fiddled with the red gemstone.

Was my statement too heavy for her? Her expression hardened slightly.

“I won’t tell you not to feel burdened. The rare opportunity given to us has arrived. It’s up to you to seize it.”

“Uh-huh. I know.”

“I’m glad you know.”

I watched Urka’s hand anxiously caress the gemstone. Was this a good time to make my move?

Assuming we had mutual feelings, she wouldn’t be angry regardless of what I did. In fact, it was more likely she would appreciate it.

Given that she had just advanced with seductive gestures, she would surely be happy with even a small display of affection.

I took a deep breath, choosing my moment carefully. I slowly reached out my hand and placed it on top of hers. She flinched, wide-eyed, staring at me.

“P-Praus?!”

Her face turned beet red as she alternated her gaze between my face and hand. Her expression crumbled, and her lips trembled.

“It’s okay. Everything will be fine.”

“Uh-huh….”

Eventually, Urka lowered her head and folded her ears back.

As I observed her behavior, I tilted my head in confusion.

What’s with this reaction?

Just a few nights ago, she had come over for a massage and even kissed me, yet now she was embarrassed? Is she the type who’s fine doing things herself but panics when someone else does it?

Even knowing the game’s settings, I lacked information regarding relationships like this, so her reactions felt new to me.

It seemed that with the protagonists being female, romantic elements were scarce, and with the genre being action fantasy, every time I saw something like this, I wondered if there was hidden lore I missed.

“Urka?”

“Uh, uh-huh?!”

“Are you okay?”

“I-I’m okay! Yeah! I’m fine!”

Though intentional, I hadn’t expected such an innocent reaction. It was honestly kind of cute.

“Great. Let’s ensure Soro never looks down on the Beastmen again.”

“…Yeah! Of course! I’ll make sure to give him a fitting punishment so he never underestimates the Beastmen again!”

I firmly held her hand for a moment before letting it go without lingering.

“Well, I’ll take my leave then. Be sure to win. I’m rooting for you.”

“Watch over me.”

Nodding at the determined look in her eyes, I felt a surge of motivation.

Alright, we’re all set now.

*

[Now! The formal duel will begin soon, so please wait a moment! Also, before the duel starts, His Majesty the Emperor wishes to say a few words, so please refrain from any noise!]

A voice echoed through the Duel Arena via the loudspeaker.

The Emperor’s personal appearance indicated he was confident in Soro’s victory, didn’t it?

But what does he plan to do if Urka wins?

[Now! His Majesty Emperor Lupin Aiter Pretéum has arrived!]

With a booming voice from the loudspeaker, the barrier that had been on the highest floor fell away, revealing Lupin, dressed in a golden outfit showcasing the phoenix emblem, looking down regally at the crowd.

Next, the barrier of our private space also vanished. As the noble figures began to appear across from us, I noticed the Emperor was watching us closely.

“…Teacher, that old man is glaring at us. What should we do?”

Tina huffed and snorted disdainfully.

Calling him an old man…

Though he might be of that age, I doubt anyone besides Tina would dare to call the Emperor ‘old man.’ Not yet, at least.

I told Tina to ignore it and glanced to the side. Duke Tori and Seri were bowing their heads, flustered under the Emperor’s gaze. It seems the two of them find it tough confronting the Emperor still.

[Your Majesty, would you say a few words?]

A well-dressed man holding a loudspeaker approached Lupin, extending both hands toward him. Lupin took it and stepped forward.

[I’m here today just to enjoy the duel. So don’t mind me. Feel free to enjoy the duel to your heart’s content.]

Wah—!

The stands erupted in cheers in response to the Emperor’s remarks.

[However, mere words won’t satisfy the excitement of our citizens, so I’ve prepared a little event.]

Discussion about an ‘event’ shifted the roar of the crowd into a buzz of excitement.

An S-Class duel was one of the unexpected variables even in the game, so I couldn’t get a grasp on what the Emperor’s spontaneous event could be.

[Everyone must have received small tickets while paying the entrance fee. These tickets are for predicting the winner of this duel. Before the duel starts, write down either Soro or Urka’s name and submit it to the knight in front of you. For those who guess correctly, you will receive ten times your entrance fee.]

Cheers erupted in response to his words.

The people who came to watch today could not only witness a duel between the Empire’s finest warriors but also have the chance to win money, so their excitement was understandable.

[This is a great chance to watch a duel and get paid, so I hope everyone makes good choices. Just so you know, I placed my bet on Soro.]

He raised the ticket with a grin, handing it to the knight next to him.

Ah, starting off with pressure, are we?

The oblivious citizens likely believed that the eccentric Emperor would pick the obvious winner, thinking their chances of winning were nearly zero while betting on Soro.

Without knowing anything about him.

If most betting crowds leaned toward Soro but Urka charmed victory, the spectators would definitely become her ‘enemies.’

Moreover, it might even breed hostility toward Urka after this duel.

For commoners, money meant blood, time, and life. If Urka were to steal their opportunity, they would likely vent their frustrations on her.

Anyway, that old coot is playing petty tricks.

As I clicked my tongue inwardly, a silver-haired woman confidently strode into the arena’s entrance. The thunderous applause echoed through the arena.

“I’ll bet on you! Soro!!”

Accompanying one shout, other spectators echoed the name Soro. With each mention of his name, Soro’s stride grew bouncier.

Then from the opposing side, a pink-haired catgirl, Urka, walked confidently and steadily. Already, the crowd began to boo.

Starting with shouts to get lost, there were jibes about her being a slave.

Despite their awareness of how many monsters Urka had slain to save the Empire’s citizens, they chose to turn a blind eye to her efforts.

“Urka…”

We looked down upon Urka. She looked up at us in return. It was still before the barrier had formed, so we could see each other.

As if she didn’t care about the jeers, she raised her fist toward us.

“I will definitely win, just you wait!”

“…Really?”

Tina turned to me, and I slowly extended my arm forward in response to her fist.

Seeing that, Urka turned without hesitation and steadily approached the Duel Arena. By the time I acknowledged this, the nobles across from us began to fade from view. It seemed the barrier was reestablished in the private space.

No intervening anymore.

It felt like a solid reminder of that fact.

I had done everything I could.

So, win and come back, Urka.