My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 165

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“How dare… How dare…!”

After Praus left the office, Emperor Lupin gritted his teeth and slammed his hands on the desk multiple times. The wooden desk cracked and soon collapsed under the pressure.

Boom!

Startled by the sudden noise, the knights rushed into the office, only to gasp in shock at the sight of the split desk.

“Your Majesty, what happened?!”

“…Hmph, it’s nothing. Get out.”

“Understood. If anything comes up, do not hesitate to call for us. We will be waiting at the door!”

“Just go back to your duties and stop waiting at the door.”

“Yes!”

Lupin’s voice oozed with intense anger. The knights, understanding the gravity of the situation, bowed silently and discreetly closed the door behind them.

“White Light Corps, step forward.”

At the Emperor’s command, those dressed in white robes emerged from the shadows, kneeling with one knee on the ground before him, bowing their heads in reverence.

Lupin scanned the group and noticed some members were missing.

“Where are Soro and Ter?”

“Currently patrolling inside the Pretéum Empire—”

“While they’re at it, they probably stopped by the combat arena too.”

“…”

No one from the White Light Corps could respond to the Emperor’s sharp assumption.

No matter how much the White Light Corps might lie in their reports, the Royal Knight Order’s reports also made their way to the Emperor, so it was impossible to completely hide the truth.

“Ha, I bet Ter went along to keep Soro from causing any trouble.”

“Yes… That’s correct. We apologize for trying to conceal it.”

The members of the White Light Corps bowed even lower. Even though it was due to their fellow members’ actions, providing false reports was enough to warrant disciplinary action that could hinder promotions.

However, Lupin, already used to their siblings’ antics, simply waved his hand dismissively.

“Fine. I accept that I know what kind of reckless kids they are.”

As long as they delivered results, Lupin had no real complaints.

“Go inform the commander. Mobilize everyone present—excluding the members out on mission—to monitor Praus and if they seem to be planning anything, take them down without hesitation.”

“…Is that really alright? Your Majesty, weren’t you planning to use Praus? Without him, we won’t have a way to counter the Demon Tribe…”

“That arrogant fool has declared war on me. How dare he.”

“Indeed. He deserves to die for such folly.”

Despite voicing agreement, the members of the White Light Corps were not thrilled. They had been keeping a watchful eye on Praus for some time under the Emperor’s orders.

Having faced his killing intent and witnessed his battles multiple times, they knew that fighting against Praus meant within a hair’s breadth of death.

“He’s planning to destroy the Magic Guild Facility by midnight tomorrow. If he attempts any mischief, stop him at all costs—risk your lives if necessary.”

“Rest assured, Your Majesty. The White Light Corps will carry out your orders with our lives on the line. The Magic Guild Facility will not be destroyed.”

But they couldn’t outright refuse the Emperor, so they had no choice but to affirm his order.

“Now, go.”

“Yes!”

As the White Light Corps responded and placed their hands on the phoenix emblem on their chests, they vanished like shadows.

Their white uniforms were imbued with stealth magic, designed to remain undetected in any environment.

Once all traces of their presence disappeared, Lupin sighed and turned his gaze to the scroll wedged between the collapsed desk.

“Alright. I’ll make sure to determine who stands above whom this time. Praus.”

*

“Ah, Teacher! You’re back, ack! You’ve returned?!”

The moment I entered the reception room, Tina noticed me. With her cheeks stuffed full of cookies, she swiftly dashed over to my side.

“Looks like you wrapped things up sooner than expected?”

“…Did you have a good conversation?”

Other heroes and spirit kings also approached me. Meanwhile, the Phoenix was puffing out its cheeks, clearly indulging in something. This spirit king clearly had a fixation on food.

“I didn’t do so well. Tomorrow night, we’ll face the Emperor in full-scale battle for the first time.”

“Full-scale battle…?”

“I’ll explain the details when we get home. But first, let me ask one thing. Tina, Iris, Maria.”

“Yes.”

The three heroes replied simultaneously.

Maybe sensing the gravity of the atmosphere, their expressions bore seriousness.

“Are you prepared to kill someone?”

“Killing someone?”

Was my question that unexpected?

Tina and Iris looked at me in shock.

“Yes. At any time.”

But Maria was different. She stepped toward me and answered instantly, as if she had been waiting for this very moment.

“Iris, you’ve been holding onto grudges against people as well. Haven’t you been patient because of Teacher?”

“Well, that’s true… but this seems… not in the direction Teacher would want…”

No, that’s not it.

What I was planning to do against the Emperor was a complete reversal of everything I had done for years.

Besides, while this method could prove power, it would likely garner strong backlash from the nobility—especially from those like Todiah, who were wholly loyal to the royal family.

“Of course, if it’s what Teacher says, I’ll naturally follow. Teacher wouldn’t say such things without reason…”

Iris, despite having some doubts, accepted my statement for the time being.

“…And Tina?”

I softly asked the long-silent Tina.

She brushed the cookie crumbs from her mouth with the back of her hand and raised both of her index fingers.

“There are only two situations in which I would kill someone.”

“Two situations?”

“First, if someone tries to kill me.”

The left index finger bent down.

“Second, if someone attempts to kill those I care about.”

The right index finger bent down.

“So, which one applies to the situation of killing someone that Teacher speaks of?”

She continued to alternate between extending and folding her fingers.

“…It would be the second.”

“Then one more thing!”

Tina popped up, stepping further ahead than Maria.

“Would that target happen to be Teacher?”

“Correct.”

“Is that so~! Is that so~! Then I guess there’s no need for any resolve at all. Let’s just kill them all!”

No, no! Don’t laugh and suddenly go off the deep end!

She must have grown a lot lately; the heroes felt kind of scary…

Anyway, despite my reckless warning to the Emperor, it seemed the heroes would follow my lead.

“…While I said that, I don’t intend to fight for sure. Our actions will also vary depending on the Emperor’s response.”

Though I intended to blow up the Magic Guild Facility, if they provided a satisfactory answer beforehand, I had no intention of destroying it.

I merely aimed to showcase that I had the power to suppress the Empire.

I had no plans to kill the Emperor and the Crown Prince and take over the Empire, not even in the least. This method was something I would only use if the situation deteriorated extremely.

“Let’s wrap up the conversation here and head back.”

“Alright!”

*

We returned not to Aus Territory but instead to our home in Secul.

This situation was solely my decision.

It could have drawn unwanted attention to Duke Tori Aus, so I planned to return there after it was over. They were already contemplating stripping his rights anyway; I couldn’t put him in danger because of me.

Upon arriving home and casually surveying the interior, I prepared a feast of pig’s feet for a late-night meal.

“Eat.”

“Looks delicious!”

The moment I set the pig’s feet on the table, seeing the Phoenix pick up a leg and go to town, I couldn’t help but chuckle. Did this guy have a beggar in his family?

While we sat around the table, I honestly recounted everything I had discussed with the Emperor.

“Honestly, I think it would be better to just kill him. It seems he doesn’t even realize what mistakes he’s made. We can’t keep letting the Emperor run amok like this. I think Teacher’s judgment was correct in that regard.”

Maria’s response to my tale was cold as ice. Killing him isn’t the priority…

“Maria, that’s too extreme.”

“What’s extreme about it? This was an obvious demand. Isn’t the Emperor worse for being furious about being refused?”

“True, but think about the repercussions when you kill the Emperor. The Empire cannot fall. At the very least, I believe Teacher thinks so.”

As I mentioned my name, Maria frowned, showing her displeasure. However, she didn’t refute Iris.

“You know, it doesn’t matter to me what happens. But if it brings trouble to Teacher, I don’t want that.”

Tina seemed indifferent to the two’s conversation, stuffing a chunk of pig’s feet into her mouth.

“Let me be clear. I have no intention of killing the Emperor. If we kill him, our position will become extremely difficult, and it will also adversely affect our future confrontations with the Demon Tribe. That cannot happen.”

To lower the difficulty of the Demon War, it was essential to foster harmony between humans and other races.

“So, what are you planning, Teacher?”

“I intend to drop a ‘Meteor’ on the Magic Guild Facility in Pretéum.”

“Meteor?”

Meteor.

A level 9 multi-element magic combining fire, earth, and wind attributes. If it were to fall on the capital, countless lives would be lost, rendering it incapable of serving its duty as a capital.

It was that powerful.

“With Maria’s current abilities, it should be possible. I gave her that staff after all.”

As I pointed at the turquoise staff, Maria nodded. It seemed she felt the increase in her mana since obtaining a weapon.

“But wouldn’t that mean not only would our kin perish, but humans would also die?”

“To that end, I plan to utilize these spirit kings.”

I gestured toward the Phoenix, who was gnawing on the leg.

“With the level 9 barrier magic they possess, we can reduce the explosion range of the Meteor.”

“Hey! Who’s making decisions here?”

“If you’ve eaten, then do your part.”

“…Cheh. If it only tasted bad! I wouldn’t have eaten it!”

Chomp, chomp. Even while chewing on the leg, the Phoenix still talked back. I felt like giving it a swift smack.

“Though the conversation took a surprising turn, I do think dropping it is the least desirable option. Once you drop it, negotiations and trades will cease.”

“So you’re saying you just want to threaten the humans with your magic?”

“Exactly.”

“Do you really think that will have any impact? If you’re going to do it, wouldn’t it be better to do it properly?”

Her voice hinted at disappointment. How much do you hate humans, really?

“Don’t forget our purpose. We’re not doing this to cause a slaughter. That would only replicate the massacre caused by the Emperor.”

“…I understand. I’ll follow Teacher’s thoughts. What should I do?”

Now that all the heroes had agreed, there seemed to be no reason to hesitate further.