My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 166

“What do you mean, Your Majesty! Praus is going to destroy the Magic Guild Facility?”

It was early morning.

The voice of an old man echoed in the office.

“As I’ve explained already, I don’t know what method he will use, but Praus has declared his intent to destroy the Magic Guild Facility.”

“Your Majesty, as long as I have my eyes wide open, the Magic Guild Facility will not be touched. Not even by Praus.”

The Magic Guild Leader, Logia, said confidently.

Lupin quietly observed him before pulling a cigarette from his pocket. With a natural motion, he lit the end of the cigarette. As he took a long drag, the tip glowed red.

“Hmm…”

He exhaled the smoke into the air.

“I hope that’s how it goes.”

“Do you doubt my abilities? Even the Demon Tribe cannot move before my magic. No matter how formidable Praus is, he cannot win in a magical duel against me.”

“Praus is not a magician, so he might win in a magical duel. Besides, isn’t there someone skilled in magic on his side?”

“Are you referring to Praus’s disciple, who is said to have the talent of an Archmage?”

Logia flicked the cigarette ash into the ashtray on the coffee table, the ashes softly falling like a defeated sigh. For a moment, his gaze drifted away from the ashtray.

“Even so, I’m still not worried.”

“I heard from Glair Todiah that the disciple has the potential to reach the 9th tier. What if she has already attained the 9th tier now?”

“That, that can’t be true. That disciple is only fourteen years old. Mastering 9th tier magic at that age… that’s something only a Hero could do.”

Logia was right.

Despite having the talent of a Hero, Maria had yet to break through the 9th tier.

However, with Praus’s intervention, his predictions were bound to be off.

Logia was unaware of the existence of the artifact. Artifacts were elements known only to players, and there wasn’t enough information to deduce their presence.

“Talent of a Hero, huh…”

The moment Lupin realized that the target of his concern wasn’t just Praus, his vision blurred, as if he were about to faint.

Just then, the door to the reception room burst open.

“Your Majesty!”

“You’ve arrived, Chris.”

“I heard on the way. That damned Praus misbehaved last night without any respect towards you, Your Majesty! He tried to monopolize resources from the Aioum Kingdom, daring to threaten you! He must be executed on the spot!”

With Chris’s declaration, Lupin quietly sighed.

If he could have punished him, he would have done so already. However, he knew that punishing someone with Praus’s overwhelming power would come with too many costs on their side.

Yet, Chris spoke recklessly about killing Praus, making Lupin think he looked incompetent.

“Chris, what are the Black Light Corps and the Royal Knight Order doing right now?”

Swallowing his true thoughts, he asked another question.

“The Black Light Corps is on standby to assassinate Praus, while the Royal Knight Order has been mobilized to patrol without any exceptions to swiftly detect any anomalies.”

“Alright… we can’t remain idle either.”

Lupin pressed his temples, suddenly hit with fatigue. He hadn’t slept all night while pondering how to deal with Praus’s threat.

“If we lose this fight, it will be catastrophic.”

It was clear that the results of this battle, which had begun as a deal, would significantly alter the positions of the two factions.

Logia and Chris showed puzzlement at Lupin’s unusual demeanor.

“This isn’t just a petty squabble between me and Praus.”

“What do you mean, Your Majesty?”

“This could potentially be the starting point of the Succession War.”

“What does that mean…?”

“Consider that if we lose this battle, Chris, you may never become Emperor.”

“Excuse me?”

Even though Praus was powerful, he had not pushed the imperial family around as he wished understood the implications more than anyone else.

Hence, Praus had placed Seri, a member of the imperial family, in front, attempting to negotiate with the imperial family so far, trying to resolve situations with dialogue and logic rather than force.

But Praus had stopped the negotiations yesterday.

What did that mean?

It indicated that he would no longer consider the positions, circumstances, or possibilities.

From now on, it would only be a brutal struggle for power.

“Therefore, use all the rights you have been given until now to stop Praus.”

Seeing Lupin subtly shivering in anxiety, Chris realized the situation was more serious than it appeared.

“It seems there’s no time to worry about the Demon Tribe right now. Understood. If Praus poses any threat to the Empire, I will personally behead him and bring his head back.”

“Good… Magic Guild Leader, I’m entrusting you with the task of defending the Magic Guild Facility from being destroyed. Respond with the other magicians.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

“I will contact the other nobles to deploy soldiers to the capital. If Praus were to do anything in the capital, we must kill him.”

If we cannot kill him, then we would be the ones to die.

Chewing on that thought inwardly, Lupin tapped on the delivery scroll on his desk.

*

“What? No way, what the hell….”

As I explained everything that transpired between the Emperor and me last night, Tori’s lips started to tremble in disbelief.

For someone who had never defied the Emperor even once in his life, this must have been a thunderbolt of shocking news.

“Didn’t I tell you this would happen ever since I pushed for Princess Seri?”

“B-but even so, I didn’t plan to directly confront His Majesty!”

“But now we can’t back down. If you retract from this fight, you may have to resign as Duke. But if you fight, you will surely maintain your position. We must win.”

“However… why are you telling me this?”

“To prepare you. The White Light Corps and the Black Light Corps may attack at any moment. It’s possible that other nobles’ private armies could arrive as well. While I’ve set up the Spirit Kings’ barriers around the mansion for safety, we must be thoroughly prepared. If any assassins come, then… you will have to fight, Urka.”

I spoke to the pink-haired cat, Urka, who was leaning against my shoulder. She nodded her head while scrunching her face at the smell coming from me.

“I understand. But it seems there’s a smell of some beast from Praus’s body that I’ve never caught before?”

No. How could I still smell after showering multiple times?

I had bathed before coming here, how does she even pick up on that smell?

“It’s probably soap.”

“No. No matter how I look at it, it’s the specific pheromone smell of the Beastman Tribe. Did you cheat on me? If you admit it, I’ll forgive you.”

Cheat?

When did we even become a couple?

Maria, who was nearby, flinched and looked at me. No! It’s a misunderstanding, Maria!

“Shut up.”

“I’m serious! Hurry up and tell me, who is it?”

As she held onto my arm and persistently pressed for an answer, I pushed her face away.

“Now is not the time for playful banter. I’ll play with you later.”

“Sure. It’s a promise. I’ll get rid of that smell for you.”

“Anyway, I’m entrusting the safety of Duke Tori and Princess Seri to you.”

As much as I’d like to have Ella as a bodyguard, the Todiah Family is a family loyal to the imperial family.

Glair might have made arrangements for Ella to act separately, but bringing her here would just complicate matters.

“What are you planning to do?”

“I believe our Emperor has never bent his head down even once, so I’ll teach him how to bow.”

As I spoke, Tori stared at me in bewilderment as if I were some kind of lunatic.

*

On the city walls of the capital, Pretéum.

The cool night breeze brushed against our bodies over the Phoenix Continent as the sun had already set.

“It’s quite chilly already since it’s night.”

“Teacher, isn’t there a lot of people wandering around even though it’s nighttime?”

I quietly looked down at Pretéum without answering the words of the Heroes.

From this position on the city wall, the number of moving lights seemed to be at least a hundred.

It seemed they had mobilized the Royal Knight Order in anticipation of my declaration and gathered the private armies of other nobles.

“They can’t figure out what we’re planning to do, so they’re preparing like that.”

“Master, what should we do about the people nearby?”

Tina whispered quietly, chewing on some dried meat. The people nearby…

They were probably from the Black Light Corps or the White Light Corps. The most capable pawns at the Emperor’s disposal, it wouldn’t be too difficult for them to track our location.

However, knowing our location wouldn’t change the outcome.

I glanced at Iris. She was intently leaning in to eavesdrop on our conversation with her ears perked up.

“Try not to kill them if possible. However, if you must sever an arm or a leg in the process of subduing them, do not hesitate. Your mission is to protect Maria.”

“Yes.”

There was less than ten minutes left until midnight.

[Who would have thought I’d turn my back on an Empire I once served loyally.]

“I’m just correcting what is wrong.”

I raised my Revenge Sword, channeling Pasma into my body and turning my head.

“Let’s get ready. Maria, do you see that white building over there? That’s your target. Spirit Kings, prepare to set up barriers around that white building.”

“It’s not like I’m a Hero, yet I’m summoning Spirit Kings like this—”

“Please, Naiad.”

Naiad seemed to want to say something to me, but Iris cut her off. I let out a sigh while looking at Iris’s pressuring gaze.

“…Haa. A Hero is trying to harm humans… Praus, don’t you realize something is wrong?”

“Everything has already begun. It’s too late to consider right or wrong now.”

Ironically, this action could very well prevent numerous victims in the future.

“Start.”

At my command, Maria lifted Purogo high.

“<Meteor>.”

The moment Purogo’s head headed toward the sky, a massive meteor began to form in the darkened sky. Its size appeared to be several hundred meters in diameter.

Flames quickly began to engulf the meteor. Before long, the meteor itself was engulfed in flames.

With the sun setting and the moon rising, the world was illuminated once more. That sight, radiating light as if the sun were shining at night, was reminiscent of a sun in the night sky.

“Teacher, drop it—”

Just as Maria was about to seek my permission, a shadow suddenly appeared, launching something at Maria without giving her the chance to react.

Thunk!