My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 178

“Teacher.”

“Teacher!”

“Teacher!”

The heroes call out to me as I sit on the sofa. Seeing their furrowed brows, it’s clear they’re not happy about me being alone with Ella.

“Explain right now! What did you do today, what was the atmosphere like, and how far did you progress? Everything!”

“Yeah, tell us!”

Even Urka, who usually keeps quiet, joins in the interrogating, but I have no intention of sharing.

If I do, they’ll certainly cause a scene.

Even just having slept with Tina this morning was enough to spark a huge fuss.

And what Ella and I did was kiss. Although we didn’t use tongues, we still locked lips.

It was obvious what their reaction would be if they found out. So, before coming down from the clock tower, I insisted to Ella that it must remain a secret.

“It was just chatting and hanging out.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Since they had no solid grounds for questioning me, they simply looked at me with suspicion. After a while of making eye contact with me, the heroes turned their heads toward Ella, who was calmly sipping her tea.

“Ella!”

“Hmm?”

“Did nothing really happen between you and the teacher?”

Ella’s gaze subtly shifted towards me, and she gave a significant smile.

“W-What’s with that expression?!”

“There was nothing to report. Although, he did create some wonderful memories for me.”

As she seems to recall the bird kiss we had at the clock tower, her face gradually reddens. The heroes’ eyes shine brightly at that expression.

“T-Teacher!! That reaction isn’t nothing!!”

An extremely excited Tina points an accusing finger at Ella, shouting.

“Now that this has happened, we can’t just stand by! Teacher! Let’s hang out together tomorrow!”

Maria grabs both of my hands and yells. Other heroes protest against this.

“Hey! Maria, that’s unfair! Teacher, hang out with me! It’ll definitely be fun!”

“Thinking back on all the training I’ve done under your guidance, I think I should also be rewarded by hanging out with you.”

Well, I figured they’d react like this…

Thankfully, it seems they didn’t notice that Ella and I kissed. After all, every place we went was a private area, so it was hard for others to notice our contact.

They could have eavesdropped, but they probably refrained from doing so, knowing I’d scold them if caught.

They must have thought they could sense my presence if I got too close.

“I also want to just hang out and eat every day. I want to live happily with you all without any worries. However, this world isn’t that simple.”

If we assume that the Demon War will occur in three years, the worst-case scenario I dread could unfold.

Three years from now, the Emperor will die.

It would be fine if Chris accepted other races, but if he makes even a slight misstep, we would have no choice but to face the Demon War in its worst possible version.

At that time, I would have no option but to personally behead Chris and place Seri on the throne.

“More importantly, Praus! The smell coming from you has been bothering me. Isn’t it about time you explained?”

“Iris, does my body smell?”

“It does smell like the lion beastman I met before. It’s probably a scent used to prevent someone else from appearing as you to deceive others. Beastmen usually distinguish important figures this way.”

“So that’s it.”

“But it takes prolonged contact for a smell to be that strong?”

Why are beastmen able to distinguish such smells? The only smell I can recognize is sweat.

“Well, that just means you were cheating on someone else!”

“Cheating? Absolutely not. Within this world, aside from you, there are many other races who want to behead the Emperor. I only came into contact with them while persuading them.”

“But the smell…”

“I don’t get why you’re caring so much about that.”

“Because, Praus is mine!”

Urka, who said that as if it were obvious, caused all the women present in the parlor to turn their gazes toward her.

“That remark cannot go unchallenged.”

The heroes and Ella turned their bodies towards Urka almost simultaneously.

“P-Praus…! Get them to shut up!”

Urka quickly grabbed my shoulder and hid behind the sofa.

“Don’t stop the teacher.”

“Yeah. I won’t.”

“Eh?!”

While the heroes and Urka are having a tussle, I looked at Ariel sitting beside me.

“Ariel.”

“Yeah?”

“I’d like you to come to my room tonight.”

“Okay. Got it.”

“Gah! Don’t tell me! Is it possible that the teacher’s preference is…”

“Don’t say things that can be misunderstood and just play nicely with Urka.”

I stood up from my seat. Urka followed and grabbed my hand.

“Praus, this isn’t playing! Save me!”

“Sorry, I’m going to the restroom. You’re not really going to follow me to the restroom, are you?”

“Praus!!”

I left the parlor, hearing Urka’s scream. As soon as I closed the door, I could hear a ruckus from inside the parlor, but I walked away as if I didn’t hear it.

[Praus.]

“Yeah?”

Suddenly hearing a voice, I looked up to see Pasma floating there.

[Can I ask you something?]

“What is it?”

[That… what was the feeling of the kiss like?]

Ah, now that I think about it, Pasma must have been watching.

I recalled that I had the sword strapped to my waist when I kissed Ella. It happened so suddenly that I didn’t even have the leisure to notice the spirit floating beside me.

“…Don’t ask. That kind of thing is an old boy’s obsession.”

[Who’s the old guy?!]

So don’t you dare act like a prude when you were alive, and wouldn’t it have been better to kiss Ariel instead? I’m sure she would have welcomed it even if it included tongues.

*

“Gathering spirit kings by someone who isn’t even a contractor. This is the end of days.”

Naiad says, seemingly annoyed.

“Exactly! If it weren’t for Ariel, I wouldn’t even have come!”

Orient points at me, glancing at Ariel nervously.

“Praus, make me something delicious! I’ve been stuck at Naiad’s all day!”

Even the whiny Phoenix joins in.

“That was your job to do from the start. If you’re going to complain, go back.”

“Cheh…”

Naiad snaps, and Phoenix pouts her lips and mumbles.

“So why did you call us busy folk?”

Naiad’s icy gaze with her blue hair fixates on me.

There’s a reason I wanted Ariel in my room.
It was to summon the Four Spirit Kings.

If it were in the past, my words wouldn’t even have reached their ears, but now the situation has significantly changed.

Though I’m not a hero, I’ve exterminated high-ranking demons.
Though I’m not a hero, I’ve passed Glacer’s exam.
Though I’m not a hero, I have heroes who are apprentices and have contracted with spirit kings.
Though I’m not a hero, I understand what it means to be a player written in the World Tree.

Various factors have allowed me to summon the spirit kings now.

“I have something to ask of you.”

I took out the parchment where I had written down my requests beforehand and handed it to each spirit king. As they examined the contents, the faces of the spirit kings began to frown.

“You want us to create several of these?”

Phoenix asks in astonishment. I nodded.
In the game, the process of pulling in the spirit kings took so long that right before the Demon War, I could only create consumable one-time-use gear.
But with the time I have now, I might be able to create permanent gear.

“To infuse each piece of equipment with this effect will take years?”

“I need it done within three years.”

“Three years?! That’s absurd. The weapons of the spirit kings you took were created over dozens, maybe even hundreds of years. Yet you’re asking for gear that demands that level of performance? Doing it within three years is impossible.”

“It must be completed within three years. I’d like it to be made, even if there’s a limit to how often it can be used.”

“Why three years?”

“I’ve heard rumors that there are no monsters near the borders. The absence of monsters near the borders can only mean one thing.”

I raised my index finger. The spirit kings’ gazes were fixed on it.

“When they are rapidly strengthening their legions.”

“!”

The spirit kings gulped. The moment demons were mentioned, a shadow passed over their faces.

“And if they’re rapidly strengthening their legion, the timeframe before the Demon War is roughly three years. It might be sooner or later; it’s uncertain.”

“…Okay. I understand.”

“You may understand, but Naiad, this cannot be done on time. It’s impossible.”

Seeing Naiad’s calm answer, Phoenix protested by thumping the parchment.

“Praus can see what we can’t. If we can win the Demon War, I think we should do whatever it takes. We can’t have the human world collapsing.”

“Still…”

“Praus, just understand that the results might not be perfect.”

“That’s fine. As long as the performance meets what I require.”

Naiad nodded and accepted the request.
Phoenix scratched her head irritably but didn’t say she wouldn’t do it.
Orient looked at me with discontent, but as soon as Ariel nodded, he also acquiesced.

“And another thing.”

The spirit kings’ expressions darkened as I continued my requests. It was understandable since I’m neither a hero nor a contractor asking continuously.
Still, I had to steel myself and speak. Even for my own survival.

“I want to go to the Spirit Realm.”

As soon as my words ended, silence fell over the room. Naiad stared at me for a long time as if trying to decipher my intent.

“…Why?”

“I need to meet the World Tree and gain information about the players. I want to resolve this matter before the Demon War starts.”

It’s best to get everything done as early as possible.

“The only condition for a human to enter the Spirit Realm is by being a contractor of a spirit king. It’s not possible for you to enter, even if the heroes have contracts with spirit kings.”

So that was the requirement.

“But doing that wouldn’t solve any questions permanently. Who knows? When I fully understand the meaning of ‘player,’ we might increase our chances of victory in the Demon War?”

“…That part isn’t for us to decide.”

“Then there’s only one way.”

I looked at Ariel.

It was time to fulfill our postponed contract.
I knew how powerful a spirit king’s power is better than anyone, and although I wished to contract with heroes, it seemed there was no other choice.
At the very least, I had to uncover what a player is, and no one else but I could go to the other world to completely understand these words.

“Let’s contract, Ariel.”

“I didn’t think it would happen this way…”

Ariel, showing no desire to retract the words she said last time, formed a magic circle on the floor. Without hesitation, I stepped into the magic circle.

“I’ll entrust my power to you. I don’t think you’ll misuse it, but please use it to help the hero.”

“Okay.”

Ariel didn’t recite the formalities of the contract.
Trusting our built-up bond, she activated the magic circle. Green light began to envelop me.

However, it wasn’t long before the light of the magic circle faded.

“Huh? The contract isn’t happening…?”

Ariel muttered in a flustered tone.