My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 199

A month has passed since I learned that Chris made a contract with Raghur.

Through Surveillance Magic, Chris’s daily routine consisted solely of mana training before work and his responsibilities as Emperor afterward.

He didn’t seem to put in any special effort.

The reason behind his contract with Raghur remained a mystery.

I suspect it might be an attempt to gain power so that the Royal Family doesn’t control me, but I’m not certain.

Since the Emperor stubbornly insisted on Chris’s survival, the Heroes were keeping a close watch on him, even more than they did on me.

However, no matter how much I activated the Surveillance Magic, I couldn’t find any substantial evidence other than the mark on the back of his hand.

The issue of independence for the Other Races was progressing well.

I had heard from Leoness that the Resistance, led by her, had taken the lead in controlling the situation and that they had already formed communities typical of their kind.

Moreover, they were incorporating human culture to create an atmosphere similar to the Empire.

However, it was disappointing to hear that the Beastmen and Elves had decided not to live together due to their differing cultures.

That was enough for me.

There was no need to forcibly achieve harmony. Having worked together once, they would likely combine their efforts when a crisis arose.

“Is Chris still without any problems today?”

“Unfortunately, none. If there were, I’d have him killed immediately.”

“How about sending both Lupin and Chris away? They don’t seem helpful at all!”

Tina expressed it as if it was a 1+1 sale.

“Am I perhaps a genius?!”

Seeing her pat her chin while exclaiming “Hohoho!” was quite comical.

“Oh, Tina~!”

Maria clapped in admiration.

“Right~! You understood my genius to the point of being impressed!”

“Uh-huh. I’m really glad you’re such a fool.”

“What?!”

At Maria’s sigh, Tina jumped around, yelling.

“Tina, stop kicking up dust.”

“But… Maria is teasing me!”

“It’s your fault for saying something foolish.”

“Wha, wha, what do you mean foolish?!”

With a pout, Tina turned her attention to me, her last target.

“Teacher…! They’re teasing me!”

“It’s okay. Being a fool can be useful too. Keep your chin up.”

Looking at the actual character settings of the game, ‘foolishness’ was explicitly stated. I can’t deny that; she really is a fool.

“Is that your way of comforting me? Seriously, that’s harsh!”

It seemed like she was really about to cry.

It felt sorrowful to be betrayed by someone I trusted. I reluctantly patted her head and said,

“…Let’s stop the chit-chat and gather for a moment.”

“You’re just avoiding the topic again!”

“I’ll console you later.”

“Fine. Let’s make believe nothing’s wrong this time!”

I gave a bitter smile.

I gathered the Heroes around the dining table and laid down sheets of parchment in front of each of them.

“What is this?”

“Have you ever heard of breaking through limits?”

“No.”

That made sense. It’s a game term.

“Breaking through limits means reaching a higher realm than you are now. Seeing your recent growth stagnate, I thought it was time for you to break through.”

After awakening as Heroes, breaking through limits would strengthen their traits, allowing them to acquire new abilities or skills.

In simpler terms, it’s like a second awakening.

Currently, Tina and Iris could infuse their swords with an aura that extended up to three meters.

They had become true Sword Masters.

Once they reached this level, training their aura could be considered complete.

Moreover, their skills acquired through daily sparring had also vastly improved.

Once they align with the conditions for their individual growth, they could smoothly acquire new abilities or skills.

Maria had yet to break through the 9th rank, making it difficult for her to break through limits, but while equipping the Pure Blue, she could use 9th rank magic, so she could prepare.

“Unfurl it. What you need to do moving forward is written there.”

Immediately, the Heroes unfolded the parchment at my words and silently read out the contents.

“Heartless…?”

“Unbeatable…?”

“Transcendence…?”

The three looked at the keywords written at the top and glanced back at me.

“What is this?”

“These are the realms you need to reach. If you attain this, you’ll become strong enough to face a commander-level being single-handedly.”

This process wouldn’t happen overnight.

I estimated it would take at least two years. Even in the game, it required significant effort to reach this level.

“To keep infusing aura until the sword breaks… Is it really possible to break the sword just by infusing aura?”

“Technically, it’s not about breaking it. It’s about reading the essence through aura. It’s to know where to send the aura so the sword will break.”

I picked up the spoon sitting on the table and infused it with mana. A blue aura emerged on the surface of the spoon.

“Until now, we’ve only wrapped the aura around the outside; we didn’t pay attention to the inside. From now on, invest the aura internally to see what information can be gleaned. If that’s possible, look at the essence of your All-Cutting Sword. Then you will acquire the Heartless, Tina.”

The Heartless was a technique used by the first Hero, a sword that could cut through even the essence.

By synergizing with the skills they currently had, if the All-Cutting Sword could sever the flow of mana or magic, then the Heartless state of the All-Cutting Sword could even cut through causality.

For instance, it could be used to forcibly negate a contract with a demon tribe.

“I got it. I’ll give it a try.”

“Alright. I’m looking forward to it.”

I smiled while patting Tina’s head. Just as our conversation ended, Iris raised her hand.

“Um, Teacher! What does it mean to eliminate rules using aura?”

“Whether it’s a sword or magic, experiencing a shock upon contact with your body is one of the laws of this world. You’re going to temporarily disrupt that law. Then, you won’t feel any shock coming your way.”

“Does that mean I can withstand the power of Peremus’s Destruction Strike?”

“You won’t withstand it, you’ll nullify it.”

It wasn’t without reason that Iris faced Peremus alone to protect Tori. Although, in my case, with my terrible control, I failed multiple times.

Reality, however, should be a bit different. It cannot be otherwise.

If Iris can’t handle Peremus by herself, I’ll scream that it’s a failed game.

“This is also similar to what Tina has to do. You need to read the essence. However, you need to read the law that lies within the gap between your aura and the waiting. That gap holds the law. You just need to cancel it out.”

That sounds easy, but I couldn’t verify its credibility.

Even if it was implemented as a setting in the game, it was uncertain whether it would be possible in reality.

But ignoring it also meant jeopardizing the lives of the Heroes.

The ever-growing army meant that the Heroes also needed to get stronger for survival chances.

Even if it doesn’t work out, I could just sugarcoat it and move on. It wouldn’t hurt to try.

“If you can read this and combine the aura with the Absolute Domain, you can disturb the laws. I refer to that as ‘Unbeatable Aegis.’”

“Aegis…?”

“When you reach this realm, you’ll be able to purify the magic within the Absolute Domain, even without thrusting your sword into the ground. Naturally, your performance will also greatly improve.”

“Is that so? I’ll give it a try.”

“Good. Thanks for showing your will. Lastly, Maria, don’t you have any questions?”

I glanced at Maria while patting Iris’s head.

She looked at the parchment’s contents and helplessly placed it back on the table.

“Combining dozens of spells? That’s impossible. Merging attributes and merging spells is different.”

“Right now, it might be difficult. But combine them one by one.”

“If even a little is distorted, the magic might explode.”

“That could happen. However, I believe you can pull it off somehow.”

“That’s not a simple issue…”

Maria looked down at the parchment with a frown.

To be fair, if someone told me to combine dozens of spells, I would’ve said it was impossible too.

Yet, it was possible in the game.

Since it was possible there, it had to be possible here as well.

“I look forward to your growth.”

I gave Maria one last pat on the head.

*

“My Lord Demon King, may I speak boldly?”

Raghur recalled Fragus’s attempts to pressure Chris and spoke to Blas.

“What is it?”

“How about sending Commander Ecabel to the Other Races immediately to plant a seed?”

“And what’s the reason behind that?”

“Fragus is an exceptionally clever individual. If he realizes the fact that Chris and I have made a contract, he won’t wait long to cut off the support for the Other Races from the Empire. Who knows when Fragus will decide to eliminate Emperor Chris?”

“Do you believe that will cause a rift between humans and Other Races?”

“Emperor Chris has a mindset very similar to his father, Lupin. He wouldn’t want the Empire to suffer at all. After all, he worried about the Empire’s welfare during the contract. I am sure he won’t simply stand by while the recently independent Other Races cause harm to the Empire.”

“Originally, I should have already seduced Chris to take care of this properly, but my plans have changed, leaving room for this now. However, if we don’t act now, it will be difficult to drive a wedge between humans and the Other Races.”

Blas slowly nodded at Raghur’s plan. The moment he heard the word ‘certainty,’ the Demon King felt that it could be done.

“Did you hear that, Ecabel?”

“Yes~! Then I’ll go to the Beastmen’s Forest and the Elves’ Forest, right?”

“Plant the seed with the Beastmen. From what I’ve heard, the leader of the group controlling the Other Races is a Beastman and seems to have a personal relationship with Fragus. This means he can mobilize that group whenever Fragus wants. So, first, we should crush that leader and the group.”

“Understood. I shall follow the Demon King’s orders! I will set off immediately!”

Ecabel hummed a tune as she headed for the door. Just as Raghur called to her softly.

“Ah… Ecabel.”

“Yes? Why did you call, Raghur?”

“…Seeing Fragus’s face, I must say he is quite handsome.”

“…Really?!”

Ecabel, who was about to leave, spun around. Raghur was taken aback, blinking in surprise as Ecabel closed the distance.

“How is he? Looks like a treat?”

“Well… he might not be the best-looking in humanity, but he shouldn’t be bad for a bite.”

“Yay! Good! You have to follow me!”

“Excuse me?”

“You need to tell me exactly who Fragus is!”

“But didn’t you just see him with Surveillance Magic—”

“Shut up! If I say go, you go!”

Ecabel grabbed Raghur by the collar, and due to the considerable height difference in her disguised state, Raghur’s waist bent helplessly.

“…Understood, Commander Ecabel.”

“Then, I’ll be off, My Lord Demon King!”

“If you’re going, take the elite troops with you, Ecabel.”

“Understood!”

Understanding the Demon King’s words, Ecabel struck a salute pose before moving on. Blas’s gaze turned to those still remaining in the audience chamber as he watched the two confidently exit.

“Peremus.”

“Yes, My Lord Demon King.”

Peremus, who was observing Ecabel with disdain, responded immediately.

“What about that sibling pair?”

“They’re growing at an impressive speed. In terms of potential alone, they seem to be at least on par with or even surpassing Pero. Especially Ter has begun to handle the forces of nature rather than attributes.”

“I see. Continue to nurture the army like that. We have two years. In two years, we shall kill the Heroes and Fragus and devour the Human World and the Spirit Realm.”

“Understood.”

Peremus lowered his head, gripping his fist tightly.

“It’s not long now, Fragus. I will ensure your demise.”