My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 201

“I’m telling you, we should have killed him back then…!”

“Yeah. Maybe you’re right about that.”

No, we should have killed him even earlier.

We should never have allowed Chris to become Emperor in the first place.

“It’s not too late now! I can go and kill him immediately. I absolutely won’t stand by and watch the birth of the second Emperor Lupin!”

Iris gripped the Guardian of the Sanctuary tightly. Since her eyes transformed into those of a beast, she had been unable to hide her fury.

“Maria, teleport me to the Imperial Palace. I’ll go and finish him off.”

Iris was so agitated she looked ready to dash out of the house at any moment. I grabbed her shoulder.

“Calm down, Iris. Don’t let your judgment slip.”

“Calm? Look at the situation! You promised support, yet now that we can save them, why abandon them? We’ve finally found our freedom, the freedom we’ve been oppressed for decades! Isn’t the price for that freedom to ensure the other races can live peacefully?”

“……”

“Can you understand this situation, Teacher?”

Tears began to flow from Iris’s eyes. Tina and Maria, witnessing her sniffle, quietly showed their unrest.

If I allow it, they would storm the Imperial Palace and wreak havoc right away.

“Let’s go to the Imperial Palace and threaten Chris to change his orders!”

“What will you do, Teacher? We can’t just stand by and watch, can we?”

“You’re right. We can’t just stand by.”

The situation is at its worst.
We had no idea how much the demonification had spread or how much damage had been done. I didn’t even know if Leoness was okay.

Moreover, considering she planted the seeds, Ecabel would likely be in the Beastmen’s Forest right now. As we head to rescue the beastmen, we must be prepared to fight Ecabel as well.

That monster may not have a single powerful blow like Peremus, but among the commanders, she was the most annoying presence.

“……Maria, summon Orient. I have something to ask. Tina and Iris, prepare to head to the Beastmen’s Forest immediately. Make sure to gather your gear, potions, and scrolls.”

“Understood.”

Orient would surely know how things are going. Even if she didn’t, using the roots of the World Tree, she could quickly grasp the situation.

“Why are we going to the Beastmen’s Forest? Shouldn’t we tell Emperor Chris to open the gates first?”

“That would be too late. While we’re persuading him, beastmen will be dying.”

“Then why not just kill them…!”

“No knight would follow the orders of someone who killed their lord. That’s self-destruction.”

“What are we supposed to do then?!”

“We’ll deal with Chris later. For now, we directly save the beastmen.”

“……Alright.”

As I concluded, Tina and Maria moved into action simultaneously. Iris reluctantly chimed in.

“And I’ll be the one to kill Chris. You two must not interfere.”

“No, I—!”

“I said I would do it.”

“Why?!”

“You are heroes. When you saved the Human World, your honor must not be tarnished.”

“But we’ve already killed people. Our hands are already dirty. Does it even matter to contemplate it now?”

“Killing those of lower status is different from killing an Emperor. The moment you kill the Emperor, you’ll be labeled as a beastman who assassinated the Emperor, instead of being a hero who saved humanity from the demons.”

“I don’t need such honor! Protecting my kind is far more important!”

Seeing Iris voice her opinion, I took a deep breath.

“Listen to me, Iris!”

At my shout, Iris flinched and closed her mouth. Tina and Maria exchanged glances, surprised.

“I’ll say it simply since it seems you don’t understand. Only when you unite your strength to protect the Human World from the demons can you truly achieve harmony.”

Bringing everyone together, ending everything peacefully— that is the happy ending for this world.

The reason I’ve been causing all this ruckus and enduring hardships is to see that happy ending.

“The more you elevate your honor, the less the humans will mistreat the beastmen. If you understand, stop talking and go gather your gear. Even as we speak, your kin are dying.”

I nodded. Finally, Iris bent over deeply.

“……I’m sorry.”

“You haven’t done anything wrong. If there’s a fault, it’s mine for hesitating to make a decision.”

I watched Iris, her shoulders drooping as she went to gather her stuff. She didn’t respond, only silently wiped her tears.

*

Through Maria, I summoned Orient, but I learned she hadn’t realized that the demons had entered either.

I asked her to use the roots of the World Tree to locate the demons that had infiltrated the Human World.

As a result, she informed me that an indescribable number of demons could be found in the Beastmen’s Forest.

Among them, two possessed unusually strong magic, warranting caution.

“Orient couldn’t have missed the magical presence. If she did, it’s likely because Raghur used a barrier when crossing into the Human World.”

That bastard can utilize mana.

Currently, we were racing toward the Beastmen’s Forest, where we felt the magic intensifying. As much as I wanted to teleport, Maria hadn’t been there, so I couldn’t use it.

However, we were able to teleport to a region close to the Beastmen’s Forest, and before an hour passed, we discovered the city wall bordering it.

“We’ll arrive in a few minutes. Prepare for battle immediately. You’ve remembered what I taught you, right?”

“Yes!”

The heroes answered enthusiastically.

“Look at their eyes. You need to watch for that. If their whites turn black, do not hesitate to kill them.”

It would be a hard request for them, but it was the only method to minimize casualties. This time, there was no reply.

But I didn’t need to hear their responses; they would manage well on their own. Right now, they were probably steeling themselves.

As we neared the city gates of the Beastmen’s Forest, we spotted a massive crowd gathered.

“Please open the gates!!”

“Why are you closing the gates?! There are beastmen still trapped inside!!”

“We cannot stand by and watch the demons come through because of you!”

A verbal fight was raging between the knights and the beastmen.

“And this is His Majesty the Emperor’s order! If you do not comply, you will be thrown out beyond the city walls!”

“Yes! Be grateful that we even let you in!”

“But there are people fighting in the forest! Knights, please go and support them!”

The commotion was unending. Ongoing conflicts persisted between the beastmen and knights.

“Enough! Everyone, draw your swords!!”

Swish!

The knights drew their swords. The beastmen flinched and backed away from the gates.

“From now on, anyone who approaches the gates or the walls will be executed on the spot!”

The knights’ intimidation made the beastmen moan quietly and close their mouths. Then voices began to rise from outside the city walls.

“Help me! Please open the gates!! I’ll even be a slave!!”

“Please, save us!!”

Amidst the clamoring, piercing cries and wails were clearly audible.

Those left outside the walls were desperately banging on the gates and screaming.

“Haah… haah…”

After taking a breath and observing the situation, I now knew precisely what needed to be done.

“Teacher…”

“Wait a moment. I’m going to use a delivery scroll.”

I couldn’t proceed recklessly and then try to clean up afterward. Given the urgency, I had to use every possible means of support.

I wrote on the delivery scroll in charcoal and tore it immediately. If I made contact, help would come. If it’s the southwest gate, ‘they’ probably visited a time or two.

“It seems we can’t go through the city gates, so we’ll have to leap over the walls.”

“Understood.”

“Let’s go. Ariel, it’s your turn.”

“Okay. Got it.”

Just as I prepared to leap with Ariel’s power, several beastmen approached us.

“Are you… Lord Praus?”

“Are you really Lord Praus?”

As they mentioned my name, the beastmen’s heads turned toward me. What’s this? How do they know me?

“Lord Praus, please say something! If we keep going like this, the beastmen will be exterminated!”

They grasped my hands, earnestly pleading. It seemed that since the knights weren’t listening to them, they turned to me for help. But how do they know about me?

“Don’t worry. The beastmen will not be exterminated. But I need you to go and tell others to stay away from the gates.”

“Stay away from the gates?”

“Yes. Keep your distance. You’ll get hurt.”

I looked up at the towering wall.

“I’m going over. Ariel!”

“Leave it to me.”

As Ariel created a wind platform, I leaped over the wall.

“Teacher! I sense overwhelming magic near the forest!”

“First, let’s sort out the situation here and then head to the forest.”

“Yes!”

I couldn’t see what was happening, but if Ecabel had been in the Beastmen’s Forest for a while, she’d likely spread out significantly. Worst case, all the beastmen could have been transformed into demons.

But I had to move, thinking that even if just one more could be saved, it would build trust with Iris.

“Everyone, step back!”

I landed between the city gates and the beastmen. They were bewildered by my sudden appearance. Their screaming mouths fell silent.

“Everyone, calm down and step away from the gates!”

The heroes who landed beside me urged the beastmen to retreat as well.

“Are you… Lord Praus? I’ve heard so much from Lady Leoness. Please help us!”

They recognized me instantly. What the heck is this?

“I’ve come to save you, so follow my instructions. If you don’t, I cannot guarantee your lives.”

“Understood! We’ll follow you!”

“Step away from the gates! Lord Praus is here!”

“Lord Praus?!”

“Are we going to survive now?!”

Fortunately, because of my sudden appearance, the panic quickly subsided. I wondered how Leoness had described me to evoke such a reaction.

“Hey! Praus!”

“……?”

I heard a voice from atop the walls. A middle-aged knight was pointing at me angrily.

“What are you planning to do?!”

“Pasma.”

“Got it.”

Focusing my mana into my sword, I formed a massive aura. As the beastmen retreated, I too stepped away from the gates and took my stance, aiming at the city gates.

“‘Phantom Wave Slash’!”

As I swung my sword, the blade’s energy surged toward the gates.

Ka-bang!

At the moment the energy and gates collided, a tremendous shockwave erupted, kicking up a cloud of dust.

“W-What is happening…?!”

“Praus!!”

The knights cried out in despair.

The gates crumbled, creating a huge opening. The beastmen saw hope, while the knights fell into despair.

“Now, you must fight to survive too, right?”

“Praus…! If demons breach the Empire, you’ll bear the responsibility!”

“Shut it. I hope your Empire that refuses to accept other races meets its end.”

I raised my middle finger at the middle-aged knight.

The time for playing along was over.