My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 213

“Then shall we begin the story.”

Having filled our bellies and made Phoenix do the dishes, it was time to get to the main point.

Naiad sipped the black tea I brewed for him. He set down his cup on the table and nodded as he spoke.

“I received permission from the World Tree.”

Oh, really?

If he got permission, then there’s no need to make this a long story.

I could head to the Spirit Realm right now to gather information I don’t know and find a way to gain the upper hand in the Demon War.

“I initially hoped to come after everything was over, but I was told the situation is rapidly changing.”

Rapidly changing, huh?

Is the disappearing of monsters at the border the problem?

The very fact that the Demon War is approaching so fast could indeed be termed a rapid change.

“He said to come with the Heroes. He clearly mentioned that his strength would be needed.”

His strength would be needed…?

So the World Tree knows everything, doesn’t it?

Is it because he exists outside of causality? Or perhaps he has been watching the Heroes all along?

If he knows everything, there’s no need to hassle me with justifications.

The World Tree must be concerned about the Demon War too, so perhaps he might even share secrets that could help the Heroes grow during this meeting.

“I see. So when do you plan to depart?”

“Anytime is fine, really.”

“Then…!”

I was about to say let’s go right away, but then I noticed the Heroes yawning and showing signs of fatigue.

“…No. Let’s set out tomorrow morning instead. They seem really tired.”

“Oh, no! We’re not tired at all!”

Iris, interrupting her yawn, hastily denied it.

“Tired? Not at all! We’re with the Teacher!”

“That’s right. If the Teacher wants to go now, of course, we’ll follow!”

Tina and Maria also denied it, but their eyes were clearly heavier than usual.

Over the last few days, they had trained until dawn to break through their limits and had been getting up early each morning.

Whether it was my expectations of them or their desire to not see people die at the hands of the Demon Tribe, they had been trying their hardest.

I couldn’t rob those Heroes of their sleep as well.

“There’s no need to push yourselves. Take it easy for now.”

Knowing well that I was in no position to say that, I couldn’t help but feel anxious. Still, I was just grateful they were putting in such effort even after hearing my unconvincing words.

“It seems we can’t hide anything from the Teacher.”

“Then I’ll follow what the Teacher says.”

“Oh! Does that mean the Teacher will be sleeping with us?!”

“…Why did it turn into that?”

“Then, I should quickly take a bath! It’s almost time for bed!”

“Let’s go, kids.”

While I was momentarily taken aback, the three Heroes made their way into the room. Soon they grabbed their clothes and scampered off to the bathroom. They sure were quick to act at times like this.

Letting out a sigh as I watched them, I realized I had created unnecessary trouble by being considerate.

“Seems like you’re always popular, Praus.”

Phoenix said with a meaningful smile.

“Well, what good does it do to be popular with kids much younger than me?”

I rested my chin on my hand and snorted. It wouldn’t be as bad if the age gap wasn’t nine years, but that’s quite the difference.

“I just think, since I know the Heroes are struggling, they should definitely be happy after everything ends.”

Out of the blue, Phoenix said this while staring at me intently.

“I can agree with that. I’ll lead the charge to save this world, but in the end, the Heroes must also find happiness for it to be a true ending.”

Seeing Naiad nodding vigorously in agreement, Phoenix pointed at me with a serious expression.

“And that happiness for the Heroes rests in your hands, Praus.”

“…I always want the Heroes to be happy too. Once everything is over, I plan to give my all to help them achieve that happiness.”

“You didn’t understand what I meant, did you? You’re the only one who can make the Heroes happy.”

“What?”

“Surely you’ve realized? They like you.”

I already knew very well that the Heroes were concerned about me.

That’s why they get clingy whenever I associate with other girls.

“……A youthful crush tends to change and fade as they grow older. Especially with someone of the opposite sex who has a sizable age gap; that feeling is hard to sustain.”

For now, they’re only infatuated because of my appearance and the fact that I’m helping them out in various ways.

“I doubt there’d be much difference between now and five years from now.”

“……But that’s something I can’t guarantee. It wouldn’t hurt to think it over then.”

“Being popular must be tiring.”

“Better than being unpopular, I suppose.”

“Are you talking about me right now?”

Naiad lifted his cup and shot a glare at Phoenix.

“Not at all! Seems you were hit by that, huh?”

“Looks like Phoenix has been a bit too lenient lately. Let’s pour him some water.”

“Hah! Give it a shot!”

As a water and fire battle suddenly erupted, I sipped my black tea while pondering.

Who knows who might end up dead during the Demon War? I wouldn’t want to put a death flag on happiness before it even arises.

Having spent five years together, if I give them something more than just friendship, I’d end up feeling even worse than when Leoness was around.

*

“Are you really planning to sleep together with us?”

I asked once more as I watched the Heroes spread their blankets out on the floor instead of the bed. They nodded as if it was the most obvious thing. Their heads bobbed up and down vigorously.

“Come on, lie down here!”

Tina patted the space next to her. It looked comfy with the thick, fluffy blanket stuffed full of cotton.

“But if we sleep like this, one person won’t be able to lie next to the Teacher, right?”

“Then how about someone just lies on top of the Teacher?”

“Oh~! Genius!”

Maria praised Tina’s suggestion, full of absurdity.

“Don’t you all realize you’re grown up now? You’re fifteen, for goodness’ sake! Why do you want to sleep together like this?”

There’s a time and place for childishness.

“Even at fifteen, my feelings for the Teacher are still the same as when I was ten!”

It feels like a grown lady is saying, “My heart is still that of a young girl!” I couldn’t help but suppress a bitter smile.

“Anyway, come over here!”

As I stood there in a daze, Tina quickly grabbed my wrist and yanked me over. Naturally, with no strength of my own, I had no choice but to go along.

“You’re pretending not to like it, but you actually enjoy it!”

“Tina, you’re only getting bolder, aren’t you?”

“That’s my charm! Now, lie down here. I even prepared a storybook to read before bed!”

As I laid down, the Heroes crowded around on the floor, lying on their bellies.

“Iris and Maria don’t really need to listen to a storybook, do they?”

“But the Teacher is going to read it for us, right? We definitely want to hear it from you.”

“This is all a precious memory with the Teacher, after all.”

“…Is that so.”

Eventually, I received the storybook from Tina. I wasn’t sure how it turned into a reading session, but I figured I ought to be generous for the sake of the Heroes who would face hardships ahead.

I glanced at the title of the storybook.

The title was “Call My Name.” What kind of storybook has a title like that? I was curious that the standards for storybooks in this world might be different, so I opened the first page with intrigue.

“Let’s begin.”

“Yes!”

“Ahem.”

I cleared my throat and turned the pages.

“Once upon a time, in a certain village———”

I recited the words with precise pronunciation, doing my best not to disrupt the calm atmosphere. I might have sounded a bit indifferent, but compared to when I had just fallen into this world, my tone was much softer.

“——And so I was able to call his name, and we became friends for life. …The end.”

By the time I finished reading the storybook, soft breathing could be heard beside me.

“Snore… I love you…”

“Mmm… Teacher…”

“Don’t go away…”

The Heroes were sleep-talking while clinging to my body. Guess I’m not going back to my own room anytime soon.

I glanced over the three sleeping Heroes and whispered softly.

“Good night, kids.”

*

“Is everything ready?”

“All set.”

Thanks to going to bed early, my condition was at its peak. It would’ve been even better if the kids hadn’t been tossing and turning next to me.

“Let’s set off.”

As Naiad reached out into the air, a gate opened. I gazed at the door that transcended dimensions.

I began to feel excited at the thought of finally being able to go to the Spirit Realm. Going to the Realm of Spirits, where the World Tree resides, would surely be the only chance to uncover all the things I don’t know.

I might learn about terms like “the Otherworldly Player,” the holographic windows only I can see, the skills I possess, and perhaps even the reason I came to this world.

With this opportunity to grasp all the answers, I would extract every bit of knowledge.

“Let’s go.”

Keeping my tension higher than ever, I slowly stepped through the gate.

The moment I entered, a sensation of weightlessness engulfed my body. As my bright field of view gradually dimmed and I felt as if I was the only one left in the world, a light began to appear in the distance.

As the light grew stronger with each passing moment, I had no choice but to close my eyes, and when I opened them again, I found myself in a dense forest filled with towering trees.

These trees were at least ten meters tall. Even the grass was so enormous that it went beyond common sense, prompting an involuntary gasp of awe.

“Is this the Spirit Realm…?”

The air was already of a different dimension.

Breathing felt too comfortable. To exaggerate, simply inhaling made me feel like all the impurities were leaving my body.

Just as the other Heroes were taking in their surroundings in admiration, there was a rustling sound beside us.

When I looked in the direction of the noise, a basket fell over, and something that looked like a blue apple rolled out. Behind it stood a tiny girl pointing at us.

“Hiik! W-Who are you all?!”

A spirit with green skin and butterfly wings on her back gasped in surprise.

This spirit, standing barely over a meter tall, was Wendy, a low-level wind-type spirit.