My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 214

“Why, why did you come here like this?!”

Is that clumsy pronunciation a trait of Low-Level Spirits?

Wendy was anxiously darting around, pointing at us and gathering fruits from a fallen basket. Is she going to run away as soon as she collects everything?

“No need to panic, Wendy.”

Ariel, who emerged from the gate behind us, spoke in a softer tone than usual. As Naiad appeared, Wendy hurriedly lowered her head.

“Ah, Ariel! Naiad!”

She stopped picking up fruits and knelt down, raising her arms and bowing her waist. When Ariel and Naiad accepted her greeting, she jumped back up.

“Wooah! It’s my first time seeing the real thing! I never had the chance to meet you because I only ever saw you in Super!”

She approached the two Spirit Kings, her eyes shining as she clasped her hands together. She completely forgot about the fruits she dropped and glanced toward Naiad while staring at the scattered basket.

“Naiad, why did you open a gate in a place like this?”

“Well, because of her.”

He pointed to Wendy in front of him.

“Whenever we go to the village, they stop what they’re doing and pay us their respects, making a huge fuss just to see us. At least the ones who’ve seen us a few times are a bit better…”

So, in essence, the Spirit Kings are like celebrities in the Spirit Realm.

They are certainly powerful and have good looks. Maybe that makes sense…?

“I see.”

I didn’t really care about that fact.

Right now, encountering the World Tree was the priority.

I had already organized in my mind what to say when I meet the World Tree. Once we meet, I planned to interrogate it without mercy.

“Wait!”

“…?”

Turning my head, I saw Wendy pointing her finger at me.

“What’s your relationship with Ariel?! Why do you look so close?!”

I’m not really that close, but…

I sneaked a glance at Ariel.

“For now, I need her by my side for a specific reason. They’re like leeches, you know. Quite bothersome.”

“L-Leech?!”

Wendy started to have a fit. She shoved her face closer to mine. I stopped the heroes behind me from intervening. They seemed threatening but showed no signs of attacking.

“How dare you! Calling the Spirit Kings leeches!”

Wendy, who had been yelling, suddenly turned her head toward the Spirit Kings.

“Ariel!”

“Yes?”

“What does leech even mean?”

…Did she get angry without even knowing the meaning?

“Um, I think it’s a roundabout way of saying ‘to live off someone.'”

“Li—living off…? Who is that?”

What is this?

Who interprets a situation by the way they pronounce it?

Wendy’s actions and thought process seemed equal to that of a naïve Nymph.

If these kids become Intermediate Spirits later and gain self-awareness, they will surely look back on this moment as an embarrassing chapter of their lives, right?

“It’s not ‘leeches,’ it’s ‘living off.’ To put it simply, it’s like saying ‘dead weight.'”

“I didn’t say that far though.”

Saying that feels like I’m really turning into the bad guy.

“How dare you treat Ariel like that! It’s blasphemy! Blasphemy!”

“Do you even know what blasphemy means?”

“I don’t! But it’s not good, I know that!”

“Well… that’s true.”

“See, humans! Bad! You should apologize right now!”

Waaah!!

She pointed her finger at me, making a show of booing.

Dealing with someone whose mind is so pure it’s practically blank was exhausting.

“…I was joking. Ariel is my friend. We’ve been together for five years now. I would feel somewhat empty without her.”

I pushed Wendy’s face aside as I spoke. Ariel then gave me a knowing smile, poking me in the arm with her elbow.

“Ah~ I knew you wanted to be friends with me, Praus!”

“…Forget it. I definitely can’t be friends with someone like you.”

“Don’t be shy!”

Were Spirits always this annoying?

[Hehe. Seeing you interact closely with Ariel is nice, Praus.]

Does this look like being close to you?

I sighed in response.

“I’ll tell Silph that you called Ariel dead weight!”

I didn’t say that…!

Don’t bring up words that might stir up conflict unnecessarily.

“Alright, let’s stop the bickering there. We should get moving soon.”

Naiad stepped in to mediate the endless conversation.

“We’re going together with humans, aren’t we, Naiad?”

“That’s why I brought you along.”

“Are we leaving so soon…?”

Wendy showed clear disappointment at Naiad’s words. She kept glancing at Ariel. Seeing that, Ariel gently approached and hugged Wendy.

“I’ll come to see you again. Until then, grow strong.”

“Hehehe! Got it! When you come to see me again, I’ll be super strong! So I’ll smash this place!”

“……”

I glanced in disbelief at Wendy, who spoke with such sincerity. That kid certainly knows how to pick her words.

*

Thanks to Naiad’s teleportation, we quickly reached the front of the World Tree without any hassle.

Around the World Tree, various Low-Level Spirits were playfully hopping around, enjoying themselves peacefully.

As soon as they spotted us, they hurriedly knelt with one knee and bowed their heads.

“Spirit Kings! We are honored to meet you!”

“Right.”

When Ariel and Naiad responded with casual waves, the Spirits jumped up and approached us.

“Wooow~! Real Spirit Kings! The World Tree looks just as magnificent as you said!”

While the Spirits chattered away, I was looking up at the giant tree. Even when I tilted my head back, I couldn’t see the top.

So this is the World Tree.

Just as I reached out to touch the gigantic roots…

Thud!

“Ah…?”

A gust of wind knocked my hand away.

“What do you think you’re doing?! Don’t touch the World Tree!”

“Exactly! Don’t you dare touch the World Tree!”

“Exactly! You can’t do what even we are unable to!”

Aren’t they just saying I shouldn’t touch it because they themselves can’t?

Whether they had no intention of hiding their true feelings under the guise of purity, or if it was just how they were programmed, it seemed like a great opportunity for some mischief. Maybe I should play a little prank.

“I’m sorry, but I’m friends with the World Tree. So it’s totally fine for me to touch it.”

I said, shaking my hand that was still tingling from the magic.

“What?!”

“Really?!”

The Spirit Kings and the Low-Level Spirits around me gaped in astonishment. How can you all react like this to such an obvious lie?

“It’s a lie.”

“Whoa! As expected…! Am I right?! It’s a lie!”

“That’s what it means to be a human!”

I laughed at the Low-Level Spirits watching me. Just as expected, they were giving me great reactions.

“Ugh…! But for some reason, that sounded convincing…!”

…Convincing?

“Speaking of which, why do I feel so friendly with a human like you…?”

The Low-Level Spirits tilted their heads, exchanging glances filled with sudden doubt. The atmosphere around us became momentarily tense.

“Anyway, kids, I have something to discuss with the World Tree. Can you go play somewhere else? You don’t need to worry about the World Tree’s safety while we’re here.”

“Okay!!”

Just before they left, they looked at me suspiciously, but then dashed off into the forest without asking any further. Is that what makes a Spirit King, I wonder?

“Praus, you cannot touch the World Tree’s sacred body. Come here and maintain proper etiquette.”

“Etiquette, huh…”

I guess treating it with a different level of respect than I would the Emperor is better.

Still, I wasn’t sure if my manner of speaking would convey that respect.

I was just about to comply with Naiad’s words.

[No, that’s not necessary. Naiad.]

A familiar voice echoed through the forest, easing the tension throughout my body, creating a warm atmosphere. Is this also a power?

[Hello, Tina, Iris, Maria. And… Praus as well.]

The friendly voice relaxed the tense atmosphere. This must be some extraordinary ability, huh?

[I am the World Tree, the one who governs the threads of causality in this world and oversees the Spirit Realm.]

“I see. So you are the World Tree.”

[Indeed.]

“Then stop looking down on me from up there and come before me right now.”

“Hey! Praus! I won’t forgive you for being disrespectful to the World Tree!”

Naiad scowled, gathering water in his palm. The Heroes quickly jumped in between Naiad and me.

While I appreciated how they prioritized me over the contract Spirit, I didn’t want to create friction with the Spirit King either.

[It’s alright, Naiad. It’s only natural for him to feel angry with me.]

“Still, World Tree…”

[Very well. I will reveal myself.]

As soon as those words were said, yellow light emanated from above and a sphere that had jutted out from the World Tree’s trunk slowly descended to the ground.

“Nice to meet you.”

The figure was familiar.

As soon as I noticed that the black hair and dark eyes resembled mine, I couldn’t help but mutter.

“…Mother?”

“Mother?!”

The Spirit Kings and the Heroes gasped in shock, alternating between me and the World Tree, which resembled my mother.

“No, that’s not right. I must be seeing things.”

“That’s not it. I clearly see it!”

The World Tree walked over with a smile, much closer to me.

“Becoming a spirit in the likeness of the deceased isn’t a proper way to honor the dead, don’t you think?”

“Ah~ So you’re saying it’s not just a character but a real person? Does that mean this world is thought of as a true reality?”

Hearing her words helped me resolve one of the lingering doubts I had.

“…So it was you who sent me to this world.”

“You’re quite sharp, Praus. Instantly catching on.”

My mother—or rather, the World Tree smiled at me instead of confirming my suspicion.

“I’m glad I chose you.”