My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 242

“Where should we go for fun?”

“Excuse me?”

The Heroes paused their breakfast, staring blankly at me. The chewing of food in their mouths came to a stop.

“While we’ve had our adventures, I don’t recall ever roaming around just for fun. I was just suggesting that before we slay the Demon King, wouldn’t it be nice to relax a little? If you don’t want to—”

“Of course I want to!”

Just as I was about to change my statement, the Heroes jumped to their feet in shock. Tina even raised her arms.

“Where should we go?!”

“Well, that’s for you to decide. Surely, there are places you’ve wanted to go but haven’t gotten the chance. Or perhaps somewhere you visited but didn’t get to enjoy properly.”

I said, tearing off a piece of bread to spread some jam on. They slowly turned their heads, glancing at each other, as if reading one another’s thoughts.

“Well, then….”

“There’s only one place, right?”

“Yep. Just that one.”

Having anticipated my thoughts, the three Heroes nodded in agreement as if they had already discussed it among themselves.

Taking a deep breath, they spoke simultaneously.

“Definitely to the delightful Pretéum—”

“Definitely back to that beautiful beach—”

“Definitely to the famous Secul hill—”

…?

As they each proposed different ideas, question marks hovered above their heads. Their expressions clearly said they didn’t understand the situation at all. What are you all doing?

“Aah! Iris! Maria! Of course, we should go to the place with the delicious food!”

“What are you saying! We should go see that beautiful beach again!”

“Isn’t it best to spread a blanket on the hill with the Teacher and have a cozy chat?”

“Ugh! Come on…! First, we need to fill our stomachs to appreciate the beauty!”

“The delicious food will be prepared by the Teacher. Is there really a need to go all the way to Pretéum just to eat something?”

Ah… Am I the one who has to make it?

I intended to eat out when we went for fun…

“If you really want to eat something delicious in Pretéum, can’t we just buy it and take it to the beach or the hill? Why worry about that?”

“Oo….”

One of them exclaimed in admiration, giving me a thumbs up.

“Oooh! Teacher, you’re a genius! Alright, then let’s go to Pretéum, buy a heap of tasty food, and then go wherever Iris or Maria wants!”

Iris and Maria exchanged glances for a moment. Iris wanted to go to the Secul hill, while Maria preferred the beach.

“Let’s go to the beach today.”

“…Is that alright?”

Iris muttered, sounding a bit disappointed that her desired place wasn’t chosen.

“We’ll go to Secul hill tomorrow. Don’t worry.”

“!”

“There’s no rush to think about killing the Demon King just yet.”

I want to make sure I give them a chance to do what they want. After all, it might be our last chance.

“Yes.”

Iris smiled brightly. Seeing her happily tearing off the bread warmed my heart.

“Then, let’s quickly finish breakfast and get ready to go!”

“Yes!”

*

“Wow—!”

The Heroes’ eyes sparkled as they beheld the sea. From our high vantage point, the turquoise water glittered under the sunlight, so clear that we could see numerous fish swimming about.

“It wasn’t this good last time we came.”

We had indeed come seeking the blue waters. If I’d known the Heroes would enjoy it this much, maybe we should have taken more time to rest.

By the way, even though it’s nearly late summer, there are quite a few people around.

Fortunately, perhaps because it’s a crowded area, there were no naked swimmers. People were merely dipping their feet in the water or strolling along the sandy shore.

“Hm. The sunlight is a bit intense.”

“Don’t worry.”

Maria snapped her fingers, and it felt like the sunlight had lessened. My body temperature seemed to drop by several degrees.

“I created a barrier to block the sunlight. If I block it completely, it could get cold, so I’ve just kept it warm.”

“You’re quick on the uptake.”

“Fufu. Am I due for more praise?”

She placed her hands on her waist, puffing out her chest proudly. I smiled slightly and patted Maria on the head.

“I’m truly impressed.”

“…W-What? Teacher isn’t the type to praise such trivial things like this?!”

“Isn’t that what you’re hoping for?”

“No! I really was hoping for it! Please do more!”

“Oh, really? Well, but…”

I wanted to give her more praise, but if I did, Tina and Iris wouldn’t stay quiet about it.

“Maria, if you want to be praised that much, I’ll do it!”

Tina shouted as she ruffled Maria’s hair. No, she messed it up. Maria’s blonde locks became an unruly mess, sticking out in all directions.

“Geez! What are you doing?!”

“Teacher belongs to me!”

“No, she doesn’t?!”

While Tina and Maria tussled, Iris quietly snuggled closer to my arm.

“…Will you sit quietly for a bit?”

“If you pet my head, I’ll consider it.”

What an adorable request.

I gently petted the hair between Iris’s cat-like ears. She beamed and let out a pleased sound, like a cat purring.

“Ah! Iris! When did you get there?!”

“Now that we’re at the beach, let’s go have some fun!”

“Teacher! Please pet me too!”

As I started walking, the Heroes followed suit.

The thought that our time might be drawing to a close made me feel lighter.

As soon as I arrived at the sandy shore, I unfurled a mat in a spot that wouldn’t obstruct the paths of others. Thanks to Maria, the UV rays were blocked, so we didn’t need to set up a parasol.

“Teacher, is there anything I can help with?”

“No need to help. Go dip your feet in the sea. Look at those kids running off.”

I pointed to Tina and Maria, who had thrown off their socks and shoes and were running away carelessly. Iris chuckled as she watched the two.

“…Iris, you don’t have to act so mature. Don’t worry about other people’s eyes; if you want to act like a child, feel free to do so anytime.”

“You’re already allowing that much. If I receive too much, I might become spoiled.”

“Is that so?”

“…Still, if I were to indulge just a little…”

Iris squatted in front of me, leaning her face towards me with a playful smile.

“I want to have a relationship with you beyond that of a teacher and student. So… from now on, may I call you ‘Brother’?”

“Did Tina’s occasional ‘big brother’ bother you that much?”

“Would it make you accept my childishness if I said it bothered me immensely?”

“…I’ll think about it.”

“Is that so? Then…! I was really worried about it. I felt like I was being left behind.”

“R-Really?”

“May I have your permission?”

“…If it’s just sometimes…”

“Really? Hehe! Then…! Praus, big brother! I’ll be off!”

Hearing my answer, she beamed enthusiastically and jumped up, neatly placing her shoes and socks aside. With a skip, she ran towards Tina and Maria.

At just fifteen, her every action was so cunning. Or is she truly a fox?

“Iris is here too?! I tried dipping my feet, and it was super cold?!”

“Really? Should I try it too?”

“Yay~ This time, I’ll fully immerse myself!”

Tina jumped into the waves.

Splash!

Water sprayed onto Iris and Maria beside her.

“Whoa! It’s cold!”

“Kukuku! This feels great!”

Following Tina, Iris and Maria also dipped their feet into the water. With their giggles and chatter, they finally looked like typical kids.

All that rigorous training and the heavy responsibilities of being heroes to defeat the Demon King must have been quite burdensome.

I’m truly grateful they’ve stuck with me this far.

“I will ensure you all find happiness.”

So please, give it your all until the very end.

*

“It’s already dark. It feels like we didn’t play much.”

Maria sighed, brushing sand off her feet, sounding a bit dissatisfied.

“Well, that just means we can come back another time.”

“That’s true. Big Brother.”

“Big Brother?!”

“Iris, you… you! Just how far…!”

The change in titles sent Tina and Maria into a frenzy. As they started to confront Iris, I stopped them.

“…Alright. Then I’ll show you something fun so today won’t feel like a waste.”

“Something fun?”

The three Heroes focused intently. With a sly grin, I held out the mirror ring towards Maria.

“‘Copycat’.”

[Recognizing the target: ‘Maria’.]
[‘Maria’s’ powers and skills are replicated.]

“Teacher?”

“Watch closely. I’ll only show you for exactly one minute.”

I snapped my fingers to create a barrier around us. I didn’t want to create a commotion that would disturb others nearby.

With the sun completely set, I picked up some stones lying around, crushing them. Staring at the fragments, I spoke.

“This is a technique utilizing fire magic. I developed it myself.”

Actually, I didn’t develop it, but who cares?

I threw a stone high into the sky and reached out my arm.

“‘Color Explosion’.”

Boom! Bang! Boom! Bang!

With explosions in various colors, the dark sky lit up brilliantly. Each explosion took a different shape and color. The stones burst, mixing hues that became even more beautiful.

It was like decorating a black canvas with a myriad of colors.

“Wow…”

“Whoa…”

“What’s this…?”

The Heroes were left speechless in awe.

“Maria.”

“…Yes?”

“I’ve mentioned that the possibilities of magic are endless, right? Always use your imagination. Create even better magic through imagination. I believe you can do it.”

Because, ultimately, magic is about imagery.

Maria gazed at me and then got lost in the dazzling fireworks lighting up the night sky.

“It’s so beautiful…”

This time, I collected several stones without crushing them and threw them high into the sky, causing them to explode.

Boom!

The scale of the explosions was far greater than the last. It was a sight to behold.

Fireworks are all about flow.

I must keep the flow smooth without interruption.

I continued the fireworks display for one minute, adjusting my throwing style and the size of the stones as if performing.

After depleting my mana, I felt a little drained, but thankfully, I still had ample reserves, with only a slight strain in my shoulders as the issue.

“You all will continue to create happy memories like today. There will surely be tough times ahead, but doesn’t the future excite you?”

Though they didn’t respond, mesmerized by the fireworks, I was certain that this moment would become an unforgettable memory for them.

*

A few days later.

“Are we all set?”

“Ready!”

“Did you remember to lock the door?”

“Of course!”

Iris answered, double-checking the doorknob once more. I nodded in approval.

“Alright. Then let’s go. Time to slay the Demon King.”

“Yes!”

It was time to put a period on our journey.