My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 272

“World Tree.”

As I whispered, a white breath began to emanate turquoise light into the air.

“Did you call for me, Praus?”

A girl appeared, radiating a turquoise hue that seemed like it would make a sound effect of “pyo-ron!” She was the youthful embodiment of Yggdrasil, dressed in turquoise fairy attire.

Sighing at the sight of the foolishly twirling girl, I thought of Yggdrasil.

Known to the world as the World Tree, she governed this realm and was the very being that summoned me here.

Oh, and she was also my contract partner.

“I’ll announce my second wish.”

“Second wish, huh~ It’s quite late, isn’t it? I never thought it would take you over four years to speak it.”

“I was contemplating it. To stay in this world.”

Last night, I had shared my first experience with the heroes.

While it wasn’t easy to have my first experience with three people at once, I had to repay those who had trusted and followed me until now.

“It was just yesterday that I decided to live in this world and deleted the hologram.”

“Well~ If you made a wish, you wouldn’t have been able to go back to that world, so that’s correct.”

She spoke while strolling over the hill I was standing on. I quietly observed her thin fairy attire.

“Aren’t you cold in that outfit?”

“Spirits don’t get cold. Especially not me, the World Tree! Do you think I’d tremble in the cold?”

“…Ah, right.”

I replied indifferently.

There was enough chill in the air that my breath would come out in puffs, yet I didn’t feel my body getting colder or shivering.

I supposed it was because I was her contractor.

“Could you at least express a proper reaction?”

“It might get bothersome if I did.”

“That’s just unfair. Seriously! Praus is my contractor, you should learn to speak a bit more gently.”

“Forget it. I just want to ask one thing. It’s been over four years now. Can you bring back the dead?”

“Hmmm~ I can, but they wouldn’t be human anymore.”

She quickly adapted to the change of subject and responded.

“Like Pasma, right?”

“Yes.”

So, the limit seems to be spiritification.

But that didn’t matter to me. I wanted to show Leoness that humans and other races could coexist.

“Then, can you resurrect Leoness?”

“I could do that. But, Praus.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you really that simple-minded?”

“What do you mean?”

“I just don’t understand why you want to use your wish to save others. There’s no limit to what you can ask for from me.”

“I already have you, don’t I?”

“What?”

“Since I’m your contractor, I can use magic like this and I don’t feel the cold.”

As I spoke, I conjured a flame in the palm of my hand.

“Hmph. I think I’m starting to understand just how great I am. Good on you!”

Yggdrasil tiptoed to awkwardly pat my head. Her clumsy touch only made my hair fluff up instead.

“Anyway, I’m counting on you. Please bring back Leoness.”

“…But are you sure?”

“Sure about what?”

“You’re not just saving Leoness. There’s also Paroco, right?”

Paroco…

My second father.

“Are you okay with not bringing back your father? He was so sad about it.”

“…Honestly, I don’t have the confidence to face him.”

If that noble had not been abandoned, perhaps we could have still been exchanging greetings today.

No, if I had protected Stella from the demon tribe back then, things might have turned out differently.

It was true that the heroes had been the priority back then, and I had shown no interest in Stella.

I only cared about saving the heroes; what happened to Stella didn’t matter to me. Because it didn’t matter, I turned away from the chance to save her.

Even if I became Deputy Commander, I thought it was fine if she died.

Yet, there was no excuse for the choice of abandonment I made resulting in the worst outcome.

No matter how many times I cursed, I couldn’t speak a word.

“And… I don’t want to cause my father more pain.”

Even if he were to come back, he would always miss my mother. let alone if he were to be reborn as a spirit, he would mourn for hundreds or thousands of years.

I didn’t want to put him through that pain.

“I’ve lived my whole life as a filial son to him.”

“That was before you possessed Praus, though.”

“Even so… Now that I am Praus, it’s a burden I have to carry. So, my first and last gesture of filial piety will be to pray for my father to rest peacefully.”

Even if he wasn’t my real father, I would follow the will of the remaining will of Praus in my heart as he regarded Paroco as his father.

“Understood. Then for your second wish, I’ll resurrect Leoness as a spirit.”

“Will you be able to find her soul?”

“Time has passed quite a bit, but Leoness’s wish still lingers in this world.”

“Wish?”

“Leoness left a wish to save the beastman tribe and to protect Praus in this world.”

“Wish… So is it somewhat similar to Pasma’s case?”

“Similar, but a bit different. I’ve kept Pasma’s soul here for Praus and Ariel.”

So that sort of thing is possible.

I suppose if there’s a being like an omnipotent god in this world, it would be the World Tree, so she could probably do anything.

“…But if what you said is true, doesn’t that mean Leoness’s soul is not in this world?”

“Exactly. Leoness doesn’t have her soul remaining in this world like Pasma. But finding the soul isn’t too hard. Since her wish exists in this world, we can find the position of her soul based on that.”

“If that’s the case…”

“But it’ll take some time. Four years is quite a long time. Well, for me or Praus, four years isn’t a big deal at all.”

Yggdrasil shrugged her shoulders. I tilted my head at her words. There’s no need to mention how long four years is for humans.

But how can it not matter?

“…What do you mean?”

“Oh, didn’t I mention it?”

She paused, about to twirl around again, and then looked at me. Yggdrasil slowly approached and poked my chest with her cute little finger.

“Praus won’t die anymore.”

“What?”

“As my contractor, you won’t age anymore. Unless this world collapses and my authority is stripped, Praus won’t die.”

“Huh.”

A hollow laugh escaped me. I’m not going to die?

That was as shocking as when I possessed Praus upon entering this world.

“So….”

“Right. Praus will now live for a long time, just like us spirits. Perhaps even longer than most spirits.”

“Why… why won’t I die?”

“Because you’re my contractor.”

It was a remarkably simple reason.

Gaining immortality simply because one is a contractor of an immortal being.

It was certainly a blessing, no doubt about it. Nobody wishes to die. Not me, nor anyone else.

But…

“If that means I’ll have to send off the heroes, Seri, Ella, and Urka someday…”

“That seems likely.”

Her voice was cold.

No, she was speaking normally as she always had. Her tone was high, like when she was joking around. But there was just a tinge of seriousness mixed in.

“Since Praus is my contractor, I need you to be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances.”

“Unforeseen circumstances?”

“If a Demon King is born due to the unavoidable consumption of karma, it will be up to Praus to deal with it. You’re the only one who can intervene in the human world without consuming karma.”

“Are you planning to use me until I die?”

“We’ve always been beings that utilize each other from the start.”

“That’s just nonsense.”

“You can think that if you want.”

Yggdrasil spoke casually while laughing, but that smile was laden with bitterness.

“Why… did you say nothing until I deleted my Expression Management Skill? What if I chose to go back to that world?”

“I never thought of that. Because I was certain that Praus would remain in this world.”

“Certain?”

“Yes. After living in this world for ten years, Praus has formed many bonds. More than in the other world, where you spent a lifetime.”

Just as she said, my decision to stay in this world wasn’t because it was comforting or pleasant.

It was to ensure that the bonds I built in this world wouldn’t break. But to use that…

“…You really are clever.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“I’m not sure. Whether it’s praise or insult.”

“Then I’ll take it as a compliment.”

She giggled, exuding a vibe that was similar to her usual self. The turquoise fairy attire swayed gently in the cold winter wind, as if shedding all worries.

“But there’s no need to be too disheartened. It’s not impossible to grant immortality to the heroes, at least.”

“What? Really?”

“Yes. The heroes carry fragments of my power. I have the position to orchestrate that.”

“I see.”

I let out a sigh of relief. The thoughts of having to send the heroes away began to settle down.

I had thought the heroes were solely infatuated with me, but it seemed the same was true of me.

To think I had unknowingly fallen in love, how romantic.

“But the consumption of karma will be like that, so… Praus might have to kill the newly born Demon King. It might not be any information, and things won’t go as smoothly as they have before. But if Praus decides to do it, I won’t stop you. That too is the will of my contractor.”

“…Alright. Let’s think about that later.”

“Let’s do that. It’s not something to decide overnight. However, I’m personally happy. To have a companion to spend my life with.”

“…Is that so? Yggdrasil, you’re going to be right beside me for life then?”

“Of course!”

She proudly huffed as she spoke. Without thinking, I reached out to touch her blue hair. Yggdrasil flinched and stared at me.

“P-Praus…?”

“I’m just a little happy.”

“…Y-yeah~?”

A beat late, she raised her energy again and smiled, though it looked a bit stiff.

“S-So, for my second wish, I will resurrect Leoness. Any objections?”

“None.”

With the deletion of the Expression Management Skill, it was already impossible for me to return to that other world.

“Great. Then let’s begin right away.”

As Yggdrasil’s hands came together, turquoise mana began to emanate from the gap between them.

I stared at it blankly before lifting my gaze.

In the sky, the constellations that seemed unusually numerous today twinkled, illuminating the dark night sky.