My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 274

“How have you been…?”

Her eyes sparkled with life, but the dazed expression on her face showed that she still couldn’t quite grasp her resurrection.

“I don’t know. I… I can’t remember.”

Leoness rubbed her forehead, frowning. The more she tried to recall, the deeper the furrow in her brow became.

“I… didn’t I die? I clearly felt that overwhelming pain, like I was being torn apart by that massive Demon Tribe…”

As Leoness spoke, her body trembled increasingly. Her head drooped lower and lower. She lowered her hand from her forehead and clutched her arm, as if to calm her shivering.

“…I’ve never felt such pain before.”

“…It’s okay. You’ll be alright now.”

I carefully placed my hand on top of Leoness’s hand that rested on the ground. Feeling my warmth, she lifted her head to look at me again. I smiled, locking eyes with her.

“That guy was killed by Maria.”

“…Praus is smiling?”

…Huh?

Leoness stared at me with wide eyes, blinking repeatedly as if in disbelief.

“How can you smile?!”

She leaned in and shouted.

Is it more important that I’m smiling after killing your enemy Ecabel than it is that he’s dead?

I felt like a fool for considering how to comfort her.

“How can you say that? Isn’t that a bit harsh?”

“No, you weren’t smiling! Not in front of me! Not even when we kissed!”

Her words made me flinch. I shot a sidelong glance at the Heroes watching us from the side.

They looked displeased with my hand resting on Leoness’s. Their expressions were somewhat grim.

It seemed they were trying to understand my situation but were at their limits, as shown by their discomfort.

Just then, the World Tree began to whisper to the Heroes.

“Hey, Heroes.”

“Yes?”

“Master… No, Praus… Hmm. Ah! It seems like your husband is openly cheating on you?”

The World Tree casually dropped those words. The expressions of the Heroes gradually morphed into frowns.

After years of dealing with expression management, now the World Tree was clearly trying to mess with me. What a rotten tree.

“World Tree, shut up.”

“Look at how you’re speaking now that you’ve lost your expression management! This seems to be a complete lack of basic courtesy for a contracted servant of the World Tree!”

Her tone was utterly devoid of seriousness.

Acting all casual in front of me while flaunting her nonsense in front of the spirits, huh?

“…The World Tree, really?”

Leoness gazed at the turquoise-haired Yggdrasil in disbelief.

“I heard the World Tree is a being of a higher rank than the Spirit King…?”

“That’s right. I am the World Tree you’re aware of in the Human World. And from now on, you will serve me.”

As the World Tree nodded and walked toward us, the atmosphere shifted one eighty degrees from when she spoke to me.

Her calm and benevolent tone strangely boosted my spirits.

Just listening made me almost feel a desire to snuggle up to her. If I had to put it metaphorically, it was like wanting to be in my grandmother’s arms when I visited her as a child.

…That was the feeling, anyway.

“I…?”

“You’ve become a spirit, after all.”

“I’ve become a spirit…?”

Realizing she was speaking to the World Tree, she belatedly added a respectful tone.

“That’s right. You were reborn into this world as a spirit due to Praus’s wish.”

“Praus’s wish…?”

She kept alternating glances between me and the World Tree as if unable to comprehend the situation.

I understood Leoness’s feelings. She was experiencing something as astonishing as my own reincarnation into this world, so it was only natural she’d react this way.

“Praus, what does all this mean?”

“I had no choice but to turn you into a spirit to save you.”

“Why? Why did you save me? Do you still need my help? Or did humans make other races slaves again?”

“No, since the Slave Liberation, other races have been living freely until now. They are currently harmonizing with humans without much conflict.”

“With humans…?”

“After Ecabel invaded the Beastmen’s Forest, the Empire accepted other races again. After you died, Seri became the Emperor. Now, they’re living well in the territory of the Empire.”

Though I said that, if we were to argue whether there is discrimination between humans and other races, I wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.

With differing appearances and cultures, many intricate misunderstandings could arise since not everyone learned about human culture from childhood like the Heroes did.

“Of course, recently there have been movements to restore the Beastmen’s Forest and to preserve the cultures of other races. Not all other races are the same, though.”

“Is that so? I’m glad. Really glad…”

Leoness placed her hand on her chest, genuinely relieved. A smile crept onto her lips.

Seeing her so happy just from hearing the story made me feel even more sorrowful about her death.

“But… if humans, Beastmen, and Elves are living together well, then there shouldn’t be a reason to bring me back, right?”

“Logically speaking, there would be no reason for me to bring you back. But… I still wanted to. There’s no grand reason behind it. I just wanted you to see this changed world since you wished for the Slave Liberation more than anyone and fought for it more than anyone else.”

At my honest sentiment, Leoness broke into a bashful smile.

Having only seen her rough and impatient side, her smile seemed all the more precious. I even thought it would be nice if she smiled more often from now on.

“So that means… I was important to Praus.”

I nodded in affirmation.

Leoness had always been an important person to me. From the moment I played the game until now.

“That makes me happy.”

Leoness turned her hand, holding mine snugly. I felt my hand grow warm in response.

“Is that so?”

“By the way, you’ve changed a lot while I was dead.”

“…Me?”

“You used to be gentle in actions alone. Now, you can show various expressions and speak very sweetly too. Most of all, it’s nice to see you smiling.”

“…I guess I should’ve smiled more in front of you.”

I threw a casual joke her way.

I had no understanding of expression management back then. So I couldn’t say good things even if I wanted to, and I couldn’t laugh even if I wished to.

I now realize it wasn’t a big deal, but back then, it drove me absolutely mad.

“Praus, can I hug you?”

“Huh?”

“I’m going to hug you.”

Without waiting for an answer, she pulled me in just like when we kissed. I could have easily escaped if I put in the effort, but I let her have her way.

The fabric of her clothing pressed against me, offering a raw sense of closeness. I embraced her, trying my best to avoid any indecent thoughts.

“Yeah, I’m definitely alive. I can feel Praus’s warmth and hear your heartbeat.”

It felt like I was being led, but it wasn’t unpleasant.

I felt Leoness’s hands tracing my back as I assured the Heroes who were approaching that nothing inappropriate would happen.

I could confidently say that what we were experiencing now was just intimate contact meant for the joy of reunion.

“Praus.”

“Yeah?”

“I… want to visit the Beastmen’s Forest.”

After that heartfelt embrace, she spoke while holding onto my shoulders.

I glanced at the World Tree. She shrugged as if to say it was fine.

“Then—”

“No. Not today.”

Just as I was about to agree, Maria interrupted. She pulled out a sketchbook she had tucked under her arm and presented it to us.

“I came here to draw that picture.”

“That’s right. I even packed lunch.”

Following Maria, Iris held up her lunch box as well.

“That’s right. These low-level spirits are just too cute. We can’t leave them behind.”

Tina seized a nymph in her grasp. The nymph struggled valiantly to escape, but there was no way it could break free from Tina’s grip.

Tina, just let go for now.

“…Is that so?”

While it was indeed a reason to celebrate Leoness’s resurrection, I had no priority above the kids.

“I can’t help it. It seems… these kids are more important than me to Praus?”

“Yup. I love them.”

At my words, the Heroes flinched, then burst into wide smiles. They blushed and fidgeted with their hands, making them look adorable.

“That’s so sweet.”

“I have to make them happy.”

Because they’ve believed in me and followed me this far. I genuinely felt for the Heroes as we developed our relationships.

Apart from the fact that my lust was getting stronger recently, I thought everything else was alright.

“Alright. Then let’s visit the Beastmen’s Forest later. But first, tell me all the things you’ve experienced while I was dead.”

“Okay. I’ll tell you everything. You don’t mind this, right, kids?”

“Yes.”

The Heroes looked somewhat displeased about not monopolizing me, but perhaps feeling happy about my declaration of love made them easily accept that.

“Then let’s see, what should I begin to tell you…”

I started recalling all the things I had gone through, retracing the events in reverse order.