My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 39

“From tomorrow, I will guide you so that you can become stronger. If you grow according to that guidance, you will surely become strong.”

I said while tidying up the bedcovers in my room.

Once I finished cleaning, it felt too cramped for the three kids to share one bed.

Even though they were only ten years old, squeezing three of them onto a single bed was impossible.

“Ariel… It looks like you should go to the Spirit Realm. There’s no room for you here.”

“But that bed over there is quite big. I don’t think it would be a problem for me, Praus, and one more child to sleep on it, right?”

She pointed to the larger bed in the inner room that my parents used to share.

But why couldn’t she understand that it wasn’t about space?

Did she not realize what it meant for grown boys and girls to share a bed?

Of course, being a Spirit King, would she really be concerned about such things?

I certainly was, and it kept me from sleeping.

“Hey, do you think Pasma will get jealous if I sleep with you?”

“Why on earth would I need to sleep with you?”

“Because that’s the promise we made?”

“I never made such a promise.”

“Plaus, if it’s because of Pasma, don’t worry. No matter what anyone says, I only love Pasma.”

Only Pasma.

Those words made her acutely aware of how happy I was that Pasma had returned.

But did she realize what that meant?

Though she wandered this world as a ghost now, Pasma would eventually vanish.

For now, my unwavering thirst for revenge connected me to her, but if my weapon broke or was lost, I would never meet Pasma again.

Of course, it wasn’t that she wouldn’t be here; she would simply remain a ghost in this world. It was just the medium that connected us that would vanish.

But the moment her long-held desire to remain a ghost was fulfilled, she would cease to exist.

And I already knew Pasma’s longing. I knew it would come to fruition someday.

In the end, this couple was just another chain of tragedy that couldn’t be realized.

“…What would you do if Pasma were to disappear forever?”

I blurted it out without even realizing it.

I hadn’t intended to say it at all, and now I was caught off guard.

“Uh…?”

“No, forget it.”

“W-Why are you asking that? Did something happen? Can’t you talk to Pasma anymore?”

She asked, grabbing my arm urgently. Her expression, which had been cheerful just moments before, turned serious.

“That’s not it.”

[Friend, can you not hear my voice?]

“I can hear you just fine.”

“Then why are you asking such questions?”

“I was just curious. It doesn’t mean anything.”

I didn’t really intend to do anything to Ariel. NTR is a sin after all.

In the game, it was all designed to invoke sadness and emotion, but now that it was reality, it only felt pitiful.

“Praus, what do you know?”

“I told you I was just being curious.”

“From the first time we met, you seemed to know me. You had ‘certainty’ about future events.”

She forced me to face her by grabbing my arm.

“Tell me.”

‘Knowing will only make it harder…’

“If I know, what difference does it make?”

Isn’t it okay to say something kind at times like this?

Even though it was my own words, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that they were too harsh.

“At the very least… I don’t want to panic and part ways when the time comes.”

Ariel had a resolute expression, as if she was prepared, but she couldn’t hide the sadness lurking in her eyes.

“…I can’t be completely certain. However, at least for the next ten years, nothing will happen.”

Unless the demon tribe suddenly acts strangely and creates variables.

“Then—”

“I’ll end the small talk here. For sleeping arrangements, Ariel and two of you will share the bedroom. One will sleep with me. Who will sleep with me?”

I hastily changed the subject, deciding that further conversation would drag it out longer.

However, it seemed the kids found it serious, and they struggled to move on to the next topic.

Ugh, I shouldn’t have brought it up.

As I sighed, trying to take control, I was interrupted.

“I! I want to sleep with Praus!”

Tina, who had somehow curled up with her pillow, raised her hand high. It was then that the others woke up to reality.

“Wait a second—”

“Let her do it.”

“That’s settled then; Iris and Maria will sleep in the other room. I will ask a carpenter in town to make a bed, so be patient for a while. Now, sleep well.”

I quickly finished speaking so that no one else would say anything, and went into the room. Tina followed and closed the door.

I rushed onto the bed and lay down. Just my presence nearly filled the bed to capacity.

Then Tina carefully climbed onto the bed. Feeling her movements, I glanced at her and saw that she was curled up, turning her back to me.

“Praus…”

“….Sleep.”

“Yes. G-Good night.”

It seemed Tina had some questions for me, but right now, I didn’t want to engage.

I closed my eyes.

It took less than a minute to fall asleep.

*

Praus and Tina entered the room while Iris and Maria headed toward the bed.

They had bathed and eaten a hearty dinner.

The ten-year-old kids were at an age where staying awake was becoming difficult.

The two who had settled down in the bed cast glances at Ariel.

“Ariel, are you not coming in?”

Even at Maria’s question, Ariel lacked the mental space to respond.

‘Is Pasma disappearing? Again? Why?’

Since witnessing the three kids awaken as heroes, Ariel had begun to trust Praus’s words and actions.

Even if there was no ‘evidence’ for what he said, it was never a lie.

The possibility that Pasma might disappear was close to being a fact.

That truth painfully pricked at her heart.

‘What good is being a Spirit King if I can’t even protect the person I love?’

Winds swirled around her, nudging the furniture in the house.

As one of her dishes clanged loudly to the ground, she regained her senses.

Picking up the dish that had fallen at her feet, she placed it back in its original spot.

“Ugh…”

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.

‘Ten years. Ten years, it will be fine. As long as I find a way during that time, everything will work out.’

She forced herself to push away the negative thoughts and entered the master bedroom.

*

“Tina, receive this.”

I handed Tina the unwavering thirst for revenge.

“In that sword lies Pasma’s spirit. Use your skills to learn the Phantom Sword Technique from Pasma.”

“Phantom Sword Technique?”

“Yes. Once you learn it all, pass it on to Iris. You two will learn swordsmanship from Pasma.”

The Phantom Sword Technique is an unorthodox swordsmanship that confounds the opponent by making it impossible to know what kind of attack will come, but it adapts its form based on who wields it, making it a versatile technique.

…At least, that’s what the game manual said.

It was an absurd setup, but there was no faster way to foster growth.

Pasma was meant to be encountered early to mid-game.

In other words, it would be around the time they reached their growth limit after awakening.

However, I used underhanded methods to accelerate the growth of the heroes.

Although there were several years until the Demon War, I didn’t have the luxury of time.

Considering the various conflicts they would encounter, including demons, they needed to grow as quickly as possible.

In any case, as Tina and Iris learned the Phantom Sword Technique, their swordsmanship would exhibit distinct characteristics.

Tina would become impulsive and focused on single-strike damage, while Iris would adopt a more rational, counter-based style.

I intended to inform them of those directions.

“First, learn the basics from Pasma. Once you’ve mastered them, I will present directions suitable for you.”

The two looked at each other in bewilderment before nodding.

“Even though Pasma has awakened, they are still ten-year-old kids, so teach them at a suitable level.”

I spoke to the air, not knowing if she was listening. There was no way she’d run off feeling hurt after hearing about yesterday, right?

“Get started.”

Leaving those words behind, I glanced at Maria, who was hesitating beside me.

“Ariel, teach Maria Wind Magic. Help her reach the highest tier she can achieve. If you’re going to teach other elemental magic, it would be great to call other Spirit Kings with their respective specialties.”

She specializes in Wind.

While she might have knowledge of other attributes, it would be more efficient to summon other Spirit Kings specializing in their own fields.

“I’ll do that. But please tell me how and why Pasma disappears.”

“There’s no good in hearing that.”

“…I’ve been thinking about it all night yesterday.”

At my firm attitude, she clenched her fist tightly and said,

“I want to know the story. It doesn’t matter how many years are left. As long as I know how she disappears, I’ll surely find a way.”

No. There’s no way to find that way.

I can confidently say that while I might not know everything else, I was sure of this. Pasma’s ascension was an ‘inevitable’ consequence in this world.

“…I will make my judgment after teaching. I can’t have you running away after hearing the story, prioritizing Pasma over everything else.”

“Understood. I’ll do my best to teach. Please make sure to tell me later.”

“Don’t worry.”

I took a final look at the kids just before they started training and turned my body.

Now it was time to prepare lunch.

*

“Is this Pretéum?”

The capital of the empire I had arrived at over several days.

On the famously solid castle walls, Commander Habito looked out over the scenery of Pretéum.

Beneath his feet lay the twisted bodies of fallen knights from the Royal Knight Order.

“Lord Habito.”

“What is it?”

“It doesn’t seem wise to stay here for long.”

One of his subordinates appeared in front of him and knelt down.

“What’s happened?”

“There’s ‘Grand Anti-Demon Magic’ deployed all over the capital. The longer we stay, the more our strength will weaken.”

Grand Anti-Demon Magic.

No matter how strong the commander was, if he was a demon, he was inevitably affected by this demon-targeted debuff spell.

It significantly reduced the power of magical skills and played a major role in hindering mana outflow.

This was established not just in the capital Pretéum but across all cities and regions in the empire.

“Is that so? Understood. We must retreat as quickly as possible.”

“And, we have confirmed the existence of the ‘Purification Stone’ here.”

“…What? Why is the long-lost Purification Stone in the capital?”

As a demon, he should have been aware of this object.

It was a repugnant and disturbing relic.

Even just having one nearby absorbed all sorts of magic, rendering demons as feeble as humans, making it something the demon tribe should avoid at all costs.

Just how many Purification Stones does it take to create a barrier that could restrain even a Demon King?

“I don’t know about that.”

Habito felt a throbbing headache.

“This situation is bad. If the Purification Stone starts being discovered, it could lead to issues in the upcoming war. Break the Purification Stone as soon as it’s discovered.”

‘Who on earth discovered the Purification Stone? Is it all just a coincidence with the heroes’ affairs?’

That couldn’t be right.

He was sure that someone was intervening in all this.

“Understood.”

The subordinate bowed deeply.

“I will retrieve the deputy commander. You handle the Purification Stone.”

Commander Habito leaped down from the twenty-meter-tall castle wall.

‘I’ll search for it in the capital, but I need to find out who is orchestrating this conspiracy.’