My Disciples Think I’m Strong – Chapter 75

“――That’s strange, Duke Rexton.”

As Duke Rexton sighed, he recalled several scenes captured through Surveillance Magic from Ella Todiah’s report.

“I can’t believe it.”

His gaze, while wiping the sweat from his face with a handkerchief, turned toward me.

“To think you truly defeated the Black Dragon.”

“Everyone who witnessed that scene at the border knows. Lord Praus has already surpassed S-Class.”

“Hmm… Finally, a ‘Hero’ has emerged to oppose the Demon Tribe.”

…Hero? Me?

“Just to clarify and prevent misunderstandings, I am not a hero.”

The title was misplaced.

The true heroes were the downcast children nearby.

Given that I had just dealt with the Black Dragon, it wasn’t too surprising to create such misunderstandings. However, clarifying a misunderstanding was essential to avoid any future troubles.

“I’m just an ordinary commoner—”

“An ordinary commoner defeating a Black Dragon? That would be even more surprising.”

“…”

His counter was so unexpectedly valid that I found myself at a loss for words.

“I didn’t form a raid to kill the Black Dragon. I fought alone. Moreover, making that woman set up a Barrier means you anticipated that your power would affect our side too, right?”

He shot a glance at Ariel, pressing me further.

Surveillance Magic could perceive even invisible spells, so there was no way to hide what had transpired back then.

“And the process of killing the Black Dragon was remarkably smooth. It didn’t take long at all. The fact that it went down so easily proves that Lord Praus is even stronger than this. He might even be ‘Commander-level.’”

Listening quietly to his assumptions almost made me want to laugh. Me, a Commander-level? That was absurd.

“You weren’t serious when you dealt with Urka or when you faced Knight Commander Conver, were you?”

His sharp gaze swept over my entire being through his glasses.

The length of his words indicated that he had genuinely become interested in me.

While it was true I had killed the Black Dragon with the intention of impressing him from the very beginning, I didn’t expect him to take such excessive interest.

I just wanted to make him easier to utilize.

“I’m not here to engage in useless banter. Let’s get to the point. Our relationship is, after all, business, isn’t it?”

“True, but… I’ve come to like you.”

He stood up and walked toward me.

He was quite tall. I had to lift my head slightly to meet his gaze.

“I don’t care about your status, age, position, or any of that as long as you have the ability.”

“That’s right. What you need is someone who can increase your wealth.”

“Anyone hearing this would think you’re obsessed with money.”

“Am I wrong?”

He chuckled softly.

“……It’s not completely false. But the more money I make, the better the lives of the citizens in Rexton Territory become. In reality, people in our territory live far more abundantly than those in other territories. Even slaves don’t starve to death here.”

I already knew this.

Compared to other territories, there were no people sitting on the streets, and almost no one was dying of starvation.

When I glanced around, there were orphanages scattered about, so no one like Tina would have to live in fear of thugs.

So far, everything was fine.

The problem was that he was one of the people who viewed slavery positively.

Slavery had its commercial value.

While human trafficking would be regarded as the worst crime in modern times, here, slaves were simply seen as valuable labor, not something to be viewed negatively.

Of course, this was a notion that arose mainly because most slaves belonged to Other Races, but because slavery allowed Rexton to amass even more wealth, he didn’t see it as a problem.

That meant the situation regarding slavery here was not significantly different from that in the Pretéum Empire.

Only people like Duke Tori Aus, influenced by Urka, could be said to care about the slave situation.

“……So what do you want to say?”

“I won’t tell you to come under my banner. I have no way to control a person like you. Instead…”

He extended his hand.

“I want to maintain this business relationship. What do you think?”

It’s undoubtedly not a bad proposal.

I wouldn’t have to worry about money in the future.

“If you want, I can build a house the size of my mansion anywhere you like. I could ask Emperor Lupin for a noble title and let you operate part of my territory.”

Duke Rexton likely had enough power to fulfill everything I mentioned as examples.

After all, he is the person with the second-largest assets after the Royal Family.

But what I desired wasn’t material.

I was hoping for a happy ending in this world.

Gathering Heroes, searching for artifacts, and defeating the Demon Tribe was not for the world’s sake, but for my own.

No one could just sit by, knowing the world was destined to end.

In any case, I was planning on using Rexton for my own purposes, but getting too deeply involved wouldn’t bring any benefits.

As time passed, the uncomfortable feelings would only grow on my side.

“I don’t need it. Even without that kind of relationship, the fact remains that I killed the Black Dragon, so you will have to grant my wish.”

“I see. Since we have an agreement from before, I have no choice.”

He withdrew his hand and shrugged. His expression shifted entirely.

It became serious, exuding a strange aura. Interviewers often made such faces to assert dominance. Quite unnecessary.

“So what do you want from me?”

“……Before that.”

I turned around.

“I’d appreciate it if Ella could step out for a moment.”

“W-why is that?”

She looked puzzled at being singled out.

While the Heroes or Ariel were likely to comply with my wishes, I doubted Ella would.

I knew she held feelings for me, but she had been raised as a loyal member of the Todiah Family, trained to serve the Royal Family.

If she happened to mention discussions of power to Glair, it could lead to complications.

There’s a significant gap between bringing it up myself and her unintentionally doing so.

I silently stared at her. Her face, which had been meeting my gaze for some time, showed signs of sulking.

“……Alright.”

She trudged out. Before looking at Rexton again, I glanced at Ariel. She sighed and snapped her fingers.

It seemed she had cast soundproofing magic.

“Why did you send Lady Todiah away?”

“She’d be a distraction in our conversation.”

“Is that so? Then what wish do you have that requires sending Ella Todiah away?”

The matters I was about to discuss would undoubtedly create many variables.

I had no way of knowing what obstacles might arise in the upcoming Succession War, but I was certain of one thing.

At least until the Succession War commenced, no other princes would dare to touch the princess.

My strength had been renewed by killing the Black Dragon. Having defeated a being that even S-Class couldn’t subdue, they wouldn’t be able to gauge the limits of my power.

This was information with significant implications.

Depending on how I acted going forward, it could alter the course of the Succession War.

Moreover, the images seen through Surveillance Magic would remain, eliminating the chance for it to be dismissed as mere rumors.

This would undoubtedly be discussed in the upcoming ‘Nobility Conference.’

If I had previously expressed my intention to intervene in the Succession War there, what would happen?

The perceptive Crown Prince would realize that I had aligned myself with the Princess the moment he heard about power struggles.

Other princes were just as sensitive to information as the Crown Prince; there was no way they wouldn’t catch on.

Once that happened, the Princess’s position would inevitably solidify, and she would undeniably participate in the Succession War.

While I had asked Princess Seri if she aimed to become Empress before, it was merely a matter of confirming intentions.

I had always intended to make her the Empress by whatever means necessary.

Even if she claimed she didn’t want it.

“I hope you could maintain neutrality in the upcoming Succession War.”

“!”

His stiff expression hardened in an entirely different way. Perhaps it was due to the unexpected nature of my wish, but he looked at me in disbelief.

His face was filled with a whirlwind of thoughts. After a long silence, he cautiously spoke.

“Neutrality…? Are you saying that knowing whose faction I’m in?”

“I am aware. You’re in Crown Prince Chris’s faction, aren’t you?”

I spoke without a hint of hesitation.

Currently, the Empire’s direction offered numerous benefits for increasing his wealth, so he had no reason to support the Crown Prince. Moreover, given that the Crown Prince had a high chance of succeeding.

“That means you’re asking me to betray Prince Chris.”

“I’m not necessarily saying to betray him. Rather, that it’s best to retreat when the time is right.”

“That’s betrayal, isn’t it?”

His voice rose.

I understood why he felt that way. He had likely built a lot of trust between Rexton and Chris.

“This is my wish, but it’s also advice for your sake. It would be wise to be flexible. Otherwise, you could lose everything you have.”

This was the persuasive power gained from demonstrating the overwhelming gap through killing the Black Dragon.

Having proven that no one in the Empire was stronger than me, he would inevitably have to consider how to deal with me if he viewed me as an enemy.

“Maintain neutrality. Economy Rexton.”

“Are you serious… Are you planning to participate in the Succession War?!”

His poker face shattered as he realized my intentions. Seeing the look of horror on his face, I vaguely let out a statement.

“Well, who knows?”

“…Who are you backing?”

“You’ll find out soon enough, given your information network, even if I don’t say anything. So, what are you thinking?”

“At least the fact that you’re telling me to maintain neutrality suggests you’re not in the Crown Prince’s faction. Still… is that really okay? Turning the Crown Prince into an enemy means turning more than half of the Empire into enemies.”

“I’m fine with that.”

I was confident.

Taking into account the abilities of the S-Class I had yet to see and the cards the Emperor possessed, I had a fair idea.

As long as the Heroes grew well, I could dismantle all opposing factions.

Originally, I had planned to wait until the Resistance was formed, but I intended to act before that.

Now, it was time for me to lead rather than being swept along by episodes.

“……This is not something I can confirm right now.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not concerned about which side you align with. Just grasp how the war will unfold, like how you understand the economy. Know where you can survive.”

While I said this, the Duke’s house wouldn’t fall even if a Succession War broke out. That was the case for smaller houses, but the larger ones would remain intact.

It was simply a matter of where you stood and how that would affect your standing in the future.

“Is it alright to reveal such things? I might not follow your words, you know?”

“I don’t mind. You’ll eventually act in a way that benefits you.”

“What exactly are you…”

“I hope we can see each other for a long time. Economy Rexton.”