My Disciples Think I’m Strong

[Your tone is really riling me up.]
‘What can you do about it when I have this filtering that prevents me from speaking my true intentions?’
“So what are you going to do about it? There’s nothing you can do.”

[To receive such disrespect from an unripe brat. How vexing.]
“I didn’t come here to listen to your tragic story.”

I rolled my eyes around, trying to locate Pasma. However, it seemed I couldn’t see his appearance unless I drew the sword.

[Your manners are truly foul. For someone like you to seek me out, what cruel fate—]
“A dead man sure talks a lot.”

My mouth showed no restraint in insulting the deceased, leaving me in awe of its audacity.

[If I were alive, I would have beheaded you.]
“What a waste of thought and time. Just focus on the practical.” I came here to make a deal with you.”

I drew the sword and stabbed it into the ground.

[The “Unwavering Vengeance” has been equipped.]
[You can temporarily use the Revenant skill.]

The moment I grasped the sword, a red apparition began to appear before my eyes.
Despite generations having passed, he appeared as a muscular middle-aged man.
Did this world only have muscle heads? Every man seemed muscular.

[A deal? You speak of making a deal with the dead? What, are you offering to shorten my lifespan?]
“That would be too much for the dead to covet.”
[Then what could you possibly offer me?]
“I can tell you the framework of the ‘Mirage Waltz’ technique you failed to complete in your lifetime.”

The Mirage Waltz.
A sword dance where one delivers tens or hundreds of slashes so quickly that the body appears like a mirage. The number of strikes varied by situation, but its defining feature was the irregular circular movements.
Since Tina had demonstrated it in the game, I didn’t know how well I could replicate the incomplete form I had witnessed.

[What?! How do you know of my technique? I have no recollection of taking a disciple!]
“That’s not important. What matters is that I can tell you the framework. What will you do?”
[Then what is it that you want?]

As expected, he was sharp.
Thanks to that, the conversation seemed to be progressing quickly.

“What I want is Aerial’s boots.”
[Aerial’s boots, you say? You don’t mean the ones buried where I died, do you? But that place is sealed by Aerial’s barrier, accessible only to me.]
“Yes, only you can enter. But there’s a way for me to get in too. If you, a revenant, possess my body, I can enter as well.”
[Heh. You really are a madman. If you enter Aerial’s barrier, she may think you’re an intruder and try to destroy your flesh and soul.]
“Meeting a Spirit King is no easy feat, so it’s worth anticipating.”
[If you meet her, you will surely die. I’ve assessed the level of your body touching my sword. You are weak. Physical ability, strength, flexibility, instincts, dynamic vision – you have not developed a single aspect properly. Even the feeblest villager is not this lacking.]
“Save the spiel. It’s unpleasant.”

Was he trying to crush me down to the bone with facts? What a nasty guy.
Still, I had entertained some hope that I might grow stronger, but having even that dashed made me resent him.

[However, your mana is exceptional. The mana inherent within you is tremendous. You would not make a bad mage.]
“Are you giving me poison and the antidote?”
[What attribute are the skills you possess?]

He brushed off my words and countered with a question.

“None of that sort.”
[Then you are disqualified from being a mage as well.]
“Shut up, you damned old man.”
[O, Old man?! You brat! I am not so elderly to be called an old man!]

The apparition raged. A sense of pressure enveloped my entire body. His overwhelming aura began to overwhelm me.

[The Intimidation skill has been activated.]

When I glared back, his aura was instantly suppressed by my Intimidation.

[Kuhuk! Wh, What formidable aura! Even the Demon Army Commander could not exude such presence! Could it be that you possess a power even I cannot perceive? But your muscle mass and physical abilities seem quite lacking…]

It seems my Intimidation alone was truly top-notch.
If even the Sword Master was left in awe, there was no room for further doubt.

The Sword Master realm was one that only five people in the Empire’s history had ever reached.
Pasma was the last, the fifth, and no Sword Master had emerged since.

However, when Tina became the sixth Sword Master, a new history began to be written.
In just a few days, she would complete the incomplete Mirage Waltz, surpassing Pasma to become the greatest swordswoman, and be hailed as a hero.

“I didn’t come here to fight you. I’ll say it again – what I want are Aerial’s boots. I’ll tell you the Mirage Waltz framework as a bargaining chip. How about it?”
[…I’m sorry, but that’s not enough for me to give you the boots Aerial left for me.]

I expected as much, so I should sweeten the deal.

“Then I’ll give you a chance to defeat the demons. How’s that?”
[What?]

His apparition trembled, seemingly flustered.
His resentment stemmed from his regret at being unable to protect people from the demons.
The episode where he bitterly blamed himself as he died flashed through my mind.

“I know what lingering attachment keeps you in this world.”
[H, How do you know so much about me?]
“I don’t wish to reveal that.”
[…How do you intend to give me that chance?]

Pasma cautiously asked, his curiosity piqued.

“Raise a disciple.”
[I do not take disciples.]

A sigh escaped me at his adamant attitude. He was truly inflexible and narrow-minded.

“If you wish to remain in this world, someone must remember you. The reason you’ve been able to linger until now is not only because of your status as a Sword Master but because Aerial remembered you.”
[What? Aerial remembers me?!]

Truly a lifelong loner, it seems.
I almost shed a tear over these two’s tragic romance.

Up close, his obliviousness was infuriating. Was he really a dense protagonist straight out of a light novel?
If so, why did he cling to Aerial? It made me want to engage in NTR.

“…Go ask her directly. In any case, there’s someone I think you’ll like, so I’ll introduce you. Defeat the demons together with that child.”
[…Just to be sure, it’s not you, is it?]
“No, it’s not.”
[Then I’ll observe their state first. Whether they are capable of defeating demons or not. If I deem them suitable, I will accept that child as my disciple.]

While I acknowledged my weakness, his nuance rubbed me the wrong way.
Still, the recruitment was a success. In this state, I should be able to elevate the heroes to their peak much faster.

“Is this the place?”

It was near the forest entrance connected to the village.

[We must go deeper.]

We entered the forest. The deeper we went, the more overgrown trees and vines obstructed our path. After passing through, we arrived at a heavily damaged area of the forest.

In the center of the forest was an eerie clearing. Although now overgrown with grass, making the details unclear, it gave an unnatural, artificial impression.

“It’s here.”

Swoosh! Something blocked me when I extended my hand.
There was clearly a path, but it was as if a wall prevented me from proceeding further.

“So this is where you died.”
[Yes. I tried to buy time for the villagers to evacuate. But I failed.]
“What was the name of that Army Commander?”
[How did you know it was the Army Commander who killed me?]

He looked stunned.

“A few years from now, the demons will invade the Empire again. That same Army Commander who killed you will come. I intend to prepare for that.”
[A few years from now? Are you some kind of seer?]
“Just answer the question.”
[…The name of the Army Commander who killed me was Pheremus, the one who overwhelms all life with brute force.]

Pheremus, huh.
The information was accurate.

The second-in-command of the demon realm, possessing overwhelming might capable of leveling an entire city with a single punch.
He was a mid-boss in the game.

It would take the combined strength of all three heroes to barely defeat him, so I needed to elevate them to their peak as soon as possible.
Once at their peak, they should be able to fight him evenly.

[His level would be just slightly below that of the Demon Lord. If he invades again, I wonder if we can stop him…]
“We can stop him. I’ll be there.”
[Heh, with your frail body, what can you possibly do?]
“Fighting isn’t just about physical confrontation, you know. It starts well before that.”

Victory is ensured through information.
My greatest weapon was ‘information’.

Simply covering myself in artifacts wouldn’t be enough for me to defeat the Army Commander.
Considering the percentage-based effects of artifacts applied to my base of 1, even a 200% attack boost would only amount to 2.

That’s why I desperately sought out and aimed to train the heroes.
“Then I’ll enter the barrier. Pasma, are you ready to possess me?”
[…No problem.]
“Don’t worry about that. Then let’s begin.”

[The “Unwavering Vengeance” has been equipped.]
[You can temporarily use the Revenant skill.]

“Revenant.”

Revenant was the skill that allowed Pasma’s soul residing in this sword to possess my body.
It temporarily granted me access to his swordsmanship when he was a Sword Master, with the technique’s breadth varying based on the user’s ability.

“As expected, a rotten husk of a body.”

My mouth moved, but the words weren’t mine – they were Pasma’s after possessing my body.
It felt like there were two selves within one body, an odd sensation.

“Yet I sense a peculiar power as well. But the mana seems genuine.”

The moment he imbued the sword with mana, it glowed blue.

An Aura Sword.
Similar in principle to how Inkuro borrowed the power of spirits to imbue his sword with mana, but this was a purer form of power.
Even a mere sturdy steel sword would become the supreme blade capable of cutting through anything once imbued with an aura.
No wonder it was said to be a sword that could even sever a Spirit King.

“Let’s go in.”
“…Alright.”

Although he responded, he didn’t move.

“Feeling nervous after so long?”
“Well. Truthfully, I’m not sure how to face her.”

It made sense. Over a hundred years had passed since they last met.
However, the fact that Aerial still remembered him was proof that she had loved him deeply enough to not forget, even after a century.

“Perhaps Aerial still loves you.”
“Love…? How could she love me? I was a mere human, and she is a Spirit King.”
“You idiot.”
“What?!”

It felt strange to hurl insults at myself.

“For her to stay with you like that and you still didn’t realize, you truly were a lifelong bachelor.”
“But I…”
“Enough idle talk. I don’t have time for this. I intend to quickly do what I came for and leave.”

I couldn’t afford to waste any more time. Having already spent a significant amount with the Purification Stone, any further delay risked Dex and the girls coming to look for me.
I had to complete everything before then.

“You are a rather heartless human.”
“Better than being an oblivious fool.”

Grumbling, I entered the barrier.
My body, which had previously been repelled by the barrier, now naturally passed through it.

“Go to the spot where you died. She must have buried her boots there, where you fell.”
“Just how do you know all these things—”

Whoosh—!
A fierce wind whipped up.

“Ah… You were right, Pasma.”
“…?”
“She’s here. Your girlfriend.”
“Girlfriend?”

Ignoring his bewildered response, I looked up into the air. A green whirlwind was swirling in the space above.

“How dare a human breach my barrier and enter this place, where the memories of my beloved are enshrined. Leave at once, or I shall destroy your flesh and soul!”

The voice reverberated in my mind like the transmitted voices in martial arts novels. She seemed quite enraged.

As the whirlwind dissipated, Aerial’s form became visible.
Her appearance resembled a beautiful fusion of a fairy and an elf.
Beneath her long golden hair, she wore an elegantly designed dress that seemed woven from leaves.

The description matched both the game and this world.
Truly, I must praise the illustrator. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

“Greetings, Aerial. No, Wind Spirit King. I am—”
“Eri.”

Pasma cut me off, his voice filled with longing.
I was honestly a bit startled to hear such an emotional voice coming from my mouth.
Did the Emotionless Mask skill only apply to me, even when sharing a body?

“How dare you insult a Spirit King!!”
“It’s me, Eri! It’s me… Pasma!”

He placed a hand on his chest and shouted.

“…What?”

Wow, that look of bewilderment was quite something.
The hand she had extended to cast a wind spell on me drooped limply.

“Pasma?”

What should I even call this?
Did I really have to witness this cringeworthy tragic romance just to obtain a single artifact? Couldn’t they do this without me?
However, since the original owner of this body was me, I had no choice but to bear witness to their emotional reunion from the front row.