My Disciples Became Scoundrels - Chapter 16

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Gainak thrashed and tried to pull back, but it was useless. Jenia’s Tentacles held him fast. Even if he’d tried to summon Magic, the agony of his dissolving flesh robbed him of all coherence.
“Ugh, ah—ahhhhh……!”
When the screams that poured forth instead of incantations fell silent, there was nothing left that could be called Gainak. Only liquefied flesh and clothes eaten away to tatters.
The Tentacles drooped lifelessly. Jenia, having poured all her power into the attack, seemed on the verge of losing consciousness. Chejare, drenched in blood, rushed toward the Cliff’s edge.
“Master, grab my hand! I’ll pull you up!”
When Dein grasped the outstretched hand, Chejare hauled both of them up without difficulty.
Three figures collapsed in a tangled heap beneath the dark night sky. Dein fumbled urgently for a Recovery Potion. Chejare’s hand had melted away until bone showed through.
“Chejare, let me see that wound.”
“It’s fine. Treat your shoulder first, Master. It’s been torn to shreds.”
“Do as I say.”
When Dein spoke with stern authority, Chejare quieted despite his grumbling. As he received treatment, he turned his gaze to Jenia.
“Come on, snap out of it. Did I hit you too hard?”
Chejare tapped Jenia’s cheek gently as he spoke. With a low groan, Jenia’s eyes opened—and she saw Dein and Chejare, both of them a wreck.
Jenia’s lips trembled. Though she wore no expression, anyone could see her eyes quivering now.
“I’m sorry, Master……. It’s because of me…….”
She turned her head weakly to look at Chejare. His body was covered in wounds. Wounds Jenia had made.
“……I’m sorry, brother. For hurting you.”
Her Master’s teachings came back to her. He had taught her that when you attack others, they grow distant from you.
And it was true. When she attacked, people were afraid. It was obvious that Dein and Chejare would pull away.
But Chejare simply ruffled her hair roughly.
“Why make such a fuss over a few scratches?”
“…….”
“I’m sorry for coming so late, Jenia.”
Jenia said nothing, only letting her head droop. It was all incomprehensible.
Why were these people so kind to her?
Why did they apologize to her?
When she had attacked them. When fifteen years had passed since they’d been torn apart.
She couldn’t understand their affection. She wanted to understand it. She wanted to know the truth of this kindness.
She wanted to know how these two had lived. She wanted to be at their side. Even knowing that she had done wrong.
Unable to voice such feelings, Jenia kept her head bowed. Then Dein took her hand and spoke.
“Shall we go home now, Jenia?”
They did not push her away. Though Jenia had wounded them, they asked if she wanted to go home.
Home. A place she had yearned for so long. A place she could only see in dreams. A homesickness that had ached, fiercely, until the day she lost her memory—and even after.
“……Yes, Master.”
Jenia spoke a title she had longed to say for so long. A years-long longing had finally come to an end.
4. The Sparrow and the Acorn
Beneath a clear sky, the Market bustled with stalls spread out in every corner.
Produce vendors hawking fruit, carts laden with flowers, shops where sausages and ham hung from hooks—and cheerful voices called out everywhere.
I had just finished buying meat and fruit for lunch. When I stepped into the bakery last, the proprietor greeted me with a smile.
“Oh, Dein! Welcome. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
He must be in his mid-twenties by now. To my eyes, he was plainly still a child, though nothing could be done about that.
For now, I was Dein at twenty years old. Rather than let my discomfort show, I offered a polite smile.
“Yes. I’ve been rather occupied searching for someone.”
“That so? Did you find them?”
“Yes.”
Chejare and I had returned to this city with Jenia yesterday. Gainak had died four days ago, or perhaps three.
We could have returned immediately, but it took time to tidy up the loose ends.
If Gainak simply vanished and Jenia went into hiding as well, it could cause problems.
Once Jenia recovered her memory, I told people that Gainak, the criminal, had fled.
The persuasion came easily—his Diary, found in his Domus, contained a full record of his crimes.
It noted that the house built on the Cliff overlooking the sea was there for the easy disposal of children’s bodies.
People grew angry at the vanished Gainak, though none suspected he was dead.
With this, the matter was concluded neatly. Now Jenia had returned to our home. I spoke to the bakery proprietor.
“My household has grown larger, so I’ll take three loaves today.”
“Glad you found them. Take this jam as a gift of celebration!”
After accepting the complimentary jam from the baker, I turned my steps toward Balanus.
Sunlight poured down onto the brick-laid street. As I walked along the gleaming path, the Domus building began to appear in the distance.
The home where my disciples were waiting. My children. With lifted spirits, I opened the front door.
“I’m home, you two…….”
“Argh, this madness!”
The moment I stepped inside, a commotion erupted. The scene was much the same as when I’d left.
Except for one detail: an enormous pink slime was smothering Chejare.
Hmm. Why were they fighting again? When I entered, both of them turned to look at me at once. I extended my hand toward the slime.
“Jenia, come here.”
At my words, the pink slime crept slowly toward me. Its sluggish movement was endearing rather than repulsive.
“Why do you bother him, Jenia?”
“Because what I remember about him is very different. I was trying to understand.”
Jenia had a habit of using her Tentacles to probe things she didn’t understand. Chejare suddenly bellowed.
“The last time I saw you was when I was a child—of course you’ve changed! It’s natural that you’ve grown taller and aged. Why do you have to examine me like that?”
At his words, Jenia blinked once and opened her mouth.
“Because I like you. I want to know you better.”
Chejare fell silent for a moment. His eyes darted back and forth before he grumbled.
“……Well, fine then. You can examine me a little more. No, actually—enough for today! We’ll continue tomorrow!”
“Let’s eat first, and you two can play afterward.”
I unpacked the ingredients I’d bought at the Market. Chejare, looking dazed, and Jenia, content, took their seats.
Chejare picked at his bread without appetite and spoke.
“Master. What will you do now? Will you go looking for the others?”
“The others have no leads, so I’ll have to rely on an Information Broker. But I don’t have enough funds.”
After buying this house with the money I received from the tavern owner, little remained. A skilled Information Broker wouldn’t move for pocket change.
“So I’m planning to register Domus again—both to earn money and to make a name for myself.”
If I didn’t renew within the designated period, Domus would vanish from the records. Balanus’s name probably wasn’t on the administrative roster anymore.
At my answer, Chejare’s expression became strange. I’d expected him to be pleased, but he looked somewhat troubled instead.
“You’re going to register the Domus under the name Balanus, right?”
“Yes. Don’t you like it?”
“It’s not that. It’s just……. If you operate under that name, there will probably be people who cause trouble.”
Trouble? I looked at Chejare in confusion, and he continued.
“Balanus’s reputation has deteriorated.”
“How so?”
Balanus had been one of the city’s strongest pillars. Since we hadn’t caused particular problems, people had been favorable toward us.
But the reputation had worsened? I couldn’t understand. Chejare spoke bluntly.
“There’s a rumor going around. That the city was invaded because of Balanus.”
What utter nonsense. It was absurd beyond measure.
“The attackers said so themselves. That you were dying because of Balanus. That if it weren’t for you lot, they would never have come to this city.”
Suddenly, the words that man had spoken came back to me.
“But we did snap the tree’s trunk. Someday, we’ll sever its roots and saplings too…….”
I’d wondered what he meant, but could it have been about Balanus?
Perhaps the tree’s trunk referred to Domus’s masters.
He had said someday he’d sever both roots and saplings. Could remnants of his faction still be out there? Was he trying to stir up bloodshed once more?
Blood burned through my veins. I could never allow my family to be put in danger again. Could it be that those bastards were plotting to kill my disciples?
I suppressed my emotions and asked Chejare.
“I heard the attackers’ identities were never revealed.”
“Yes, that’s right. I was curious about it too, so I asked around when I was younger, but people ignored or avoided us—I couldn’t get anyone to talk.”
This time my blood ran cold. The fact that the invasion was connected to us was shocking enough, but Chejare’s last words stung most of all.
“People ignored you?”
“Yes. Rumors spread that we’d be invaded again because of us lot. Some even said we should be driven out.”
I could imagine the sharp gazes the children had to endure. And something struck me as odd.
There had been guilds and other Domus that had been on good terms with Balanus. Why hadn’t they helped the children left without protectors?
Because of those rumors, an entire city had turned away from orphans. Chejare scratched the back of his head and spoke.
“Well, anyway, that’s how it was. So if Balanus starts operating again, there will be people who’ll cause trouble about it.”
“Thank you for telling me, Chejare.”
“Still, you won’t consider changing the name?”
I nodded.
“The children need to hear the name Balanus so they’ll find their way back to us.”
And if any remnants of the attackers remain, they’ll come too. But seeing that Chejare was perfectly alive, I wondered if their forces had weakened.
“I thought you’d say that. Sigh. I was hoping you’d pick something cooler.”
His tone was half-joking, half-earnest. Jenia sipped her water and spoke.
“Why? Balanus is a cool name.”
“It’s an old word for Acorn. Is that cool?”
“Acorn.”
In the midst of it all, Jenia gazed at her necklace and spoke.
“So this one’s shaped like an acorn too.”
Everyone in Balanus had been given the same necklace—crafted from pearl and gold.
Jenia tilted her head and looked at me.
“Why did you name it after an acorn?”
“When we registered Domus, one of my teachers said she wanted to build a Domus like an oak tree.”
An oak tree that grows into a towering giant over centuries, standing firm against harsh storms and gales—we wanted to create a sanctuary just as enduring and unshakeable.
Even so, Jenia’s expression suggested her curiosity remained unsatisfied.
“Then wouldn’t it have been better to name it Oak Tree instead of Acorn?”
“Well…….”
I ladled another bowl of stew and answered.
“That organization name was already taken, so registration was denied.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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