My Disciples Became Scoundrels - Chapter 44

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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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A memory surfaced. Young Arkel facing me. Arkel with blood on his hands, looking at me with clear eyes.
Had Arkel changed since then, or remained the same? Had Frost Prison frozen his blood further, or was this his nature?
I looked into Arkel’s eyes. I studied the confusion swirling in them, then released his wrist.
“I was hasty. It seems you’re the only one who sensed something wrong about him.”
Cesare and Jenia had already taken combat positions. They too had recognized something amiss the moment they laid eyes on the man.
“That man had no wounds, no dirt on him. Yet his blade was stained with human blood.”
He’d tried to wipe it clean, but traces remained between the guard and pommel. Arkel stayed silent as though accepting punishment.
“We could have examined him further before deciding, at least.”
“……That’s a luxury.”
He muttered softly.
“Examining whether your opponent is good or evil, understanding them, then acting—that’s dangerous. A luxury.”
I understood his point. In Frost Prison, the act of understanding another person would indeed be a luxury, as he said.
I looked into Arkel’s eyes and spoke.
“I want you to afford yourself that luxury, Arkel.”
“…….”
“It’s all right now. We’re here with you.”
Understanding wasn’t something that applied only to enemies. We were its objects too.
Arkel didn’t answer. That didn’t trouble me. It was better than mindlessly nodding along.
While silence hung between us, Cesare kicked the corpse with a dull thud.
“Well, the result’s fine either way, right? Turns out this bastard wasn’t even human. A Demon Beast, yeah?”
The moment Cesare’s foot connected, the frozen body shattered, and something black gleamed in the cracks.
Not red organs—black mucus and a core. Jenia prodded it with her Tentacles and asked.
“Is this a Demon Beast? It was exactly like a person. Flawless.”
“A Doppelganger. It replicates a person’s form and memories. Some of them seem to have escaped earlier.”
When the Doppelganger died, I felt movement nearby. Cesare and Jenia, catching that too, retreated and assumed defensive stances.
In the meantime, Jenia, who’d been busily dissecting the frozen Doppelganger, suddenly lifted her head.
“Do Doppelgangers only replicate memories? What about Magical Power and fighting skill?”
“They replicate all of it.”
“Could there be a Doppelganger of you, Master?”
“It’s possible.”
My disciples’ expressions darkened. It’s been a while since I’ve seen them frightened like that.
“Let’s create a mark in case we encounter a Doppelganger. Some way to identify each other.”
With no suitable writing tool, I used Demon Beast blood as a substitute. I was drawing a V on the inside of Cesare’s arm when Jenia quickly curved it into something else.
“What are you doing? Why’d you draw a heart?”
“It’s cuter this way.”
“Cute on a body like his just looks grotesque, that’s all.”
“Big things can be cute too. That’s what they say.”
While the disciples chattered away noisily, Arkel remained silent. Whether he was reflecting on his actions or still confused, I couldn’t tell.
Jenia wiped the blood from her hands on her clothes and asked.
“Master, where do we go next?”
“Somewhere that looks more dangerous. Does that suit you?”
“Anywhere you lead is best for me.”
Jenia hugged me once, tight, then ventured down the inner passage. Her lively footsteps echoed through the Labyrinth.
Cesare and Arkel, by contrast, were silent. A silence so heavy it seemed a fight would have been preferable.
As we pressed forward, a wet, squelching sound came from above. I jerked my head up.
―Giiieeeek……!
Tentacles crawled out from the walls, floor, and ceiling. Viscous liquid dripped like saliva, and a sour stench filled the air. The creatures let out threatening shrieks.
Cesare and Jenia spoke in unison.
“Oh, what the—Tentacles.”
“Whoa, Tentacles!”
From within Jenia’s clothes, Tentacles poured out by the dozens. The ends split open in a cross, revealing dozens of teeth that gleamed. When had she added those?
The dungeon’s Tentacles seemed startled and froze. Now that I think about it, the ceiling’s Tentacles looked almost cute. Jenia’s eyes blazed with frenzy.
“I’ve never dissected Tentacles before! Master said not to take mine apart, so I couldn’t……!”
Just as Jenia lunged forward eagerly to attack, Arkel rushed toward the enemy.
The Tentacles didn’t reject the prey that had suddenly appeared. As they moved to seize and drag him in——
―Crack!
In an instant, every Tentacle froze solid. Arkel gripped one of them firmly in his hand.
He’d frozen one to incapacitate the entire colony. But if he’d been a moment slower, the Tentacles would have pierced him through.
“Big brother.”
Jenia stood motionless, her gaze fixed on Arkel.
“I could have handled it.”
“It would have taken longer, and you’d be hurt. My fighting is the safest option.”
He was trying to protect Jenia in his own way. But how could warm words sound so cold?
“I’m strong now too, big brother.”
“Not enough. You’re still children who need my protection.”
Arkel advanced, trampling the frozen Tentacles beneath his feet. He glanced back at me only once—a look that seemed to ask if he was doing right. I offered no answer.
The Labyrinth continued on. Arkel handled everything. Demon Beasts, traps, locked mechanisms—all of it.
Cesare exploded after Arkel slaughtered his sixth Demon Beast.
“You’re really something else, aren’t you? Why do you insist on doing everything yourself?!”
Arkel turned, crushing the frozen creature’s head beneath his boot. His gaze remained cool and distant.
“Because I can handle it alone.”
“Is that why you rotted in the Frost Prison for fifteen years? If you’d said one word to us, we wouldn’t have suffered like this!”
Arkel opened his mouth, then closed it. Regret flickered behind his eyes. Cesare’s expression shifted to one of instant remorse.
“Ah, damn it. What I mean is, you don’t have to do everything yourself…….”
“Aaahhhhh!”
Then came a scream from deeper within the Labyrinth.
We all turned toward the sound. Human or Doppelganger? Jenia’s eyes lit up as she spoke.
“Should we go check where that came from?”
“Yes, let’s go.”
Whether Doppelganger or human, meeting them wouldn’t hurt. When we moved toward the sound, we found people—about a dozen of them, all bearing cuts both large and small. The moment we entered, they trained their bows on us.
In such circumstances, caution was warranted. But what they were most wary of wasn’t Cesare or Arkel—it was Jenia.
“You? You came back? What are you trying to do to us now? How did you use your Tentacles to……!”
“Huh? This is the first time I’m seeing you guys.”
So Jenia’s Doppelganger had appeared. It seemed they were copying disciples too.
As the two sides faced off, Arkel’s hand twitched. I leaned close and whispered to him.
“Rather than kill immediately, observe carefully. The wounds are too deep to be a disguise.”
Arkel glanced at me briefly, then stepped back. I turned to the woman still on guard.
“Have you encountered this girl before? Where did the Doppelganger go?”
Doppelgangers tended to flee toward the depths when cornered. If we followed Jenia’s Doppelganger, the odds of meeting the boss were high.
“If we were Doppelgangers, we would have killed all your wounded immediately.”
“That proves nothing. They enjoy deceiving humans.”
She had a point, but I didn’t care to argue. I glanced at Jenia.
“Show them that you’re superior to any Doppelganger.”
The woman’s expression changed at once. She bit her lip, and as Jenia stepped forward, her face grew urgent.
“What? Why that look? What did the Doppelganger do? Tell me and I’ll show you something even more interesting.”
“That’s not necessary! The Doppelganger went right! Please, let us pass!”
It seemed Tentacles were more effective than steel. I stopped Jenia before she could demonstrate anything.
The woman had clearly decided it was safer to drive us onward quickly. When we entered the right passage, we found a structure we hadn’t seen before.
Two passages ran parallel in one wall. Until now there had only been one per wall. Jenia peered around curiously.
“Hmm, if it were me, I’d have gone left. But this one looks more interesting.”
Without hesitation, she stepped forward. In that instant, Jenia vanished. Cesare cried out in shock.
“Hey, where’d she go? Jenia, you there?”
“You can’t see me?”
The passage was clearly still there, but Jenia was no longer visible. A sound like footsteps echoed from within.
“I can’t get back out. It doesn’t seem dangerous, but what’s the principle behind this?”
I studied the right passage. It looked like a one-way path—once you entered, there was no returning.
Which route led to an exit remained uncertain. Then we had no choice but to explore both. I spoke to my disciples.
“The three of you go left. I’ll take the right.”
“You’re going alone? Wouldn’t it be better if we split into pairs?”
Cesare asked anxiously. It was likely concern for my limitations. But I shook my head.
“If my Doppelganger appears, two of you won’t stand a chance.”
My disciples didn’t argue further. They were clever enough to understand. They knew what would happen if they faced my Doppelganger.
“With three of you, you’ll buy time. In the meanwhile, use Cesare’s ability to cross over to my side.”
“Master, are you certain? If you encounter a Demon Beast…….”
“I’m not so fragile. See you soon.”
Leaving their worried gazes behind, I entered the right passage. The moment I crossed the threshold, the air shimmered.
When I glanced back, I could see their figures beyond a semi-transparent barrier. I moved forward, leaving my hesitant disciples behind.
The narrow winding path continued, stairs appearing at intervals. After walking for some time, I reached a vast chamber.

A chamber several times wider than any we’d passed through before. Broken stonework and statues littered the space. The pillars that once held this place aloft were riddled with cracks.
Water dripped from somewhere overhead—a steady tap, tap, tap of groundwater seeping through.
Decay surrounded us, yet within it sat lovely faces. A bright, clear voice rang out.
“Master, have you arrived? There’s so much here. I wonder why things look like this?”
“Ah, good to see you, Master. There are no Demon Beasts, and that passage over there won’t open either. I’d like to get out of here and have a drink.”
Three figures sat on the ground, watching me. Their voices were identical. Their expressions matched perfectly.
“Master. Are you unharmed?”
Arkel’s voice. Calm, yet touched with affection. His gaze toward me held trust.
“They’re truly identical. A stranger might have been fooled.”
But I knew. I knew how my real disciples laughed, how they called out to me. Those things could not be counterfeited.
“And they would have rushed over to me the moment they saw me. Not sitting quietly like you all.”
I gripped the hilt of my sword. The Doppelgangers flinched at my movement. Cesare’s Doppelganger forced a smile.
“Master, surely you don’t mean to attack us?”
“I’ve always wanted to put my disciples through harsh training, but I never quite had the heart for it.”
They would have died, or at the very least been crippled. I couldn’t treat my treasured disciples that way.
“Especially lately, I’ve restrained myself. For all their size and strength, they whine like children.”
The Doppelgangers suddenly took combat stances. Clumsy ones. My real disciples would never attack me, no matter what I did.
Seeing them like this, even my last shred of hesitation vanished. I smiled faintly and drew my blade.
“There are things I couldn’t do to my true disciples, but with you—I can be as rough as I like.”

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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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