I Became the Academy's Disabled Student-Chapter 271: Birth Festival (1)

"Wow... Watching the mana shoot up like that is really beautiful."

"Right? Now I get why so many people rush in on the first day."

"Especially the special admission student, isn’t he amazing? His mana was sparkling so much, I thought a meteor was going up in reverse."

The opening ceremony was successfully concluded. There were no major issues or accidents in the middle, and the audience, following the directions of the staff, seemed satisfied as they left.

"Finally, it’s starting... Hey, didn’t you say you’re running a stall? Where’s it at?"

"There are three of us selling takoyaki, but don’t come by or you’ll just mess up the sales."

"Messing up sales? Look at you, talking like that to a customer trying to help you out."

The students were waiting until all the spectators had left.

Eavesdropping on some of their light chatter, it seemed they were all excited to enjoy the festival.

‘Since there’s nothing major planned until the third day of the entrance ceremony, I guess everyone’s just trying to have fun before then... But how much mana did I end up using...?’

I quickly scanned my surroundings and rubbed my sore right arm.

I felt empty inside, likely because so much mana had drained away. It was slowly filling up again, but there was a lingering emptiness, almost like hunger.

I knew beforehand that I’d be using a lot of mana, but I hadn’t expected it to be this much.

And to make matters more curious, the mana was directed toward that Tower of Growth. I couldn’t help but wonder what they planned to do with it, especially since there would be the brief entrance ceremony ahead.

‘What did I say about using my mana for? What exactly are they trying to do by taking so much?’

Was it possible that even the immense mana I had was not enough, so I had to draw in extra from the surroundings?

I had almost caused a disaster at the end of the opening ceremony, with one of the students almost passing out from mana depletion, but I was able to handle it by drawing more mana from the surroundings.

It might sound a bit arrogant, but if it had been any other student, they would have already lost consciousness from having their mana drained.

Normally, drawing mana from the surroundings like that would be unthinkable.

It’s like trying to pour unrefined raw power into a car in an unprepared manner. It would destroy the circuits and core immediately.

But with my affinity for mana, it was possible. I could gather natural mana, untainted by any special uniqueness, in chunks and make it my own.

"...Hey, didn’t the surrounding mana just flow over there?"

"You feel that too? I thought it was just my imagination, but over there..."

"It looks like it’s all going into that guy...?"

Several people noticed the shift in the surrounding mana.

I glanced at those whispering and found that many of them were sensitive mages who could detect changes in mana.

‘Hmm...’

Listening to the whispers, I briefly paused in thought.

Being able to draw mana from my surroundings was a huge advantage.

I hadn’t intended to make this feature public, so I tried to keep it as low-key as possible, but it seemed some students had noticed.

As the saying goes, "A rumor without legs travels a thousand miles." No matter how well I keep it hidden, one of my abilities might eventually get out.

‘Actually, it’s not a big deal anymore.’

I didn’t really care about it anymore. In fact, I shrugged off the matter nonchalantly, fiddling with my right hand.

The reason I kept certain secrets was that I didn’t know what kind of schemes might come from the outside.

Especially since I had realized the potential for homogenization after coming from Siphonah, I had been extra cautious.

Homogenization was an ability that openly defied the common sense of the world.

Even just a slight appearance of the power could cause ripples in the world if its exact nature was publicly known, much like homogenization itself.

I was still afraid that the tricks and threats I encountered in the 7th cycle might manifest in this reality as well.

I worried about revealing too much and being attacked for my weaknesses.

‘But now, I’m fine.’

I wasn’t as concerned now.

I wasn’t weak enough to be overwhelmed at this point. Even in terms of brute force, I had reached a level where I could tear apart most tricks aimed at me.

After all, my abilities have few weaknesses to exploit. I can continuously switch up how I use them, so it’s unlikely anyone can figure out and strike every vulnerability.

If they did try, they would likely just be outwitted.

I also had the backing of power.

I held the directive authority given to me by Maxwell. With the association leaders in seclusion, my level of command was higher than most of the association’s board members.

I also had the staff given to me by Ariel, the founder of the Mage's Council. If I revealed my power, the association and the Observation Tower would naturally come under my influence.

Sioram was already on my side... probably...

Anyway, even if my homogenization ability got exposed, it wouldn’t be a huge issue.

I was just hiding my full strength because I wasn’t ready for it to be fully revealed, but if it did come to light, there wouldn’t be any dramatic consequences.

I had grown stronger. Though I wasn’t yet confident enough to defend against a full-scale invasion, I was certainly not weak enough to be buried without a fight.

Even if someone tried to bury me, I could bury them instead.

So, I had no reason to fear any beings I might meet.

"Ha-Yul, do you have a moment? My grandfather wants to meet with you and me."

[Huh...] [Worry] [Fear]

But this person was terrifying for a completely different reason.

The shoulders I had been trying to relax immediately tensed up again...

"Don’t be scared."

At my visible unease, Yeonhwa smiled slightly, then pulled me into a tight hug, ignoring the gazes around us.

"If your grandfather tries anything strange, I’ll stop him. It’s okay..."

[Happiness] [Warmth] [The scent of milk] [Anxiousness...]

Her embrace made me feel a bit more at ease, but the worry still lingered...

Yeonhwa led me to a teahouse.

The building resembled a traditional Hanok made from dark wood. The staff were waiting at the entrance to guide us.

We were shown into a room inside the building.

Creak!

The staff opened the door and stepped aside. Yeonhwa entered first, and I followed behind her.

Inside, there was a long table with floor cushions arranged around it, forming a traditional sitting style.

"You’ve come."

There, already seated facing the door, was an elderly man sipping tea.

"Yes, I knew your grandfather’s personality, so I came quickly. Wasn’t I right?"

"Yes, indeed. Only my granddaughter would know. Don’t stand on your legs, come sit down."

The elderly man and Yeonhwa exchanged polite conversation.

As I nodded at the hand tapping my back, I gently settled onto the cushion after Yeonhwa.

‘This is Yeonhwa’s grandfather...’

Sitting beside Yeonhwa, I gulped nervously as I observed the elderly man calmly sipping tea.

Though his hair was graying, it didn’t seem limp, and his face bore fewer wrinkles than one would expect for his age.

Moreover, his hidden strength was not to be underestimated. I could sense a power capable of toppling the building with a single swing of his arm.

‘Geobhwa.’

As I enhanced my observation and mana detection, I could feel the dormant flames inside him.

Although they were currently resting quietly like embers, when the Seeker wanted to, they could ignite the world with their fury.

Yeonhwa’s grandfather, Hong Seongjin, was the former head of the Geobhwa family.

He was also a rare case, having retired from the position while still alive, a rarity among the heads of the Geobhwa family.

Usually, the heads of such powerful families lived long lives but rarely reached the end of their natural lifespan. Many left before their time.

In fact, among the superhumans working in this field, few ever live to see the end of their days.

However, unusually, Hong Seongjin had retired while still in good health and had stepped down from the position of head, becoming a member of the Geobhwa family’s council of elders.

‘But I didn’t meet him last time.’

During my visit to the Geobhwa family during the last break, I had met with some of the council members staying there, but I hadn’t met Hong Seongjin.

‘They said he went to the magic field with the current head.’

It seemed strange for someone already retired to go to the magic field, but apparently, his skills were still sharp.

For that reason, he had also participated in the magic field expedition last time, where he had done quite a bit.

The former head of Geobhwa. Though retired, he was still a top-tier hero with skills that no ordinary person would dare match.

‘This is nerve-wracking...’

More than all his grand titles, the fact that he was "Yeonhwa’s grandfather" felt the heaviest to me...

"So, you’re the one called Lee Ha-Yul?"

With that, the old man set his teacup down on the table. At the same time, his gaze, which had been fixed on his tea, turned toward me.

Though the light dimmed a little, his bright red eyes, like those of something heated by fire, reflected my figure.

[Yes, I am Lee Ha-Yul.]

I answered promptly, as if I had been waiting for that question.

The old man’s gaze shifted to the confession necklace hanging from my neck, following the sound that rang out from it.

"Hmm, I heard that you’re having trouble with your eyes and voice. It seems like you’re using an artifact to cope."

[That’s correct.]

"I’ve also heard that you’ve been substituting your eyes with a sensing ability, but recently I hear you’ve been opening them more often."

[Yes, there’s been some improvement, and I’m gradually getting better.]

"That’s good to hear. You must have had a tough time at such a young age."

What should I respond to that? Should I say it’s not too bad? Or admit that it’s actually been very hard even with the sensing ability?

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As I pondered, the old man nodded thoughtfully, then took another sip of tea and continued.

"I’m sorry to have called you away from your fun. I couldn’t meet you last time, so I thought I should at least see your face this time."

[No, you don’t need to apologize. I was planning to come see you if you hadn’t come.]

I shook my head promptly this time, and the old man smiled.

"Unlike some people, you’re a well-mannered child."

"Are you talking about me?"

"Would I really just insult anyone randomly?"

"That’s ridiculous."

At Yeonhwa’s grumbling, the old man shrugged.

"Yeonhwa, you’re at the age now where you can handle things on your own. I’m sure you wouldn’t want me interfering with you too much."

"Of course, I can handle things myself now."

"I knew you’d say that. When I was your age, I could manage just fine on my own, and I wanted to do so."

The old man’s gaze shifted back to me.

"It’s just that. I didn’t call you here to judge or evaluate you. I just wanted to see your face."

"Well, you must have at least made some kind of first impression, right? So, what do you think?"

[??]

As I nervously pondered, Yeonhwa suddenly grabbed my shoulder and pulled me into her arms.

Caught off guard, I was pulled tightly into her embrace, my eyes widening in surprise.

"Do you think I’m pretty?"

"Well, for someone with your personality, you sure managed to catch a good one."

The old man nodded, giving a hearty laugh.

[??]

My thoughts immediately spun into confusion at the unexpected direction of the conversation.