I Became the Academy's Disabled Student-Chapter 274: Birth Festival (4)

“Charging complete!”

After a while of snuggling in my mentor’s arms, my headache gradually subsided.

It was much more noticeable and quicker than any medicine I had taken before. Moreover, there were no aftereffects, making it a perfect upgrade to the previous medicine.

Ideally, I would have liked to stay in his arms all day, but realistically, that wasn’t possible. I swallowed my reluctance and gently slipped out of his embrace.

“Hm-hm, do you feel better now?”

“Yes! I feel much better!”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

As I stretched my arms, my mentor, who had been straightening himself up, gave a small smile and patted my head.

“Go ahead and head up first. I’ll wash up and change, then follow. You still need to take care of Seo Yul, right?”

“Okay.”

I nodded obediently to my mentor’s words. It was about time for everyone to get ready and head out.

I watched my mentor head towards the shower facilities attached to the training area and went up to the first floor.

“Your Majesty, Princess Seo Yul is awake.”

[Got it.]

I nodded to the fairy, Oru, who had been waiting near the stairs leading up to the first floor.

As Oru said, Seo Yul was sitting on the sofa on the first floor, with her legs swinging out from it. Behind her stood Ariel, who had been taking care of Seo Yul more than Yeonhwa lately.

I gave a small nod to Ariel, who lowered her head slightly, and then approached Seo Yul sitting on the sofa.

“Mmm, Dad...”

As I got closer, Seo Yul, still in a bit of a daze, gradually opened her eyes.

She naturally stretched her arms out toward me, and as I pulled her into my embrace, she happily nestled into my chest.

[Seo Yul, did you sleep well?]

“Yes...”

[Are you feeling any pain or fatigue?]

“Mmm... I’m fine. I can go out with you.”

Seo Yul shook her head left and right as she answered, though the actual answer wasn’t very important. I gently patted her back as I subtly surveyed her condition.

Fortunately, there were no issues. I always paid attention to Seo Yul’s condition through my observation, but I made sure to be extra cautious, just in case.

‘The magic is still holding up well.’

I checked the spells I had placed on Seo Yul as a health check.

There were dozens of spells on her, and even the clothes I had made for her had spells woven into the design.

Basic protective barrier spells, instant-space spells, and counterattacks designed to subdue an attacker and, if necessary, leave nothing but scraps of flesh.

I had applied the magic I had learned at the Tower of Knowledge and other sources, making sure she was as safe as possible.

It had been a draining task, but I was satisfied that her safety was enhanced.

While I was lost in thought, Seo Yul, who had been squirming in my arms, suddenly narrowed her eyes.

[Seo Yul?]

“Sniff sniff...”

She tilted her head and gently patted my back. Without responding, Seo Yul lifted her head and sniffed at the back of my neck. Her breath made my shoulders twitch involuntarily.

For a moment, Seo Yul’s brow furrowed even more than before as she sniffed again.

“Atrah’s scent... I can smell it.”

[Ah.]

I let out a delayed exclamation. After all, it was only natural that the scent from earlier would linger after all that contact. In fact, I had intentionally rubbed myself against her, knowing it would leave the scent.

However, Seo Yul seemed displeased, quickly rubbing herself against me with a dissatisfied look.

[Regret.]

I, of course, wanted my body to smell of my mentor, but I had to go out with Seo Yul, so...

Swallowing my regret, I used purification magic to disperse the scent.

The opening ceremony was over, and with the conversation with Hong Seongjin and the preparations for the festival, time had passed.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

The evening was already upon us, especially since it was winter and the days were getting shorter. Outside, the sky had started to turn orange.

In terms of time, it was around the time when families would begin preparing for dinner.

Takoyaki! Made by a student from Siyoram! These are takoyakis cooked using flame magic! You can taste them one by one!

What’s the difference from normal cooking magic? You’re probably worse at cooking than me, yum...

You’ve got a lot to say, considering you’re getting it for free. And didn’t I tell you not to come over here? Eat it and get lost.

However, the festive atmosphere didn’t seem to be waning. In fact, the stalls were lit up with colorful lights, making the streets even more vibrant against the darkening sky.

“Festivals are usually more fun at night. You can see the stars, and with the dark sky, everything around you sparkles, making it feel lively.”

While I observed the festival, Elia, who had just joined me after meeting some friends post-opening ceremony, responded to my musings.

“Yes, in my hometown, festivals would always start at night too. Though it was a small town festival, so it was nothing grand.”

I nodded, acknowledging her point. I had never really participated in a festival.

The "Birth Festival" I experienced in the original story? Honestly, thinking of that as a festival experience was a bit embarrassing...

After the first round, I thought of the "Birth Festival" as more of an event for gaining fame and leveling up.

“Hey, didn’t you say you were helping with a stall? Is it okay for you to be out here like this?”

“I was just supposed to help out with the stall for a little while in the afternoon. Yeonhwa, aren’t you being a little too obvious about trying to separate us...?”

“Don’t make me the bad guy, I was just asking.”

It wasn’t just Elia who had joined us.

Along with her, my mentor from the mansion, as well as Yeonhwa and Baek Ah-Rin, who had immediately joined and were now teasing each other, were also here.

Professor Riana and Lee Jiyeon, however, hadn’t joined.

Professor Riana, being in charge of first-year students and the Spring Entrance class, was busy supervising the stalls and street performances by first-year students.

Of course, she wasn’t entirely unavailable, but she mentioned she had very little free time on the first day.

As for Lee Jiyeon, she was meeting with the head of Taesan, whom she had encountered during the opening ceremony.

‘...I should bring something for Professor Riana. As for Lee Jiyeon... should I meet with the head of Taesan too?’

I hesitated for a moment but decided to push it to the back of my mind. The unsettling aura from the head of Taesan was still unresolved, and based on the expression I observed, it seemed like she wouldn’t be returning anytime soon.

[Are you feeling cold or anything?]

“No, it’s really warm.”

[If you feel chilly, tell me right away, okay?]

“Yeah.”

Seo Yul, blowing out a puff of white breath, tightly held my hand. Yet, she seemed more focused on looking around curiously.

Her eyes were sparkling with excitement; it seemed the festival atmosphere was a new experience for her.

‘I’m glad I brought her out.’

The little pompom on her hat danced as she moved her head, looking adorable.

Even though it wasn’t snowing, the cold air made Seo Yul wear thick clothes, almost as if she were fully armored.

I had paid special attention to how she would feel wearing it during the design process, so even though it was thick, she didn’t seem uncomfortable.

I nodded in satisfaction while watching her.

Are you all enjoying the festival?

Yes, Your Majesty!

There are so many people...

The smell of food... Is that all food...?

Voices echoed in my head. The sources of the voices were the fairies, perched on my shoulders and head.

Since I couldn’t bear to leave them alone at the mansion, I brought them along to enjoy the festival. Of course, I had cast a spell to prevent them from drawing attention. If they were normal-sized, most people wouldn’t notice, but with such small beings, I used a different magic on them.

‘I was planning to go without any magic, but if I did, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy myself with all the attention.’

Even now, drones occasionally passed overhead.

It was fine for them to be caught on broadcast, but as soon as we appeared in public, all eyes would turn to us.

I remembered how many people had stared and approached when I parted ways with Yeonhwa and made my way back to the mansion. That’s why I had to enter an alley to cast a recognition-dispelling spell.

[Seo Yul, aren’t you getting hungry? Should we buy something tasty from the stalls?]

“...Something tasty?”

[Yes, something tasty.]

“Okay...”

When I gently tapped Seo Yul’s arm and asked, her face suddenly became strange.

Seo Yul, who had been rolling her eyes around, sneakily glanced at me.

I chuckled to myself, taking a deep breath and showing her a playful expression.

[Heh, just so you know, I’m loaded with money. Seo Yul could eat thousands and thousands of snacks and still not make a dent in it.]

It wasn’t just bravado. The amount of money I had was enough that daily expenses wouldn’t make a noticeable change to my bank balance.

There was a time when I trembled at the deadly prices of this world... but now I felt quite accomplished.

Of course, expenses in the superhuman industry were still brutal, but that was something I could manage.

[So don’t worry, you can eat whatever you want.]

“...Okay.”

Eventually, after some hesitation, Seo Yul nodded. But the reluctance in her expression showed that, despite my claims of being rich, it didn’t really register with her.

[How about we try that one first? Pork skewers!]

I led the way, not waiting for Seo Yul, who was hesitating to choose. The stalls were full of all kinds of food, with plenty to eat.

"Nom nom..."

[How is it? Is it good?]

“Mmm... it’s good.”

I had already noticed that Seo Yul had a big appetite. She probably ate more than me since she was still growing.

As I kept offering her food, she ate happily, glancing at me but still taking in everything.

Indeed, a child in their growth period. I too felt more energized and started hopping between the stalls, finding other delicious things.

“Oh, speaking of which, I haven’t been to many other festivals this year.”

That’s when Yeonhwa, who had been carefully eating her cup rice without spilling it, spoke up as though she had just remembered something.

“The food festival in Taesan was nice. I used to go there often and eat my fill.”

“Pig.”

“If I’m a pig, then you’re an overweight sea lion.”

“I’m fine as long as I go with my chest out~”

“Pfft! Don’t think I don’t know you don’t go with your chest, huh?”

“But you’re smaller than me.”

“You little...”

“Oh no, my filter’s off...! Ah, should we do that?”

Suddenly, Baek Ah-Rin pointed toward something.

At the end of her finger was a machine placed near the entrance of an arcade.

Even though I’d never been to an arcade, I immediately recognized it as a punching machine.

“How about a little competition?”

“That? Ha, nice try, sea lion.”

Yeonhwa’s expression was full of determination, as if she wasn’t going to let Baek Ah-Rin escape. Baek Ah-Rin sighed deeply.

“Ah~ if you’re scared, there’s nothing I can do.”

“What?”

Yeonhwa’s expression froze as Baek Ah-Rin gave her a knowing smirk and shrugged.

“Well, it’s a smart choice, right? No point in stepping into a fight you know you’ll lose. Plus, this time there’s nothing to prove, so if you think you’ll lose, it’s better to back out~”

Baek Ah-Rin’s words came flooding out.

“Ha, I’ll let you off the hook just this once. Be grateful.”

Wham!

With that final comment, Yeonhwa’s spoon broke into pieces. Her hand, trembling, pointed toward the punching machine.

“Follow me, damn it.”

“Looks like the filter function’s off...”

Baek Ah-Rin glanced at the broken spoon with an awkward expression and walked toward the punching machine.

Yeonhwa snorted and followed, and the rest of us, intrigued, followed along too.