I Became the Academy's Disabled Student-Chapter 337: Guick replay?

"The wound looked severe, so I was worried, but now... I don’t see any signs of it, son-in-law."

[Yes, yes... Thank you for your concern... I’m fine now...]

"Well, that’s a relief. But, is that appearance some kind of aftereffect?"

[Yes... just a slight aftereffect. I’ll be back to normal soon...]

"I see... Glad to hear that."

[Yes...]

I couldn’t bring myself to raise my head. I couldn’t face the calm, assessing gaze directed at me.

Hong Jinseon, Yeonhwa’s father, and... father-in-law?

I had never met him before.

I never had, until we unexpectedly encountered each other in the back.

‘Back then, we met relatively normally...’

I had been seriously injured, and the situation was urgent, so we didn’t really have a proper conversation. But I didn’t appear as embarrassed as I did now.

Rather, wasn’t I doing well? I had shown strength in front of the family head, who valued martial power...

Yeonhwa... Can’t you let go now?But now was different.

The position I was in, resting in Yeonhwa’s arms with my back against her. It felt incredibly warm and comfortable, but right now, I was deeply embarrassed.

The shame I had long forgotten stirred my insides...

I silently sent a signal, but received no response. Instead, Yeonhwa’s hand gently stroked my stomach.

"Daughter, I think your son-in-law is making a face asking to be let down."

"Not at all. How much Hayeol loves being in my arms! And he absolutely can’t be left alone right now."

Hong Jinseon’s support came but was immediately cut off.

"Isn’t that right?"

[Yes]

I instinctively agreed. Yeonhwa, smiling softly, gently patted my stomach.

With that touch, my mind went sluggish and relaxed. The vibrations in my stomach made my eyelids grow heavier...

"Haa..."

[Hah]

At the sound of Hong Jinseon’s exclamation nearby, my mind snapped back to reality.

I activated a small observation, and saw Hong Jinseon with his mouth agape, seemingly in disbelief.

"I had heard about it in advance, but seeing it firsthand... I still can’t believe it. Is she really my daughter?"

"Why does everyone bring up this story every time they see me? What did I even do?"

"The family probably kept a report on personality correction lessons, would you like to see it?"

"What? Why did you keep that?"

"Was there any reason to throw it away? There’s plenty of room for storage."

At Hong Jinseon’s words, Yeonhwa, pouting her lips, tightened her arms around me.

"Alright. But I heard that you... went into that place? The one called the Abyss? How did that happen?"

"I don’t know. I was just killing monsters that appeared in some dungeon nearby, and suddenly the floor cracked open, and I fell into this place called the Abyss."

Seeing Hong Jinseon’s puzzled expression, I too raised a mental question.

Entering the Abyss, especially falling into it suddenly instead of finding an entrance, was unprecedented.

It wasn’t without precedent, though.

Daera Sajeo had fallen into the Abyss when a dungeon went berserk.

It could have been the same for Hong Jinseon.

‘But...’

In Hong Jinseon’s case, it wasn’t natural.

I vividly remember the marks left in that space, the ‘fatal blow.’

‘Someone must have done it intentionally.’

This was definitely not a natural phenomenon. Someone had interfered with the space and created a path between the Abyss and the dungeon.

With that clue, and considering the alarm that rang in my head, I could roughly guess the identity behind it.

"I met him there. And, the guy I had been looking for was also there."

"That guy...? Oh, Hong Yeonjun? That bastard, really? He was there?"

"...Yeah."

"So, where is he now?"

"I missed him."

"What?"

While I was lost in thought, the conversation continued.

Yeonhwa’s eyes widened in shock.

"Dad missed him? Why?"

Hong Jinseon crossed his arms and closed his mouth.

"...There was some strange trick. He wasn’t in a normal state to begin with. The only excuse I have is that."

Hong Jinseon muttered, and his gaze landed on me.

"I came to check on him and ask some questions. But when I came here, I started to have other doubts."

Hong Jinseon adjusted his posture and sat up.

"Son-in-law, may I ask you something?"

[Yes, Hong Jinseon-nim]

I too adjusted my position in Yeonhwa’s arms.

I had a rough idea of what the question might be.

‘The Tower Master of the Abyss.’

Specifically, the Tower Master of the Abyss, who had taken over Hong Yeonjun’s body.

From Hong Jinseon’s perspective, it must have been a bizarre sight—his younger brother’s body being possessed by something strange.

I had been aware of that existence.

‘Should I tell him...?’

It was still an unresolved matter. I waited with a complicated heart for Hong Jinseon to speak.

"Son-in-law, have you manifested Taesan and Changhae?"

He spoke, and I froze for a moment at the calm question.

...

[Taesan...? Changhae...? What do you mean?]

The confession necklace responded with an answer I had saved in my mind as if it were a shortcut.

My mind returned. I tilted my head slightly and showed my innocence.

[I have not manifested Taesan or Changhae.]

The confession necklace reflects my true intentions.

I had to be careful with my word choice.

I hadn’t manifested Taesan or Changhae yet. I felt like I would manifest them one day, but until now, what I had used was imitation through homogenization.

They hadn’t become as fixed as things like the Abyss...

"Hayeol."

"Yes?"

At that moment, Yeonhwa, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, gently rubbed my cheek with a complex expression.

"When I found you on the battlefield, you were openly using both of them."

"Ah."

[Ah]

Ah.

...

While walking down the hallway.

Many people greeted me with surprise at my youthful appearance.

People from the association, mages dispatched from the Magic Council, and a few administrators from the Observation Corps.

Superhumans who had been mobilized according to the association’s orders.

And...

"Hello! Hayeol! I’m Lee Seungcheol, a member of the Amak unit sent along with Miss Lee Jiyeon!"

...

"Ah, I’m Baek Yuna, sent by Changpa. Nice to meet you."

...

"Young master, is your body okay? Ah, I met you last vacation, Hong Yeoncheol from the purification unit."

[Yes, hello...]

The overly formal greetings from the soldiers of the three great families.

‘I’ve been seen.’

My expression involuntarily stiffened.

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There had been no official announcement yet. Most people didn’t know.

However, the soldiers from the three great families, who had broken through the battlefield to save me, had definitely seen me.

Though they were keeping quiet about it, they certainly knew...

"Wow, you’re quite the popular one, huh?"

"Don’t tease me..."

"I’m not teasing. It’s good to be popular."

Liana, who had been holding me, lightly stroked my earlobe while smiling.

...Liana must also know why they’re acting like this.

But she didn’t say anything, simply showering me with affection.

I couldn’t even pout, and buried my face in Liana’s chest.

Thump... Thump... Thump...

The sound of a heartbeat from the flesh holding my face made me feel at ease.

I calmed my mind while smelling the milk scent that filled my nostrils.

‘...Right, it was bound to be discovered eventually.’

If I had stopped at imitation through homogenization, it might have been possible to keep it hidden.

But if it became a part of me, beyond imitation, then considering the battles ahead, it was inevitable that it would be discovered.

Especially with Changhae, I would need to obtain it as a unique ability to lift the curse of Baek Arin.

It was an inevitable result. I didn’t feel despair while hiding my face in her chest...

A very surprising and serious matter, but considering the son-in-law’s condition, it’s not something to rush into making a decision about. Don’t worry unnecessarily, just rest comfortably.

Hong Jinseon said this. He was a good man, like Yeonhwa’s parents, Jeon Jiyeon.

Since he had said that, things would be fine later.

I was sure of it.

‘The third cycle didn’t involve any dangerous assassinations, so it’s not like I’m going to get killed outright.’

Even though the revelation of my unique ability during the third cycle caused chaos in the power balance, it didn’t lead to an immediate life-threatening situation.

In fact, they were too busy having meetings day and night among themselves.

The reason the third cycle ended was that I briefly escaped from the tedious battles, only to encounter a high-level monster in an unfavorable situation.

So, nothing bad should happen to me.

It mustn’t.

"Haah..."

"Haha, that tickles."

I sighed deeply and lifted my head. As I was being patted on the back by Liana, I subtly turned my observation.

There were others accompanying us, not just Liana.

"...Priest, do you like this?"

[Yes]

Daera Sajeo looked at me with a strange expression. For some reason, her gaze had been warmer toward me lately.

"Hmm! Anyway, it’s a relief that those guys were caught..."

[Yes, I was also too exhausted to let them go, but I felt relieved.]

Daera Sajeo changed the subject. I nodded along in agreement.

The “guys” she referred to were those who had followed Hong Yeonjun.

Daera Sajeo had been dealing with them, but when the Tower Master of the Abyss and the 10th cycle appeared, chaos erupted, and they immediately fled.

I had also been too exhausted to do anything but let them go.

But they were caught.

I had expected that they wouldn’t be able to escape the Abyss, and the Association’s extermination team captured them after observing them.

I hadn’t expected them to actually get caught.

I had thought they would find a way to escape the frontlines, but it seemed that thanks to Daera Sajeo, who had electrified them, they were easily captured.

‘Well, it’s a good result anyway.’

We might be able to interrogate them and gather information.

So, with Liana as the protector and Daera Sajeo as the concerned party, we decided to go and see the prisoners.

We moved and arrived at the underground detention facility.

Following the instructions of the Association staff who were waiting in advance, we entered the area with the solitary confinement cells.

‘Hmm.’

The solitary confinement cells were quite large, and the transparent structure allowed one to see the inside from the outside. But, due to a special function, those inside couldn’t see out.

The prisoners were locked in various restraints, each in their own solitary cell.

"Professor, please wait a moment."

I left Liana’s arms and floated into the air with magic.

This time, Liana didn’t stop me, but she must have been worried, as she released several high-level spirits behind me.

The human-shaped high-level spirits smiled and waved their hands.

I greeted them and flew toward one of the cells.

I signaled, and the Association staff nodded cautiously, manipulating the magic tool.

At that moment, the transparent wall lit up.

The prisoner inside was now able to see us.

The restrained prisoner raised his head.

It was definitely Estra, the wanted criminal who had been shooting arrows and magic at me.

He looked like a beggar.

[It’s been a while... though it hasn’t really been long. Are you happy to see me?]

"..."

[See? I told you to surrender earlier.]

His lips, dry and cracked from lack of water, barely moved.

It was the moment I leaned in, listening closely to hear what he would say next.

Estra suddenly lowered his head, as if ready to bow to the ground.

"Please spare my life. There was a reason I couldn’t surrender back then. I’ll explain everything willingly. I don’t even desire freedom anymore. If you just let me live, I’ll work like a dog, following any orders."

[?] [Absurd]

His lips cracked as he spoke smoothly with his tongue.

His declaration came in a string of words, and my expression faltered.

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