I Became the Academy's Disabled Student-Chapter 347: Reunion (3)

The freshman welcome ceremony had a strong social atmosphere.

It was a traditional event where freshmen, most of whom were meeting each other for the first time, gathered to break the ice and build friendships.

The 122nd batch freshman welcome ceremony was no different.

After a short speech from the vice president, there was a time to casually mingle and exchange pleasantries.

In such gatherings, the conversation was usually led by the more established students. Those from prominent families or powerful factions, who were well-informed about world affairs, and whose knowledge was sharp and sensitive.

As such, the topics they raised were always diverse and substantial.

“How’s your family? I bet you’ve got some influence with that distance, right?”

“Don’t even mention it. It wasn’t just some influence, it was insane! We thought the mansion was going to be destroyed when the dungeon overflow broke out early in the morning... Ugh.”

“Have you checked the situation in the byproduct market? The quantities are flooding in like crazy.”

“Oh, that. I heard some level-3 byproducts are even being released, causing a huge uproar.”

“How are the families near there handling it? They won’t be able to sleep comfortably at night, I think.”

“Yeah, but it’s pretty much been suppressed now. The guild is stationed there too, so...”

But now, things were different. Most of the conversations revolved around one subject.

The hidden realm. A catastrophe that had happened so recently, it could be said it occurred just yesterday, officially recognized as a disaster by the guild.

What kind of disaster is there during a time of peace? If things had gone badly, peace itself could have been torn apart.

Had things gone differently, it could have been the beginning of a new period of chaos.

Naturally, everyone’s gossip was running rampant.

But the reason the hidden realm became the topic of conversation in the banquet hall wasn’t just because of that.

“...Did you hear about the combat station set up on the front line there?”

“...Yeah. A returning soldier showed us the footage.”

It was an event of catastrophic scale. Whether they liked it or not, it was beneficial to gather the information. So naturally, the details from the battlefield began to spread.

As a result, the combat station that had been set up at the forefront of the hidden realm's defense line was also revealed.

The towering fortress wall that proudly blocked the disaster.

Its semi-automatic expansion and reinforcement functions. The golems and commanders clad in armor created by the walls.

It resembled, almost exactly, the combat stations set up during the last Birth Festival.

“There was also a suspiciously strong spirit there...”

While many spirit mages had performed well on the battlefield, some spirits, particularly those with forms resembling dogs, were abnormally powerful for their grade.

“The fact that it fused with the golem means it’s pretty much undeniable.”

“Couldn’t other spirit mages do that?”

“So you’re saying hundreds could do it?”

The fact that the spirit merged with the golem was the clincher. Only one superhuman had shown such a talent openly.

Lee Hayul.

The exceptional special entrance student of the 121st batch. In other words, a senior to the 122nd batch students gathered in the banquet hall.

“When I saw the footage from the Birth Festival, I thought the level was different.”

Everyone who had seen this information couldn’t help but express their admiration.

No matter how much of a prodigy a Syoram student was, the performance Lee Hayul showed was on a completely different level, beyond comprehension.

“Isn’t that why he was granted special entrance? The Top Master didn’t make a mistake when he picked him.”

“Of course, the Top Master... we revere him.”

As Lee Hayul’s achievements continued, the trust and judgment of the Top Master, who had backed him, grew without intention.

“But I still haven’t seen Senior Lee Hayul in person.”

“I heard he’s been staying in the mansion lately, recovering... what’s that, he’s even become younger again...”

“He’s become younger? What’s with that title...”

Many students of the 122nd batch wanted to befriend Lee Hayul, but very few had actually met him.

Lee Hayul lived not in the dormitories, but in a mansion located in the central district.

The grand mansion that was once known to be the residence of the former principal. It was centrally located, and outsiders had no reason to approach this mysterious place.

“...”

“...”

The conversation momentarily halted.

The mansion, where outsiders had no valid reason to approach.

Yet, it was said that among the freshmen attending the welcome ceremony, there was a student who had been seen freely coming and going from Lee Hayul’s mansion.

Those who exchanged glances realized they were all thinking the same thing and subtly shifted their gaze.

“...”

Daera, who had been eating food in a corner of the banquet hall, began to feel the weight of the stares now directed at her.

‘Wow, this place is especially flashy.’

When Daera first entered the banquet hall, she couldn’t help but gape in awe.

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The golden chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

The large tables piled high with exquisite delicacies, and the artwork and decorations, which even with her somewhat limited aesthetic sense, appeared valuable.

She had been surprised by the facilities at Syoram these past few days, but this meticulously decorated hall took her breath away.

‘Syoram truly is something else.’

The academy facilities she grew up with hadn’t felt lacking, but in comparison to Syoram, they seemed almost barren.

“Is that the person?”

“Seems like it. But why is his arm...”

‘...’

As Daera was looking around, she felt the eyes of others on her.

Daera Celeste. Though she didn’t know it herself, she was already well-known in the industry.

Her performance during the disaster in the frontlines had been nothing short of remarkable.

Her output was unparalleled, even outmatching some of the other powerful users of the Infernal Flame.

Her exceptional power alone had made her name spread like wildfire.

Yet, here she was, now a freshman at Syoram. And, moreover, staying at Lee Hayul’s mansion.

How could she not be the center of attention? Along with the top of the 122nd batch, Daera was receiving the most attention.

‘It’s uncomfortable...’

The attention, for her, was uncomfortable. She wasn’t used to enjoying the gaze of others, nor did she belong to that type.

By chance, her eyes landed on some delicious food.

To ease her boredom, Daera speared a piece of food with her fork and put it in her mouth.

It was delicious. For that brief moment, the stares faded away. Daera’s eyes sparkled as she savored the taste in her mouth.

‘...It’s not as good as the priest’s food, though.’

Absorbed in the taste, she unconsciously compared it to the food she had eaten recently.

As she mentally measured up the competition, Daera made a face of mild disgust.

Why was the priest’s food so much better?

Weren’t the chefs who made this food supposed to be famous? Or maybe it was just that the priest was better than the chefs at cooking...

“Ugh.”

Even from the outside, the conversation always came back to Lee Hayul. Daera, who had just swallowed a drink, shook her head.

‘The priest really was an extraordinary person.’

She had realized this multiple times by now. Lee Hayul, her priest, wasn’t just extraordinary—he was truly, truly remarkable.

The first special entrance student of Syoram.

A young student who had suppressed the dungeon overflow at Sifnaha with minimal damage.

A monster hunter who had slain the dual-headed dragon that had resurrected in China.

And now? He was one of the key figures who blocked the disaster of the hidden realm.

And the secret no one knew.

Lee Hayul had recognized the hidden realm disaster early on and had even entered it to solve it himself.

He had saved Daera.

The more she recounted his achievements, the less real it seemed. And to think all of this happened within a year of his awakening.

No one could argue with his accomplishments.

‘...So maybe that’s why there are so many women around him?’

The famous heroes always seem to have many women around them, right?

In powerful factions, it was not unusual for a man to have several wives and concubines.

Looking at it from that perspective, it wasn’t surprising that Lee Hayul would have many women around him.

“Hmm... Is that person also...?”

“Don’t you know? Maybe so?”

“How many women does he have...”

‘No, damn it, I’m not one of them...’

But it felt strange that I might be included among them.

As whispers buzzed around Daera, she swallowed her growing discomfort.

“Hello?”

“Yes, yes?”

As Daera awkwardly twitched her lips, someone approached.

A sudden shift in the air around her. Blinking in confusion, Daera turned her head to see Lee Hasol had approached her.

Daera’s shoulders twitched.

“Would you like some company while eating?”

“Company... Yes, it would be nice to have someone ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ to talk to.”

“I’m glad. I was just looking for someone to talk to! My name is Lee Hasol. We’re in the same batch, so I look forward to working with you.”

“Oh, yes...”

Lee Hasol smiled brightly. With her smiling face, Daera couldn’t refuse the polite invitation, though she felt awkward.

‘Lee Hasol.’

I’ve heard her name. She was the top student of the 122nd batch of freshmen at Syoram.

‘...If I’m being honest, she’s probably higher-ranked than me.’

Her name as the top student was one thing, but what really stood out was the intense atmosphere she shared with Lee Hayul in that alley.

Instinctively, Daera looked down and scanned Lee Hasol’s chest. It was big. Something inside her solidified.

At this point, Daera was terrified of Lee Hayul’s influence. Of course, considering his abilities and appearance, it made sense, but still... now she was afraid...

“Ah, right. Daera, how about we have a little sparring match after finishing your meal?”

“Sparring?”

“Yes, there’s going to be a friendly sparring session near the end of the welcome ceremony.”

Lee Hasol shrugged and pointed to the stage in the center of the banquet hall.

“Of course, it’s not a full-out fight. The rules are limited to martial arts techniques, and it’s meant to be a light, fun way to bond.”

Last year, Hong Yeonhwa had pushed herself on the opponent, Katsuki Yusei, and had knocked him around like a baseball.

“Sparring, huh...”

Daera tilted her head.

Of course, she had sparred during her academy days.

But now, she wasn’t so sure.

The monsters she had fought in the hidden realm were of a similar size, but they didn’t think like humans.

In other words, her combat skills had unintentionally developed to match larger, more monstrous foes.

She wasn’t confident in sparring against another person.

Daera put down her empty glass and, as she sipped a different drink, fell into deep thought.

Perhaps it was the thinking that made her dizzy, but the sweet taste helped her feel a little better...

"Then how about this?"

Just as Daera was deep in thought, Lee Hasol raised a finger.

Curious, Daera tilted her head, and Lee Hasol smiled brightly.

"A friendly sparring session to help us bond. We’ll control our strength to avoid any harm. I’ll make up for the slight inconvenience from earlier with this."

The ability users of the wind attribute often show their skills in sensing, too.

"...Sure, I’ll do it. But I’m not very good at controlling my strength."

"That’s fine. You can practice control now. But I do have one question... what’s your relationship with Hayul?"

"Huh?"

‘It feels like she’s talking about the priest’s woman.’

Daera’s trust in Lee Hayul slightly diminished at that question.

The sunset was slowly spreading across the ground. The sun was setting.

‘It’s almost time to wrap up.’

It was around the time the freshman welcome ceremony was nearing its end.

Since I had been near the banquet hall for some preparations, I thought I might head out to greet or see off some people.

‘Daera Saejo seems fine on the outside, but I’m not sure about her insides.’

She had spent years forcibly living in the hidden realm. That was enough time to make someone’s mind fester and rot.

In fact, Daera Saejo’s mental state back then had been quite unstable.

She had nightmares every time she slept, groaning in her sleep, and when she was awake, she displayed signs of anxiety, unable to find peace.

But perhaps because she longed for human warmth, whenever I held her in my arms, she seemed to calm down.

That was why I didn’t resist when Daera Saejo embraced me.

‘She’s a lot better now since reuniting with her teacher... but still, it wouldn’t hurt to stay attentive.’

Nodding to myself, I walked toward the first banquet hall.

I arrived at the first banquet hall just in time.

I bumped into Daera Saejo, who was heading out.

"Ah, oh? Ah, Priest! Hello...?! hic Oh no, my vision's spinning..."

But her condition seemed strange.

Her flushed face, unsteady posture, and her eyes unfocused, swaying like someone intoxicated...

"..."

Even my lips began to tremble.