I Became the Academy's Disabled Student

Early Morning.

“Ba-ba...”

Seoryul stretched out both arms.

With a familiar motion, I lifted Seoryul into my arms. Seoryul, in turn, wriggled and nestled comfortably against my chest as if it were second nature.

With a curious expression, I carefully gauged the feeling in my arms.

The weight pressing on my forearms was heavier than before.

The body in my embrace had grown larger compared to before.

His limbs had lengthened, and he had grown taller. He had simply grown all around.

There was no need to activate my Observation Power; the difference was obvious even to the naked eye.

And that wasn’t all.

After patting his back a few times, I carefully set Seoryul down on the ground.

Then.

“Uuu...”

Seoryul... stood up on his own two feet. His long, pure white hair cascaded down, reaching nearly to his waist.

His feet pressed firmly to the ground, and his legs straightened. Though he wobbled slightly, he was standing on his legs.

Just days ago, he had been a baby crawling around.

[Wow] [Our Seoryul stood up?]

“Yes! I... I stood up!”

[Amazing!]

Smiling brightly, I praised him and gently patted his head.

‘He's growing so fast...’

I hid my bewilderment deep inside.

Kids grow quickly, especially babies, who change remarkably in a short time.

But Seoryul was a fairy. I knew he would grow even faster than a human.

Experiencing it firsthand, however, was somewhat overwhelming.

The gap had only been about two weeks.

In that time, the baby who used to crawl was now standing on his own two legs.

The growth rate was astounding.

While it left me flustered, all I could do was shower Seoryul with praise for standing up.

‘What should I do about this...’

I felt a sense of helplessness.

Seoryul was growing at an incredible speed.

His body was developing.

Naturally, his mind would grow to match his physical development.

Updat𝓮d from frёewebnoѵēl.com.

I had only skimmed the basics of childcare, but since Seoryul was born, I had been immersing myself in parenting knowledge, sacrificing sleep.

Even though my knowledge was still embarrassingly limited...

I knew that the emotions, experiences, and bonds a child forms with their caregiver in the early years were crucial to emotional development.

Especially for Seoryul, whose species was different and who grew rapidly.

It was all the more essential to care for him diligently and teach him many things during this period...

“Hayul, are you ready? It’s about time to go.”

[Yes, I’m ready.]

This poor excuse for a guardian was about to be absent for about a month.

Elia stepped out of her room, not in her usual cadet or casual attire, but in formal dress.

Unlike the neat and simple cadet uniform, this outfit was adorned in various ways.

...The elegant impression of her attire was somewhat diminished by the way her curves were accentuated...

The formal dress was issued alongside the cadet uniform, to be worn only on special occasions.

I wore the same outfit as her.

Suppressing a sigh, I rose to my feet.

Seoryul’s previously smiling face quickly turned into a pout.

His puffed-up cheeks clearly conveyed his dissatisfaction.

“...So mean.”

His white eyes shimmered with an unusual moisture, making my heart sink.

It was as if my heart was being torn apart—a feeling far more intense than the physical pain of being slashed by Aelurus’s claws.

[I’m sorry...]

I knelt without thinking and embraced the sulking Seoryul.

Today marked the end of the interim period.

It was the day of the closing ceremony for the first semester.

“...Before proceeding, I’d like to commend all the cadets who have honed both body and mind to become heroes over the past semester.”

The closing ceremony was held in the grand auditorium.

The ceremony was conducted by the Vice Chancellor, just as at the freshman welcoming event.

She stood on the podium, delivering her address with her usual expressionless face.

Her voice, amplified by magical devices, reverberated throughout the auditorium.

The difference from the freshman event was that cadets from all years were present, not just the first-years.

Each year group sat in designated areas.

In other sections, the faculty members and other personnel, including Professor Liana and my mentor, were seated.

There were roughly 600 first-years, with fewer students in the second, third, and fourth years. Some third- and fourth-years were engaged in outside activities and weren’t present at Shioram.

Though smaller in number than the first-years, each year still comprised hundreds of cadets.

The auditorium was enormous, able to accommodate such a large number, though it still felt somewhat crowded.

I operated my Observation Power, scanning the faces of the cadets gathered in the hall with a renewed sense of curiosity.

There were cadets from my own class whom I saw every day, as well as lead characters I hadn’t yet formed close bonds with.

And there were those from entirely different years whom I hadn’t encountered before.

Among the crowd, two people in particular caught my attention.

‘Katsuki Yusei.’

A male cadet with silver hair that gleamed like moonlight and sharp features. He was regarded as a prominent talent even among the Three Sword Sects.

At the freshman welcoming event, he had been knocked down by Hong Yeonhwa and had accidentally collided with me, leading to an apology. Since then, we had only exchanged greetings in the mornings.

‘The Three Sword Sect incident... happens during the first semester break.’

The Three Sword Sect, a martial arts sect representing the Japanese region, experiences a similar incident every year during the first semester break.

If I get involved well, I might build good relationships with the Three Sword Sect and its allied forces.

But now wasn’t the time.

I considered giving Katsuki Yusei a hint, but quickly discarded the idea.

Even though I held a somewhat extraordinary position, I didn’t think I’d be trusted if I warned of an incident that hadn’t even occurred yet.

Although there were casualties, they weren’t numerous. The event was well resolved without player interference, so it should be fine.

And... the other person was Lee Jiyeon.

Her brown hair was tied back as usual, and her light green eyes looked somewhat bored.

Using Observation Power, I examined her closely.

The magic within her was unique enough to attract attention without even trying.

Just as Guhwa contained fiery energy and Changhae possessed water and ice, the magic of Lee Jiyeon, the manifestation of Taesan, bore the essence of earth.

Her unique ability, "Taesan," was present, but not actively used, so I couldn’t gather detailed information.

It was a shame.

The power of Taesan over the earth. The vitality it could generate and the necromantic abilities derived from it would undoubtedly enhance my strength.

‘Maybe I’ll meet her in the second semester.’

If all went according to plan, that meeting would happen.

“...Next, we will conduct the award ceremony for cadets who demonstrated outstanding achievements. Those called, please come up to the stage.”

The closing ceremony was reaching its end.

After a brief address, a selection of cadets with excellent grades and accomplishments were called to the stage to receive praise and certificates.

The sequence began with the first-years.

Around ten cadets from each year were called to the stage.

“Baek Ahrin. This cadet has demonstrated exceptional achievements, placing first in written exams and second in practical evaluations, and achieving second place in the semester tournament, thereby showing the qualities of a future hero.”

“I will continue to strive forward.”

As expected, Baek Ahrin, the top student in our year, went up to receive the award.

The vice chancellor recounted her achievements, tapping her shoulder with an ornate staff, resembling a simplified knighting ceremony.

“Hong Yeonhwa. This cadet has excelled, placing first in practical evaluations and winning the semester tournament, showcasing the qualities of a future hero.”

“I will do my best.”

The top two in the first year, Baek Ahrin and Hong Yeonhwa.

“Katsuki Yusei. This cadet...”

“Lee Hyun. This cadet...”

The other recipients included lead characters with whom I hadn’t yet built friendships.

And then.

“Lee Hayul.”

I, too, ascended the stage.

Eyes shot towards me. I’d felt attention while standing among the first-years, but it was far more intense now.

Standing before the vice chancellor, I met her calm, purple gaze.

Her lips parted as the award ceremony continued.

“This cadet has achieved the following: special admission, ninth in the written exams, third in practical evaluations, seventh overall, and advanced to the round of sixteen in the semester tournament...”

As the vice chancellor recited my achievements, I felt a mix of emotions.

On one hand, satisfaction with my current performance, given my initial crash landing into this world.

On the other hand, dissatisfaction, knowing I would eventually have to face monsters who would wreak havoc on the world.

‘...The latter feeling is probably better.’

Rather than feeling complacent, the desire to improve in response to dissatisfaction was a positive sentiment.

As the vice chancellor’s speech concluded, I prepared to control the Confession Necklace.

I should simply declare, like the others, that I would continue to strive forward.

“─having demonstrated exceptional achievements, thereby proving the qualities of a hero who will lead the future.”

The staff tapped my right shoulder.

The vice chancellor’s speech concluded.

Now to receive the certificate...

“And furthermore.”

‘?’

The vice chancellor’s speech continued unexpectedly.

“This hero...”

The title changed from cadet to hero.

“...has devoted himself to the defenseless and innocent in the face of catastrophe in a distant land.”

The staff tapped my left shoulder, and the emptiness beneath my sleeve returned to my mind.

“This is an act of heroism that all should acknowledge, a path of legend that a hero shall carve.”

The staff withdrew, and the vice chancellor clasped it with both hands.

“...Thus, I, Venus Littera, acting headmaster of Shioram, take this opportunity to honor the hero’s accomplishments.”

With those words, the vice chancellor gave a slight bow.

A hush fell over the auditorium.

And then.