Chapter 239
The spot Soo-ah poked with her finger was precisely where the shaped Vessel of Authority was located. She even referred to it as 'her own.'
I could only think of one possibility. I suddenly locked eyes with the small creature staring straight at me. In its two shimmering, star-like pupils, there was nothing but blind goodwill directed toward me.
"Hmm?"
A bright smile caused countless thoughts to roam my mind.
Had she been hiding her true identity all this time? For what reason? To regain her power when the time was right? But there were plenty of opportunities for that before. It's not like I've only collapsed once or twice.
Moreover, if that was her goal... There wouldn't be any need for her to reveal herself like this.
"Daddy! More! Do it more!"
Noticing that the strength in my arms faltered due to my complicated thoughts, Soo-ah urged me on. Her behavior was unmistakably that of a little girl her age, leaving me even more at a loss.
I barely calmed my breathing and cautiously spoke to Soo-ah.
"...Soo-ah?"
"Yes!"
"I... Daddy wants to ask you just one thing... Is that okay?"
Without realizing it, I changed one word. From the two pairs of gazes watching this commotion, joy and regret were strangely intertwined—satisfaction in one, and disappointment in the other...
"Yep! It's okay!"
Soo-ah nodded energetically, as if ready to answer anything. Right now, relying on this child's goodwill seemed to be my only option.
I steadied my breathing one more time and finally brought up the main topic.
"By any chance... are you Polaris...?"
"Polaris...?"
Soo-ah placed her finger on her lips, deep in thought. The sound of her swallowing her saliva echoed louder than expected in the tense atmosphere.
And Soo-ah's answer came as surprisingly simple.
"What's Polaris?"
"..."
Seeing her turn the question back at me, a wave of emptiness washed over me. It didn't seem like a fabricated lie. Her bright voice conveyed nothing but pure ignorance.
"Then... before meeting Mom and Dad... do you remember what you were doing...?"
Though I'd already half given up, I barely mustered up the courage to ask another question, desperately trying to obtain even the slightest bit of information.
"Hmm..."
Again, Soo-ah fell into deep thought. Her expression, with her eyes closed and seemingly groaning, was quite adorable.
And once again, the result was the same.
"I don't remember!"
"..."
My energy drained away completely. It seemed like it was time to organize my thoughts.
In any case, one fact was clear—Soo-ah's true identity was the witch Polaris. All the witches who had seen my Authority unanimously claimed that it belonged to Polaris. And Soo-ah precisely pointed to the Vessel, calling it her own.
But questions remained unanswered. Soo-ah said I took her Authority, yet until meeting the unit commander, I had lived without even sensing the existence of such a power.
How had such a dangerous power ended up in my possession?
Moreover, witches were essentially humanity's adversaries. Why would such a being end up as a helpless kitten on the verge of death, appearing before us?
Not to mention, instead of plotting humanity's destruction, she leisurely lived a cat's life and now calls me 'Daddy'...
But as long as Soo-ah claimed ignorance of these matters, I was left at a standstill. For now, it didn't seem like I could uncover anything more.
"Soo-ah, did you answer well?"
"...Yes, I did well."
"Hehe..."
When I patted her head in response to her expectant look, Soo-ah beamed brightly. For now, I set her down on the chair and turned around.
And there stood two female students, staring at us with puzzled expressions, unable to follow the conversation. They vaguely seemed to be expecting some sort of explanation.
While the existence of witches had been disclosed long ago, their names were still unknown. However, this wasn't the right place for a long story. Besides, we had just been caught up in another topic.
"I'll explain this later. And..."
"...Ugh."
"Ugh..."
When my gaze shifted to them, both female students flinched simultaneously. My feelings were complicated. They had fought like sworn enemies before, yet now only displayed pitiful appearances.
Yeon couldn't even meet my eyes and bowed her head deeply again. The sharp-tongued side of Yeon Minha was nowhere to be found—she simply trembled anxiously. Among the four of us, the only one smiling was Soo-ah, rolling around on my lap.
And as I was about to speak, still unable to organize my thoughts,
"I..."
"What is this ruckus all about!!"
Suddenly, someone's voice echoed. It was a thunderous roar. The sound of approaching footsteps immediately followed, and both Yeon and Yeon Minha turned toward it with frowns.
And for some reason, the two quickly lowered their heads.
"What a deplorable situation."
It wasn't surprising, given who the voice belonged to.
"Even though I was only away for a short while, I return to find discipline has slackened to this extent."
Walking toward us was a girl adorned in a luxurious dark-colored outfit. She appeared to be in her late teens, not much different from us.
Her exceptional beauty was striking enough to make anyone unconsciously exclaim. However, her face was filled with overt anger directed at us. The eye patch covering one side of her face accentuated her fierce expression even more.
"Principal...?"
"I believe I made myself clear."
Standing in place, Hae Wolhwa radiated an intense fury unlike anyone else.
"Romance within the academy... is absolutely forbidden...!"
***
What started as a three-way, no, four-way confrontation came to an abrupt end.
All because of someone we hadn't anticipated.
"The end of the world, truly the end."
Yeon and Yeon Minha had no choice but to back down immediately. Their faces were filled with dissatisfaction, but they couldn't do anything about it. In this Yoram, there was only one person who could suppress them so forcefully—excluding myself, of course.
In a way, I was grateful. Thanks to her intervention, we could finally take a breather.
"A disgraceful love drama in a sacred place of learning... It's a harbinger of doom. The nation is truly heading for ruin..."
And for some reason, I found myself being held captive by the Principal, listening to her rant disguised as a lecture.
Was she trying to hold me accountable as the so-called culprit of the 'love drama'?
"Tsk, tsk, what a commendable act."
After rambling on for a while as we walked side by side, the Principal finally turned to glare at me and spoke.
"The commotion was so great that I thought some major accident had occurred. But after hearing the truth from the children, I couldn't believe my ears. That's why I came to find you myself."
"Well..."
"Don't even think about making excuses. I distinctly told you in the past. Romance is unequivocally forbidden within the school. Were my warnings really so laughable to you?"
"...No, they weren't."
The Principal fired her words like magic bullets, ceaselessly. It was clear I had deeply offended her.
Given what had happened, I had no intention of making excuses. But I was also curious about the Principal's true feelings.
Why was Hae Wolhwa so vehemently opposed to students dating? From a national perspective, wouldn't it make more sense to encourage it? The Republic constantly suffered from a chronic shortage of mages.
That's why even students from insignificant backgrounds on the frontier were eagerly gathered into Yoram, and after graduation, they were relentlessly worked on the frontlines for over a decade.
Before enrolling, I hadn't known any better and simply nodded in agreement.
But I'd heard that these rules didn't exist in the past. All the regulations prohibiting student relationships were newly established after Hae Wolhwa became the current Principal.
She had even tried to abolish the early engagement system but was ultimately forced to abandon the idea, shedding tears due to the intricate web of family relations involved...
"Enough of that. Is the rumor really true?"
Hae Wolhwa still didn't seem inclined to let me go.
"Which rumor... are you referring to?"
"The one about Paechun's child bringing your child here."
"Cough...!"
"Don't even think about playing dumb. I personally overheard the malicious gossip being spread by the children gathered in the plaza."
"That couldn't possibly be true. Yeon... Young Lady of Baek Gwang probably brought her niece. Kids of that age tend to do such things, calling anyone they meet 'Daddy'..."
I focused all my efforts on downplaying the situation. I felt a little sorry for Soo-ah, but it couldn't be helped.
Fortunately, when Hae Wolhwa arrived, Soo-ah had already disappeared. Perhaps sensing her anger, Soo-ah had turned into a cat and hidden herself.
For me, it was a huge relief. If the Principal had seen Soo-ah, who resembled both Yeon and me, I wouldn't have been able to come up with any excuse.
"Hmm..."
After a long pause, the Principal finally withdrew her suspicious gaze.
"Fine, I'll believe you."
The slightly pouting girl reluctantly nodded. Was she convinced after all? Surprisingly easy.
Maybe the Principal actually trusted me to some extent.
"Well, of course. At that age, such... indecent and disgraceful... unions..."
"..."
The Principal trailed off, seemingly embarrassed by her own words.
Am I really being trusted...?
"Um... Are your eyes okay?"
After the storm had passed, somehow, we ended up taking a walk together. Walking side by side, I casually changed the subject. It was a rather uncomfortable situation in many ways...
"Didn't I already tell you they were fine?"
Then the Principal responded as though it was no big deal.
"My usual field of vision has slightly narrowed. But even that can be resolved with a bit of neural expansion, making it no different from before."
"But still..."
"You have an odd knack for overthinking minor things. What would you do if I said I wasn't fine? Were you planning to support me? Hm?"
"Yes."
"...What?"
"If it's difficult for you, Principal, I thought I might offer my help."
"..."
The Principal abruptly stopped walking and stared at me. Was this a mistake? I thought she was joking because she rarely smiled like that. After some hesitation, I decided to take her words seriously...
But Hae Wolhwa, now devoid of her smile, stood there stiffly, her expression cold. Did I offend the pride of the Archmage?
Well, how ridiculous must it have seemed for a mere bluish student to say something about offering support?
Clearly, I'm no good at jokes. Even as I pondered over a solution with a groan, the Principal remained rooted in place.
And only after quite some time did she finally speak again.
"...Hmph. It can't be helped. If that's your intention..."