I Became the Academy's Disabled Student-Chapter 376: I like the professor (3)

She received the drink but didn’t gulp it down mindlessly. Riana gently swirled the alcohol in the glass and stroked the head of Ihayul, who was resting in her arms.

“Darling, if you feel nauseous at all, you must speak up, alright?”

“Y-yes...”

Ihayul buried his nose deeper into her flesh and inhaled deeply.

The sweet smell of milk. Anything like the offensive scent coming through here couldn’t even compete. Even that was diluted by the scent of milk and felt insignificant.

...Still, a slight unpleasant smell managed to make its way in. It clung to the flame energy and calmly ignited.

Ihayul lifted his head and stared at the shirt that wrapped around his chest.

Thunk, thunk

His actions followed. After unbuttoning a few buttons from near the collarbone, the front of the shirt parted to the sides.

A deep cleavage was exposed to his view. As an added bonus, the milk scent that had been building inside also spread out suddenly.

Ihayul hugged Riana’s lower back, pressing his nose firmly into the valley of her body, where the scent of her skin lingered.

“Sniff, sniff...”

[Milk scent]

“Ugh, uh... I’m glad you’re okay...”

That blatant voice always made him feel embarrassed.

Riana, blushing slightly, carefully raised the glass to her lips.

The wine, a shade close to red-purple, smelled of damp grapes.

Riana, who had been alternately glancing at the ice floating in the drink and Ihayul’s crown, casually put the glass to her mouth.

Gulp

A brief burst of sweetness passed over her tongue. Then, a slight bitterness lingered, and the grape flavor filled her throat.

“...Hmm.”

It’s delicious. Riana, stopping herself from grinning, patted Ihayul’s back.

“I like drinking. When I was younger, I didn’t think much of it, but later, when I happened to try it, I liked the taste.”

Even if she liked alcohol, Riana wasn’t crazy enough to ignore Ihayul, who was in her arms.

So instead of focusing on the drink, Riana gently spoke while embracing Ihayul.

Ihayul, who had been rubbing his face against her chest, peeked up. His eyes gleamed with curiosity. Riana, smiling gently, swept her fingers over his eyelids and continued.

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

When was it? It was when she had been active in the frontlines for a while. After exhausting herself like a dog, she was granted a short leave and returned to the base.

She couldn’t wander around outside. Her exhausted body and mind yearned for restful leisure.

So she spent time at home, but eventually, she got bored.

“At that time, I asked someone to bring things I’d never tried before, and I tasted them.”

She had her secretary run several errands.

Among them was alcohol. Some forty-year-old wine. It was pretty expensive, but compared to Riana’s income back then, it barely made a dent.

“Hehe, it was terribly disgusting. Just bitter... It felt like powdered medicine mixed with water, so I took one sip and immediately pushed it aside.”

She hadn’t liked alcohol even as a child. The smell of alcohol from the battlefield wasn’t pleasant either.

She wondered if alcohol for enjoyment might be different, so she tried it, but it wasn’t.

“But the next wine was sweet. It was a grape wine, and it was as sweet as a drink.”

“...Sweet?”

“Yes, the first sip had a rich, deep sweetness. Afterward, a bitterness came up, but it actually helped cut the sweetness that lingered too thickly.”

The sweetness wasn’t overpowering, and the bitterness blended just right with the sweetness. Riana, her eyes wide in surprise, drank more of the wine.

“I enjoyed the taste, so I felt better. You know how people say they get drunk? That clear, uplifting feeling, I liked it.”

She drank several bottles in that one sitting.

Normally, that would be considered excessive drinking, but Riana, who was closer to being a superhuman, didn’t feel any ill effects.

Drunkenness couldn’t damage her body or disturb her mind. If she set her mind to it, she could easily shake off any intoxication.

Because of that, she was able to enjoy alcohol freely during her leave.

“I packed up the delicious things and took them back to the frontlines. After finishing the battles, I planned to drink again during my rest.”

Alcohol was common in the battlefield. Drunken stupor could ease the pain and dull the terror of the coming battles.

Riana was the same. She was confident she could protect her life, but the fear of the unknown wasn’t completely gone.

Alcohol was perfect for her. It would let her fall into a deep sleep without nightmares or restless nights.

It tasted good, and it was effective. There was no reason not to drink.

Afterward, Riana’s hobby became drinking.

“...Well, that’s why. The reason I like alcohol isn’t anything special. It just suited my taste.”

Shrugging her shoulders, Riana placed the glass to her lips. As she lowered her gaze, she saw Ihayul’s slightly dazed eyes bouncing between her lips and the wineglass.

‘It’s not my body, but can he even see the wineglass?’

Riana tilted her head in thought, then took a sip of the wine and gently kissed Ihayul’s hair.

“The reason I like alcohol is because of this... Later, you should also tell me why babies hate alcohol.”

Their gazes met in midair. Riana gently pressed Ihayul’s head, which had slightly flushed, into her chest.

“Right now, it’s a bit of a complicated matter. I want you to tell me when you can say it without it being painful or burdensome. I’d like to hear it then.”

Riana, smiling softly, finished her drink.

Of course, if Riana pressed the matter, Ihayul would explain in detail, but she didn’t want to hear it that way.

Ihayul, in her arms, wriggled a bit.

“...My parents drank a lot.”

“Hmm?”

The sudden sound from her chest and the warm breath hitting her shoulder [N O V E L I G H T] made Riana flinch slightly.

“They were bad people to begin with, but when they drank, they became even worse.”

“Ah...”

A brief explanation. It wasn’t hard to understand. It was a common reason. But it was enough and expected.

“That’s why I hated it. I hated it back then, and I didn’t want anyone around me to drink because I thought they might be like that too.”

“Hmm...”

As the explanation continued, Riana’s gaze wandered. The glass she was holding felt strangely heavy.

“But the people around me aren’t like that. I already know, so it’s alright.”

It’s alright. The words Ihayul had repeated earlier.

Ihayul, who had lifted his head slightly, gave her a bashful smile and kissed her lips.

A slow yet sudden kiss. Riana’s view blurred as she saw Ihayul’s curved eyes.

His gaze was gentle, like a puppy, yet sly, like a fox.

“...Mmm... Lick?”

It was a kiss, done on impulse, something he wanted to do in that moment. As Ihayul laughed at the deep affection, his eyes suddenly fluttered.

Her moist lips, mixed with Riana’s saliva, brought a bittersweet taste...

“Mm...?”

The taste that sank into his tongue caused his face to flush suddenly. Whoosh! The flame energy surged hotly.

Ihayul’s hand, responding to his desires, moved restlessly.

Crunch...

“Ugh...?!”

Riana, still savoring the kiss, shivered as Ihayul’s hand slid under her shirt and firmly grabbed her chest.

Squeeze, squeeze...

“Ugh, tsk, uh...”

Riana’s body twisted at the greedy hand that squeezed her flesh.

...Hey, hey. Let’s go in.

The spirits, who had been chattering and playing nearby, rolled their eyes at the suddenly thickened atmosphere.

They exchanged glances and, cautiously, dissolved their forms, returning to their spots.

Spirits of lower ranks do not have names.

Their sense of self is weak. Unless their self-awareness is unusually strong, they do not recognize or accept names.

At the higher levels, spirits somehow receive names. They might get them from surrounding beings or assign names to themselves.

The upper earth spirit, Teramor, is one such case—having earned a name when it reached the upper tier.

...Ah!

As Teramor’s consciousness, which had been floating leisurely, suddenly recalled its name, it surged upwards rapidly.

The hazy mind snapped to attention. The eyes opened wide. The clear blue sky was visible. Teramor, who had been about to rise, froze in place.

Waaah...

The earth-colored eyes, wide open, reflected the sky.

The bright, clear color spread across the horizon. Fluffy, white clouds swam freely in the sky.

The sky, which had been unseen during the time spent holed up in the dungeon, was truly breathtaking—one of the most beautiful sights in Teramor's memory.

Ah! You’re awake!

A familiar, joyful voice sounded near Teramor, who was still staring at the sky.

The voice was bright, welcoming, and full of warmth. Teramor, still gazing up at the sky, slowly turned its head.

You’re awake!

The earth-colored light glimmered. Teramor had sensed what it was before even turning to look. It was a lower earth spirit. Teramor blinked, then looked around.

There were streaks of deep brown light everywhere.

Glad to see you!

Are you alright?

Hello!

They all sent their greetings, scattering light. Being lower-ranked spirits, their messages and emotions were brief.

Even so, Teramor’s eyes widened in surprise. It had a much clearer sense of self than typical lower spirits.

Lying in the grassy field, Teramor slowly rose to its feet.

Only then did it notice its changed form.

This content is taken from fгeewebnovёl.com.

Its body, made of magical energy and spirit, was a yellow-brown color. Long hair reached down to its backside, and its form was clearly defined.

‘...I feel good.’

The color wasn’t dark, and the energy wasn’t vague. It was crisp and pure. The previous negative energy had completely vanished, replaced with a gentle, serene aura.

‘My condition is amazing.’

It was far better than before... no, it was undeniably better than it had ever been. Comparing this to the recent dreadful state, it felt like a world of difference.

This way, please!

The spirits, who had been circling around, began moving in one direction.

‘Mid-tier?’

Among them, one spirit stood out with a much stronger self-awareness. Probably a mid-tier spirit. However, the energy it emitted was so strong that it was on par with upper-tier ones.

Teramor, still checking its condition, followed the spirit’s guidance.

Though there was some doubt in its mind due to the unexpected situation, there was no suspicion toward the familiar, friendly spirits.

Where is this...?

Following the guidance, Teramor moved across the vast grass field.

Occasionally crossing gentle hills, the land stretched on without end. A vast, green field spread out beyond the horizon.

Above, a clear blue sky provided a calming effect. Just looking at it made Teramor feel at peace.

It wasn’t just a pleasant feeling.

The vitality and the earth’s energy were overwhelming. It was as if an immense, endless force was flowing from the ground, almost impossible to believe.

It’s the King’s domain!

The King...?

The spirit who had guided Teramor answered. Teramor closed its mouth.

Memories from just before it lost consciousness flooded back. As time passed, those memories became clearer.

The snow-white hair. The otherworldly appearance. The three pairs of wings...

‘That’s right.’

Teramor looked around more carefully. Beyond the endless horizon, something stood out. In the distance, a large, white temple loomed.

There was so much to take in. The place was vast and full of possibilities. Even though it was empty now, it felt like something would soon fill it up...

‘I have to leave, don’t I?’

This was a spirit world. Teramor needed to head outside, meet the King, explain everything, and listen to what needed to be said.

Ah! Wait! You can’t go outside right now!

What? Why?

Um, it’s...

In that moment, as Teramor attempted to manifest outside, the earth spirit stopped it.

With a little jump, the spirit, shaped like a small dog, blocked Teramor’s path. Teramor tilted its head, confused.

...The King is outside with the Queen. If you go out, it might be a problem.

The Queen? Are they already married? ...A problem?

Teramor’s face stiffened.

The mighty King in a problematic situation? What could it be? Lost in thought, Teramor was slow to realize it had been aware of the outside world all along.

What if the King is in danger? Even though Teramor hadn’t fully recovered, it had to do something to help the King.

Teramor squeezed its eyes shut and tried to focus on the outside world.

....

Opening its eyes, Teramor stared at the distant mountain.

The sense of the external world faded away.

It wasn’t just a slight tingling sensation; the heat of its cheek was undeniable.