You Must Be Happy With So Many Mo?ms (2)
You Must Be Happy With So Many Mo?ms (2)
Wandering around the Siyoram estate, you'd find buildings for just about everything.
Some were built for a single subject, others crammed full of various amenities.
Money was never an issue, so they'd just build whatever facilities were needed. Maintenance was all handled by magic anyway.
The study room we were visiting now... well, this building was simply a collection of study rooms.
A modern building with two basement levels and five above ground. Stepping through the main entrance, I was enveloped by a wave of cool air.
Siyoram sits in the middle of the Pacific, but for acclimation and other reasons, they implement full seasons here.
Right now, we were in the middle of summer weather.
Thanks to that, it had been feeling especially hot lately.
Not quite peak sweltering, but definitely hot enough to feel the heat.
"Ahh... so cool~!"
Ellia, who'd entered the building with me, gave a little shiver.
The plan was to meet Hong Yeon-hwa, Baek A-rin, and Ellia—but for now, Ellia and I were to secure a room.
"I'm finally alive again. Wow... this chill."
Ellia stretched her arms high above her head, like she was savoring every bit of the coolness.
Her chest pushed forward, pulling her cadet uniform taut and emphasizing her voluptuous curves to the fullest.
[Gaspssdsdsdfg]
[Ellia, are you sensitive to the heat?]
"Huh? What was that noise? Gaspssdsdsdfg?"
Ellia tilted her head. I shook mine vigorously, like it was nothing.
[It was nothing]
[For real though]
[Please don't bully me...]
Dodging Ellia, who kept poking my cheek as if to ask what I meant, I scurried further inside.
I could hear giggling from behind me.
[Which room should we get?]
"For convenience, how about the 2nd floor? Though anything we need will be in the room anyway."
In the spacious lobby, instead of a person, a self-service kiosk sat commandingly in place.
You book a room through it, then download a virtual key to your smartwatch to open the door.
"Hardly anyone here? I thought it would be more crowded."
[There are lots of identical buildings, so everyone's spread out]
[Lots of cadets gather in the cafes too]
[Some just plop down in any random park instead of places like this]
I processed the information I was observing and answered Ellia's question.
Honestly, even the public facilities like parks were so high quality you could sit under a covered table and chat for hours on end.
If a conversation needed a bit of privacy, you could just cast a soundproofing spell yourself or go to a place with private rooms.
"Ah... right, that makes... sense?"
Ellia nodded in agreement, then suddenly drew out her words and fixed me with an odd stare.
"But, did you check that just now with your detection ability?"
[Yep]
[I checked with detection]
[My range is plenty wide now, you see]
"Your detection is seriously impressive, Ha-yul."
A bit puzzled by that odd look, I still nodded at her question.
"It absorbs enough varied information to substitute for sight, the range is insanely wide... it's always deployed... more importantly, doesn't it have problems with obstacles? Like bouncing off things in the way?"
[I vary the range, widening and narrowing it]
[It also automatically cuts off when I'm asleep]
[I've never consciously dealt with transparency... but it works itself out]
Detection abilities are inherently an absolute pain to use.
There are different types. One simply enhances your vision, but the well-regarded type is the detection-net type like mine.
In short, it detects within a set range using mana, similar to my ability.
Of course, there are plenty of differences from mine.
The information isn't as diverse, nor as precise.
Most are basically just an expanded mana detection range, only capable of grasping the location of large mana entities and offering faint interpretation.
Plus, various parameters change depending on the environmental mana wave disturbance... making it a disgustingly finicky ability to operate.
That's why even in the Tower of Growth, it took the cadets so long to find me.
With the chaotic mana concentration and wavelengths, and me curled into a ball between rocks, it must have been disgustingly hard to locate.
Whenever I sit in on a detection-type lecture, I hear a constant stream of wails from the cadets.
But since I have an Authority, not a Unique Ability, that's not something I can really relate to.
'Hmm...'
Observation Authority. I need to start working on applications for it soon...
At first, I handled Observation far better than Space, but in terms of application, Space has long since caught up.
The Authority of Space, just in application, can do so many things—Subspace, Spatial Domination, Spatial Wall Manifestation, Long-distance Spatial Leap...
But the Observation Authority hasn't achieved any notable applications yet.
Authority of Protection? That's not even applied; I'm still practicing the basic manifestation.
"Hmm..."
Just as I answered and drifted into thought, Ellia's gaze grew stranger.
Soon, her expression shifted. A face full of mischief and teasing.
A sense of foreboding washed over me.
"Transparency... that's amazing. I heard it's incredibly difficult to develop transparency with a detection ability."
[Yeah...]
"Can you even see through walls, or fabric? Does it pierce security magic too?"
[Yes, it can see through most things]
Truthfully, it's not most, but almost everything.
The things the Observation Authority couldn't see through, I can count on one hand.
First, the inside of the Towers.
The Tower of Growth I observed in Siyoram, and the Tower of Space I observed at Association Headquarters.
I couldn't see inside either of them.
The inside of dungeons is also hard to penetrate, since multiple spatial phenomena are at play. But it's not impossible—maybe because I also hold the Authority of Space.
"Wow... that's amazing!"
Ellia clapped her hands. The unease that had been prickling me subsided at the sight of her genuinely wide-eyed, surprised look.
Guess she was just curious about my detection ability after all.
Just as I concluded that, Ellia's question pierced my ear.
"So, have you ever seen through my clothes?"
[Yes]
[A while ago, I had trouble controlling... ... ...]
[Huh?]
?
A question mark floated up over my head.
"Hmph."
The corner of Ellia's lips curved way up. The playfulness and mischief that had briefly stepped away retook their seat.
'Ah.'
A leading question.
My expression drained to stark white.
.
.
.
We crossed a hallway lined with many doors on either side.
Since it was a large building, the hallway was fairly long.
The spotless floor didn't seem like it had been cleaned by a person; an auto-cleaner or magic likely took care of it.
[Elliaaa...]
The Confession Necklace clicked. Even through its mechanical flatness, a deep sense of pleading and injustice filled the words.
I wore a miserable expression as I followed close behind Ellia.
"Hm hm~♪"
Ellia gave no reaction. She was humming cheerfully with her hands behind her back, looking outwardly pleasant.
Her face was beaming, a giggling smirk on her lips.
But recalling what she'd just said... a burning suspicion emerged as to whether she was truly pleasant right now.
'Urgggh...'
I felt wronged.
Back in the days of Spatial Perception, before I realized it was an Authority.
Spatial Perception was incredibly unstable.
At first, due to an error, it only received spatial information that fit the framework of Observation, and even after that, it was never a well-behaved, obedient ability.
It would sometimes shut off on its own, or widen its range by itself, or receive information I didn't want.
Of course, there were also mistakes in my control.
And in that process... I sometimes received improper information as well.
[Nooooo...]
[It's not like that, I swear]
[Please believe me...]
But I swear to the heavens I erased those memories without hesitation.
I immediately diverted my perspective, buried the information deep down, and strove never to recall it...
"Hmph...!"
Ellia's shoulders shook slightly before she held in a laugh.
We'd already arrived at our rented room. Ellia pressed her smartwatch firmly against the authenticator.
[Cadet Ellia, authentication complete.]
[Renting Room 2-12.]
Whirr... Ellia stepped inside as the door slid open.
"Oh, the facilities are great. Siyoram, as expected."
Just as Ellia said, the facilities were excellent.
The air inside was comfortable and cool.
One side was furnished with a tea set, snacks like cookies and candy, and a fridge.
The other had a large sofa surrounding a table on all sides, and in the center of the room sat a round table and chairs.
Ellia plopped down onto one of the sofas, marveling at the softness as she sank back into the cushions.
[Elliaaa...]
"Yes, yes. What is it?"
Ellia beamed and turned to me.
As I hovered nearby, hesitating, she just stared at me intently without a word.
"Oh my... why the long face? Hm? Come here."
As I hung there unable to say anything, Ellia gave a look of faint exasperation and spread her arms wide.
Offering me her embrace.
Relief washed over me, and I zipped into her arms before she could reconsider.
My body sank deep into her soft warmth.
The drooping Sky Wing Feather swayed gently side to side.
"Hehehe, ah... so cute."
Muffled laughter trickled from above my head. Ellia smiled softly and hugged me tight.
"Ha-yul, did you really sense me by seeing through my clothes?"
[It was a mistake, I'm sorry]
[I erased it right away]
[Once I got it under control, I've never observed it again...]
[Please believe me...]
"Oh, Ha-yul, you're fine, so no need to be sorry."
Her two arms soon wrapped around me, burying me completely in her embrace. My face burrowed into the warm softness.
A gentle hand stroked down my head, then my back, in turn.
[Feels nice]
[The patting makes me happy...]
[So soft and plush...]
My face melted into goo from the comfort.
My whole body and mind were steeped in languor, every last speck of fatigue dissolving without a trace.
Sleepiness crept in again. I'd clearly slept plenty earlier, but it felt like I'd fall asleep again...
I used to hate sleep.
Even when I felt drowsy, it was hard to drift off.
I hated the moment my consciousness cut off because it made dealing with sudden events too hard. That anxiety made me hate it.
And if I did manage to fall asleep, struggling with meds, I had nightmares ten times out of ten, so I hated actually sleeping too.
Lately, that hasn't been the case.
More precisely, it isn't the case if I fall asleep beside someone I can trust.
A warm body temperature, a soft texture, the heartbeat of someone reliable thumping right beside me.
My anxiety eases smoothly away, and I'm drawn into a state of coziness and comfort.
Before, I'd nap a bit every three or four days and then get up, but these days I'm getting ample sleep every single day.
[I'm sleepy...]
[But I shouldn't sleep...]
[But I'm sleepy...]
"Yeon-hwa and A-rin said they'll be a little while. It's okay to sleep for a bit. I'll wake you up when they get here."
[But I just slept...]
[I can't sleep again...]
"It's fine. Babies are supposed to sleep a lot, you know. Since Ha-yul's body got younger, needing more sleep is inevitable."
It's fine. With Ellia whispering that in my ear, the consciousness I'd been barely clinging to gradually loosened.
Come to think of it, a short nap is probably okay...
My divided thoughts were still busy analyzing magic books and studying; another thread checked on Seo-yul's condition... Yeon-hwa and A-rin... were over there... still in the middle of something... Looks like Ellia was right, they needed more time...
Maybe it's fine if just my main consciousness falls asleep...
My awareness gradually sank.
"Oh, right. Mind if I ask one more thing?"
Through the threadbare edge of consciousness, I heard Ellia's voice.
[Yep...]
[What...?]
"When you sensed my body, what kind of thought did you have?"
My impression...? When was that again.
Around when my Spatial Perception regained color... that time?
I rummaged through my hazy memories.
I found it soon enough.
A memory stashed at the very bottom.
It was a little higher up than the deepest, basement-locked childhood memories.
What was it like? I opened the memory.
The Confession Necklace clicked.
[Her chest was really, really big...]
"Pfft..."
With that thought, my consciousness settled completely.