I Became the Academy’s Genius Shikigami Summoner – Chapter 88.2

“. . .How did you know that?”

“I can tell just by looking at your eyes. Even though I’m old, I’m not completely senile.”

Cheong Ok-rim then put on a serious expression and, without hesitation, began to talk about what she had originally wanted to say.

“How much do you know about that child’s circumstances?”

“I’m only vaguely aware of them. Something about her background and the tangled interests of her family, I think.”

“Then first, I should explain that in more detail.”

The words that came out of Cheong Ok-rim’s mouth after that were the entire story of Cheong Juhwa’s past, as seen in the story and various setting books.

However, hearing it directly from her made the scenes seem even more vivid.

After telling me all the facts without holding anything back, Cheong Ok-rim spoke to me again.

“This is where the main point begins.”

What Cheong Ok-rim wanted to tell me, to the extent that she went through all that trouble, was something that largely overlapped with the problems I had been thinking about.

“I want you to stop associating with Ju-hwa.”

“. . . . . . .”

“However, on the other hand, I also want you to stay by Ju-hwa’s side. Do you understand what I mean?”

“You’re worried about me getting involved with the Cheong family.”

She nodded slightly at my answer.

“The current Cheong family has lost much of its former appearance. That much is clear, even just looking at my granddaughter’s case.”

And if I continued to stay by Cheong Juhwa’s side,

“There’s no doubt that you will encounter hardships that are difficult to bear with the power of a mere student. No, perhaps they have already begun.”

Her judgment was accurate. She had a clear understanding of the events that would take place in the future.

However, that was why my answer had already been decided.

I took a sip of tea and firmly stated my response.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.”

“. . . . . . .”

“It’s not a relationship that I started just because someone told me to, and then decided to end it.”

At that, Cheong Ok-rim seemed greatly relieved.

“. . .Yes, you are a strong child after all. Thank you.”

Then she finally began to talk about something a little different.

“Actually, I tried to raise that child normally, as her father asked me to.”

“. . .Is that so?”

“But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. The talent that child was given was not something that I, of all people, could arbitrarily judge and suppress.”

Cheong Ok-rim seemed lost in thought for a moment, and then she spoke to me as if she were looking back at some point in the past.

“The day that child first used a spell for this old woman. I still remember to this day the clear light of spiritual power that I saw then.”

It was clear that she was talking about an event that had also appeared in Cheong Juhwa’s flashbacks.

The memory of when Cheong Juhwa, who was still young at the time, learned the Nightmare Dispelling spell on her own in order to help her grandmother, who was suffering from the loss of her son, and put her to sleep.

“That child was definitely born to accomplish something important. This old woman is certain of that.”

Spell rank EX.

It was clear that Cheong Ok-rim had noticed that immense talent long ago.

“So please, help that child from the sidelines. For the day that will come someday.”

I nodded slightly at her words.

Although the reasons were different, my intentions were obviously the same as hers.

After confirming each other’s intentions, we cleaned up and left the room, and just then, Cheong Juhwa, who had gone on an errand, returned home.

“I was told to bring back some side dishes. It wasn’t even anything important.”

Cheong Ok-rim watched her grumble and, thinking of the events that would surely come in the future, once again closed her eyes and sent a prayer to someone.

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

𝕒𝔴𝚎𝐛𝘴ᴛ𝚘ʀ𝐢𝚎ṡ.ᴄȯ̇ṁ

“What are you doing?”

As time passed and the sun began to set, Cheong Juhwa, who had changed her clothes after dinner, spoke to me.

“Nothing. I was just getting some fresh air.”

“Then do you want to exercise with me while we’re at it?”

I took a quick look and saw that she had come out wearing training shorts, a navy windbreaker, and a baseball cap, as if she had planned to do this from the start.

I smiled slightly at her very Cheong Juhwa-like fashion sense and got up from my seat in response to her suggestion.

“I don’t know my way around here very well. You’ll have to lead the way.”

“Yes. Just follow me.”

As we walked around the neighborhood, we leisurely talked about things we hadn’t had a chance to discuss before.

“This school year is almost over. What are you going to do next year after you graduate?”

“I’ll get my exorcist license first, and then I’ll figure out what to do after that.”

“I don’t mean that. Where do you want to go, what do you want to do, and how do you want to do it?”

For an ordinary Academy student, the next step would be to become a member of the Defense Corps, join a government agency, or get hired by someone and gradually build up their career.

However, I probably didn’t have a future like that.

Because I already knew all too well what would happen next.

“I’ll probably be busy. Very busy.”

“. . .That’s a really depressing answer.”

I couldn’t help it, because it was the truth. And it wouldn’t just be me.

Cheong Juhwa, too, would soon be caught up in the chaos of the Cheong family that was about to come.

However, on the other hand, she would only be able to find the path she was truly meant to take after overcoming that.

“Oh, and there’s another advantage to this place. You can see the stars better than where the Academy is.”

Cheong Juhwa didn’t seem to know what was on my mind, and she was walking ahead of me with a bright smile.

As I watched her cheerful figure, my anxiety and worries seemed to melt away.

As I followed behind Cheong Juhwa, who was moving quickly and sweating, I made another decision.

Yes, I needed to make my move before this situation got any worse.

「. . .𝙄 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝘿𝙤-𝙮𝙤𝙤𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩.」

The divine beast that had been passed down through the Cheong family for many years, the Azure Dragon.

I was now going to seize it from Cheong Do-yool and his followers, who were known as one of the two major factions of the Cheong family.

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