I'm Blind Not Stupid

"Come in!"

Amber opened the door and pulled me inside after hearing the voice.

We walked a little bit, presumably deeper into the room until we heard the voice again.

"Hello Ms. Amber. What brings you and youe brother here today?" The voice sounded like it belonged to a student, not a teacher, however I knew the people employed at the Academy were all Rank B heroes or higher. So there was no way it was just some student.

"Good evening Professor Sprite, my brother had collapsed and hit his head, when I came home I found him in a pool of blood... Also... He seems to have... Awakened." Amber said, letting her nervous voice trail off at the end.

"Awakened?! What do you mean, how do you know?" I heard Professor Sprite's heels hit the floor... So she was not tall enough to reach the floor in a chair... Maybe she is a child...

While I had these thoughts, and began trying to sense other clues to indicate the Professor Sprite might in fact be a child or a loli, the two women began frantically talking about me. After a long discussion, I then felt a shaking feeling on my arm.

"Ares! Pay attention. The Professor wants you to try reading her thoughts, to prove you have awakened." Amber quickly said, poking her elbow into my ribs.

"Ow ow ow, okay! Relax, I was caught up thinking for a moment... Okay, let me try again." I began to lower the veil I had visualized around my mind.

[Maybe this kid is lying... Sigh, the Ice Queen really does have a soft spot for her brother.. Perhaps she does have some weird fetish...]

"She does not! She just cares about me!" I shouted, blood rushing to my face as I thought of the embarrassing things this Professor was thinking.

"Oh? So you can hear my thoughts. However it seems somewhat limited, it doesn't go as far back as you want, so you have to be actively listening..." Professor Sprite then began to mumble to herself, and I heard the sound of pen to paper. She seemed to be taking notes of our conversation.

"What did you hear Ares? Was it about me?" Amber began to question, worriedly.

"It, uh, well-"

"It was nothing. I was just thinking of something ridiculous so that he would have a harder time randomly guessing what I was thinking." Professor Sprite interrupted, before I began to word vomit.

[You best keep my thoughts private boy... Otherwise I'll make you regret it. *wink*]

...

Did she just wink in her thoughts? This reminded me of texting oddly enough, like I was just reading things outloud in my head.

I put the veil back up, because I realized how inappropriate it was for me to constantly listen in on other people's thoughts, and how it would be bad for my social life if it continued.

"Hm? You seem to have gone back to blocking out the thoughts?" Professor Sprite said.

"Yes ma'am. I just felt it an invasion of privacy of others..." I said quietly.

"Hm. You're a little smarter than you seem. You might be blind but at least you're not stupid. Perhaps you do have the qualities of a hero. I will speak with the headmaster about this. You two run along now and get some dinner." Professor said. I imagined her shooing us away with her hands.

"But Professor about his head?" Amber worriedly brought it up again.

"I already healed him, you can go."

I then heard the Professor scribbling away on her notepad again. Amber then checked my head and breathed a sigh of relief as she walked me out of the office. As we walked, she told me about what it is like in class, and all the things I would need to do if I were to become a student.

I simply smiled as I listened to her. Her voice sounded like it was the happiest day of her life.

From now on, I won't be a burden to her. With this system I could even become someone who can help her.

As I smiled, I suddenly heard a voice in my head.

[Try and dodge this, asshole.]

I quickly grabbed Amber, and pull us backwards slightly, stopping us in place. Immediately after I heard something whiz by my face and hit the wall beside us.

I then heard Amber's voice turn cold and fill with hatred.

"What do you think you're doing, Aaron?!"

[Wha-how did that blind assh*le dodge that? He is blind isn't he?]

"I-I didn't mean to throw it, I was just joking with my friends and it slipped." I heard a voice call out. It was the same voice as the thoughts I heard.

"He's lying." I whisper quietly to Amber.

I feel her grip on my arm tighten, but I don't say anything more.

"Make sure it doesn't happen again. A noble of the Derringer house, bullying a blind orphan wouldn't make for a very good rumor now would it?" The words carried a hint of malice, but Amber did not let it change her tone overall. She then continued to guide me to a table, and then get us food.

After sitting down, I was able to focus on a screen that popped up.

[You have done something a blind person should have trouble doing.]

[Increase in perception +1.]

The effect was immediate. I was able to truly feel the smoothness of the table I was sitting at. I began to run my fingers along the edge, and a very clear picture of it appeared in my mind. I then used my hands to touch my own face, and I was finally able to feel what I looked like. As I stared at the projection in my mind, I had to admit I was very good looking. Sigh. this piece of art that only others could admire, how poetic.

I had not developed the ability to 'see' with my eyes yet, but the increase in my perception seemed to have allowed me to do so. My mind reading ability seemed to have activated on its own when it sensed malice towards me. This could be extremely helpful in the future, and if I developed my senses more perhaps fighting wouldn't be out of the question.

A blind swordsman... That would be so dope.