I Became the Pretty Face of the Academy – Chapter 2

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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“I have been rude!”

“No. It’s alright.”

Honestly, there’s not much to find fault with anyway.

Maria bowed her head deeply in apology. To them, the safety of the royal family was the top priority, so even a high noble could be reprimanded for something like this.

“Uh, so. It’s been a while! Yeah!”

As expected of Princess Ainim.

Her stats were so superior they couldn’t even be compared to Lockstryn’s pathetic ones.

Aside from the physical aspects, all her abilities were set to be superior.

“Locks! It’s been five years! You’ve grown so much! Still have that scary face, though!”

And what about her appearance?

Dazzling blonde hair that seemed to shine on its own, and eyes like large ambers embedded within.

Her chubby cheeks, still holding their baby fat, perfectly encapsulated the cuteness of her age.

“Hehe. You were about my height at the coronation… Loc?”

Seeing a 275×300 pixel character, drawn one dot at a time, so vividly alive and breathing before me was nothing short of moving.
This industry didn’t have any media adaptations, but if it did, this is exactly what she would look like.

Ah, I’m so happy.

“Lockstryn…?”

Suddenly, I realized I had been staring blankly at Ainim’s face without saying a word.

Of course, I hadn’t properly heard what she’d said, so I gave a vague answer.

“My apologies. I was lost in the moment.”

“Sorry! I was being too friendly!”

“Pardon?”

“Umm, but this is Somerbadge, right? You can’t be too formal.”

“Is that so?”

“It is!”

Ainim, who had been fiddling with the curls of hair below her ears, suddenly whirled around.

“Well then, bye!”

And with small, quick steps, she slipped out of the auditorium.

Most of the main characters have naturally high mental strength. Thankfully, no matter how high Lockstryn’s charm is, I can still have a normal conversation.

As far as first meetings go, this wasn’t bad.

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“It seems I wasn’t his objective after all.”

Strolling through the campus grounds, bursting with pink blossoms, Ainim lamented with disappointment.

Maria felt like she was about to lose her mind.

While it was true that the head of the Aindarok County, Coltman Aindarok, had first brought Lockstryn into high society at the coronation, Ainim hadn’t been there.

In other words, this was their first meeting.

“…Yes.”

There had been countless assassins who had approached her with their faces altered at will.

Was he truly who he said he was? If so, did he have some business with her?

In that brief moment, Ainim had nonchalantly tested Lockstryn.

‘This is my son.’

The words were tossed out casually.

Coltman was a man who rarely got involved in matters outside his own territory, so that in itself wasn’t special.

But the boy was strange.

He spoke to no one, and no one knew who his mother was. They couldn’t even be sure if he had any talent for magic.

Even after introducing him, Coltman didn’t seem to appreciate the ardent interest directed at Lockstryn.

‘He’s nothing special, so lose interest.’

The aptitude for magic is something one is born with.

It was considered natural for anyone with talent to enter high society from a young age, receive sponsorship, and build a support base.

For the House of Aindarok, a prestigious magic family comparable to the imperial family, this was akin to eccentricity.

Only his literally fantastical beauty circulated throughout high society like a legend.

“I think it’s one of two things.”

“Either his talent bloomed late, or Margrave Coltman intentionally hid it.”

Ainim lightly finished Maria’s sentence.

She wasn’t even captivated by his sublime appearance. It had all been an act.

What went on inside the mind of this seemingly innocent sixteen-year-old girl? Maria had no way of knowing.

“His beauty is certainly extraordinary, but he’s an unpredictable person. He might even be an assassin.”

“I don’t think so.”

“In any case, either option is interesting. I’ll have an investigation—”

“No, don’t.”

“…?”

Ainim scowled and waved her hand dismissively.

“Tell your people to stop doing that. He’s not an enemy, he’s an Aindarok, isn’t he?”

“That may be so, but…”

What am I to do when that is my job?

Knowing it was useless to argue, Maria kept her mouth firmly shut.

“The Golden Shield that has always stood at the forefront to protect the Empire.”

“Yes.”

“If they have had a change of heart, if there is something else to weigh against the Empire’s well-being.”

Ainim von Rongreut.

The audacious sixteen-year-old princess said it with a bright smile.

“Then the Empire has no future.”

“I will not consider the latter.”

“If his talent bloomed late, the Magic Society will take care of it. It’s not for you to meddle in.”

With those words, Ainim tossed a pebble into the lake. A few nameless birds flew away.

“But you know.”

“Yes.”

“He was incredibly handsome! Wasn’t he?”

Her bouncing golden hair scattered wildly, following its owner’s movements.

“…Indeed, he was.”

“He can’t be a bad person with a face like that!”

It was just that sometimes, she had the thought that perhaps what you see is what you get.

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Tower of Truth, 2nd Floor.
Student Cafeteria, Jinridang (Hall of Truth).

Somerbadge’s student cafeteria was more like a restaurant than a cafeteria.

There was no set menu; as long as you paid the appropriate price for that cafeteria, dishes would come out one after another.

“You live and learn.”

I never knew.

So this is what truffles smell like.

With a table full of precious foods I’d never eaten in my life, even deciding where to reach my hand was a task.

As it had the best facilities, the Tower of Truth boasted an unrivaled, exceptional taste.

However, its price was also very unreasonable, so even the students residing in the Tower of Truth rarely used Jinridang.

Thanks to that, I was able to finish my meal more quietly than I had expected. Having someone stare at you while you eat ruins the appetite.

“Woooow…”

“So Lord Lockstryn does eat.”

“Do you think he poops too?”

“Idiot, there’s no way Lord Lockstryn would do something so dirty!”

“You’re right, I guess.”

Hearing that kind of talk is exactly what ruins one’s appetite.

For a place called the Tower of Truth, there were many students who hadn’t grasped even the simplest of truths, so I quietly returned to my room.

I learned something a little while ago: surprisingly, no one approaches me directly. Even if I try to ask something, they avoid me.

So I forced myself to grab one person and ask, and the answer was a masterpiece.

‘I, someone like me… I can’t just carelessly touch a work of art displayed in a museum! Kyaaaah, what do I do, what do I do, what do I—’

…is what she said before scurrying away.

Even though I was the one who wrote a similar line into the script myself, it was a ridiculously absurd treatment.

In any case, I’ve learned a lot about this body, Lockstryn Aindarok.

‘First, his past is unclear.’

It was because he was thrown in at the last minute, without considering the surrounding story.

I only made the game; I didn’t create the entire life of the person named Lockstryn Aindarok.

I’ll have to keep looking into this part, but thankfully, I confirmed that even after entering high society, he hadn’t formed any significant relationships.

Regarding his abilities, there’s a distinctive feature compared to Ainim.

[Attribute: None]

This guy has no specialized attribute.

Usually, a magic-user is specialized in one of the four major attributes: fire, water, wind, or earth.

But since Lockstryn never appeared in any combat events, I didn’t even set a specialized attribute for him.

This will probably have a huge negative impact on learning magic in the future.

‘And yet, the overall flow is the same.’

The ‘player’ who was supposed to take on the role of the protagonist has disappeared, but there’s no change in the academic schedule.

First place in the entrance exam should have been the protagonist’s, but his existence was cleanly erased, and Ainim filled the vacancy.

The event where the commoner protagonist gets into a small argument with a child from another noble family in front of the main auditorium right after Wirane’s freshman orientation also didn’t happen.

“I’m screwed.”

So, what’s the conclusion?

I’m ruined.

Truly and utterly ruined.

It’s easy to say he’s average, but can a subpar student who can’t properly use a single attribute overcome so many hardships?

What about the ‘Class A Disappearance Incident’?

The ‘Magic Core Theft Case’?

The ‘Crisis of the Northern Rampart’?

The ‘Foretold Rebellion’?

Who is there to prepare for and confront the vicious episodes where all bad endings result in death?

Well, of course.

“There’s no one but me…”

Lockstryn Aindarok.

A boy with a stunningly handsome face. There’s only me.

Poof.

I buried my face in the soft covers. If I had my way, I’d run away, but I can’t even do that.

Because the safest place in the Empire, no, on this continent, is right here inside Somerbadge.

So the answer is set.

I just have to do it.

But no matter how much I think about it, I can’t. So, the conclusion I’ve reached is this.

The only way to survive and see a happy ending in this desolate world without a protagonist.

Draw in all the characters of [Academy Somerbadge], entangled in countless circumstances, all the power, as allies.

That’s the only way.

“Let’s make friends.”

“Excuse me.”

Friend.

It’s a nice word.

But if you dig a little deeper, it’s quite ambiguous. This word that tickles when you say it, friend.

What exactly is the extent of that relationship?

“Are you listening?”

Since everyone’s boundary for intimacy is different, this inevitably acts relatively.

Some might consider it just sharing a meal, while others would be willing to give up their own lives.

“I have a favor to ask.”

In that respect, the friend Lockstryn needed was, in fact, ‘a relationship where trust and friendship are as thick as a fortress wall, so much so that with a single word, they would give you their liver and gallbladder.’

It’s a close call, but just below life itself.

How can one create such a relationship?

“Yes. Yes? Yes? Yes?”

“You don’t need to answer four times.”

“You were… talking to me?”

Her short, auburn hair trembled just above her shoulders. It was obvious she was trying her best to remain calm.

Yuchsilla.

The marquessate, which has swallowed the western mining regions, has firmly established itself as the focal point of the capital’s aristocracy using its vast wealth.

But other than that, there’s nothing special about her. Her appearance is ordinary, and her combat ability is so-so, so she doesn’t have much of a role.

That’s why she’s suitable.

“That’s right.”

Quaint tea tables were placed here and there on Somerbadge’s lawns.

As the daughter of a noble family, it was the perfect place to enjoy the excitement of a warm spring.

Hira Yuchsilla was always at the center of a crowd, so finding her wasn’t difficult.
Even with the visit of an unexpected guest, the girls just held their breath, unable to find anything to say.

Because he was none other than ‘Lockstryn Aindarok’. Because he was the living embodiment of beauty.

“Hira Yuchsilla.”

I lightly repeated her name and casually took the seat across from her.

“You… know my name.”

Her voice still trembled, but Hira had to maintain her composure, conscious of the gazes of the other students around them.

The academy was, after all, an extension of high society. She had heard it from her father and mother until her ears bled.

The rising star of high society, Hira Yuchsilla.

For her, this was a golden opportunity.

If she could just show her composure while facing the very Lockstryn that everyone longed to exchange a single word with, her position would become even more solid…

That’s what she must have been thinking.

“I’ve heard a lot about you. Yuchsilla is famous, after all.”

I don’t know the etiquette of offering tea. I just poured tea into two cups and offered one to her.

I learned this at the cafeteria, but no matter what Lockstryn does, it looks ‘plausible.’

No matter how ravenously he devours his food, it feels elegant, and even if he blows his nose into a napkin and plops it on the table, it only looks like a graceful gesture.

It’s thanks to his Level 10, maxed-out charm and the ‘Extraordinary’ trait that supports it.

“Is there something you wish to say?”

Yes! I did it!

She didn’t tremble this time. She wanted to pat herself on the head.

Although the House of Aindarok was highly renowned, Hira was strictly the daughter of a marquessate, a higher rank.

She didn’t lose her nerve, didn’t get intimidated.

She spoke with all her might.

“It’s nothing too grand, but.”

I took a sip of tea with a shy smile. I paused for a moment.

It is the empty space that gives weight to words.

“If you don’t have any special plans tonight, could you spare a moment?”

Woooow—

The female students who had tactfully backed away let out a collective gasp. I couldn’t care less how far their imaginations ran.

An answer wasn’t needed.

I have to survive.

There isn’t much time.

All I have is a handsome face.

Yes, how do you create such an intimate relationship?

While time may be the most solid foundation for building a bond, without it, there is only one way.

“8 o’clock.”

It’s very simple.

Just make sure there’s no one left by her side.

“I’ll be waiting in the garden of the Tower of Truth.”

I have to survive.

Therefore.

“…Yes.”

‘Hira Yuchsilla’ must absolutely.

Fall to the abyss, and be ruined.

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