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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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The first weekend at Arcman City—.
Karl was invited to a celebratory party for new recruits, supposedly by fellow classmates. Truthfully, he was in the Special Investigations unit with no classmates, and the only person he knew was the nerdy girl. Frankly, he didn’t care much whether he went or not, but he was a little curious about what these fresh-faced newbies’ parties were like, so he decided to poke his head in.
He expected the nerdy girl to scoff and ask what he was doing there, but surprisingly, his “classmates” recognized him immediately and even called out his name.
“Oh, aren’t you Karl Zeile?”
A bulky guy with a friendly face recognized Karl as soon as he sauntered in and even offered a handshake.
“I don’t know who you are.”
“That’s to be expected. You’re in Special Investigations, and I’m in Combat. Oh, I’m Eric Dyson.”
“Well, anyway, nice to meet you.”
“Actually, you’re kind of a celebrity here. You have a killer face. Everyone remembers you.”
The bulky guy, Eric, said this while waving his right hand up and down in front of his face.
“Plus, you’re the only one in Special Investigations. So you stand out even more.”
“Born this way, unfortunately. Doesn’t hurt, though.”
“I’d like to live like you for a day. See what it’s like.”
“Nothing special. Just hordes of women flocking to me, calling me ‘Oppa’ and spreading their legs.”
“What? Hahaha!”
Eric roared with laughter at the blatant, cocky remark. Karl hadn’t expected him to be so straightforward.
“You definitely seem like you’d be popular with the ladies.”
“If you’re ugly, it’s pathetic. If you’re handsome, it’s humor.”
“That was definitely pretty funny.”
“A little too humorous for another guy, though.”
“Pfft, don’t worry. I’m not interested in guys’ asses.”
“You could be on the receiving end, you know.”
Eric shook his head, chuckling as if he couldn’t believe Karl. Just a few words, and it was clear this guy was something else.
“Oh, right, I should introduce you to everyone. This way.”
Karl had expected a more lively and frivolous party, but it felt more like a formal, upper-class affair. Everyone was dressed in formal attire, sipping wine and champagne… honestly, Karl found it a bit ridiculous. These guys were just trainee knights, acting like they’d already lived a full life.
Still, complaining about the party after being invited would be even more ridiculous, so he had no choice but to play along.
“Hey everyone, I brought Karl. Our man of the hour.”
Eric led Karl to a group of four and patted him on the back a couple of times. It seemed to Karl that this was the group leading the party.
Besides the newly arrived Eric and Karl, the group consisted of two men and two women.
They seemed to have an air of sophistication about them, perhaps owing to their well-to-do families. After all, families that could produce knights wouldn’t be from some shabby slum.
“Karl? …Ah, the Special Investigations guy? Yeah, nice to meet you.”
They greeted Karl casually, without much enthusiasm. This was probably the normal reaction, to be honest.
One of the blonde women, in particular, stared intently at Karl. He also felt like he had seen her somewhere before.
With her characteristically arrogant and conceited expression, she extended her hand and introduced herself.
“Irina Jin. Protection Unit. My father is the Vice-Captain of a hundred-thousand-ton warship.”
This felt eerily familiar. Déjà vu.
“…Do you happen to know Senior Louis?”
“He’s my brother.”
“Ah, I see.”
So that’s why she seemed so damn annoying! I thought it was just me being cynical.
Like they say, blood will tell. She even had a similar personality to her brother.
Like her brother, she had blonde hair, snow-white skin, and a slender figure – all the qualifications of a beauty. But her somewhat sharp eyes and the corners of her mouth were flaws, if you could call them that. Of course, taming these proud, ill-tempered women had its own appeal. It was always more rewarding to pry open a tightly closed clam than one that was already gaping.
Anyway, Karl wasn’t interested in this kind of social gathering, so after exchanging a few pleasantries, he quickly excused himself. Eric, the bulky guy from the Combat unit, joined the group and started chatting animatedly.
Although Karl was the target of frequent glances from his fellow trainees, no one approached him. He felt a sense of discrimination, a sort of invisible wall.
…Was it because he came from the training camp?
Unlike those who passed the official exam to become trainee knights, those from the training camp were seen as cheaters who used shortcuts despite lacking real skill. That’s why they were ostracized at these gatherings. At least Karl was incredibly handsome, so he got off relatively easy. He could only imagine how bad it was for someone like Alisa, who had nothing going for her.
Speak of the devil—.
Just as Karl was thinking about Alisa, she appeared at that very moment. The stares directed at her, also a training camp graduate, were filled with contempt and ridicule. And because she was in the popular Protection Unit, the stares were even more intense than what Karl received.
Although she was invited, no one welcomed her. Of course, she wasn’t naive enough to miss the atmosphere, so she didn’t seem particularly flustered.
“Hey—”
Still, Karl was glad to see a familiar face. He called out to her as he swaggered over like a delinquent.
Ugh.
Her look said, What are you doing here? Karl dramatically placed his hand over his heart and groaned.
“Ouch, damn, that look… you hurt me, you know? What are you going to do about my wounded heart?”
“Stop pretending you know me. It’s embarrassing, seriously.”
“Damn, we’re both in the same shitty boat. We should be helping each other out, you heartless bitch.”
“Just leave me alone. I want to keep a low profile. …And don’t follow me.
Hey! I said don’t follow me!”
“If you keep this up, I’ll spread the word about you sucking my dick. Hey everyone, guess what, Alisa sucked my…”
“Alright, fine, dammit… Fine! Fine, I said!”
Alisa freaked out, grabbing Karl’s arm and shaking it. When he gave her a smug, “I knew it” grin, she felt a sudden urge to kill him.
She dragged him to a corner, growling quietly so no one else could hear.
“You bastard, that was supposed to be a secret! Don’t you dare try to blackmail me with that again. I swear, I won’t let you get away with it! You hear me?! It’ll be you or me!”
“You made me feel bad, that’s why. Did you really think I’d go blabbing about it? Huh? Would someone as nice as me do that?”
Alisa was so furious she wanted to punch that smug, grinning face. …But even if she did, it probably wouldn’t faze him.
“Asshole.”
“Come on, don’t be like that. We’re both from the training camp. It’s bad enough we’re already being discriminated against.”
“I don’t care. …We can prove ourselves with our skills, that’s all that matters.”
“I doubt it. I don’t think skills are enough.”
Lately, Alisa had been feeling the same way. Just a few days ago, she had resolved to overcome the prejudice against training camp graduates with her sheer ability. But she was starting to realize that the blatant discrimination was a thick wall, difficult to break through with skills alone.
Still, she couldn’t accept giving up before she even started. She had to try her best.
Just then, someone approached them, the clicking of heels echoing across the floor. Karl looked towards the sound, and their eyes met.
Irina Jin—the braggart Louis’s younger sister.
She held a clear wine glass in her right hand, and her approach seemed almost venomous. It was probably amplified by her characteristically haughty expression.
“Oh, Alisa. You should have said something if you were here. What are you doing over here?”
“Oh, uh, hi…”
“Wait, you two know each other?”
The blonde woman’s question prompted a crooked smile from Karl.
“We’re from the same training camp. We’re very close.”
When Karl said they were close, Alisa shot him a sharp glare, worried he might mention that incident. It was a silent warning not to say anything stupid.
“…Really? I didn’t know you were from the same training camp.”
Irina glanced briefly at the group standing about fifteen paces behind her, watching them. Then she asked Alisa if she wanted to join the Protection Unit’s gathering.
“No, I’m fine.”
“Okay, then.”
The blonde woman gave Karl one last look before walking away. As soon as she was gone, he whispered to Alisa with an exclamation.
“Wow, what a bitch. Our Alisa has attracted quite the big shot. Destined rivals, perhaps?”
“…Shut up and mind your own business. This is all your fault, showing off like that! …I’m warning you, don’t get in my way.”
“Whoa, whoa, alright. Geez, touchy… Who knows? Maybe I am your Prince Charming.”
“Prince, my ass.”
“I’m ridiculously handsome, just like a prince. Or am I a prince?”
Karl touched his chin and gave a cheesy smile, his words dripping with conceit. Strangely, Alisa couldn’t deny it. He was incredibly annoying, but he was undeniably handsome.
“You’ll get yourself in trouble acting like that. I get it, you’re handsome, but tone it down a bit.”
“This world is a rough place. If you don’t show off what you’ve got, you get left behind. You have to constantly flaunt your strengths. That’s how you survive. It’s too late to brag about how great you are after you’ve already failed.”
“Okay, I’ve heard enough of your life lessons. You can go now.”
“Why do you keep trying to get rid of me? We’re the only two from the training camp here, we don’t fit in anywhere else.”
“Then shut your mouth. You’re seriously annoying.”
When Alisa glared at him again, Karl clutched his chest dramatically, feigning injury.
“That condemning look. Damn, I love it. Maybe this is my type. Thanks for letting me know. I’m sooo grateful.”
“Wow… you’re truly impossible.”
From afar, the blonde woman, Irina, watched the two bicker.
…Alisa…
Everyone knew Alisa was from the training camp, but Irina knew something more important.
Someone powerful had pulled strings to get her placed here.
Anyone who could influence the personnel department at Planetary Headquarters must have serious connections. At the very least, someone on the level of Irina’s father, a Vice-Captain of a hundred-thousand-ton warship.
That’s why Irina was keeping an eye on Alisa. She was curious to see who was backing her.
…And,
“Karl, that guy’s all looks and no substance. He’s from the training camp, too, right? Stay away from lowlifes like him. You’re not on the same level. Got it?”
Just like her brother had said, he was incredibly handsome.
Exactly her type—.
He was too good for Alisa.
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