Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Transfer Ceremony (4)
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'It's the protagonist.'
As soon as I locked eyes with the androgynous boy, I knew it instinctively.
Platinum hair as finely ground as a pearl.
Golden eyes that held the sun itself.
And just like a true protagonist, he'd already charmed a girl!
'The real deal!'
Seeing the protagonist finally appear made a cheer of joy well up from the depths of my chest.
'This isn't the time to slack off. This is the first meeting between the protagonist and Yeon Je-seong. I need to put on the most impressive show possible.'
I steeled myself and began walking with perfect poise.
To the others, I'd look like a charismatic chairman overflowing with presence.
Yeah, just like in the PV.
Kuuung—!
"Ugh!"
"Kuh...!"
"Gah!"
As I exuded my presence with the most relaxed expression I could muster, the people around me started collapsing one by one.
It seemed to hit a bit harder than usual, but for the protagonist, it was a necessary sacrifice.
'Think of the fallen ones as unlucky.'
Anyone who couldn't withstand this much would drop out soon enough anyway.
'The protagonist—and even the surrounding heroines—should handle this easily...'
But then I spotted a heroine collapsed beside the protagonist, breathing raggedly.
'...'
I immediately reined in my aura and ascended the platform as if nothing had happened.
'That was clooose...!'
I almost caused a disaster!
'The first heroine you meet in Academy City definitely has powerful abilities!'
Known as the so-called tutorial heroine, she was meant to play the role of a bus driver, carrying the protagonist through the early-game growth.
I never imagined even she couldn't withstand this level of pressure...
'Could Failure Hero 3 be different?!'
Up until now, first-meeting heroines had always boasted top-tier performance, so I'd assumed this one would be the same. That was my mistake.
But I managed to smooth it over somehow, so it should be fine, right?
It better be.
.
.
.
.
'Good, it's going according to plan.'
Maybe because his first impression was so shocking, the protagonist couldn't tear his eyes away from me.
He was probably overwhelmed by the intense charisma radiating from me.
I nodded inwardly with a satisfied smile.
'I got a little worried seeing that heroine, but thankfully, the protagonist's clichés are intact.'
Meanwhile, confirming the protagonist's hair color solidified my hypothesis, and I let out a low hum.
Cliché.
It meant a trite, formulaic plot development, but in countless games, it was an ironclad rule—
The Academy City's Failure Hero series was no exception, faithfully adhering to its clichés every time.
'One of them being the protagonist's hair color.'
Even in a world overflowing with every color imaginable, platinum blonde was exceedingly rare.
According to the lore, it only manifested in those born with exceptionally strong divine power, a color impossible to occur naturally.
Platinum hair emerged only with the faint probability of a goddess's blessing infusing divine power at birth.
Not even popes or high priests could possess it—it was the exclusive domain of saints and holy sons.
Naturally, it was an incredibly rare hair color across the continent, let alone the entire world. Even counting all past protagonists, there were fewer than two dozen with it.
Proof of the goddess's blessing, the church treated platinum hair info as top secret, strictly controlling information. Thanks to that, not just the continent's folk but even priests who worshipped the goddess saw it merely as a rare hue.
'If word got out, kidnappings would spell disaster.'
Indeed, its rarity had led to secret slave trades by some nations in the past.
Of course, they'd been obliterated by the furious Holy Empire without knowing why.
Anyway, if the Failure Hero series stuck to its clichés, that platinum-haired boy was definitely the protagonist.
Encountering one of the continent's rarest platinum blondes in Academy City, no less—as an enrollment candidate?
'Locked-in protagonist status.'
Though the heroine's cliché had shattered my certainty earlier.
Still, given platinum's rarity, it was safe to trust he was the protagonist.
Plus, if the pre-possession info I'd seen was accurate, he was the child of the previous game's hero—a nephew-like figure to a diehard Failure Hero fan like me.
'You've grown so well, kid!'
Especially knowing the hardships the 2 protagonist endured, seeing 3's filled me with overwhelming emotion.
That kid was the one shown in the ending, having endured trials to grasp happiness.
'But... he's a boy, right?'
The joy was short-lived.
I stared at the distant boy, sinking into deep contemplation.
'No matter how I look, he seems like a girl...'
The protagonist flirting with the heroine looked every bit the perfect girl.
Not just appearance and build—his every gesture screamed female.
It was like they'd slapped a girl down and insisted she was a boy.
'Hmm...'
How long did I ponder?
With a slight frown, I nodded after a moment.
'This protagonist's got the pretty-boy concept, huh?'
1's was a hard-boiled uncle type, 2's a cheerful handsome guy.
This time, a fresh twist: a feminine boy.
A trap, they call it?
I'm no expert, but I'd heard it's popular.
'A protagonist who suits cross-dressing...'
I grimaced, unable to hide my fear of Skyana's ruthless design savvy.
'Scary bastards... How'd they know players go nuts for cross-dressing pretty boys...!'
Pretty boys were made to cross-dress—that's the law of nature.
Proven by countless masterpiece games.
Demand for trap characters exists!
Sure, a gross guy in drag would make eyes bleed, but if they drew a dead-ringer girl and called her a boy? Cross-dressing her becomes justice!
A thorough schooling via drag for the "boy" denier!
'Skyana knows how to train its users...'
They'd designed him with that in mind.
With a costume system to boot, Failure Hero 3 players would inevitably open their wallets.
'Terrifying.'
Skyana's schemes gave me genuine chills.
Oh, not that I like it or anything.
For real.
───
After shadowing him stealthily for a while, I learned his name was Noah.
He seemed even more lively and bright than expected.
Makes sense, considering his dad was the previous protagonist.
'That guy had the makings of a true hero...'
Pushing down old memories, I continued observing.
Tracking him carefully while concealing my presence, it looked like he'd built a connection with a woman called Camilla.
The first heroine, no doubt.
Come to think of it, I'd glimpsed her as a heroine in the intro.
I'd mostly forgotten by now, but her fiery red hair stuck in my memory.
'Hmm...'
Odd that the first heroine seemed weak, but since I remembered her, it was probably another shattered cliché.
Maybe they started twisting them from 3.
'...'
Man, the protagonist really looks like a girl.
If I didn't know the original info, I'd mistake him for a natural-born girl.
'He's probably using a magic tool to manipulate perceptions around him, but it doesn't work on me.'
Others would perceive him firmly as male.
Regardless of looks, their brains registered "boy."
Causing horrific cognitive dissonance from clashing visual and mental info.
Just then, a man approaching him chatted, then screamed in agony and fled.
Crumbled upon realizing the cruel reality.
'Poor guy.'
.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, as people moved based on combat aptitudes.
Amid the crowd finding their fits, Noah struggled to choose.
'He can't stay undecided like this.'
Camilla had already moved to her aptitude group.
Only a few undecided lingered nearby.
'Random assignment is no good.'
If he didn't pick, he'd get random placement.
Not failing enrollment, but random meant poor performance potential. Academy City wouldn't accept students ignorant of their own aptitudes anyway.
Random alone docked points, starting off disadvantaged.
Scouts watching from afar like hawks.
Underwhelm them, and they'd look away mercilessly.
If protagonist Noah failed enrollment and scouting?
'Disaster...!'
Without original knowledge, plot twists were inevitable.
But protagonist failing to even enter? Game over before stage one.
Absence of infinite-potential protagonist leads straight to bad end!
I had to prevent his failure at all costs.
"No choice."
After internal deliberation and a bitten lip, I cautiously approached.
'I didn't plan to contact him so openly.'
Better than flunking spectacularly!
With that, I spoke to him.
"Hm. I think warrior class suits you."
"Warrior class? Yeah. Dad taught me some, so warrior... class...?"
Noah turned mid-reply and froze.
"A-ah, awawa...!"
Mouth agape, he couldn't continue.
I waved casually.
"Nice to meet you."
"...!"
His expression cycled wildly before he backpedaled frantically.
"Ch-Cha... Chairman!"
"Calm down first."
Way too flustered.
Anyone'd think he'd bumped into his crush.
"Wh-what business do you have with me...?"
Avoiding my gaze desperately while keeping distance, Noah flinched under my stare and continued.
"Can't pick a combat aptitude?"
"Y-yes. Nothing particularly stands out..."
"Handle a sword?"
"A little."
"Magic too?"
"Just the basics."
"Looks like you use divine power as well."
"Only simple healing spells..."
As we talked, admiration filled Noah's eyes.
He was impressed I knew so much from a glance.
"Amazing! How do you know all this?"
"I've been watching."
"Eh?"
Indeed, I'd observed only him since arriving.
Enough to gauge his rough level.
Probably vanilla state: level 1, all stats around 10.
"Excuse me a moment."
"Hie?"
Eyeballing done, I groped him precisely for accurate measurement—from hands to arms, shoulders, back, abs, thighs, legs.
"Hii!"
"Hm."
"W-wait...!"
"This is quite..."
"Hya?!"
"Hoo."
"Ugh!"
Finally stepping back.
"Hm? What's wrong?"
As I pondered my words, I noticed his face beet red.
Breathing a bit heavy too...
"Bathroom's that way."
"...Pervert."
Tears welling, intense allure poured from Noah.
His un-boyish reaction dizzied me.
"...Hearing that from a same-sex is disorienting."
Wiping tears with his sleeve, Noah stood.
"Same-sex or not, that was out of line!"
"Noted."
Fair point.
Imagining another guy groping me? Fist first.
Self-restraint next time.
Noah approached hesitantly.
"So, what'd you think?"
"Solid fundamentals. Good stock for any aptitude."
"Ooh!"
Protagonist quality.
High-potential body; any instructor would salivate.
"Any choice works."
"Mm... but none excel."
"Not the point. Academy City nurtures talent. Skill we hone here. We seek only your potential."
"Potential."
"As long as you have hero potential, we'll make you one with all we have."
Choosing combat aptitude? Trivial by comparison.
Early direction only; levels and skills open other paths naturally.
"You'll learn others anyway, no worries."
"Oh, really?"
"Just confirming your main focus now."
Though I hoped for warrior.
Warrior aptitude grants fitting passives immediately.
'Warrior passives are must-haves.'
Learnable later, but easiest now.
Others good, but warrior's top efficiency—user-favorite essential.
No status window needed; world has skills, so passives too.
Noah pondering, so gentle nudge.
"Thus, I recommend warrior."
"Warrior?"
"Personal opinion, but start with warrior. Pure body needs pure mind foundation—physical training first."
"Ooh!"
"Your talent's decent for weapons too."
"Body training paramount..."
"No pressure. Just my take."
But Noah shook his head.
"No, I'll go warrior as you said, Chairman."
"Sure?"
"Yes! Dad said: healthy body, healthy spirit. Strong body conquers all!"
"Form reflects righteousness...?"
[*A clean, upright body yields a righteous mind and outward virtue.]
That guy's still at it.
Spreading muscle-brain to his kid too.
Then—
Noah's sparkling eyes suddenly grabbed my hand.
"Exactly! Form reflects righteousness! Dad's motto! Wow! Never thought I'd hear it here!"
"Imperial Empire folk know such things."
"Waa! Dad mentioned a friend in the Imperial Empire!"
Hmm...
Stalker, not friend?
Noah hadn't heard details from his parents.
'Hid the hero stuff, naturally.'
Applied as commoner, hiding status.
His endorsement alone skips this ceremony.
Yet commoner app? Worried about undue attention post-recommendation.
'Understands hero's burden best.'
Didn't want to burden his child.
Or delay it longest.
Knowing parents' personalities, they'd oppose Academy City enrollment.
Yet he took the test—strong will.
"Chairman! We have more in common than I thought!"
Staring at Noah's beaming smile, hand in hand, I resolved.
'No deaths. Happy end guaranteed.'
Yeah.
No horrific all-die bad ends.
『Most have chosen. Transfer exam starts in 1 minute. Undecided will be randomly assigned by us—move accordingly.』
"Ah! W-wait...!"
"Hurry!"
But first, bolster the lacking protagonist.