Chapter 1
And before I knew it, three years had passed since I transmigrated.
A time that was short yet long.
I wandered in this world I had fallen into without any warning.
-Maybe if I wait a little longer, I can return...?
At first, I held onto such hope, but eventually, I had to accept reality.
The dates of the events of the original story were rapidly approaching.
Yeah, that was it.
Transmigration was cold.
Cold enough to freeze you to death.
I was fond of games, but I didn't want my life to become one.
Reality hit me hard.
I couldn't stop the abrupt sigh escaping my lips.
Standing still with my fingers on my brow, I soon see golden hair shimmering in the mirror.
"......"
I silently stared at my reflection in the mirror.
Softly flowing golden hair, half-lidded eyes, and a smile that somehow looked sinister.
It was a boy with the typical appearance of a 'slit-eyed character'.
Yuda Snakers.
That was the name of the body I possessed.
Of all the characters to possess, it had to be this guy.
The mastermind who took on the role of the final boss in every route, and the deceiver who betrayed the protagonist's party in every route.
The main character who always took the lead in the ending to destruction.
I had to press the play button 1,943 times to defeat this bastard.
I couldn't keep track of the number of times I felt frustrated.
I managed to miraculously defeat him in the last try, but was then instantly dragged here without mercy.
I didn't even get to see the ending I longed to. Damn it.
"Hehe... I'm not in a particularly pleasant mood."
I meant to swear, but what came out was this ridiculous manner of speaking.
Moreover, the voice was so calm.
It was hard to believe that this was the reaction of an angry person.
All because of this damned body.
-Ding!
[Trait 'Smiling Mask' activates.]
[Composure is maintained in any situation. Basic dignity is not lost, and inner emotions are not shown outwardly.]
A blue screen appeared before my eyes.
A status window that looked exactly like the UI from the game.
I glared at the text with a short sigh. Of course, due to the trait, it was replaced with a hum and a deep gaze.
Trait, Smiling Mask.
Always maintaining a leisurely smile and a sinister attitude.
I had a hunch that it must have been added to maintain the feel of a slit-eyed character.
Vulgar speech and actions were automatically censored, and behavior patterns that deviated from the character were suppressed. Just like now.
"Oh my."
-Shit.
"Goodness gracious."
-This sucks.
"Hmm, I can't believe it."
-Shit, what kind of messed up situation is this?
This was more or less how it worked.
The strange honorifics mixed in my speech could also be attributed to the trait.
Not only did I possess the final boss, but I was even prevented from cursing.
This is really tiring.
I couldn’t call a spade a spade, or a turd a turd.
Even the legendary Hong Gildong probably didn't feel like this.
I held back my tears.
As I was adjusting my clothes while suppressing my frustration, a call came from beyond the door.
-Young master, it's time for you to leave.
It was a servant attending to me.
I signaled that I understood and would finish getting ready soon.
Today was a special day.
It was the day I would leave the Snakers Mansion, where I had stayed for the past three years, and head to the academy.
I spent those three years living cautiously.
A mansion devoid of any human warmth.
It was like a desert at night, so to speak.
A cold, dark, and lonely space.
Finally, the day had arrived for me to leave this godforsaken mansion and go to the academy full of hope.
Well... even if I say that, it's not so bad to possess a noble's son.
If I had possessed a street beggar or a slave, I probably wouldn't have lasted long enough to adapt.
Not that I was saying that it was good to possess Yuda.
I shook off these random thoughts and moved towards the carriage that was prepared in advance.
"I hope you have a safe journey."
The butler saw me off with a blunt greeting.
There wasn't even a hint of affection in his mechanically bent waist. It was just bland.
I stood still and stared at him.
If I left for the academy like this, I wouldn't be able to return for at least three years.
There was no sign of worry or regret.
The other servants were the same.
Not a single person treated me warmly.
...Even the Count didn't come out to see me off.
An unnaturally cold mansion.
Servants who didn't possess any warmth.
A Count who didn't even come out to see off his only child.
It was a harsh space.
There was no way a kid born and raised in this place could be normal.
I wonder if Yuda had his own backstory as well.
I clicked my tongue and turned around.
"Well then, I'm off."
Anyway, it wasn't any of my business.
The reason why the mastermind destroyed the world. I wasn't curious about things like that.
Heartless eyes staring at me.
Perhaps they resembled winter.
I skillfully brushed off the frost pouring on me. I was used to this kind of coldness.
I simply got into the carriage.
***
'The World as Seen by the Little Prince.'
Also called WSLP.
The title of the game that had once taken the world by storm, and the very work I had transmigrated into.
It was considered the absolute peak in the action RPG genre.
Excellent hit feedback, brilliant artwork, and well-endowed female characters.
While it had many attractive points, what received the most praise was the story.
A story that reinterpreted a familiar fairy tale in a fantasy-like manner.
This fresh setting was what drew me to the original.
-What's this... The Little Prince?
-Everyone's saying it's fun. Should I try to kill some time with it?
I didn't know back then.
That I would become a gaming addict who even uploaded walkthrough videos on the internet.
And then somehow ended up possessing the final boss in my frantic quest for hidden endings.
If I could go back to that time, I would gently press the cancel purchase button.
But it was water under the bridge now.
"How unfortunate."
-Life sucks.
I mutter to myself, shaking off these thoughts.
In front of my uniformed steps stood a massive main gate.
It seemed that I had arrived at my destination while lost in these thoughts.
I looked around.
High walls, beautifully decorated walkways, majestic buildings.
Only after taking in all these sights did it start to feel real.
The sights I had only seen through a screen were now unfolding right before my eyes.
Galimar Academy.
This was when the original story took place.
Centered around the daily life and events happening at the academy, the story branched out from here.
A slight that stirred up childlike wonder.
I feel a fuzzy warmth in my heart.
It was an inevitable reaction.
Although the reality of possession was miserable, I was still a huge fan of [The World as Seen by the Little Prince].
That was why I was drawn to these little things.
"Hehe... This place is much better than I imagined."
The continent's best educational facility.
It was a splendor that lived up to such a name.
The scale of the academy was also overwhelmingly, almost close to a small city.
I kept walking, recalling the sentences I had read in the setting book.
There was quite a crowd bustling near the main gate.
Probably for the academy entrance exam scheduled for today.
It seemed that everyone had gathered for this. I stood quietly and listened.
-So what do you think about this entrance exam?
-I'm confident, of course!
-Hmm... There are a lot of competitors this time.
-Yeah, there are too many children from prestigious families, it might be tough.
-Ah~ I'm hungry!
The examinees were murmuring excitel.
A mixed half with worry and half half excitement, it was a scene exuding a homely atmosphere.
Was it because I had only stayed in a bleak mansion until now?
Just being immersed in the conversations brought a sense of comfort.
Yeah, this is what a place where people live should be like.
I gently raised the corners of my mouth.
Although it turned into a somewhat dangerous and lewd smile due to the trait, I decided to let it slide.
As I was killing time in this manner…
-Do you know whose path you dared to block!!
-You lowborn girl...!
An unsettled air brushed past my ears.
A voice ringing out irritably.
When I turned my head to find the source of this disturbance, I saw a spot where gazes were particularly concentrated.
There was a girl fallen on the ground.
-I'm, I'm sorry... I was walking absentmindedly and accidentally bumped into you.
It seemed some kind of dispute had broken out.
From the bits of conversation I could piece together, it seemed this girl had collided with the child from some prestigious family.
-What if the young master had been hurt!
-I'm sorry... sniff...
In fact, the one who suffered from the collision was the girl.
It was the girl who was rolling on the ground, the girl was the one injured, and holding back tears.
But when did thugs ever care about things like that?
They were probably making a fuss because she caught their eye.
I scratched my head indifferently.
It was better not to get involved in these things.
I wanted to avoid troublesome events.
Just as I was about to lose interest with such thoughts, the girl's face, which had been hidden, came into view.
"...Huh?"
Pink hair that reached down to her waist.
Green eyes shimmering with moisture.
A cute puppy-like impression, and a firm body drawing elegant curves.
It was someone I knew.
"Regia Philertz...?"
Regia Philertz.
The protagonist who led the story in the game [The World as Seen by the Little Prince], and the character with the most significance.
In other words, the main character of the original work.
Her distinctive outfit made it easy to recognize her at a glance.
As she was modeled after the 'pilot' that appeared in the fairy tale, she was dressed uniquely.
A somewhat rugged style jacket, worn leather gloves, and aviator goggles hanging around her neck.
There was only one person who went around in such fashion.
"This is why commoners are so inferior!"
"Ugh, sniff... I'm sorry..."
My feet moved as if entranced.
Towards the girl who was shedding tears and repeatedly bowing her head.
"I, I didn't do it on purpose, Young Master Yeongshik suddenly came running..."
"Are you shifting the blame on me now?"
"But... I was clearly standing still..."
"Such an insolent wench!!"
"Eek...!"
Yeongshik was threatening the girl while being unreasonable.
Perhaps trusting in the strength of his bodyguard knights, he seemed completely off guard.
I, who had somehow ended up behind him, raised my foot…
"Oops~ Excuse me!"
And then I immediately kicked his butt.