Chapter 4: Prepare for the operation with a sinister smile

[The hero raises his vigilance upon facing an unexpected situation.]

[He aims for the stealth of an assassin.]

[Avoiding people’s gazes!]

[(ᄆo)]

[He belatedly wonders what exactly went wrong in that situation.]

Watching Shin Yuseong, the hero, quietly, the goddess smacked her forehead.

Even as a transcendent being, she was utterly speechless.

“Is this for real?”

She had set the stage so he could bask in a love-filled life, yet he was reacting with extreme caution instead.

“No, just enjoy the attention.”

Rather than relishing the life of a popular guy, he seemed completely clueless as to why people were looking at him.

Had his brain turned to pure protein after spending too much time with the musclehead uncles of his hero party?

Why couldn’t he grasp that people were simply glancing at him because he was good-looking?

***

[The hero marvels at the academy campus.]

[He realizes he has entered a new world upon seeing the students wielding mana.]

“…Oh, right. He barely went outside, huh.”

The hero seemed to think that she—the great and magnificent goddess—was nothing more than a nosy, voyeuristic, centuries-old single woman.

But she was a transcendent who knew gratitude.

He had been summoned as a hero, traveled across a distant star, and saved an entire world—how could she not prepare a gift in return?

She had preserved his strength as much as possible, just as he had requested.

She had also carefully selected a good world where he could live comfortably.

On top of that, she had even arranged for a luxury apartment with rising real estate value and enough cash and cryptocurrency so he’d never have to worry about money.

But here was the problem.

Because he lacked immediate necessities, he ended up staying inside for months, spending his time binge-watching dramas, webtoons, and anime.

To make things worse, his ultra-luxury apartment complex had convenience stores and restaurants fully stocked within the premises.

Her desire for him to relax had accidentally created the ultimate homebody lifestyle.

His only reason to leave the house had been for trips to the convenience store.

[The goddess grins brightly, mentioning how the store clerks always jump in surprise whenever they see him.]

[(ᄒᄒ)]

[She teasingly asks what life as a popular guy feels like.]

“No way. Hmm, but still… Am I making people too nervous? Is it because I haven’t shaken off my habits from my hero days? Am I unconsciously radiating too much intimidation? Should I just stay inside longer until I can control it?”

“Oh, crap.”

The goddess sighed, recalling their previous conversation.

She had thought he was joking when he said things like that, but he had meant it seriously.

But how in the world did he misinterpret a store clerk admiring his appearance as fear?

With another facepalm, the goddess grimaced slightly as she stared at him.

[The hero reminisces about old memories, feeling content.]

[(ᄒ_ᄒ)]

[Before he knows it, he arrives at the auditorium for the entrance ceremony and begins observing those around him.]

Once upon a time, it might have been different, but after multiple transformations, the hero’s appearance was now undeniably attractive, even in the eyes of a god.

Yes—he was handsome.

However, during his journey of slaying demons, there had never been any occasion to praise his looks.

And after he had split an entire planet in half, most people simply groveled before him—whether they liked him or not.

Since he was fully aware of this reality, he had long since stopped taking people’s words at face value.

“No, seriously, you’re good-looking. Why don’t you believe me? Are you ignoring the words of a goddess? Do you want to quit being a hero? Huh?!”

The goddess grumbled, putting on her best delinquent expression and tone, before remembering—he couldn’t hear her voice right now.

Hmm.

Even after all this time, she found herself both fond of and endlessly exasperated by her former hero.

Letting out a long sigh, she watched as he curiously looked around the auditorium.

And then, she made a decision.

“Fine. If he won’t realize it on his own, I’ll just keep drilling it into him until he does.”

The goddess, having reached a new epiphany, began preparing an extra MSG-style addition to his life.

The name of the operation?

The Red Pill Plan.

A long-term project for ensuring the hero’s romantic, love-filled academy life.

***

“This auditorium is huge.”

Recalling his old high school gymnasium, which now felt like a distant past, he took in the crowded surroundings.

Given that this was an academy for Hunters, it was expected that the student body was predominantly female.

Seeing students in a variety of casual outfits, he thought, “This really does feel like a normal college.”

At the same time, the presence of weapons—swords, staffs, and even polearms—made him realize just how different this world was.

“I really am in a place like this now.”

It was the same feeling he had when he was first summoned to another world as a hero.

Except now, that felt like an eternity ago.

Still, a romantic school life with peers was a hundred times better than slashing through demon blood-soaked battlefields with his muscle-bound, middle-aged companions.

That said, in his current situation—where he was actively suppressing his presence— it seemed like it would be neither a harem nor a love comedy, but just a normal academy life.

“At least here, no one treats me like a god.”

No one here knew he was a hero.

No one knew he had split an alien planet in two.

It was a perfectly clean slate.

Here, he could simply be a competent individual, living at ease.

And if he happened to meet his fated partner—someone beautiful, kind, and easy to talk to—then all the better.

If things didn’t work out?

Well, he could always switch to a self-made, overpowered Hunter route.

For now, he just wanted to take things easy and adjust.

***

“Still, these students are stronger than I expected.”

Of course, no one was stronger than him.

But among them, there were a few who could have given his early self a tough fight.

And as for the faculty?

Some were skilled enough to join the elite knight orders or even his old hero party.

At this academy, such people were classified as S-rank Hunters.

According to internet rankings, S-rank Hunters were considered among the strongest individuals in the world.

How much did this academy pay its professors to attract such talent?

Or maybe the benefits were just that good?

“Hmm, if I ever get bored, I could consider becoming a professor.”

Of course, in his current state—where he could only use 10% of his former strength—he wasn’t yet qualified.

But given that he had walked this path before, it wouldn’t take long to regain his full power.

By normal standards, he was a college student now, so there was no need to rush.

“Alright, for now, let’s just focus on adapting.”

With that in mind, he began eavesdropping on the conversations around him.

He had no idea who was famous or where they came from, but—

“That guy… is he the rumored ‘Ice Flower’ prodigy from the Blue Mage Tower?”’

“Even the Alavad family sent their heir? They usually stick to their own academy.”

“Well, our academy’s reputation is at an all-time high. Even the faculty lineup is legendary.”

There was always a Speedwagon in every setting—someone who knew all the lore and explained it for free.

He simply nodded along, absorbing all the information without drawing attention.

It was an inevitable situation.

With my guilt completely gone, I spent the rest of the entrance ceremony picking up bits of gossip.

“I heard a famous Japanese spirit master has transferred here.”

“Apparently, the next leader of a mystical sect is attending—if you cross them the wrong way, you won’t even have bones left to pick up.”

I listened to these rumors one by one, passing the time until the ceremony moved forward.

***

“There are many things I would like to share with you, new students of Seoul Paranormal Ability Academy. First, let me tell you about my time living in California…”

The school was loaded with money, and its faculty was outstanding, but for some reason, the chairman’s speech was still unbearably boring.

For a moment, I had PTSD flashbacks to the cardinal from my hero party, who was an absolute exposition machine.

[‘The Balance of Order and Causality’ smirks mischievously, preparing its plan.]

[(ᄒᄉᄒ)]

[Manufacturing the Red Pill.]

I had been so bored that I briefly disabled my mental block to peek at the goddess’s messages—only to find something highly suspicious.

Frowning, I tried to decipher its meaning before shaking my head and blocking her again.

“The goddess is up to something weird again.”

Seriously, I had no idea how a perfect hero like me had been created under her watch.

***

After the chairman finally stepped down from his long-winded speech, a few professors took the stage.

Fortunately, they kept it brief and impactful.

It would be great if that kind of generational shift could happen sooner at the top levels of the academy as well…

“Next, we will proceed with the freshman representative’s oath.”

Just when I thought the ceremony was finally wrapping up, there was one last thing left.

Maybe it was because I hadn’t been to school in so long, but I couldn’t believe how much pointless formality this entrance ceremony had.

It was almost as extravagant as the banquets hosted by nobles back in my hero days.

Shouldn’t they just dismiss us and let everyone find their own groups instead?

As I thought about this, I watched a cadet walk confidently onto the stage, the sharp sound of her heels echoing.

“Valedictorian, Cheon Juyeon.”

The girl, wearing a beautiful smile, exuded an intense, dark aura that felt strangely familiar for some reason…