I CHOSE to be a VILLAIN, not a THIRD-RATE EXTRA!!-Chapter 121: Helpless Princess and Cheat Hero

The weight of humiliation pressed heavily on Elara as she sat in the oppressive silence of the classroom, her golden eyes glaring fiercely at the smug red irises that returned her gaze.

'H-How insolent!' she thought, the anger boiling within her chest. Her clenched teeth betrayed the storm brewing behind her composed exterior as the memory of this insult seared itself into her mind.

This wasn't the first time she had endured such indignity; it was only the second, but that alone made it an intolerable offense.

Elara, the Imperial Princess raised in the lap of luxury and privilege, had been conditioned to expect reverence from everyone she encountered.

The idea of rejection—let alone outright mockery—was antithetical to everything she believed about herself and her station.

From the moment she resolved to attend the Academy, her ambitions had been singular and unwavering: to claim the Imperial Throne.

As the second child of the Emperor, Elara knew her position was tenuous. Her elder brother, already designated Crown Prince, had been born into both power and promise.

His talent was undeniable, his abilities surpassing her own with effortless grace.

Watching him from the shadows, day after day, as his status solidified had planted a deep-rooted seed of fear in her heart—a fear she dared not vocalize.

Elara understood the stakes better than anyone. Once her brother ascended the throne, her position in the empire would become untenable.

In the brutal reality of imperial succession, her death was all but certain—a calculated move to eliminate any potential threat to the Crown Prince's reign.

It was this knowledge that drove her, this looming threat that propelled her to work harder than any of her peers.

With tireless dedication, she polished her skills, refined her knowledge, and honed her presence, believing that the throne could still be hers if she played her cards right.

Her efforts, while extraordinary, did not go unnoticed.

Whether it was her merit, the dynamic between her and her brother, or something more mysterious, her father—Emperor—had issued a rare decree: the heir to the Imperial Throne would only be chosen after all three of his children graduated from the Academy with significant merits.

For Elara, the Academy was her battlefield—a chance to prove her worth and rise above her predetermined position in the Imperial hierarchy.

The Emperor's decision to let the Throne's succession depend on the merits gained during Academy life was unprecedented in the Empire's long, illustrious history.

Being the second child, her stakes in the Throne were minimal compared to those of her elder brother, the Crown Prince.

Yet, her father's decree gave her a fighting chance, a chance to carve her destiny amidst the shifting tides of power.

Elara had thrown herself into planning from the moment the decree was made, her mind focused on building alliances and consolidating her position.

Her primary targets were the heirs of major families and the Hero of Light, Leon—a figure whose potential influence and power could change the tide of any political rivalry.

Yet, everything changed when she first encountered Ashok, a figure that defied convention and expectations.

On her way to the Academy, Elara had spotted Ashok from her carriage causing what could only be described as an unintentional commotion.

In the middle of the main road, stood Ashok, half of his face obscured, his presence emanating raw and overwhelming power.

To her astonishment, he was releasing the pressure of an SS Ranker—which was confirmed by her maid.

Ashok, by all appearances, was not even close to that rank.

Yet his suppression blurred boundaries, transcending what was possible for someone of his stature.

Even her elder brother, the Crown Prince, could not achieve such an unnerving release at his level.

Elara's curiosity was piqued to the point of obsession.

Someone who could command such presence on the Main Road, seemingly unbothered was someone who needed to be watched.

When she entered the classroom for the first time, she didn't expect to see him there. But as her golden eyes scanned the students, her gaze landed on Ashok.

Sitting alone in the middle row, his casual yet commanding posture was unmistakable. Even with his thick-rimmed glasses, the low-effort disguise was laughable to someone of her perceptive caliber.

She recognized him immediately, the same figure she had seen on the main road, exuding power with an air of disregard.

It was all in her mind as she assumed Ashok was wearing the glasses as a form of disguise though the truth was far from it.

Elara had made the choice to sit with him, believing he held a presence and significance that surpassed even the Heir of Cindergarde.

Her sharp, instinctual assessment of hierarchies extended even to the seating arrangement within the classroom, which mirrored the social and political order outside these walls.

Elara's decision had been influenced by her earlier observations of Ashok's unsettling display of power on the main road.

But what she couldn't have anticipated was Ashok's cold rejection, delivered in front of the entire class, shattering her carefully constructed image of cheerful authority.

And to make matters worse, the arrival of Teacher Mia had effectively trapped her in this situation.

Elara had been forced to sit beside the very individual who had humiliated her, unable to reposition herself due to the rigid authority of their homeroom teacher.

The oppressive mana pressure rendered her powerless, her head resting against the desk as she endured the force.

The cheerful princess experienced shame for the first time in her life.

Teacher Mia's sharp eyes carefully observed the two remaining figures who had managed to sit upright under the crushing pressure of a B Ranker's mana suppression.

Her gaze first fell on Leon, the Hero of Light, whose struggle to remain seated was nothing short of admirable.

His hands were clenched into tight fists, veins visible as his entire body trembled against the oppressive force. The strain was evident—his face flushed a deep red, his every breath measured, and his arms braced firmly against the desk to keep himself steady.

Despite the immense effort it took, he resisted, pushing himself to endure for just one more second, and then another.

Mia's lips curled into a small smile, appreciating the determination in his relentless struggle.

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But as her attention shifted to Ashok—Adlet—the smile faded almost instantly.

The stark contrast between the two could not be ignored. Unlike Leon, who fought tooth and nail against the pressure, Ashok sat completely unbothered, his arms crossed as though he were merely enjoying the situation.

What truly irked Mia was not just his composure but the mockery in his actions—his crimson eyes glancing at the Imperial Princess slumped beside him, his lips curling into an unmistakably mocking smile.

The audacity unsettled her.

'Is he truly talented, or just a fool?' Mia thought, her expression hardening as she studied him further. Something about Ashok was undeniably strange.

No ordinary student—no matter how talented—should be able to resist her pressure with such ease.

That left her with only one explanation: an artifact. 'It must be that accessory,' she surmised, her sharp gaze landing on the thick-rimmed glasses he wore.

They were unassuming, almost comical in their simplicity, but artifacts often took inconspicuous forms.

Without hesitation, Mia casted an Appraisal Spell.

As the magic enveloped Ashok's glasses, her brows furrowed in confusion at the result. The artifact's effect was not what she had anticipated.

Instead of enhancing Mind Resistance, which would have explained his immunity to her pressure, the glasses carried a completely different enchantment: Presence Suppression.

'Presence Suppression? Why would a student need an artifact with such an effect?' Mia's thoughts churned as she tried to piece together the reasoning.

Mia's skills as a Battle Mage gave her access to Appraisal Magic, but it wasn't on par with the expertise of True Artifact Appraisers.

This limitation meant that while she could determine the general properties of an artifact, she lacked the depth required to assess its intricate working condition.

THUMP!

Mia's attention shifted momentarily, her blue eyes flickering as she saw Leon—the Hero of Light—finally succumb to the relentless pressure.

His head touched the desk, marking his defeat. Despite his remarkable struggle, even his fierce determination had its limits.

Both of Leon's hands unclenched as the effort to stay upright drained him completely.

Mia noted his attempt, but her focus quickly returned to Ashok—still sitting upright, composed, and entirely unaffected.

Meanwhile, Ashok's own gaze turned toward Leon. His eyes narrowed as he observed the Hero's fall.

'Finally, his Soul Trait, Unbending Will gave out,' Ashok thought.

He knew well the mechanics of Leon's abilities, particularly his Soul Trait, which amplified his Will stat—essentially granting him immense fortitude against external forces.

'A trait like that is truly a cheat,' Ashok thought, marveling at the inherent advantage of such a passive ability, one that continued to grow as Leon faced trials.

Ashok's knowledge of Leon came from his intimate familiarity with the constructs of their world—one shaped by a game where Leon was lauded as the Monster of Pure Stats.

Physically, Leon was unparalleled.

His Physique Trait naturally bolstered both his physical and aura growth, ensuring he would always dominate in raw strength.

His Soul Trait, Unbending Will, allowed him to endure and persevere through overwhelming obstacles.

And then there was the favor bestowed upon him by the Goddess of Light—the Trait Hero of Light—which doubled the growth of his Divinity Stat every time he helped someone, a mechanism that perfectly aligned with the narrative of his character.

This stacking of traits made Leon an unstoppable force in the realm of pure statistics, unrivaled in raw numbers.

Even in the mechanics of the game, Leon was considered the easiest character to play—a figure whose stats naturally scaled to ridiculous levels, ensuring victory for those who picked him still the game was not cleared until the third year of its release which showed how difficult the game was.

'Compared to all characters, he is my greatest threat,' Ashok thought grimly.