THE VILLAIN'S POV Chapter 6 6: Cheating Hero

-Frey Starlight POV -

---

As I sat at a modest table, the breeze played with my hair while a single pen and a blank sheet of paper rested before me. Ada was positioned across from me, her eyes fixed intently on the document. I released a quiet sigh and turned my gaze toward the sky from our vantage point on the balcony.

Negotiating the specifics of my Aura Contract with Ada had consumed the last several hours. We were now simply refining the final points before committing our signatures.

An entire month had already vanished. My coming-of-age ceremony was only three days away, at which point I would officially be named the Fourth Lord of House Starlight.

Because of this, the contract needed to be finalized today. The lordship is a title granted by the high authorities of House Starlight, meaning I am expected to stand before them in just three days.

It would take that long to travel to the stronghold of the Starlight Knights. Moving away from this peaceful estate, the seat of House Starlight is located on the empire’s eastern frontier, carved into the jagged Oklas Mountains. Their purpose is to defend the kingdom from the Nightmare Land—a region that was once called Asia…

House Starlight has served as the empire's eastern bulwark for three centuries without fail. The Nightmare Lands are overrun with mutated monsters, twisted by the planet's corruption following the Demon Invasion.

The power of some of these beasts even surpasses the S-rank.

In three days' time, I will be meeting the very warriors who have held that line.

Claiming I wasn't anxious would be a total fabrication.

My physical strength is merely Class F, and my consciousness belongs to a different world entirely… regardless, I have no alternatives. Every phase of my strategy depends on this encounter.

…

The sound of Ada tapping the table pulled me back to reality. She had scanned the contract countless times, even though the conditions were quite plain:

– Aura Contract

Under this agreement, both parties consent to terms that are mutually binding. Upon signing, the user's Aura becomes the anchor; any breach of these terms results in immediate death.

Caster: Frey Starlight.

- *I, Frey Starlight, hereby renounce my title as Lord of House Starlight and all related rights, transferring them permanently to my older sister, Ada Starlight.*

Recipient: Ada Starlight.

– I, Ada Starlight, lady of House Starlight, vow to provide the following in return:

1. Provision of full funding and the highest quality resources for Frey Starlight.

2. Facilitating Frey’s training through specialized potions and access to facilities.

3. Relinquishing my right to select the skill that is granted with the title of lord.

Signature:

As Ada reviewed the text one last time, she paused at the third point—the transfer of a skill.

This specific clause was the reason for her long hesitation. Skills are exceptionally rare and costly. Even within the prestigious House Starlight, members are usually restricted to only two.

Ada already has one. I have one as well, though it is utterly worthless—*seduction.*

A person receives their first skill upon reaching adulthood.

A second is granted for achieving great glory for the family or through unique circumstances—such as becoming the lord.

Frey’s situation was unusual. Because his father favored him, he was permitted to choose a skill at an early age.

My intent was basic—I planned to acquire two new skills simultaneously.

One would come from my coming-of-age, and the second would come from Ada once she assumed the lordship.

This was a vital pillar of my plan.

Nevertheless, Ada felt the need to protest.

"Frey, the first two points are fine, but… isn't this third one a bit excessive?"

I shook my head slowly. "We have gone over this dozens of times this month… Ada, compared to the title of lord, this condition is trivial, and you are well aware of that."

Ada looked down, lost in thought.

"Is there… nothing else you would prefer? I could surely—"

I cut her off by raising a hand.

"If you change anything else, this whole arrangement loses its value to me."

"But—"

"Ada… those are my final requirements. You can either sign, or we can forget the whole thing."

Seeing my unwavering expression, she squeezed her slender hands together, realizing I wouldn't budge.

Ultimately, she had to give in, picking up the pen with a look of exhaustion.

"…Fine. You've won, Frey. I accept."

I flashed a smile. "We both win, Ada."

My sister signed her name, and I followed immediately after.

The document radiated a brilliant sky-blue light, and two thin strands of energy lashed out, striking both Ada’s forehead and mine.

A smirk touched my lips as it happened. I no longer had to worry about her breaking her word.

Aura Contracts are the handiwork of sorcerers—a class of people entirely separate from the martial artists who use combat techniques in this world.

Sorcerers possess such a deep mastery of Aura that they can rewrite the laws of reality. Their capabilities are immense and nearly boundless.

They are terrifying figures on the field of battle, and the parchment I now held was one of their finest creations.

Naturally, becoming a sorcerer is a monumental task, making them very rare. Even in a power like House Starlight, you could count them on one hand.

I tucked the Aura Contract away safely. A massive piece of my plan was now complete.

Ada shifted in her seat, watching me closely.

"…Frey, I truly don't understand you anymore."

"Oh? And why is that?"

Since I was in high spirits, I decided to indulge my sister’s curiosity.

"Why would you discard your title? You claimed you wanted something back, but you only asked for things you would have possessed anyway…"

"Why go through all this? You surrendered what was already yours, only to ask for it back through a complicated deal."

I looked out at the horizon. Our balcony was high enough to offer a sweeping view of the entire estate.

"The reason is quite simple." I looked her in the eye. "I plan to dedicate myself to my swordsmanship. I don't have time for the family's internal politics… especially when most of them want me dead."

I stood up, ignoring whatever response Ada was preparing.

"It's late, Ada. Tomorrow will be exhausting, so good night. I'm going to sleep."

I walked away, leaving my sister alone on the balcony.

…

Once inside my quarters, I went straight to my desk and powered on my personal computer.

Checking my status, I noticed a slight uptick in my numbers—the expected result of my training over the last month.

Host Name: Frey Starlight (Dual Soul)

Class: Swordsman

Talent: A

Current Rank: F

- Strength: F

- Speed: F

- Agility: F-

- Endurance: F-

- Aura: SSS

- Magic: G-

[Swordsmanship Lv.1]

(*Due to the host's lack of talent in swordsmanship, this skill cannot surpass Level 3.*)

Talents: None

Combat Style: None

Skills:

- **(seduction) – Rank F**

*A skill that triggers sexual desire in the target. Its effect is stronger when used on the opposite sex. The effect weakens against stronger opponents and may not work at all if the target is more than two ranks higher than the user.*

Abilities: None

Achievement Points: 620

System Note: *You are still incredibly weak! We strongly recommend finding a combat style or acquiring a skill soon before you get yourself killed.*

...

At the very least, there was some growth. Rising from F- to F in a month wasn't bad—after all, Frey’s innate talent was A-rank.

I wasn't overly concerned about Frey’s talent ceiling. I could use Achievement Points to push past A-rank and reach the S-rank tier later, but there was no rush. A-rank talent was enough for the time being.

Regarding Achievement Points, I had finally saved up a respectable sum—just enough to generate a new talent after a month of hard work. The daily tasks were getting harder, though side quests still popped up occasionally…

**Quest List:**

- Run 25 km: **5 Achievement Points** (*Completed*)

- 1000 push-ups: **5 Achievement Points** (*Completed*)

- 1000 sword swings: **10 Achievement Points** (*Completed*)

- Steal Ada's underwear: **30 Achievement Points**

- Sleep with 10 maids: **25 Achievement Points**

I sighed softly while looking at the screen. The daily grind had intensified, and the side quests… they were all degenerate tasks that would only cause me trouble.

The system was clearly perverted, trying to bait me into harassing my sister…

Even with my gains, I was still garbage compared to the story’s lead, Snow Leonhart. By the time he reaches the Temple in less than a year, his profile will look like this:

Name: Snow Lionheart

Class: Swordsman

Talent: SSS

Current Rank: D

- Strength: D

- Speed: E+

- Agility: E+

- Endurance: D

- Aura: D

- Magic: E-

[Swordsmanship Lv.3]

Talents:

- {Weapon Master}

- {Star of Aura}

- {Born Fighter}

- {Beloved by Light}

Combat Style:

- One-Sword Style

- king of war style

Just looking at those stats made me feel a surge of hopelessness. He was just too powerful…

I was starting to see why my readers used to complain about how broken Snow was. Now that I had to face him myself, I truly understood the problem.

His abilities alone were enough to reshape the world…

*Weapon Master* gave him proficiency with every possible weapon.

*Born Fighter* allowed him to pick up any combat style instantly.

*Star of Aura* provided him with god-like mastery over his Aura.

And the worst part…

The ultimate cheat, *Beloved by Light*, allowed him to manipulate every element with 100% efficiency.

I slumped into my chair. What was I even trying to accomplish?

How could I possibly take down a monster like that?

This was the start of a marathon… a journey where it felt like I couldn't even move an inch. For every single step I took, he would leap ten steps ahead.

*~Sigh~*

I took one last look at his profile and saw his combat style—*One-Sword Style.*

It brought back a sense of nostalgia…

That was the style used by the First Emperor—the hero who saved the world and sealed the gates by giving his own life.

An SSS-ranked legend who stood at the top of the world, fighting High-ranked Demons as equals… and he had chosen Snow as his heir.

I let out a bitter laugh at the thought.

This was essentially impossible.