I CHOSE to be a VILLAIN, not a THIRD-RATE EXTRA!!-Chapter 104: Entering the Academy

Ashok strolled toward the grand entrance of the Academy, his hands tucked casually into his pockets, his gaze fixed on the fiery display above the gate.

The flaming letters spelling out 'Celestium Academy' burned brightly, casting their radiant glow on the open grassland. Yet, to Ashok, it was nothing more than an unnecessary extravagance.

'What a ridiculous waste of resources,' he thought, his mind running a quick calculation of the mana stones being sacrificed to keep the flames alive. 'A simple banner could've done the job just as well, and without turning a fortune into literal smoke.'

He paused briefly as his eyes scanned the area surrounding the gates. No towering walls, no imposing fences—just an endless expanse of grass stretching out in every direction, with the solitary, monumental gates standing tall in the center.

Their grandeur felt oddly out of place amidst the simplicity of the vast green field, almost like an overzealous sculpture left behind with no frame to anchor its meaning.

To Ashok, the sight was borderline absurd—two colossal gates with ribbons and balloons, crowned by fire, standing boldly in the middle of nowhere. And yet, despite his amusement at the impracticality of it all, he kept walking.

Ashok's thoughts churned about the description of gates from the game. 'If I weren't a student, I wouldn't even be able to see these gates, let alone the Academy. The entire place is shrouded in layers of sealing and barrier magic—craftsmanship credited to the First Dean. Even this idyllic field of grass is just an illusion.'

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Ashok couldn't shake the feeling of being observed—his active [False Monarch] trait all but confirmed that the Dean or some meddlesome teachers were likely watching him closely. Still, that only deepened his irritation.

Approaching the gates, Ashok couldn't help but smirk at his own theory. 'A test, is it? Leaving me here, alone, in this grassy void with nothing but a decorated gate and burning letters? How meaningless.'

He stood right next to the monumental structure, his gaze unwavering. For a solid minute, he waited, fully expecting some kind of response—yet the gates remained utterly still, their unmoving presence testing even his patience.

Ashok sighed, the corners of his mouth tugging downward as his thoughts grew more pointed. 'So, this is how they're playing it. Are they seriously trying to test my patience now? What do they think I'll do—admire the tacky balloons or politely knock on the gate? What a waste of time.'

After spending another fruitless minute glaring at the festive-yet-pointless balloons and ribbons plastered on the unyielding gates, Ashok gave up on the farce of waiting.

In the game, the gates were always open for students who arrived on time, but now he was certain this was a deliberate prank by the Dean—a test to observe his reaction.

'So, this is how they want to play,' he thought, a sly smirk curling across his lips. His eyes narrowed slightly, and with a voice dripping with scorn, he spoke.

"How cheap," he said, the two words cutting through the silence like a blade. It sounded less like an observation and more like a proclamation—sharp, loud, and commanding enough to leave a sting in the air.

Ashok wasn't done. "The standard of the Academy is so low that they can't even afford better decorations," he continued, the disdain in his tone practically tangible

The moment his words left his mouth, Ashok reached into the Storage Ring that had been provided to him by the Duke. Calmly, deliberately, he retrieved the communication orb.

His intent was clear—if the Academy thought they could waste his time, he'd happily escalate matters.

Whether this was a test, a prank, or sheer incompetence, Ashok wasn't about to let the Dean or anyone else get the last laugh.

The moment Ashok retrieved the communication orb from the Storage Ring, the towering gates of the Academy sprang to life. Slowly, deliberately, they began to open inward, revealing the path beyond.

Meanwhile, just moments earlier, within the Vice Dean's office, the Dean and Vice Dean were intently watching Ashok via a surveillance orb—a magical artifact showing his every move as he navigated the Academy's entrance.

The Dean, an Ascended, technically didn't need such devices to keep an eye on him. Her immense perception encompassed the entire Academy island with ease; however, her overuse of this ability had led to… complications.

The teachers, despite being weaker than the Dean, were still formidable individuals and highly attuned to magical interference.

The Dean's vast perception didn't go unnoticed, and some of the more sensitive staff accused her of stalking them.

Their complaints escalated to the Vice Dean, culminating in threats of a collective strike if the Dean didn't curb her behavior.

Left with little choice, the Dean begrudgingly scaled back her omnipresence, opting for artifacts like the surveillance orb to avoid raising further grievances.

The Dean leaned back comfortably in her chair, savoring yet another spoonful of ice cream, her third cup in a row.

Two empty cups sat abandoned on the Vice Dean's pristine desk, transforming his meticulously maintained workspace into an impromptu dessert station.

The Vice Dean's brow twitched noticeably, irritation bubbling beneath his composed exterior as he eyed the mess.

"Dean, why aren't we opening the gates?" he asked finally, his voice tinged with restrained annoyance.

With her mouth full, the Dean replied nonchalantly, "Wats te Huy?" (What's the hurry?) The distorted words somehow perfectly captured her indifferent demeanor.

Despite her casual attitude, the Vice Dean wasn't fazed—he had long since adapted to her peculiar quirks after years of working alongside her.

Refocusing on the surveillance orb, the Vice Dean meticulously studied Ashok's every move. The boy's mannerisms spoke volumes—the gaze that seemed to look down on everything, the deliberate, almost regal way he carried himself as he approached the gates.

"Quite an arrogant way to present himself," the Vice Dean remarked dryly, his keen observation turning into an unfiltered comment. The Vice Dean had commented after taking everything into consideration from Ashok gaze to posture and finally his walking gait.

The Dean, savoring her next spoonful of ice cream, voiced her skepticism aloud.

"I'm wondering just what the Duke found special in him. There's nothing extraordinary about him, even his mana core is at the very starting stage, F-, which is surprising considering his origins in the Eastern Duchy. Even his elemental affinity is so low it's almost immeasurable."

She furrowed her brow slightly, puzzled. Unbeknownst to her, Ashok's lack of elemental affinity wasn't due to mere weakness—it was the result of his curse, a detail hidden from even her sharp perception.

As the Dean continued to scrutinize Ashok through the surveillance orb, her casual demeanor contrasted with the curiosity that lingered in her voice.

She wondered why the Southern Duke, known for his calculated decisions, would bother with someone who seemed so unremarkable on the surface.

The Vice Dean, who had been watching quietly and tempering his patience, finally broke the silence. "What exactly are you hoping for that student to do?" His tone carried a mixture of curiosity and skepticism, not directed at Ashok, but at the Dean's apparent interest in the boy.

The Dean, savoring her spoonful of ice cream, tilted her head slightly as she observed Ashok through the orb. "I don't find his physical abilities anywhere near the Aether Class," she said, her voice carrying both curiosity and criticism.

"I want to see what he'll do to get the gates opened. This should be… entertaining."

The Vice Dean, still puzzling over the Dean's intent, raised an eyebrow. "A kind of mental test?" he inquired, genuinely trying to grasp the logic behind her actions.

The Dean turned to him, her expression betraying genuine confusion. "What are you talking about?" she asked flatly, as though the suggestion of a purposeful test was an entirely alien concept.

The Vice Dean, flustered by the ambiguity of her response, gestured toward the orb and clarified, "Then what do you want to see?" His patience, though practiced, was beginning to fray.

Her lips curled into a mischievous smirk as she turned back to the orb, her gaze fixed on Ashok. "I want to see that arrogant expression of his break," she admitted, a glint of amusement sparking in her eyes.

"Let's see how he handles it when the gates refuse to open—even after he's managed to drag his way to the Academy."

Her tone was casual but carried an edge of delight, as if she were already imagining the moment of reckoning.

Meanwhile, the Vice Dean shook his head discreetly, silently resigning himself to the whimsical yet unpredictable antics of his boss.

The scene unfolded exactly the opposite of what the Dean had anticipated. Ashok simply stood by the gate, unwavering, for over a minute and a half.

It was an unexpected reaction for someone under scrutiny, leaving the Vice Dean to break the silence as he observed the surveillance orb. "Now what? He's not reacting in any…" His words trailed off as Ashok's voice cut through, sharp and precise.

"How cheap," came the commanding voice of the kid which sounded more like a judgment from the orb. The Vice Dean turned to the orb, stunned, barely believing the audacity on display.

"The standard of the Academy is so low that they can't even afford better decorations,"

At that very moment, veins visibly popped on the foreheads of both the Dean and the Vice Dean. The sheer brazenness of Ashok's first act upon arriving at the Academy—to outright insult it—was nothing short of astonishing.

...

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