THE VILLAIN'S POV Chapter 4 4: Goat Egg

-Frey Starlight POV -

"How can victory be achieved when the opponent is a perfected version of yourself?"

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"If the Victoriad ends with my win, I gain the right to ask the System Architect a single question, and he will be compelled to provide the truth..."

I held my breath, fighting to maintain my composure.

"Winning the Victoriad… It is the equivalent of winning the World Cup."

It was a massive tournament, televised to every human territory to kindle hope and exhibit the young geniuses destined for global leadership. It was an event designed to be conquered by Snow, the story's protagonist.

Snow was the quintessential hero: an orphan raised in a shelter that demons razed to the ground, a man fueled by a thirst for vengeance.

Despite his trope-heavy history, his power was undeniable... he was monstrously strong.

To overcome someone of his caliber, I would essentially have to kill myself—literally.

"Stay calm... I need a strategy first. Yes, let's begin there."

A roadmap was necessary. A point of origin.

To start, the true limits of Frey’s power had to be measured.

I summoned my status screen without delay. Understanding my stats and abilities was the only way to determine my next move.

A translucent window appeared, showing:

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Host Name : Frey Starlight (dual soul)

Class: Swordsman

Talent: A

Current Level: F-

Strength: F

Speed: F-

Agility: G+

Stamina: G

Aura: SSS

Magic: G-

[Swordsmanship - Lv. 1](Because of the host's lack of natural talent, swordsmanship cannot progress past Lv. 3.)

Talents: None

Combat Style: None

Skills:

Seduction (F-Class) :

Triggers sexual desire in a target. The effect is amplified against the opposite gender, but weakens if the target is two ranks higher than the host, and may fail entirely.

Abilities: None

System Note: You are weak! Pathetically weak! It is strongly advised that you grow stronger before you perish!

I stood there, lost for words. Frey's statistics were a disaster for a lord of the Starlight family… but that wasn't the source of my shock.

Aura: SSS

I blinked and rubbed my eyes, questioning my own vision, then checked again..

Did Frey really possess an SSS-tier Aura capacity?!

My mind raced with questions. How? Why? Since when?!

This was an Aura reserve that exceeded the most powerful human currently living! It was a level the protagonist wasn't supposed to reach until the end of the narrative—yet Frey possessed it from the beginning? It seemed impossible.

"This must be linked to my reincarnation..."

The mechanics eluded me for now, but the potential was staggering.

With a power like this, defeating the protagonist should be simple... Had my luck finally turned?

With my heart pounding against my ribs, I stood up and hurried to the center of the room.

"I have to test this..."

Drawing upon Frey’s ingrained memories and my own understanding, I tried to manifest Aura from my body.

"Come forth, SSS-Class power…"

Beads of sweat formed on my brow as I exerted myself..

Finally, a reaction occurred.

However, I could only scowl at the result...

I had managed to pull Aura to the surface of my skin, but it was so thin and miserably weak that I couldn't even condense it above my hand.

Veins throbbed at my temples as a dark thought occurred to me: *Is the system playing a joke on me?*

"Where is the SSS-rank Aura I was promised?!"

This pathetic output… Forget F-rank, it didn't even qualify as G+!

As I descended into frustration, my bedroom door was kicked open, followed by a piercing shout:

"Frey! Wake up, you useless bastard!"

Seeing the woman who had invaded my privacy, I could only mutter a curse:

"Damn it…."

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A short while ago..

An opulent carriage pulled to a stop before the massive gates of the Starlight family's primary estate. The doors opened, and a slender leg emerged, wearing long black stockings and elegant high heels.

Servants and maids scrambled to the entrance immediately, lining up to offer a precise 90-degree bow to the returning noble.

"Welcome home, Lady Ada."

The staff greeted a striking beauty with hair as white as snow and eyes like obsidian. Her sharp, mature features made it clear she was no longer a child—a trait that only heightened her magnetism.

She was breathtaking. Most men would commit crimes just for a single look from her.

Ignoring the bowing staff entirely, Ada walked forward with an indifferent air, heading straight for the elderly head maid at the front of the line.

"Frederica," she said, and the old woman met her with a kind smile.

"My lady."

Ada didn't waste time on pleasantries. "Where is he?"

Predicting the inquiry, Frederica gestured toward the heart of the manor.

"The young lord remains in his chambers."

Upon hearing this, Ada clicked her tongue in sheer annoyance.

"That incompetent fool..."

Without pausing, she stormed into the residence and marched toward Frey's room. Reaching the door, she shouted at the top of her lungs as she threw it wide.

"Frey! Wake up, you bastard!"

Inside, Frey was caught in a ridiculous position, staring at her with his mouth open—a sight that only made her angrier.

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Present day..

…Which brings us back to the present. Ada Starlight—Frey’s older sister and one of the few people with the courage to scream at the notorious "Villain Frey"—looked at me with pure scorn.

She had visited every day for the last week. I had snubbed her every single time… until now.

Forcing a polite smile, I met her hateful eyes and spoke calmly.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, Ada?"

"'Pleasure?'" Her fury flared up again, her voice sharp enough to draw blood.

"The only reason I'm standing here is because I'm burdened with a pathetic brother who rots in bed like a corpse all day!"

I winced reflexively. After a week of silence, her yelling sounded deafening.

With a heavy sigh, I sat on the edge of the mattress while Ada continued her relentless verbal assault.

"How much longer do you think I'll keep cleaning up your messes, Mister Frey? What kind of lord are you supposed to be?! I tried to endure you in the past, but I've reached my breaking point!"

"At least before, you *attempted* to look like you were doing your job—hiding behind the family name while you played around. But now?!"

~Hooof~

Ada paused to catch her breath before resuming… "Now you're doing absolutely nothing! Just lying there without effort! Tell me, what is your goal? Do you want to ruin the family that our father and ancestors bled to build? Will the fourth lord of House Starlight be the one who destroys it all?"

"The other Great Families and the Empire are just waiting for a chance to tear us apart… I am working myself to death to save our reputation, yet my work barely covers the disasters you leave behind."

A tear escaped Ada's eye as her voice cracked from the effort of shouting.

"I gave up my life—I even gave up my chance to join the Temple—just to protect you. To be your pillar. Why? This isn't who you are... You aren't the brother I grew up with..."

She pressed her hand over her mouth, her soft weeping filling the silence. Deep down, I felt a twinge of guilt watching her, but I suppressed it. Ultimately, these were just characters I had created.

Finally, Ada spoke her closing thought, and I couldn't help but smile when I heard it.

"You are unfit to lead this family…"

She turned to walk away, expecting Frey to remain silent as he always did. But this time, I broke the pattern.

"You're absolutely right."

I gave Ada a faint smile. She stopped dead in her tracks and turned back toward me.

"What did you say?"

Ada's brow furrowed, her tear-streaked eyes searching mine.

"I said… you're right."

I smiled again, which only caused Ada's expression to darken further. If looks had the power to kill, I would be a corpse.

She ground her teeth, her hands curling into tight fists.

"Frey… are you making fun of me right now?"

Her rage didn't phase me. In truth, I understood her perspective. Looking through Frey’s inherited memories, I saw the internal politics of House Starlight—details I hadn't even consciously written.

The source of Ada's resentment was obvious: she was the natural choice for the lordship.

At twenty, she was four years Frey's senior. In a world where gender didn't dictate succession, the eldest should have taken the mantle. But everything changed when Lord Abraham Starlight—our late father—left a final command naming Frey as the successor.

It appeared the former lord had a deep affection for his son. And because he had been a terrifying SS+ rank powerhouse, even the Elders of House Starlight didn't dare challenge his will out of respect.

That was the only reason a trash-tier person like Frey had lasted this long.

I stood up from the bed and walked over to my desk.

"I'm not mocking you… Ada."

I tapped the keys and looked at my stats one more time.

"I'm weak. I haven't studied politics or philosophy. I've never sacrificed anything for this house. I lack the dignity, wisdom, and grit of a Lord... But you?"

"You possess all of those things."

I gestured toward Ada, who stood there with her head tilted, looking at me with total confusion.

"Frey… what are you talking about? I don't—"

Before she could finish, I moved closer, putting on the most sincere smile I could manage. "I'm going to abdicate my title as Lord of House Starlight to you."

The room went silent. I watched a whirlwind of emotions play across Ada's face—shock, then doubt, followed by a tiny, desperate spark of hope.

Her jaw dropped, her face frozen in a look of pure bewilderment.

And it made sense. These were words she never expected to hear in her lifetime.

She had been cheated of her birthright, yet she had suppressed her anger for the sake of her father, her worthless brother, and the family name. The years had been cruel to her—all because of the original Frey.

But now, I was here, offering her a way out… a light in the darkness.

"Frey… what is this? I swear, if this is one of your sick pranks—"

I cut her off. I threw out the next words quickly to seal the deal.

"An Aura Contract."

Ada's eyes went wide. "A what?!"

I grinned. "I will sign an Aura Contract. You can't possibly doubt my honesty then, right?"

She began to shake visibly, and I watched her every movement.

The Aura Contract was a mechanic I had invented for my hero, Snow—a soul-binding agreement where both parties swore an oath under the threat of death. If the terms were violated, the Aura inside the person's Meridians would explode, turning them into a pile of meat.

In this world, no promise was more ironclad.

Ada's trembling intensified as she whispered, "Frey… why? You're joking, right? You're just playing with me… Yes, that's it… You have no reason to give up your power. You get nothing from this…"

I replied steadily, "I offered to sign an Aura Contract. Does that sound like a joke? And who said I get nothing? There are a couple of things I'll need from you in exchange."

Her face clouded over with suspicion the moment I mentioned a price. But I was certain—she wouldn't turn me down.

Just as I would do anything to escape the plot of this world, she would do anything to take back what was hers.

That was my ultimate advantage: knowing every thread of the story I had written.

I checked my status again… Weak. I was still far too weak.

Aside from that dormant SSS-rank Aura that wouldn't activate, everything else was embarrassing.

I had to get stronger by any means necessary, and that process started with Ada—she was going to help me.

Everything began at this moment.

Between a wary Ada and a confident Frey, a new story was beginning to unfold—one with secrets that no one could yet imagine.