The Retired Hero is an Extra

As morning arrived, the sun rose higher, casting its first golden rays over the excited crowd; the anticipation for the Entrance Test grew palpable.

Across Adonia, countless people were eagerly moving to the areas where they could spectate the Entrance Test.

Many loud conversations were taking place between the excited parents as some proudly boasted about their children.

"Is your son in the Entrance Test too?" one man asked another man walking beside him.

"Yes, but he was so nervous... Back in my day, we used to be excited about such things," the older man chuckled.

"Haha, but this time there are many big shots here," the first man matched his tone and laughed along.

"I'm just happy that he might study at the Solarnelle Academy. I didn't let him know, but I was so proud of him when he told me about this," the older man smiled.

Several people around them were also conversing and discussing the contenders who might secure a high rank.

"With so many talented contenders this year, it should make for quite a spectacle," one man said to his companion.

"I doubt they'll match Prince Avon, though. He's already a Mid E-Rank hunter," his female companion replied confidently.

"Oh come on, even Caera Ramille is a Mid E-Rank hunter, and so is Princess Ava," a person passing by the couple butted in.

"I am not so sure. Isn't there Ziva Arne as well? She would be a tough candidate for sure," another passerby added.

Surprisingly, the people nearby heard the conversation and started talking over each other, unwilling to accept their guess as wrong.

"A bunch of idiots," a man with spectacles scoffed, adjusting his glasses.

His comment silenced the discussion, and the crowd glared at him, ready to beat him up if unsatisfied by his words.

"You all will lose money today," he declared. "The winner will surely be Maximus," he added proudly, leaving the listeners stunned.

"Who's that?" someone asked. "Is it you yourself, idiot?" another added.

Hearing the second remark, the man's cheeks reddened, and people clicked their tongues at his foolishness.

"No wonder you seemed stupid," a girl began, "The entry for the participants is not from here."

Maximus had a shocked expression on his face, as if he just had a realization, and immediately dashed away, leaving behind the snickering crowd.

"So what if someone is bad with directions?" he yelled, trying to save face, but it was useless.

"By the way, why did none of you mention Amael Blake and Jash Ramille?" a person asked, breaking the status quo.

Unfortunately, it seemed no one was interested in answering him as they walked by, giving him strange glances as if he were an idiot.

The mood got a bit tense with that mention as they all separated and walked ahead, entering a huge dome-like building.

It was made up of frosted glass, making it seem opaque blue, yet it was just normal glass.

Inside, there were multiple queues leading to a small portal and advanced security in front of it.

As soon as anyone reached half a meter within the portal's range, they were scanned completely, including their storage rings.

Only if they didn't carry any non-permissible items would they be allowed to use the portal.

These portals were connected to different seating areas in the stadium where the Entrance Test would be displayed for all to see.

Still, as additional security, each portal gate had B-Rank and entire domes had some A-Rank hunters to make sure that no one suspicious entered.

This year, the security was even especially focused upon due to the presence of many high nobles from all three races alike.

Of course, they didn't need such security as they were strong enough to defend themselves, but it would ruin the reputation of the Solarnelle Academy.

Thankfully, only a handful of selected guests and participants and their invitees could enter the main stadium where the Entrance Test could be spectated live.

Naturally, the floating holograms were available at even this stadium as it was much better for aesthetics as well as visibility.

Nevertheless, the high rank guests like S-Rank Hunters and above didn't have many restrictions.

They could literally see everything taking place, so it didn't matter in the first place.

While the entire Solarnelle Empire was celebrating as all the participants and famous nobles arrived, two were indifferent.

Amael's focus had remained fixed on the black armor for the entire night after acquiring it.

In the solitude of his study, he meticulously examined every inch of the armor, noting the precise engravings and the subtle hum of mana it radiated.

His thoughts drifted to the Emperor's cryptic advice, weighing its implications.

The more he pondered, the clearer it became that the Entrance Test was just as complex as the novel described it as.

'Any advantage there can tip the scales,' he thought but scoffed at the notion.

Excluding Jash, who was the most suspicious, there was only that blessed protagonist Amael needed to be wary of.

"I'm stronger than I should be. Winning should be a given, right?" Amael mumbled to himself, reflecting on whether his enhanced strength would guarantee success.

{Host, you have altered some minor plots, and the Heavens would always find ways to make their chosen one the best...}

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Stop repeating the same thing over and over again," he ordered the System, tired of its continuous warnings.

'Put the armor into the inventory since using it in the Entrance Test is a no-go,' he told the System, well-aware of the rules and regulations.

Despite his rude speech, the System didn't care and did as asked, deducting a fair share of his Villain Points as the cost.

'My precious Villain Points!' Amael lamented, his heart bleeding at the dropping number.

{Stop being so overdramatic, Host. It is time to earn them now!}

'Yeah,' Amael mused, exiting his room and leaving for the venue of the Entrance Test.

His mind turned to the various contenders he would face--their stories, rumors, the alliances and rivalries that would shape their actions.

He knew that some would approach the test with pure skill, while others would use cunning and strategy.

His preparation was not just about his own capabilities but understanding and calculating those based on the novel context.

"Let's get going," he told himself.

Amael made his way through the streets of the capital, his thoughts fixated on how to gain the maximum of Villain Points.

The city buzzed with excitement, vendors and citizens eagerly anticipating the event.

Amael, however, kept his focus sharp, scanning his surroundings with practiced vigilance despite the bustling activity.

Despite the security teams of his family guarding him, he didn't let his guard down as he continued on his path.

His family eagerly waited at the venue, trusting in his abilities to easily ace the Entrance Test.

At the Ramille Estate, Jash slept soundly, seemingly indifferent to the upcoming major event.

Though he too had been waiting for it--for his own reasons--he didn't really care all that much.

For him, following his heart and getting enough sleep was his priority.

The stark contrast between his unpreparedness and Amael's cold calculations to maximize profit displayed the difference in their beings.

But, how could Jash's family let him miss such an important day?

--Tnng Tngg

Dozens of alarms rang in his room, disturbing his sleep as he stirred awake.

"Ugh," he let out a strange sound, annoyed at getting his sleep disturbed before his eyes fluttered open.

"Shit! Isn't today the Entrance Test?" he exclaimed in shock.