Villain Retirement

"I look forward to getting along with all of you."

"..."

"..."

"!!!"

"Earth!? Where's Earth!?"

"Aren't you just pretending to be an alien? You just look like my cousin!"

"What're your three sizes?"

"Why is your hair silver? Are you an evaniel?"

"Why can't I sense any energy from the two of you!?"

"Enough!"

And once again, the professor clapped his hands, causing all of the students to close their eyes as their hair, be they short or long, started violently flowing with the shockwave. In truth, the professor didn't need to do so, as the students have already shut their mouths with just his words—but he wanted to check something.

The first time he clapped his hands, these two new foreign students beside him were completely unaffected. He, Professor Keits, has been a lecturer in the Supreme College for more than 2000 years; this kind of routine would have made any other themarian already give up, but not him.

Many professors have already come and gone, but not him. He makes sure that any and all themarian that graduate from the college will be the best of the best no matter what they decide to do in life—be it an explorer, apply for the militia, or just any other meaningless job.

And throughout his time as a professor, there have only been a handful of students that he thought would never truly achieve anything outside—and the youngest princess of Varoif probably topped that list.

Professor Keits have taught the princess' older siblings before, and Esme truly was just a shadow of those that came before her. At first glance, Esme was a master at controlling her emotions; not letting anything faze her. She was also the most intimidating of all the siblings with her towering figure and the way she carried herself.

But once you get to know her, you would find that she was anything but in control—no. It was better to say that there wasn't anything to control as Princess Esme, she… for the lack of a better word, is simple.

Esme has already been in the college for more than a hundred years, and all she has done was skip class, or order the professors to postpone their classes because she needed to do something.

One might think her reasons for stopping classes would be a matter of great importance that would involve the entire kingdom, but no. Her reasons vary from not being in the mood, to something as simple as her fingernails not being trimmed right.

And now, once again, the princess stopped the entire college to enroll visitors from another planet, from the Unknown. None of them were aware as to where these two really came from, or if they were just… pets that Esme picked up from somewhere.

But it would seem they are not so simple.

"Riley, it's your turn."

Professor Keits turned his focus back to the two as he watched as the other foreign student stepped forward. For some reason, the white-haired one was very familiar to him—themarians do not really have any interest in anything outside their territory, but from time to time, information from the outside seeps into their news.

Perhaps he saw him there somewhere?

"Greetings, themarian younglings."

And while Keits was once again busy thinking, Riley started introducing himself—his arms, raised to the side.

"My name is Riley Ross, and like my subordinate, I come from Earth."

"..." Everyone started looking at each other as they heard Riley's words. The mature and alluring-looking woman… was his subordinate? Could it be he is some sort of officer, or perhaps a noble?

"Are you Princess Esme's friend!?"

"Where's Earth!?"

And once again, the themarians started asking questions. This time, however, professor Keits did not stop them as he too has become quite curious about their visitors.

"I am not this Kingdom's princess' friend," Riley shook his head, "I am, however, the lover of the princess of the Kingdom of Hel."

"!!!"

Not only the students, but even Keits's eyes widened in shock as they heard Riley's words. Unlike Varoif, which had many princes and princesses, Hel only had a single princess left.

And with the news of the Rebel Princess' return becoming widespread, everyone knew who he was referring to.

And Professor Keits… Professor Keits could not help but curl his hands into fists. Everyone knew that Princess Esme was simple… and stupid. But did she really just let someone from the enemy nation infiltrate the Supreme College of Varoif, one of the main core establishments of the entire Kingdom? And not just someone, but the lover of the most problematic entity of the other nation.

"I have arrived on your planet not more than 9 hours ago," Riley continued his introduction almost as if he didn't just say something ridiculous, "And since then, I have put 12 of you to Eternal Death. But none of you have to worry, most of them are from the Kingdom of Hel."

"..."

"I killed someone called Fionn, who was guarding a zone whose name I have already forgotten, perhaps he is from here."

"Fionn… cadet guard of the Imdall Zone?" Professor Keits could not help but blurt out as he heard Riley's words.

"Yes, I remember now. Thank you, themarian professor," Riley nodded, "I can not promise that none of you will die during my stay here. But what I can promise all of you is that all of us… are going to have fun."

"..."

And with Riley taking a step back, all of the students could really just stare at him. But after a few seconds, they all turned their eyes toward a single student—a girl, whose eyes were already turning red.

Red, not in a way that their eyes light up when they emit their energy, no. Red in a way that it was turning moist as she stared at Riley with her eyebrows very slowly turning down.

And very soon, she stood up,

"Is that true?" She said as her long golden hair fell from her shoulders; her eyes that were almond-shaped, becoming even smaller as her mouth opened, "You killed Fionn?"

"I did kill a Fionn, themarian classmate," Riley nodded, "What I do not know if it is the Fionn you're mentioning."

"Fionn of the Imdall Zone!" The golden-haired female student started to step down from her station, "I… I've been receiving calls but I haven't been answering any of them since I'm busy—is… is that why?"

"Student Jesse! Return to your table at once!" Professor Keits let out a roar, but even with the thunders that came with it, the golden-haired student named Jesse just continued to step down toward the front of the class.

"My Fionn… my Fionn is dead?" Jesse's breaths started to stutter as she looked Riley straight in the eyes.

Katherine, who saw this, could really only close her eyes and sigh. Once again, she was being reminded which side she belonged to—even on Theran, Riley was a villain.

"If he is guarding the Imdall Zone, then yes," Riley nodded his head, "I would like to claim that I killed him without reason, but no. He attacked me first and I only responded in kind."

"You bastard!" Jesse then let out a scream, and as she did so, a red mist burst forth from her body—a color similar to the red energy they release, but it was more like translucent flames that violently flowed all over their body. Darmuid did the same before Xra interrupted their fight, was it some sort of ability?

If so, why wasn't Riley capable of it?

"Student Jesse, I am ordering you to return to your seat!" Professor Keits once again roared. Other than that, however, he remained passive. Although he wanted to retain order in his class, he also wanted to see what this Riley Ross was truly capable of—if he indeed managed to kill a student that has already graduated the college and became a cadet of the Militia.

"You will pay for what you did!" The red mist surrounding Jesse's body then instantly flowed straight to the palm of her hand, compressing into what seemed like the shape of a sword.

"Interesting," Riley tilted his head, before also stretching his hands to the side again… summoning two blades of light that caused the air around them to distort,

"Now I know where Gary gets it from."

"Stop this at once!" Professor Keits stomped his foot on the floor, causing the entire room to tremble. It had no effect, however, as Jesse's eyes were completely fixated on Riley.

The other students, too, didn't seem to care about their professor's words as they all stood up and started moving to the side of the lecture hall. Some of them, bringing out some sort of black ball that eerily looked similar to an eyeball.

"If we fight, then I might get expelled for having killed another fellow student on the first day, Miss Jesse," Riley sighed as he started spinning his blades on his hands, "It will complicate my deal with the princess."

"You think I care? Even if I lose here, Fionn's family would never let you go…

…murderer!" And with those words, Jesse disappeared from her spot—causing all the stairs, tables, bleachers, and the entire platform behind her to be blown away and cave in.

Riley, on the other hand, just let out a wide smile as he swung his sword in front of him—and as he did so, Jesse appeared, already waving her sword toward him.

But contrary to either of their expectations, their blades did not meet…

…and were instead blocked by a pair of arms.

"The classes are ongoing, Riley Ross. Please do not cause trouble. You too, student I do not know the name of."

"..." Riley could really only tilt his head to the side as he looked at the one that blocked his sword straight in the eyes.

"I apologize, Princess Esme."

Princess Esme Varoif—considered to be the most simple individual in the entire Varoif royal family, and even in the Supreme College. There is, however, one reason why no one; Professor Ketis, the students, or any one, for that matter, tries to offend or get in her way.

Princess Esme was a savant, an anomaly.

The current strongest living Themarian ever recorded in the Supreme College of Varoif.