Villain Retirement

Some say that infinity can never be measured, some say it already has, as we would not have a name for it in the first place if they did not. One could imagine infinity, but could they, really? To the extent that it would be considered infinity?

What about a land that never truly ends? Is that infinity? Or, perhaps, like most who were born on an island, they had just not yet discovered the sea?

Or perhaps, infinity is just an illusion. The primitive man could walk around the world several times, trying to reach the end not knowing that there is none, and thinking his world is just infinite.

Imagine, imagine… imagine.

Well, for the people of the world of Manirosa, they did not need to imagine an infinite horizon as their world, by all definitions of the word, is infinite. They know it because they were told by the gods that lived amongst them.

And so, more so than technology, more so than an advancement of civilization, the people of Manirosa strived for something different — they strived to conquer infinity, as the gods have promised them a life of equally infinite wealth if they found the treasure they are searching for.

A treasure called the Cosmic Piece.

But of course, those who dream of these were not really treated kindly by their kingdom. As the powerful believe that the gods have lied to them, and this promise of wealth was just the gods' way to keep them in the palm of their hands.

But even the royalty, however, could not escape the promise of infinite wealth. More than a hundred years ago now, the exiled princess of the largest Kingdom of Mariposa, Silve R. Rohjer, was publicly executed for trying to search for the Cosmic Piece.

Before she and her party were executed, however, the words she uttered before the blades decapitated her head resounded not only across their kingdom, but throughout Manirosa.

And her last words were,

"It is true. I found it, the Cosmic Pie—"

"Ray! Are you still telling that story to the children!?"

"Shut up, Ladle Holder! You will not stop these young hearts from searching the Cosmic Piece!"

"If I catch you, you better be ready!"

"If. If you catch me!"

Somewhere inside a large, but dilapidated building, a boy was currently being chased by a large lady holding a ladle; each of their heavy steps, caused the old bricks to slightly shake and the wooden furniture to creak. But despite the building's old appearance, there was no dust moving at all aside from the chafing bricks, a testament to how well taken care of it was.

But alas, this immaculate interior was about to change as the children inside the building also started running away even though they were not the ones being chased by the fat lady.

"Hurry! Before the Ladle Holder catches you!" Ray, the one who instigated the entire situation, gently grabbed and carried one of the little children, "Aha! A mistake, never trust anyone!"

All of a sudden, however, Ray threw the child he was holding toward the fat lady, finally making her stop running as she let go of her ladle and caught the child instead.

"Ray, you—!!!"

The child that Ray threw did not seem to mind, however, as he even started to climb on the big lady's shoulder and covered her eyes, "Go, Ray! Go search for the cosmic piece!"

"I will…" Ray then leaped on the opened window, glancing back at all the children looking at him with admiration, "...And I will make sure that all of us get our own castles, and this orphanage will soon just become the birthplace of the King of Infinity!"

"Go!"

And as he heard the children cheer for him, Ray nodded one last time before just leaping out the window…

…only for him to be caught by an even larger lady—not fat, but built like a buffalo.

"Where do you think you are going this time, young man?" The muscular lady just wrapped her arm around Ray, completely locking his head.

"M… Mother Leticia, unhand me!" Ray struggled to get free, but the muscular lady, Leticia, did not even budge for even a single millimeter.

"Have you cleaned the latrines as I have ordered you to?"

"I… I am destined for better things, greater things!" Ray roared, "I will be the one to find the Cosmic Piece!"

"That's… not real," Leticia could really only let out a sigh before letting Ray go, "And if it is real, then maybe you'll have luck finding it while cleaning the crappers."

"It is real, Princess Silve said it was!" Ray pointed at Leticia's face, "And it's out there on the endless horizon!"

"Have you tried looking at the crappers?" Leticia crossed her arms.

"It's not there!"

"Are you really believing the words of a princess of another kingdom who had died a hundred years ago rather than the person who took care of you your entire life?" Leticia's voice then forcefully turned somber as she looked away; her shoulders, exaggeratingly bobbing up and down. She was obviously faking being said, but Ray was completely clueless about this and just started panicking.

"W… wait! I'm… I'm going to clean the crappers now!"

And with those words, Ray just rushed away to clean the toilets. But of course, since the orphanage was not really that large, everyone could hear him complain, gag, and complain again but with a louder voice.

Ray lived in an orphanage a few walks from the busy part of the city, and aside from some measly bread and soup, the lord of the castle did not really provide them with anything else — and so, most of the time, Ray and the other older orphans take some odd jobs in the city.

But alas, the orphans of Ray's age have now all left the orphanage to seek for a better life for and by themselves, leaving only Ray and the Mothers of the house to think of ways to keep the orphanage afloat for the younger children.

Ray could actually leave anytime he wanted now, but he made a promise to Leticia and everyone that he wouldn't, and he would even become rich enough that their orphanage would be even bigger than the Lord's castle.

But once again, alas… how can someone uneducated, untrained, and undisciplined in the ways of the world actually start earning coins? Ray wanted a job that could pay him more, but those kinds of jobs were reserved for people who went to school or had a recommendation.

And so, come night time, Ray once again tried his luck in the busy and crowded city — that perhaps maybe, maybe he could find a job that would allow him to start his journey to find the cosmic piece, the only thing he knows that could possibly elevate him and the orphanage from their poor state.

"Sir, your shoes are looking a little dirty."

"Oh, are you offering to clean them, young man? How much?"

"No, maybe you want to give them to me now? I heard going barefoot has its benefits."

"What the—get out of here! You beggar!"

He didn't know what he was doing wrong, but no one seemed to want to offer him anything.

"Does no one understand my vision…?" Ray lamented as he walked through the streets of the crowded city. And as everyone went on their way, not even looking at him, he could really only whisper to himself as he walked to the side of the road and rested there,

"Does everyone here have a purpose but me?"

Ray looked on at the moving crowd as he leaned his back on one of the houses before just letting himself fall to the ground. His eyes, very slowly closed as he felt the exhaustion veiling his body bit by bit.

"Riri, I forgot to ask. But what's the technology in your world like? Mine was almost like this, we weren't particularly advanced."

"I suppose my home planet was quite advanced, Miss Pepondosovich. We have already been traveling through space, and could even go to other multiverses at will."

"That… that advanced!? Everyone could go to other universes!?"

"I thought we were supposed to keep our voices down, Miss Pepondosovich?"

And all of a sudden, Ray's eyes widened by themselves as he quickly stood up and rushed toward the road again, not even minding the people he was bumping into as he tried to find the people he heard talking just now.

He did not need to search for long, however, as the three stood out like sore thumbs; with the crowd even making way for them — especially the one walking in the middle, whose white hair and skin almost reflected the lights of the night.

Everyone was thinking it, but only Ray had the audacity to actually whisper it out.

"Gods…" Ray gasped before just covering his mouth. His words, however, still seeped out from his hands,

"Gods have visited our city. I must…

…I must meet them!"