Villain Retirement

"I didn't get to take a good look outside, but this really is a large ship, isn't it? The Goliath space station is like a baby compared to it. I suppose it makes sense since they run so fast… but why are they just mostly walking right now?"

"These aliens are ruining everything."

"...I didn't expect to hear that from you."

In the gigantic hallways of the evaniel's ship, Paige, Tomoe, Riley, and Val were just casually walking around; just seemingly minding their own business as they talked to each other without a care for the evaniels.

And the evaniels were the same, they didn't seem to care for them that much; much less even glance at them as they go on about their ways. After all, from the outside, they just looked like any other evaniels out there. Silver hair, with faint markings on their skin— courtesy of Paige's abilities.

They were also previously moving at a high speed, with Riley dragging them in the air and Paige making sure they looked like they were moving fast— but then noticed they didn't need to as most of the evaniels weren't moving at their normal speed. They asked prince Val as to why, he just said that since there was a themarian present within the area, they didn't want to alarm them by doing unnecessary movements.

As for how they were able to escape Val's room— they waited for his meal to be delivered to him personally. With Paige's abilities and Riley's cloning abilities, it was easy to create a fake prince and sneak out without being seen by anyone.

And so, right now, Paige and Tomoe were walking behind Riley, and Val, who was leading the way to the ship's confinement bay. But with all of them just walking, it was taking longer than expected; giving the two ladies some time to talk to each other.

"...So you're like a fan of Darkday?" Paige asked.

"No," Tomoe raised an eyebrow, "I'm Riley's First Subordinate. I follow him wherever he goes and I follow his orders to the letter, no matter what it is. He is the reason for my existence."

"...That's sort of extreme, isn't it?" Paige's eyes started to widen, "I heard you were the very first one to discover that Riley was Darkday? That's kind of impressive."

"Of course, he—"

"Well, considering he wasn't really trying hard to hide it. I suppose a fan would quickly realize who he was," Paige let out a small breath as she smiled, "It's really good that he had someone like you back then, being accepted and supported is important— no matter how evil or bad they may seem."

Tomoe's eyebrow started to raise as she heard Paige's words, "Are you trying to start something?"

"Hm?"

"I would like to let you know that I started to accept him first for what he is," Tomoe stated as she looked Riley straight in the eyes, "I just didn't say it to him since I feel like I would be overstepping my bounds."

"...Why would you think that? Just tell him whatever you want to say," Paige sighed as she shook her head, "Life is too short to be dwelling on things like that."

"No, we're not on the same level and I would never presume to be," Tomoe scoffed, "Riley is a god that no mere mortal like us could truly hope to touch and understand."

"...Aren't you overreacting? Just talk to him like a friend and—"

"A friend?" Tomoe's eyebrows furrowed, "We're not on the same level."

"Y—"

"You are not at the same level as him," Tomoe did not let Paige say another word, "If you still don't know that by now, then you don't really understand him."

"That sort of thinking is kinda lonely, don't you think? Why don't you just try being his friend, like… for real?"

"No," Tomoe was careful not to raise her voice, "I already told you that I can't. Wait, don't tell me you actually think that Riley considers you as a friend? He doesn't— he is way above that."

"..." Paige squinted her eyes as she looked at Tomoe for a few seconds, before a small smile very slowly emerged from her face as she walked closer to her,

"...Don't tell me you're jealous?"

"What!?"

Tomoe quickly covered her mouth; but her sudden scream already caused some of the evaniels that were walking on the hallway to look at her. But after a few moments, they just all went on their way. As for Tomoe, she quickly leaned away from Paige as she repeated her words.

"W… what?" The cold and somewhat monotonous tone on her voice disappeared as she looked away from Paige, "Jealous? Why would… why would I be something like that? I don't own Riley, do you own Riley? No one's jealous here."

"...Hm," Paige could really only smile as Tomoe's cold facade slowly melted away. But after a few moments, the smile on her face faded as she shook her head, "Well, there's really no need to be jealous of me, Tomoe-san. Riley and I… are not together."

"..."

"We're close, undoubtedly so," Paige sighed, "He tells me everything, I tell him everything. I can lean on him whenever I want and he won't move away. But we're not together, because I think you're actually right… Riley doesn't need something like a girlfriend. Whatever I try to do, I'm just… Paige. He treats me like how he treats Hannah, so in the end… he'll just see me as someone like a sister."

"...Why are you complaining?" Tomoe let out a small scoff as she hastened her steps,

"I… would give everything to be treated like that by Riley."

"...Then why don't we become sisters, then!?"

"W— what are you doing!?" Tomoe could not help but try and pull away from Paige as she once again walked beside her and suddenly wrapped her arms around hers.

"We're both trying to win Riley's affection, so we might as well just join forces instead of fighting against each other, you know?"

"What? L… let go of my arm, I don't like being touched!"

"What if it was Riley touching you?"

"W— what are you saying!?"

"..."

"..."

Prince Val, who was walking ahead with Riley, could really only glance a couple of times as the two ladies continued to talk to each other. He then very sneakily looked at Riley; Val's eyes, slightly glistening as he did so.

And finally, after a few more steps, he mustered up the courage to talk to this… weird alien.

"...Can I ask you something, Riley Ross?"

"Go ahead, Prince Val."

"..." Val once again glanced at the two ladies behind them, before nodding and looking at Riley, "How many wives do you have?"

"I am not married, Prince Val."

"Then why do you have so many women around you?" Val asked as he slowly walked closer to Riley, "Even the legendary princess Aerith seems to be close to you."

"Ah, yes," Riley nodded as he heard Aerith's name, "Aerith and I are married."

"...What? You're married to a Themarian!?" Val's eyes widened his eyes in shock. But after a few more seconds, his eyes suddenly turned serious as he leaned even closer to Riley, "...Can you teach me what you're doing?"

"How old are you, Prince Val?"

"13 years old."

"Is that considered an adult in your species?"

"W… well, adult enough," Val stuttered as he looked to the side.

"Adult enough to mate with another evaniel?"

"M… mate!? Like have sex!?" Val's eyes widened even further the faint markings on his face started to show themselves, "I… Well… I don't know?"

"Riley, what are you teaching the boy!?"

"He's not a boy, Paige. He's a man," Riley shook his head as Paige walked closer to them.

"He's still a boy, master Riley. I have read from Empress's files that they age the same as us, but their average lifespan is shorter," Tomoe added.

"Hm," Riley looked at Val as he heard Tomoe's words, "Then I am afraid I can not teach you anything involving sexual, prince Val. Only public and private educators are allowed to talk to minors about such things, I don't like breaking the law."

"...But aren't you a mass murderer?"

"That is different, Prince Val," Riley shook his head.

"...You just don't want to tell me," Val could really only breathe out in disappointment as their group continued to walk on the long hallways. But finally, after what seemed like another hour, they finally arrived at the confinement bay.

And, like any other places and area in the ship, it was vast.

"What do you want with Commander Voris anyway?" Prince Val asked as they tried to find where Voris was being kept, "He's already being interrogated, our people have ways to get the truth out of someone, you know. I heard your planet doesn't."

"Oh, we have our ways," a small smile crawled on Riley's face.

"Torture and a very slow death," Tomoe was the one to complete Riley's sentence, "And you are looking at the man that is best at inflicting them both," she said with a proud smile on her face.

"...I don't think that's really something to be proud at," Paige sighed; the group then continued to walk through the vast hall, only to find more and more empty cells.

"Why aren't there any guards here? Isn't this supposed to be like a jail?" Paige asked.

"We don't really put up guards, we're confident in our people," Val nodded, "Unlike your primitive race, we are already past the point of betraying our own people. We—"

And before Val could finish his words, they finally found the cell where Commander Voris was being kept. And there…

…he lies dead.

"Right… Care to repeat your words?"