Villain Retirement

"By clapping my hands, Professor Riley."

Esme put her hands together, causing Zac to flinch and almost take a step back; his eyes, completely fixated on her hands. This might just seem like a simple gesture, but knowing what he knows about Esme's true strength, Zac could not help but feel a little nervous.

Princess Esme is on the Grand Militia's watchlist, a list that also included Caitlain'Ur, Princess Aerith, and a few more others. Esme is at the bottom of that list, of course—as she was not really prone to violence, and she also follows the laws as strictly as she could… on her own terms.

"I wonder if you really can kill me, Princess Esme."

Riley also looked at Esme's hands; his eyes, however, showed no fear. Instead, there was a hint of excitement in them, almost as if he wanted to try it already.

"But I do not want to, Professor Riley," Esme quickly separated her hands, once again placing them behind her back.

Riley let out a small sigh, before looking Esme straight in the eyes,

"Oh, you will," a small smile then crawled on his face, "It is…

…fate."

"..."

Esme did not say anything anymore and just stood there, looking at Riley with her head down. Her face, however, was painted with curiosity as to what Riley meant, still, however, she did not ask and just placed her attention toward the empty throne.

"You might be right, Zac," she then said, "We have been here for almost half an hour, and yet besides the rude woman earlier, no one has come to welcome or attend to us. This isn't how we treat our guests in Varoif."

"They… they could also just be busy preparing for Princess Aerith's trial," Zac forced a chuckle, "Please calm down, Your Highness."

"I am calm, Zac," Esme blinked a couple of times as she heard Zac's words, "Are we supposed to only wait here?"

"Hm…" Riley then started walking around, before he started approaching the guard that was stationed at the door. Before he could ask anything, however, the guards suddenly opened the door.

"..." Riley waited for someone to step inside, but seeing as the guards were looking at him instead and even stepping to the side—they opened the door for him.

"I suppose we are free to roam around the castle, Princess Esme," Riley shrugged as he glanced back at Esme and Zac, before placing his attention back to the guard, "May I ask where Aerith is currently being kept, Hel guard?"

"I am afraid I can not answer that, Lord Riley," the guard stomped his feet and quickly stood in attention as he answered Riley's question.

"Then can you tell us where we can go?" Esme also approached the guard.

"Your Highness," the guard quickly bowed his head, "I am afraid we were not advised or ordered about anything regarding Her Highness, and her Highness' companions."

"Then, can we just explore the estate ourselves?"

"I… do not know, Your Highness," the guard subtly looked at his comrade, who only shook his head in response, "I—Please feel free to do so. Perhaps someone will assist you outside."

"Hm, thank you," Princess Esme then approached the guard, before suddenly grabbing his hand.

"..." All the guards inside the throne hall flinched as soon as they saw this. If it was any other person, then they would have probably already grabbed her and put a collar around her neck. But what exactly are they supposed to do when it was the princess of the other nation, as well as someone who is known for her abnormal strength even amongst themarians?

Their worries were nothing, however, as Esme just placed something on the guard's palm.

"This…" It was a coin, specifically a Varoif coin that is only used for certain transactions and items… which is completely useless in Hel,

"...Thank you." But of course, the guard could really only bow his head.

"Do not mention it," Esme only shook her head before glancing back at Riley,

"Shall we go find Princess Aerith?"

***

"Your two Kingdoms are completely different from each other, Princess Esme."

"I suppose so, Professor Riley. The people here have whiter skins, and most have a lighter shade of hair."

"Yes," Riley nodded, "It is quite comparable to the way it is back on my home planet. Those that live in the west are mostly Asians with skin of varying shades, and those that live in the west are mostly Europeans, either dark-skinned or white-skinned."

"So I am Asian, and you are European?" Esme blinked a couple of times as she looked at Riley.

"I suppose you can just use the term 'westerner'," Riley shook his head.

"Hm. Your species is quite indistinguishable from ours—the woman you were with, Katherine. I thought she was from Hel at first; but since I don't feel any energy coming from her, I knew she was from the same planet as you," Esme nodded,

"I suppose the way you look is not normal on your planet?"

"No," Riley shook his head, "There are only about…"

"Hm…"

And while the two were casually talking to each other while they walked through the castle, Zac could not help but feel that Hel was blatantly trying to make Esme feel completely unwelcome in their home.

They have been walking through a couple of hallways now, and all the people they have seen were obviously avoiding them. The castle's hallways were wide enough that one could fit a small ship in it, and yet not even a presence could be felt.

"..." Zac then turned his eyes toward the window walls which had the view of the outside, only to see a couple of guards and servants look away as soon as he did so. Did… they order even their people to ignore them?

The only reason Zac was here was to observe and follow Riley, and yet he could not help but feel offended by the way they were being treated. Riley and Esme did not seem to mind, however, as they just continued to walk, talk, and look around the place.

Aerith's trial wasn't until 48 hours—are they expecting Esme, a princess of the other nation, to just walk around like this until then? Wasn't this kind of treatment enough to start a war between the two nations?

This job of his, it feels like he needs to ask for a promotion after it's done.

"Your Highness," Zac hastened his steps to walk beside Esme, "Perhaps we should try to check outside? There seem to be people there, maybe we can talk to them and ask about the quarters we will be staying in."

"I am fine walking and having a conversation with Professor Riley, Zac."

"But… we will be here for an entire month, Your Highness."

"And?" Esme tilted her head to the side.

"We will need a place to rest our heads, Your Highness?"

"Hm…" Esme then looked at Riley, "...I forgot about that detail. Then go, lead the way, Zac. You know about this castle's layout more than we do."

"...Of course, Your Highness," and with that, Zac was able to breathe a sigh of relief as he walked in front of the two, leading the two to the exteriors of the castle. And Hel's castle was a literal castle, seemingly made of brick, marble, and stones; except the materials they use are probably hundreds of thousands stronger than a castle from Earth.

The guards and soldiers too were more akin to medieval knights with their armor if anything.

"I seem to have underestimated mother's influence on Earth," Riley said as he looked at the high walls of the castle, "I do not know the exact time she landed on Earth, but I am starting to believe that her influence in shaping our history is greater than Aerith's… and she did it all in the shadows."

"I would like to visit it one day, your planet," Esme looked at Riley.

"Then visit it soon, it might not be there anymore in a hundred years, Princess Esme," Riley nodded as they continued walking around. And true enough, people were actively avoiding them. The knights that were patrolling all quickly turn around and walk back in unison as soon as they see Esme.

"Perhaps I should kill one of them so they would approach us?"

"Please do not do anything violent," Zac was once again forced to let out a small chuckle as he glanced at Riley, "You… you're here as Her Highness' escort, it will be bad if you hurt someone."

"Will it really be bad, though?" Riley placed his hand on his chin, "Mother has always helped me throughout my life, maybe I should help her in creating chaos since that seems to be what she wants to happen—escaping from the Grand Militia, fighting with the Grand Militia, and then firing a cannon; all ingredients for chaos."

"...Please don't," Zac gulped, "There is—"

"That's it? You might as well be made of cotton, young master."

"Hey, don't hurt his feelings… his mommy might come and beat you, pft!"

And before Zac could start pleading, they finally heard signs of life as they near a large courtyard. The three looked at each other, before walking toward the voices.

"Even your arm is not healing that fast. You're fucked, boy."

And there, they saw several people gathered in a circle, and right in the middle of them was a man kneeling, no—groveling on his own blood. Even then, however, the man's eyes did not seem to be that of a weak puppy, but rather a lion that was waiting to just pounce on the hyenas surrounding him.

Soon, however, these eyes landed right on Riley; and without even a moment later, any fierceness and hope within his eyes instantly disappeared.

"R… Riley?"

"It seems you are having fun again…

…Gary."