The Survival of the Third-rate Villain

The chaos was over before it could even begin.

The five confirmed Baron-rank demons were slain instantly.

Raye, Leon, Ignis, Christian, and Ace ended them so quickly it felt unreal to the audience and everyone in the area.

The Demon Contractor, who was connected to a Duke-rank demon— was now lying unconscious on the floor, bound in multiple layers of shimmering restraints. The artifact used to bound him was clearly from [Zephyros Institute]— the magic rope pulsed with a pale blue glow, tightening every time the demon contractor twitched even a bit.

Also, the monsters and familiars the demons brought along?

They never got the chance to touch the students.

Ramiel. Sariel. Charles. The other professors. Even the headmasters themselves joined in to wipe them out within moments after restraining the demon contractor.

Jerusha and the others acted without hesitation too, their attacks tearing through anything hostile that appeared earlier.

And because of that, the end result—

Not a single person was hurt...!

The second invasion had been stopped just like that!

Though—

The ceremony, however, had come to a sudden and awkward close.

"..."

Aurelian stood still, his eyes slowly scanning the auditorium. The smell of monsters' bloods still lingered in the air.

Sariel was giving quiet orders to the staff and a few students, leading a small group to clean up the bodies of the demons and the monsters.

The four headmasters stood in a corner, speaking in low, clipped voices. Their expressions were serious, but none of them looked surprised by what happened— almost as if they'd expected something like this could happen.

Aurelian's gaze drifted to the restrained Demon Contractor lying in the open.

'Everyone here is a monster, huh…'

The thought slipped into his mind uninvited.

He turned slightly to glance at his two personal guards.

Both of them— men known in the capital as some of the strongest in the royal guard— were silent, their jaws tight. Their eyes were sharp, but there was no denying it—

They'd just witnessed several people in this room— several times stronger than them, same strength as them, or at least would give them a run for their money!

And some of those people weren't even supposed to graduate this year yet...!

(Raye and the others.)

"..."

"..."

Still, neither guard said anything.

Their brows twitched occasionally, but their lips remained pressed in a firm line.

Then suddenly, at that moment—

"..."

Tap-

Raye approached quietly!

"Huh?"

Aurelian noticed that and turned his head slightly, his eyes narrowing in recognition.

He had seen Raye's face before. But more than that— he'd seen what Raye had just done earlier... Killing a Baron-rank demon like it was nothing.

Tap-

"..."

Raye stopped a few steps away from him, his face as chill as ever.

Aurelian tilted his chin slightly.

"What do you want?"

Raye's expression was calm.

"I want a private talk. Just you and me."

Then he suddenly asked for that!

"...?"

"..."

T A P—

The two guards instantly stepped forward, positioning themselves slightly in front of their prince. Their eyes locked onto Raye with thinly veiled hostility.

FWIP-

Their hands twitched near their weapons.

"Whoa..."

Raye just shrugged, his lips curling in mild amusement.

"Relax. I'm not here to stab or kill him. If I wanted to, I wouldn't be asking."

He said.

'And I would've already done that before they could even look at me.'

Then he added inside his head, pertaining to the two guards.

Moving on—

"...!"

One of the guards glared harder, clearly not convinced by Raye's words.

Raye just ignored him. His gaze actually never left Aurelian.

"Well?"

Raye asked casually. He was trying match the second prince's energy toward him earlier.

"..."

The second prince didn't answer right away.

Instead, he studied Raye— his posture, his tone, the way he seemed completely unfazed by the tension in the air.

He didn't speak for a few seconds.

But finally—

"Fine."

After a while, he answered with that.

...

...

*****

Raye and the second prince found a quiet, unused hallway in the back section of the auditorium. The muffled noise of the cleanup efforts was distant here.

Aurelian leaned casually against the wall, his guards staying far enough to give space but close enough to intervene if needed.

Anyway, Raye crossed his arms. And without beating around the bush—

"Do we know each other?"

He asked that.

"Huh...?"

The prince's brows pulled together in a frown.

"No way you called for me just to ask that... Are you stupid?"

Then he said that, thinking of Raye's words as a joke.

"..."

But seconds passed... Raye just stared at Aurelian with a straight face, waiting for an answer!

And realizing this—

"You... really don't remember...?"

Aurelian asked that, confused.

Raye shrugged, and with his lips parting—

"I really don't. Enlighten me."

He casually responded.

Aurelian's eyes narrowed before quickly answering.

"We were playmates when we were kids."

"Huh?"

Raye blinked once. Twice. His mouth opened to respond, but Aurelian spoke again before he could.

"And you were such a dickhead back then that I actually ordered your execution once. Your father just saved your ass."

"?!!"

Raye froze.

"...What?"

Aurelian smiled faintly. Amused.

"What the hell...? so you really don't remember...?"

The hallway fell silent for a moment.

"..."

Raye stared at him, his thoughts a whirl.

Aurelian just kept that same faint smirk, clearly enjoying the reaction or something.

Then, at that moment—

"Well... Some things happened a couple of years back, actually."

Raye started telling the second prince that he doesn't remember because he had an amnesia, and he lost most of his memories.

"So, that's why I don't remember much..."

Raye ended with that, he sounds really convincing. He's confident that this will make the second prince not pry anymore about him not knowing things!

But instead of that happening—

"...?"

Aurelian frowned after hearing his words. Then the second prince raised a brow— and opening his mouth;

"You know I have a special skill that lets me see through lies and truth... I know you're just spewing bullshit just now, you bastard."

He casually declared that!

"..."

Raye simply stared back at him, expression blank. Not a twitch. Not even the faintest shift in his eyes.

Though, inside his head—

'WHAT THE FUCK?!! THE SECOND PRINCE HAVE A SKILL LIKE THAT?! HE BARELY HAD A SCREEN TIME IN THE GAME SO I DON'T FUCKING KNOW MUCH ABOUT HIM!'

it's currently a mess.