The Survival of the Third-rate Villain

"..."

Raye sat silently inside the carriage, legs crossed in a lotus position, eyes closed in deep concentration.

Fwoosh~

He was meditating, guiding the flow of mana through his body with steady precision.

And beside him—

-...

-meep...

Swoosh~!

Zephyrus and Pyro were also doing the same, their small forms mirroring his focus.

Despite the carriage jolting and swaying over the uneven terrain, none of them flinched. Their concentration remained unshaken.

But not long after that—

T A P—

The carriage came to a halt.

And shortly after, a voice broke the silence.

"Sir? We've decided to set up camp here for the day."

A man stepped inside, his tone polite and respectful.

"Hmm?"

Raye opened his eyes and looked at the man.

Their gazes met.

Then, with a slight nod of his head—

"Got it. We'll help set up camp."

Raye responded, declaring that.

And hearing his words—

"...!"

The man's eyes widened in panic.

"Ah, no! You don't have to, Sir! We just wanted to inform you!"

He exclaimed hastily.

"...?"

Raye was confused by his reaction.

-Huh?

-Meep?

Even Zephyrus and Pyro.

The man had been given clear orders from his boss, Kyle—treat Raye with the utmost care.

Everyone in the merchant group had received the same instructions. They had also noticed how Kyle and Devin treated Raye with special regard.

So it was obvious—he was important to them.

There's just no way they'll treat Raye normally.

And Raye—

"..."

He realized this.

-...

-meep...

Zephyrus and Pyro exchanged glances, similarly overwhelmed by the excessive courtesy.

So to end this—

"Haaaa..."

Raye let out a quiet sigh.

And shaking his head—

"We want to help. Just let us be."

He said that.

The man hesitated.

"Ah...! Umm! Hmm..."

He fumbled for words, clearly flustered.

But after a moment of thought—

"...Okay."

He just said that.

And with that—

"Let's go, guys."

-Hmn... Okay.

-Meep!

Raye, Zephyrus, and Pyro stepped out of the carriage.

*****

The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows over the rugged terrain.

Raye, Zephyrus, and Pyro—along with five other members of the merchant expedition—began setting up camp.

The air was cool, carrying the scent of earth and distant trees.

And without wasting time—

"Alright, let's get to it."

Raye rolled up his sleeves.

One of the merchants, a burly man named Garrick, nodded.

"We'll set up the tents first. Can you guys help with the poles and ropes?"

He asked.

And immediately—

"On it."

Raye responded, stepping forward.

Garrick's face cringed a little after realizing that he basically ordered Raye something. But after remembering what he said that treat him normally—

'I guess it'll all be fine...'

Garrick thought of that, reassuring himself.

Meanwhile, Zephyrus—

-hmn.

He floated beside Raye, watching before moving to help with the ropes using his wind magic.

And Pyro—

-Meep!

He bounced onto a pile of supplies, chirping.

He doesn't know what to do, but he wants to help.

(Same Pyro... Same...)

"Hehe..."

A merchant chuckled, looking at him.

He thought Pyro was cute.

And parting his lips—

"You should do something like this."

He mumbled that, looking at the cute ball of fire.

-Meep?

Pyro then tilted his head, looking at the man who approached him.

And after that—

"If you want to help, you can do this..."

The man started instructing Pyro things to do so he could help.

-Meep! Meep! Meep!

Pyro was more that happy to receive help from someone.

Moving on—

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Raye drove stakes into the ground with a big wooden hammer, securing the tent's framework.

'This is just like chopping logs... but easier.'

He thought to himself.

FWOOOSH—

FWIIISH—

FWAAAASH—!!!

The others from the group moved efficiently too, working in sync.

They clearly had worked together for quite a time now. Their teamworks was insane as fuck.

"..."

Even Raye was speechless when he watched them work.

...

Rustling fabric.

Clinking metal.

The camp slowly took shape.

And as the last tent was secured—

"Hah... Nice work, everyone."

Garrick said that, wiping sweat from his brow.

He was the acting leader of of the merchant group that was with Raye.

"Now, let's get the fire going before it gets too dark."

He followed.

He made some of the people in the group collect dry woods or stick to be used as campfire tonight.

But then—

"I'll handle it."

Raye suddenly declared that!

He volunteered to light up fhe fire so casually!

TAP—

He stepped forward—extending a hand over the firewood.

Then with a faint glow in his eyes—

"[Ignite]"

He muttered that.

And the next thing everyone knew—

SWAAAAAAA—!!!

"...?!"

"What—?!"

"Huh...?"

The dry woods were caught in fire, completing their campfire!

Fwish~

"..."

"..."

The merchants exchanged glances, surprised at what they had just witnessed.

And then—

"...Hah. You really are something else, Sir Raye."

One of them murmured. He was the guy that Raye met earlier

Raye simply shook his head.

"It's nothing special."

He said calmly, confidently.

-The fire is too strong... Let me fix it.

Then Zephyrus said that, adjusting the fire's strength by controlling the air around it.

Pyro—

-Meep...

He curled up beside the fire, his small body radiating faint heat of its own.

And with all of that—

"Hmm, this is okay now."

The camp was set.

And as night fell—

Swaaaaa~

The fire crackled.

"Did you hear...?"

"Our destination—"

"Well..."

Quiet chatters everywhere.

Soft laughter.

For now—

They could all let down their guards and rest.

"..."

-...

Not Raye and Pyro though.

*****

(Raye's POV)

I sat outside my tent, perched on a small wooden stool, my two swords resting across my lap.

One black, one white—their polished edges caught the flickering light of the campfire, reflecting a soft glow.

I was cleaning and inspecting them.

"Hmm..."

The forest was quiet tonight, save for the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant chirping of insects.

Swooosh~

A cool breeze swept through the camp, carrying the faint scent of burning wood.

Fwish—

"..."

I glanced up at the sky. Stars stretched endlessly above, scattered like specks of silver on a vast, dark canvas.

It was beautiful.

'In the future, I want to watch the stars above with Jerusha and laze around all day.'

I thought to myself.

Anyway...

It's 11 PM now.

Everyone was already asleep in their tents.

"..."

And yet, I showed no signs of sleeping.

My hands continued their work—meticulously examining my blades, ensuring every inch was free of imperfections.

On the other hand—

-Zzzzzzz...

-Meeeeep...

Inside the tent, Zephyrus and Pyro were fast asleep, their soft breathing mixing with the gentle crackling of the fire.

Their small forms rose and fell with each breath, completely at ease.

We had trained hard today, whenever and wherever we could. Whether it was during the journey or in stolen moments of rest, we had pushed ourselves.

So, for tonight—

I decided to let them be.

Moving on...

As I ran a cloth over the edge of my white sword.

"Sir Raye?"

A voice called out to me from the darkness beyond the fire's glow.

"Hmm?"

I paused, my fingers tightening slightly around the hilt.

Fwip—

I turned toward the voice—

And there—

"Huh?"

It was the same man from earlier, the one who had woken me from my meditation.

He stood before me, looking down with a hesitant expression.

The flickering fire cast shifting shadows over his face, highlighting his uncertainty.

The man hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.

"Ah… I just realized I never properly introduced myself earlier."

He said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"My name's Ryan. I'm one of the senior members of the merchant group."

His voice was steady, but there was a hint of awkwardness in his tone, as if he wasn't quite sure how to approach me.

I glanced at him before setting my swords aside and rising to my feet.

"Raye."

I responded simply, extending a hand.

"...!"

Ryan blinked, momentarily surprised.

"Ah...!"

Fwip—

But he quickly reached out and shook it. His grip was firm, a sign of experience and reliability.

Then as our hands parted, his gaze shifted to the swords, their polished surfaces catching the firelight.

Then, his eyes returned to me, a curious glint in them.

"So… why are you still awake at this hour?"

He asked, tilting his head.

"Are you keeping watch? I can do it if you want to, Sir."

He followed with a smile on his face.

Meanwhile, me—

"..."

I became silent a his question.

I didn't react immediately—just sat there, my expression unreadable.

Ryan, however, must have noticed something in my face. His brows furrowed slightly, and realization dawned on him.

"A-Ah…"

He shifted on his feet, his voice turning apologetic.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to pry."

He said.

But looking at him—

"It's fine."

I just casually said that, shaking my head.

Ryan seemed relieved, but before he could say anything else—

"I'll answer your question."

I muttered that.

Ryan's eyes widened slightly at that.

Then, after a pause, I exhaled softly.

And opening my lips—

"It's just a habit of mine."

I mumbled the words, a bitter smile tugging at my lips.

Because deep inside…

I still remembered.

The Misty Forest.

Months ago.

Reggie and Timmy.

Their faces flashed through my mind—memories I had buried but never forgotten.

'I just don't want it to happen again.'

The thought settled heavily in my chest, unspoken yet ever present.