The Survival of the Third-rate Villain

"Ugh..."

Raye groaned.

Morning had arrived, but he had barely gotten any sleep.

At most, he had managed two hours of rest—right before the sun began to rise and the others started waking up.

Nothing had happened last night.

But Raye—

'It's better to be extra cautious and have nothing happen than to be careless and suffer for it later.'

He wasn't disappointed in the slightest.

In fact, he was relieved that nothing happened.

Anyway—

"We're leaving now. Are you okay, Sir Raye?"

Garrick approached him, his tone laced with concern.

And Raye—

"I'm fine... Let's go."

He simply shrugged, brushing off the concern.

"Got it."

Garrick gave a nod before turning to the rest of the group.

And then—

"EVERYONE, WE'RE LEAVING IN A MINUTE! GET READY!!!"

His voice boomed across the camp.

The merchants quickly moved to finish tidying up, making sure to leave no trace of their stay.

Meanwhile, Raye—

'Ugh... I'll just sleep during the trip.'

With that thought, he stepped into the carriage he had been riding the day before.

-ugh...

-meep...

Zephyrus and Pyro, perched on his shoulders, were just as exhausted—still half-asleep and clinging to him drowsily.

*****

Soon—

Raye and the merchant group set off once more, continuing their journey.

"..."

Fwoosh~

Inside the carriage, Raye resumed his meditation, allowing mana to flow steadily through his body.

And at the same time—

"Fuuuu..."

He was also getting some much-needed rest.

Raye was currently alone in the carriage.

Where were Zephyrus and Pyro, you ask?

They were soaring high above, trailing after the group as they glided effortlessly through the sky.

And what were they doing?

Training.

Or to be more specific—

They were practicing their skills, refining their control and precision.

Using their abilities inside the carriage was out of the question.

And with the merchant group traveling close by, recklessly unleashing their powers on the ground was just as dangerous.

So, the sky became their training ground.

And so—

"..."

Raye had the carriage all to himself.

He actually preferred it this way—it allowed him to focus more deeply.

With no distractions, he could fully immerse himself in his meditation.

And with Zephyrus and Pyro gone—

He was hogging all the mana around the carriage for himself.

'Hmm, this is peaceful...'

Raye thought.

BUT THEN!

As Raye was sat in the carriage, basking in the peaceful solitude—

Rustle- rustle- rustle—

A sudden movement broke the silence!

"...?"

Raye heard this.

He immediately opened his eyes and frowned as he looked toward the source of the sound.

And then—

Fwip—

The cloth entrance of the carriage was pulled open as someone grabbed and pushed it aside!

"...!"

Raye's eyes flicked open, his brows furrowing slightly.

And the next thing he knew—

Tap—

A man stepped inside!

Dust-covered boots. Ragged clothes. A rough, unshaven face.

He wasn't part of the merchant group.

Raye doesn't know him, not one bit.

And then—

Fwish-

Their eyes met—

"..."

"..."

And heavy silence dawned down the carriage.

Swoosh~

The two just stared at each other.

The tension in the air was immediate—thick and awkward.

Raye didn't know who the hell this guy was.

And from the way the man stiffened, he clearly hadn't expected Raye either.

"Huh...?"

The man's eyes darted around, quickly assessing the situation. His breathing hitched, and for a split second—panic flashed across his face.

Because he had just realized—

He had entered the wrong damn carriage.

A lone bandit.

"Uh..."

The man blinked, struggling to come up with something to say.

And Raye?

"..."

He just tilted his head slightly, expression unreadable.

The two continued to stare at each other in awkward silence.

The carriage jolted slightly as it moved, but neither of them reacted.

Finally—

"...Sooo... uh..."

The bandit scratched his cheek, shifting uncomfortably.

Then—

"..."

Raye narrowed his eyes slightly.

"You're not with the merchants."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

And at his word, the bandit winced.

"Ah... well... y-you see... hehe..."

He chuckled nervously, raising his hands slightly.

Raye said nothing.

He just stared.

Unmoving.

Unblinking.

And the longer the silence stretched—

The more the bandit's face twitched.

Sweat started forming on his forehead.

Because at this point—

He knew.

He had fucked up.

The bandit's nervous chuckles faded as he quickly realized something.

There was no escape.

The carriage was moving. The only exit was behind him.

And standing—or rather, sitting in front of him was someone who clearly wasn't an ordinary traveler.

He could tell based on the way Raye was dressed and looking at the two cool looking swords beside him.

"Umm... Hmmm..."

A cold sweat ran down the bandit's back.

His instincts screamed at him.

Telling him to leave, to run, to get away!

And as the awkward silence was getting longer—

'F-Fuck...!'

Desperation took over the bandit.

And opening his mouth—

"A-AAARGH!!!"

WHOOSH—

He let out a crazed scream and he lunged forward at Raye!

FWIP—

He was gripping a beat-up sword with both hands.

There was no reason or plan behind this action of his—just pure panic-driven aggression!

SWOOOSH—

The dull edge of the bandit's sword whistled through the air as he swung it horizontally!

The bandit's heart pounded as he aimed straight for Raye's head.

But—

"..."

Raye didn't move.

Didn't flinch.

He didn't even blink.

"..."

He just stared at the incoming attack, eyes calm, expression unreadable.

And then—

Fwip—

His right hand moved.

Faster than the bandit's eyes could follow.

In one fluid motion—

He grabbed [Nyx], the black sword resting beside him.

And with a single, effortless swing—

SLASH—!

A beautiful, controlled arc.

A perfect stroke.

The bandit barely even registered what had happened.

Until—

Ting—

His sword stopped.

No—

His sword's blade…

It was gone!

"…H-Huh?"

The bandit blinked, his breath hitching.

Tink!

A sharp metallic clink rang out as half of his sword, severed cleanly, spun through the air before landing on the carriage floor.

"...?!"

The bandit froze in his place.

Swaaah~

A shiver ran down his spine.

Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead.

Then slowly… hesitant—

"...?"

His gaze lifted to meet Raye's.

"..."

And when he saw those cold, unbothered eyes staring back at him—

'S-Shit...'

His stomach dropped.

His fingers trembled.

Fear took over.

He made a mistake.

A huge mistake.

And then, as the bandit was like that—

Fwip-

A hand landed on his wrist!

It was Raye's hand.

"Huh...?"

And before the bandit could even process what was happening—

BAM—!!!

A devastating force slammed into his stomach!

Raye punched him in the gut with his left fist!

"GUH—!!!"

The bandit crumpled.

His eyes rolled back. Spit flew from his mouth. His breath left him in an instant.

And in the next moment—

THUD—

He collapsed, face-first, onto the floor of the carriage.

Twitching.

Unconscious.

"...Haa."

Raye sighed, rolling his shoulders.

He barely even tried.

This guy was nothing.

His gaze flickered down at the bandit's beaten-up sword. The rusted, chipped blade lay uselessly by his side.

"...Seriously?"

Raye muttered, shaking his head.

"Haaaaaa..."

After a brief pause—

Fwip—

Raye grabbed the bandit by the collar, effortlessly lifting him up with one hand.

Then, without hesitation—

FWISH—

He threw him out of the moving carriage!

FWOOSH—

The bandit's body flipped through the air.

Then—

CRASH—!!!

—he landed somewhere in the bushes.

"That should do it."

Raye dusted off his hands.

Then, without another word—

He sat back down.

"..."

Closed his eyes.

Fwooosh~

And resumed meditating.

"...Haaa."

'What a waste of time.'

Raye thought with a frown on his face as he remembered what just happened earlier.

*****

The second day of travel passed uneventfully.

Nothing happened.

Aside from the lone bandit incident...

Anyway—

11 hours in…

Raye and the others arrived at their second destination.

Before them stood a vast, bustling city.

Stone walls stretched high, standing as a sturdy defense against the wilderness beyond.

Guards patrolled the entrance, keeping a watchful eye on the steady flow of merchants, travelers, and adventurers coming and going.

The air buzzed with the chatter of people, the clatter of horse hooves, and the distant sounds of market vendors calling out their wares.

This city—

This was where Raye, Pyro, and Zephyrus would part ways with the merchant group.

And so—

As they passed through the gates and entered the city, the time for goodbyes had come.

The merchant group, now gathered in the main plaza, turned to face Raye.

"..."

A moment of silence hung between them.

Then—

One by one, they bid Raye farewell and good luck in his travel.

Especially Ryan.

"Take care out there, Sir... Let's see each other again."

He said.

Ryan stepped forward, offering Raye a firm handshake.

His expression was calm, but there was an undeniable sense of respect in his eyes.

"It was good traveling with you."

Ryan added, his voice steady.

Raye shook his hand, nodding.

"Likewise."

He replied.

"Stay safe."

"You too."

They exchanged a few words.

The other merchants followed, expressing their gratitude in their own way—some with words, some with nods, and some with simple, appreciative glances.

Raye, Pyro, and Zephyrus returned the gesture.

And after all of that...

...

Raye separated ways with the merchants...

The merchant group continued on their journey, disappearing into the city's busy streets, heading toward their next destination.

Meanwhile—

"..."

Raye stood still for a moment, watching them go.

Then—

He turned his gaze toward the city ahead.

This was where he would stay for the day.