Interrupting our conversation, a man in an extravagant suit walked up to the stage before picking up a microphone, which could also be considered an artifact due to its embedded sound magic, and started speaking.


    "Wee all, far and wide, to this event hosted by the Museum of Magical Artifacts. With the rising amount of djinn attacks on humanity, those who can confidently step up and protect our fellow humans at the cost of their own lives are rare."


    Didn''t he just say the opposite of what I am? Well, I am protecting the world by ensuring things go ording to the plot, but is it really "protecting" millions of people to die in the process?


    Where is the moral line start and end?


    "Today at this fine establishment, we are here to honor those few people who stepped up to the task in the recent djinn attack at the museum. As students of the famed Celestial Academy and as civilians who protected your fellow humans against the dangers of the world, I extend my greatest thanks to you 4 brave souls!"


    *CLAP*


    *CLAP*


    As a deafening apuse echoed throughout the room, the event organizer gestured to us, so we all slowly got up and walked up the stairs to the stage.


    Walking to the podium, I used my eyes and saw some familiar faces, such as Liam, Lily, Alya, Kevin, and Astrid.


    Wait, Astrid? Aren''t third-years on a break after exams? Why is she here?


    As the four of us stood next to the podium and the apuse died down, another figure—Irene''s dad or the headmaster of the magical tower—walked up the stairs.


    With long red hair that went all the way down to his shoulders and ck eyes, he wore an indifferent expression as he walked in front of the podium; however, with my eyes, I could see his face practically twitching with excitement.


    "On behalf of the Magic Tower, I would like to once again thank you 4 for protecting the museum of our magical artifacts and the tourists inside. As we understand that this ceremony isn''t nearly enough to repay you, I would be willing to help out of any of you in the future to the best of my abilities!"


    Grabbing 4 gold medals from under the podium, Irene''s dad or Shawn walked over to us, starting with Zach.


    After cing a gold medal around Zach''s neck, he turned to his daughter, Irene, and smiled before wrapping another gold medal around her neck.


    Giving Ruby the same treatment as Zach, Shawn turned to me, disying a somewhat bewildered expression, before awkwardly cing a gold medal around my neck.


    He recognized me. It''s probably awkward to give a medal and thank someone who was once your best friend''s son.


    As the award ceremony was now officially over, the doors flung open, inviting people to leave; however, no one moved.


    This room held some of the most important people on the entire continent, so leaving first would undeniably make a bad impression. Also, it was a chance for people to build important connections by talking.


    Heading down the stage, I immediately saw the main cast group waiting for Irene and Zach, so I walked past them and headed outside.


    Even if I was technically the guest of honor, no one would notice my disappearance, so I could sneak out from the terrace.


    When I opened the double doors, the cold evening wind immediately rushed and enveloped me, causing me to shiver, but my focus was on something else.


    Looking out the terrace, I saw a gigantic cruise ship, the size of more than 10 mansions, sitting by the port with the academy g next to it.


    The main event had finally arrived.


    Feeling a gaze on my back, I turned around and saw Ruby. Her long ck hair fluttered in the breeze, and her red eyes were once again visible as she had removed her contacts.


    With all the important people in this room, I had half-expected Ruby to do something drastic, like blow up the entire hotel, but after seeing her mess around with Irene earlier, I was pretty sure she wasn''t nning anything for the time being.


    As our blood-red eyes met, Ruby tilted her head, staring at the port before asking.


    "Already trying to leave?"


    "Would you want to stay if you were in my situation?"


    The people attending the event consisted of nobles who despised fallen nobles like me, students who also hated me, and my father, who disowned me.


    Could it even get worse?


    Oh, wait. The entire hero''s party, who also hated me, was attending as well!


    "hmm, I''d probably stay, actually."


    "And why is that?"


    "Revenge is a dish best served pipping hot, isn''t it?"


    "Isn''t that saying c-"


    "You get my point, Ren."


    The only thing stopping me from trying to assassinate Ren''s father was the plot point of his character. Not the powerful people guarding him, his political authority, or even the immense power he wielded.


    I could find ways around all of those given time. Taking revenge on Ren''s father was the least I could do for the original Ren after I stole his body, life, and basically everything from him, wasn''t it?


    Ren''s father also posed a serious threat to me as the original Ren''s fear would always appear when I was near him, causing me to lose my focus, which is instant death in a fight.


    ...It''ll have to wait.


    Trying to get some clues on Ruby, I asked.


    "You seem to know a bit about revenge."


    "Anyway, don''t you think sneaking off as one of the guests of honors would only serve to decrease your reputation?"


    Yet again, she answers my question with another question!


    "When you hit rock bottom, there is only one way to go...UP!"


    Letting out a scoff at my clear sarcasm, Ruby walked up beside me at the edge of the terrace and leaned against the railing.


    "Well, let''s go, then."


    "? what?"


    "Were you nning on leaving your boss, an evil viin, behind in a room full with heroes that could decimate her at any moment?"


    "..."


    Sighing, Ruby put her hands on the railing.


    "Well, you''re the one who wanted to leave so bad; let''s go."


    Taking the lead, I jumped over the railing and onto the ground, which was only about a 10-foot down jump.


    Landing silently on the ground with my assassin skills, I waited for Ruby, who hesitated for a moment after watching me jump before surrounding her legs and feet with fire and jumping.


    Kneeling down on the ground, Ruby looked up and asked.


    "How the hell can you do that?"


    Revealing my ss choice to a potential enemy in the future would be dangerous,s I sarcastically responded.


    "Gics."


    "...?"


    Paying no mind to Ruby''s confused face, I walked into the forest surrounding the hotel and towards the gigantic cruise ship figure that could still be seen through the gaps in the trees.


    In the silence of the evening, only the asional bird chirping alongside the sound of branches breaking from Ruby trailing behind me could be heard.


    Reaching the port, I looked down into the ocean and saw the familiar scene of seaweed swaying at the seafloor alongside dozens of fish swimming about.


    Feeling my brain flooded with all the information my eyes took in, I immediately looked up to the dazzling cruise ship that seemed to reach the sky.


    Catching up to me, Ruby admired the cruise ship for a moment before curiously asking.


    "So... what exactly are we doing?"


    "What are we doing, Ruby?"


    "Sarcasm just feels weird when ites out of your mouth."


    "...I''m the weird one. Aren''t you the mob boss who just got crowned a hero and defender against djinns?"


    " *PFFT* When you dashed out of there, I was about to die ofughter. Anyway, can''t viins have a little bit of heroism?"


    "..."


    Heroism? An antagonist who aided in the ughtering of countless humans is talking about heroism.


    "I mean, Ren, I get you''re all evil, but some of us are different."


    ...Did I just get called evil by a future human killing machine?


    I''m here working my ass off to save the world, just to be called evil by objectively one of the most evil people in the future world.


    Am I actually evil?


    "i-i just don''t care anymore."


    Good and Evil are just a bunch of words, so who cares!? Not me!


    Raising my hand up, I waved goodbye to Ruby before jumping off the port and plunging into the water.


    "IT WAS JUST A JOKE, DON''T JUMP!"


    What is it with people yelling stupid stuff at me while I''m jumping into bodies of water? First, Raven, and now her?


    Seriously, who is she to decide if I''m evil or not? ...But maybe I''ll help out a bit more in the future.


    Not because of her, though! What happens after I save the world and everything is fine? Do I want to be known as the scumbag of the empire for the rest of my life here?


    Feeling the cold ocean water embrace me, I basked in itsfort before diving further into the water until my hand finally touched the sea floor.


    Looking upwards, I saw the huge cruise ship floating above me, and I tensed my legs before lunging upwards toward the bottom of the cruise ship.


    Tracing my hand along the rough exterior of the cruise ship, I took out my daggers, which were concealed in my pockets, and plunged them both into the bottom of the ship.


    No longer having to put any effort into floating, I let my body sway with the current as I hung onto my daggers.


    Removing one of the daggers, I ensured that the hole in the ship''s exterior was deep enough before cing an explosive that I had acquired before the trip through the ck market.


    Of course, I didn''t involve in Raven in this purchase as I couldn''t imagine what he would think of me after hearing I wanted to buy an explosive.


    Putting my dagger back into the ship''s exterior, I pushed the small explosives as far as I could into the hole before removing my other dagger and doing the same thing with some leftover fireworks from Alya''s kidnapping.


    If metal detectors were a thing in this era, I would have been long caught as my suitcase would have triggered every possible rm in the system.


    I filled the holes in the ship with sand I had gotten from the ocean floor, concealing my daggers once again before swimming up to the surface of the water.


    Looking upwards, I saw Ruby waiting for me at the port, her glossy ck hair practically dazzling in the moonlight.


    Pulling myself onto the wooden nks of the port, I walked towards Ruby, with water droplets falling from my hair, clothes, and arms.


    Looking at Ruby''s perplexed expression, I shrugged my shoulders and said.


    "What can I say? I was in the mood for a quick swim."


    "... don''t you feel cold at all?"


    Most normal people probably would have gotten hypothermia from doing this, but what can I say, I was blessed by the Sea God!.