Repeat Vice - The Villainous Noble Doesn't Want to Die, So He Swore to Not Die As One of The Four Heavenly Kings - Chapter 102: Legion

Chapter 102: Legion

The guest room after Rofus left.

Talon casually glances at the chessboard.

“…? What is the outcome of this game?”

Talon tilts his head in confusion.

The chessboard shows both players breaking through each other’s defenses, with both kings just one step away from checkmate.

“Rofus won.”

Count Gimlet answers curtly.

“I originally intended to concede the victory, but I planned to put up more of a fight. If he thinks I lost on purpose, it might offend him… but to be so brilliantly outmaneuvered…”

Talon remains puzzled, tilting his head even further.

“Hmm? It seems the game is undecided to me.”

“Yes, under normal rules.”

Talon is suddenly captivated by the board.

“I see, special rules…”

What Count Gimlet and Rofus were playing was not standard chess.

Count Gimlet had established his own unique rules.

Count Gimlet’s white pieces moved differently from the traditional rules.

Rofus’s pieces moved according to the usual rules, while Count Gimlet’s moved according to his unique rules.

It would be impossible to play such a game without explanation, yet Count Gimlet had initiated it without any explanation, showing his rather nasty character.

However, during the game, Rofus did not mention it at all and immediately adapted to Count Gimlet’s unique movements, completely dominating and winning.

And at the end, he even sarcastically told him to remember how to move the pieces.

Count Gimlet couldn’t respond to that.

“Lightless Prodigy—he truly lives up to the rumors of his genius…”

Talon shudders, while Count Gimlet tilts his head.

“Genius, you say?”

“Yes. Don’t you know? Rofus is called the Lightless Prodigy, a magical prodigy. His magical skills are top-notch, recognized by everyone. He’s also skilled with a sword, manages his territory well, and has greatly expanded its economy at a young age. He truly deserves to be called a universal genius.”

Talon nods enthusiastically.

Count Gimlet narrows his eyes as he looks at the board.

“I am aware of those rumors… but the impression I got of ‘Rofus Ray Lightless’ through chess was far from genius.”

“What do you mean?”

“First of all, a genius is someone who jumps from point A to point Z without following the usual process—a person who arrives at conclusions and results without adhering to common logic or reasoning.”

“And Rofus is different?”

Count Gimlet speaks, recalling each of Rofus’s moves.

“The impression I got of Rofus is—if I had to sum it up in one word, it would be ‘diligent.'”

“Diligent, you say…”

Rofus’s chess strategy was nothing extraordinary.

It was the kind of basic strategy you’d find in a rule book.

Even against Count Gimlet’s deceptive and unique piece movements, Rofus remained calm and adapted without being thrown off.

He never deviated from the basic form, always diligent.

That alone revealed much about Rofus’s character.

“In other words, he’s an honors student. He must be very hardworking. Strictly adhering to rules and being very earnest. Perhaps the results he achieved were backed by his continuous efforts.”

“Uh, huh.”

Talon responds vaguely, feeling that instantly adapting to unexplained unique rules and still winning comprehensively is already quite genius.

“A common person who doesn’t understand hard work only sees the results and praises the diligent student as a genius. And when a true genius produces extraordinary results, they are ridiculed as eccentric because they can’t understand them.”

“Hmm…? As someone not particularly gifted, I don’t really understand such complex matters.”

“There’s no need to belittle yourself. You are quite capable. I do not keep the incompetent by my side.”

“Count Gimlet…!”

Talon’s eyes shine with emotion, while Count Gimlet ponders.

A person with exceptional talent who does not neglect their efforts.

That was the evaluation of Rofus.

But there was more.

Having interacted with many nobles and brought them under his influence through negotiations, Count Gimlet felt a sense of incongruity with Rofus.

It was an unshakeable mental fortitude.

During the chess game, Count Gimlet tried to unsettle Rofus multiple times.

However, none of his attempts elicited any reaction.

Rofus responded to the topics and even showed displeasure, but it never led to any mental instability.

His chess strategy remained constant, like an undisturbed surface of water.

Normally, such disturbances would affect the board to some extent.

But with Rofus, there was none of that, eerily so.

Was he really just a young man who had just come of age?

Count Gimlet doubted the unwavering mental state of Rofus, which seemed beyond his years.

But there was one moment when this rock-like mental fortitude showed a slight tremor.

That was when he mentioned Raymond.

That tremor was reflected in his words.

“Not ‘was’ but ‘is’…”

When Count Gimlet suggested that Raymond was his friend, Rofus corrected him.

From past tense to present continuous tense.

Count Gimlet had no information about Raymond, who had gone missing.

It was possible he was already dead, but Rofus’s words seemed to confirm his survival.

“Is it a wish for his friend to be alive? Wishful thinking? No. Rofus Ray Lightless is a realist who faces unexpected situations sincerely and takes immediate action. He wouldn’t make such a statement based on mere speculation.”

This means Rofus is highly likely to be involved in Raymond’s disappearance.

Or he might be hiding Raymond.

In any case, the possibility of Raymond being alive is very high.

This means there is still a chance for Raymond to return to his position as the next king.

That development would—not be unfavorable for Count Gimlet.

“Count Gimlet…? Is there something amusing you?”

Talon tilts his head as Count Gimlet inadvertently smiles.

Count Gimlet coughs lightly to cover it up.

“No, I just received some useful information from Rofus.”

Then Count Gimlet snaps his fingers briskly.

A servant appears behind him.

The servant, dressed in black attire, gives off no detectable presence.

Without glancing at the black servant, Count Gimlet issues an order.

“Bring me the heads of Baron Frieden, Baron Flow, and Viscount Missran.”

Make it look like an accident, Count Gimlet adds.

“Understood.”

The black servant lightly lifted her skirt, bowed, and disappeared.

The three nobles mentioned by Count Gimlet were those entrusted with the management of a dungeon located in the vast wetlands under royal jurisdiction.

Despite receiving a substantial amount from the royal family for the dungeon’s maintenance and rewards, all three families neglected their duties.

They were nobles under Count Gimlet, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that they caused this dungeon break.

According to them, the monster culling was done in shifts, but suddenly the monsters overflowed—this was the explanation of the three nobles responsible for management.

They claimed they had fulfilled their duties and bore no fault, insisting that this dungeon break was some kind of accident.

In reality, unexplained and sudden dungeon breaks are rare but not unheard of.

There have been several instances in the past where some anomaly within the dungeon caused a massive outbreak of monsters.

Such cases are treated like natural disasters, similar to tsunamis or earthquakes.

Count Gimlet instructed the three nobles to present records of the military movements and receipts for consumables used during the monster culling.

The three nobles were unable to produce them.

Then, they began blaming each other and eventually lashed out at Count Gimlet, asking if he did not trust them.

Their reaction was utterly foolish, an unwise move upon another unwise move, culminating in their outburst.

Count Gimlet thought that this matter should be reported to the royal family and the three nobles should receive appropriate punishment under the kingdom’s law.

What these three nobles did was disturb the order and peace of the southern part of the kingdom, an act extremely malicious and characteristic of the “bad quality nobles” that Count Gimlet despised.

However, taking matters into his own hands driven by emotion was not right.

Ignoring regulations for personal reasons leads to the collapse of order.

Count Gimlet, who detested such chaos, could not break the rules himself.

Therefore, the punishment for the three nobles was to be strictly according to the law—that was the plan.

Hence, Talon could not hide his agitation at this sudden and radical change in policy.

“Why suddenly demand the heads of those three?”

“Because Lord Rofus desired it.”

“Do you hold Lord Rofus in such high regard? But to break the rules for him…”

Talon widened his eyes, and Count Gimlet shrugged.

“It’s not about favoring him; Lord Rofus is the ‘perfect noble.’ Establishing a connection with him benefits the Gimlet family—that’s all there is to it.”

Moreover, Count Gimlet continued,

“I won’t violate the rules. Those three will coincidentally die in accidents on the same day—that’s all.”

At that moment, the three nobles were being summoned.

They were likely on their way to this territory now.

An accident, killed by monsters along the way—such a fate would be poetic justice for those who neglected the dungeon’s management.

Count Gimlet stood up and headed for the door.

“Now, Sir Talon, let us go observe the hero’s battle. It seems he’s coming with the royal army, but how will he handle the ever-increasing horde of monsters?”

According to reports, the royal army led by Rofus consisted of a small force of 50 soldiers, including 30 knights and 20 mages.

On the other hand, the scale and threat level of the monster horde had far surpassed that of a mere horde stampede and had become a full-fledged legion.

The floor boss that had emerged from the dungeon had grown stronger over time, absorbing the ambient mana outside.

The observed size of the monster legion was roughly seven thousand.

The horde that attacked the capital totaled about three thousand, so this was more than twice that number.

It was now beyond the level that a small force of the royal army could handle, and ideally, the kingdom’s strongest royal knights would be mobilized for such an incident.

Or perhaps, “the strength that defeated the Demon King”—would take care of everything with his power alone.

“Let’s see how he handles this,” Count Gimlet said, opening the door dramatically, only to close and open it repeatedly as if dissatisfied with the movement.

Talon watched this with a mix of exasperation and resignation.

*

After leaving the mansion, Rofus joined the royal army waiting in the city.

He then set off to subjugate the monster horde.

Rofus rode a black half-monster horse given by the royal family, leading a small cavalry squad.

Next to Rofus was Meilin, the head mage appointed as his deputy.

“Did something happen with Count Gimlet, Lord Rofus? You seem troubled.”

“That’s just how my face is.”

Rofus replied curtly to Meilin’s concerned inquiry.

Meilin shrugged, confirming her suspicion that he was indeed irritated.

Rofus handed Meilin the documents prepared by Talon.

“Look through these.”

“Hm?”

Meilin accepted the documents and reviewed their contents.

The documents detailed the monster horde and the damage situation meticulously.

The number of monsters was roughly seven thousand, based on the current observations.

The monsters were undead, increasing in number by assimilating their victims as zombies.

At the center of the horde was the dungeon’s floor boss, which had grown.

It was described as a headless knight in heavy armor—likely a Dullahan.

The undead horde displayed strategic movements, such as forming ranks against the assembled local forces, as if understanding tactics.

Moreover, each undead was unusually swift and as formidable as seasoned warriors.

Since the call for help, the damage had escalated, with nearly ten villages destroyed.

Fortunately, the evacuation of the residents had been completed, minimizing human casualties and limiting the increase in undead.

However, non-human creatures—animals, and sometimes even other monsters—were assimilated into the undead, continuously bolstering their numbers.

After reviewing the documents, Meilin glanced at the following squad.

The forces were insufficient—overwhelmingly so.

The situation had ballooned far beyond the initial information provided in the request for help.

The increase in the monster horde was much faster—too fast.

While Meilin paled, Rofus spoke.

“The floor boss—Dullahan, likely has unique abilities that strengthen the entire horde and command it.”

“But… Dullahans aren’t known to have such abilities…”

“It doesn’t make sense otherwise. It probably absorbed mana from outside the dungeon, evolved, and gained new powers.”

It’s not uncommon for dungeon monsters to mutate after leaving the dungeon.

Typically, they are defeated before such changes can occur.

“But Lord Rofus… it’s too soon for such mutations…”

It usually takes some time for a dungeon monster to grow and mutate after being exposed to external mana.

In areas with high mana concentration, mutations may occur faster, but it still takes at least a month.

The dungeon break occurred about half a month ago.

If that information is accurate, then it indeed seems too fast.

Rofus stroked his chin, pondering.

“It might be a highly intelligent type.”

The dungeon break might have happened much earlier than reported.

The floor boss might have stayed near the dungeon, focusing on absorbing external mana until it matured and mutated.

It remained unnoticed, avoiding detection and avoiding causing damage.

Fortunately, the dungeon was in the middle of a vast wetland, making it unlikely to be noticed unless someone specifically checked.

Had the monster culling been done properly, it would have been discovered sooner—or rather, the dungeon break itself would have been prevented.

Or perhaps—could it be that the “God of Darkness” intervened?

Meilin watched Rofus, who was lost in thought, with a solemn expression.

“In any case, we don’t have enough forces. We need to see the monster horde for ourselves to make a precise judgment, but…”

The monster horde created by this dungeon break was undoubtedly at a disaster level.

If the floor boss had mutated, it would be among the highest ranks of such disasters.

Moreover, the horde had evolved from a simple stampede to a powerful legion.

When facing a monster legion, it was no longer a mere monster subjugation.

It would be a war between humans and monsters.

“Lord Rofus… we should return to the capital and assemble at least a company-sized force… or at least contact the Marshal—”

“Do as you wish.”

Leaving Meilin, who was about to use telepathy, Rofus whipped his horse, accelerating its speed.

“Wha… Lord Rofus…!?”

Meilin and the cavalry squad hurried to catch up.

“Lord Rofus! Are you planning to go alone!?”

“I always intended to go alone; you all decided to tag along.”

“The enemy includes a matured floor boss and a monster legion! I understand your strength, but going alone is…!”

“You understand nothing.”

The half-monster horse’s running speed increased dramatically as Rofus enhanced it with magic.

Eventually, Meilin and the cavalry couldn’t keep up due to their horses’ stamina, and the distance between them grew.

Meilin and the squad chased Rofus, who was now out of sight, with all their might.

*

Later, Meilin and the squad managed to catch up with Rofus—witnessing a scene.

They saw the undead horde, covering the plain, being annihilated by just two familiars born from Rofus’s shadow.

A huge black griffin’s dark wind shredded the horde, and a warrior in black hawk armor cut down the lone surviving Dullahan.

It wasn’t a battle but a one-sided massacre.