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

Chapter 109: True Intentions

Rofus, who literally annihilated the legion of monsters that had emerged in the southern great marshlands, returned to the town where Count Gimlet’s mansion was located on the same day.

The time was evening; he returned in just half a day after leaving Gimlet Manor.

Count Gimlet, who had returned a bit earlier, promptly began preparations for a grand reception and hospitality, giving out orders briskly.

The fact that the threat of the monsters was gone had been communicated to the residents.

For the servants, it was hard to believe that the monster horde had been defeated so quickly, but since Count Gimlet’s erratic behavior wasn’t new, they swiftly proceeded with the preparations as usual.

Then, Rofus and the fifty soldiers of the kingdom’s army led by Meilin returned.

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Rofus’s party, upon returning to the town with Gimlet Manor, was greeted with tremendous cheers from the residents.

“Banners with ‘Triumphal Return of the Hero, the Black Mage’ were displayed here and there.”

“What a farce,” Rofus muttered in genuine disinterest, urging his black horse towards Gimlet Manor.

For the residents, who had feared the imminent monster horde, their cheers were not an act but from the bottom of their hearts.

However, knowing that it was orchestrated by Count Gimlet made Rofus feel nothing but insincerity.

The kingdom’s army led by Meilin, following Rofus, also had ambiguous expressions, despite the cheers.

This was because the cheers were directed towards the hero who saved the southern part of the kingdom from the threat of monsters, and that hero was definitely not them.

They had merely followed Rofus, not even fighting the monsters, but just trailing along.

However, the residents praised them as if they were elite soldiers who had defeated the monster horde with a few men.

They couldn’t possibly say that they had done nothing, so they just accepted the cheers.

Rofus and his group were then invited to Gimlet Manor, where they received a grand welcome.

That night, a grand soirée was held at Gimlet Manor.

With refined music played by a musical troupe, elegantly dancing dancers, the finest food and drinks, and attended by prominent southern nobles of the kingdom.

Everyone uniformly praised the kingdom’s soldiers—knights and mages.

At the center of the soirée, celebrating the hero who had slain the monsters, was Rofus.

The heads of three nobles, prepared as offerings to Rofus, were promptly removed at his behest.

According to Rofus, “Feed them to the dogs,” so Count Gimlet ordered the servants to do just that.

Amidst the revelry, while Meilin was surrounded and wooed by the sons of nobles, Rofus drank grape juice instead of the wine offered.

“Don’t you like alcohol, Lord Rofus?”

Next to Rofus sat an alluringly beautiful girl.

This girl, who was unusually close to Rofus and offering him wine, was none other than Count Gimlet’s daughter.

Pressing her ample bosom against him as a woman’s weapon, she whispered in his ear, tempting Rofus.

But Rofus ignored her with a perpetually stern expression.

Seeing this, Count Gimlet, realizing it wasn’t going well, intervened.

“Are you enjoying yourself, Lord Rofus? My daughter isn’t being rude, is she?”

“…Too familiar.”

Rofus answered curtly with a sigh, and Count Gimlet wordlessly waved his hand at his daughter, signaling her to leave.

She quietly withdrew, bowing her head.

Count Gimlet sat down where his daughter had been and poured himself a drink.

“I apologize. My daughter was insistent on speaking with the hero…”

“No need for excuses.”

Count Gimlet shrugged at Rofus’s blunt reply.

“My apologies. I was hoping you’d take an interest in my daughter, but it seems you didn’t fancy her.”

Count Gimlet openly shared his inner thoughts without hiding anything.

“Oh, by the way, that was on my orders, so please don’t dislike her. She genuinely was interested in the hero, the Black Mage.”

“…Quite straightforward of you.”

Surprised by Count Gimlet’s candor, Rofus frowned.

Count Gimlet smiled while touching his beard.

“I don’t care for hidden tactics.”

“Which mouth is saying that…”

“Lord Rofus, you don’t seem to be enjoying yourself much. Don’t you like parties?”

“Not particularly.”

“Hmm…”

Count Gimlet stroked his beard thoughtfully at Rofus’s ambiguous response.

Then he raised his hand high and snapped his fingers.

A brisk sound echoed in the hall, and the music abruptly stopped.

After a moment of silence, the music resumed.

The elegant tune shifted to a more lively and upbeat melody.

The dancers’ movements became more vigorous.

The flashy, lively atmosphere was not typical of a noble’s party.

The knights and mages of the kingdom’s army showed some confusion, but the light rhythm and lively atmosphere made them smile.

As the atmosphere of the soirée changed completely, and Rofus widened his eyes slightly in surprise, Count Gimlet clinked his glass with Rofus’s and made a delicate sound.

“Are you distracted now?”

“What?”

“From boredom.”

Count Gimlet smiled wryly, and Rofus exhaled.

“…Yeah, maybe a little. This liveliness is not quite fitting for a noble’s event, though.”

“Indeed. This liveliness is a bit stimulating for nobles who live in peace. My view… or rather, my father’s words, but it seems those returning from the battlefield tend to prefer lively parties. Look, even the kingdom’s soldiers seem to be enjoying themselves more than before.”

“…The enemy was too boring to be called a battlefield.”

“Yes. Even a mature floor boss is much less formidable compared to the legendary ‘Demon King’.”

“You’re very talkative. Do you even believe in that ‘Demon King’ story?”

Rofus glared at him, and Count Gimlet shrugged with a wry smile.

“Well, yes. The ‘Demon King’ is quite far-fetched. There are too many inconsistencies with the reports from my people.”

But, Count Gimlet continued.

“Truth doesn’t really matter. What concerns me is the safety of Lord Raymond and what happens next. Though, it seems Duke Vanargand is more concerned about that.”

The Vanargand ducal family had several candidates of royal blood, though of lower rank than Raymond, who could potentially become the next king.

It was only natural to be concerned about the fate of Raymond, the most likely candidate for the next king.

Rofus, half in exasperation, sipped his grape juice while listening to Count Gimlet speak so openly.

The recent attack on the royal capital and the king’s announcement in response—Count Gimlet was the one who openly questioned it, but—

“You—Vanargand was behind you after all. Well, that was obvious.”

At Rofus’s words, Count Gimlet neither affirmed nor denied, but smiled ambiguously.

The Gimlet family had always been part of the Vanargand faction, the oldest and most historical ducal family in the kingdom.

Although a count’s family, they were called great nobles and had influence comparable to that of a ducal family, but they couldn’t break away from their faction.

“The next king was almost certainly going to be Lord Raymond… Yet, with the recent capital attack and Lord Raymond’s disappearance, there are even rumors that Lord Raymond was controlling the monsters. Not only the Vanargand family but other ducal families won’t stay silent.”

Count Gimlet spoke with a tone of exasperation, and Rofus snorted.

“A bloody battle for the throne is about to begin, I suppose.”

“You can’t be indifferent to this either, Lord Rofus. I heard the Lightless family has joined the Galleon Duke’s faction?”

“You seem to be mistaken. While we have a good relationship with the Galleon family, we haven’t joined their faction. The Lightless family does not favor any specific ducal family in the royal succession. We are a neutral party—if anything, we are more aligned with the royal family than with the nobility.”

The Lightless family had maintained neutrality without joining any specific faction.

Though Rofus had a personal relationship with Raymond, it was separate from the Lightless family’s stance.

“…I see, that’s typical of the Lightless family. Only a great noble family, recognized for centuries, could afford to be so bold.”

Count Gimlet nodded thoughtfully, and Rofus tilted his head in confusion.

“Special recognition by the royal family? The Lightless family? There’s no such fact.”

The Lightless Marquisate, owning vast territories in the eastern kingdom, had influence comparable to that of ducal families, second only to the royal family.

However, there was no special recognition to the extent suggested.

The Lightless family was merely a marquisate in formal terms.

Count Gimlet smiled meaningfully and pointed to the crest on Rofus’s coat—the crest of the Lightless family.

The crest of a crescent moon devouring the sun.

“The crest of the Lightless family includes the sun. The sun emblem is the royal family’s crest, the symbol of the kingdom. Understand? The sun holds great significance in the kingdom.”

Count Gimlet continued.

“No noble family is allowed to use the sun in their crest—not even ducal families. The Lightless family is the only exception.”

“…So that’s what you mean by special recognition? The Lightless family’s history spans a millennium, the same as the royal family. The interpretation of crests might have been more lenient back then.”

“That’s delving into archaeology. But the fact that it’s been inherited until now is also true. The Lightless family, remaining uncorrupted and noble for a thousand years—you are indeed the epitome of ‘perfect’ nobility.”

Count Gimlet spread his arms, showing an ecstatic expression.

Rofus recoiled slightly.

“…So what’s your aim? You seem too independent for a Vanargand errand boy.”

Count Gimlet was probing into the recent capital attack and Raymond’s disappearance as per Duke Vanargand’s directives.

However, he was talking far too much to Rofus, exceeding acceptable limits.

It was unimaginable for a noble of the Vanargand faction to speak in defense of Raymond and praise the Lightless family.

Moreover, his unusual fervor seemed genuinely heartfelt, rather than mere social flattery.

“Are you possibly trying to switch factions by using the Lightless family as a bridge?”

Rofus’s pointed question made Count Gimlet fall silent. He then took out a scroll from his pocket and spread it on the table.

Rofus recognized it as a magically imbued scroll.

It was a magical contract known as a “Contract,” which imposes absolute compliance by engraving the terms onto the soul of the signatory.

The terms were already written, leaving only the signatory’s name blank. Rofus frowned as he read it.

The terms were as follows:

1. Bernard Gushia Gimlet shall be friendly and cooperative towards Raymond Roi Nordens Galleon and Rofus Ray Lightless henceforth.

1. Bernard Gushia Gimlet shall spare no effort in supporting and assisting Raymond Roi Nordens Galleon’s ascension to the throne.

1. This contract shall remain in effect as long as Raymond Roi Nordens Galleon adheres to his ideals.

Seeing these three terms, Rofus grimaced.

Before Rofus’s eyes, Count Gimlet signed his name—“Bernard Gushia Gimlet” on the magical contract.

“Now, all that’s left is for you and Lord Raymond to sign, and the contract will be complete.”

Count Gimlet smiled broadly, and Rofus’s shoulders slumped as if drained of energy.

“You… you were genuinely supporting Raymond?”

“Of course,” Count Gimlet replied with a smile, and Rofus sighed.

“Count Gimlet, switching from the Vanargand faction to the Galleon faction… you risk being eliminated.”

“I am prepared to bear the stigma of betrayal.”

“…I understand, but this contract is invalid. As I said earlier, the Lightless family is not part of the Galleon faction. There’s no need to include me in the terms.”

“The contract is fine as it is. My respect is for Lord Raymond and the Lightless family, including you, Lord Rofus. Not for the Galleon family or the other nobles in their faction.”

Rofus couldn’t help but laugh at Count Gimlet’s bluntness.

“You’ve been quite loose-lipped. If you talk too openly, you won’t live long.”

Rofus looked around and noticed several nobles averting their gaze.

During the soirée, some nobles had been eavesdropping on their conversation.

The attendees were nobles under Count Gimlet, who was known as the “Overseer of the South.”

Being under Count Gimlet, who was part of the Vanargand faction, these nobles were inevitably part of the Vanargand faction too.

Even if they were subordinates, there was no guarantee that this conversation wouldn’t leak to Duke Vanargand.

Count Gimlet, who had been speaking so openly, seemed to be aware of this as he smiled.

“Recently, a young person, almost like a son, told me—‘Talk about ideals, not criticisms.’ So, I decided to act towards my ideals.”

Count Gimlet smiled.

These were the very words that Rofus had once said.

Rofus closed his eyes and looked up at the sky as if savoring the words.