Repeat Vice - The Villainous Noble Doesn't Want to Die, So He Swore to Not Die As One of The Four Heavenly Kings - Chapter 111: Prologue Named Epilogue

Chapter 111: Prologue Named Epilogue

The royal capital, the royal palace.

In the throne room, before King Alexei seated on the throne—Meilin was kneeling on the platform.

In the throne room were the kingdom’s military officers, including Marshal Ganard, and the civil officials.

For some reason, everyone, including the king, had tense expressions.

Meilin had come to report the suppression of the southern dungeon break, but the entire palace was filled with a tense atmosphere.

Meilin frowned, wondering if something had happened.

“Raise your head,” King Alexei commanded.

Meilin lifted her face while still kneeling.

“…I have reviewed the report. Good work on the expedition to subdue the evolved floor boss.”

“Your words are too kind.”

At the king’s words of gratitude, Meilin bowed her head again.

However, it was in fact Rofus, the ‘Black Sorcerer,’ who had defeated the floor boss, and the kingdom’s army, including Meilin, had merely accompanied him.

The report mentioned this, and the king’s words of appreciation were rightly directed towards the southern expedition as a whole.

“—You may relax. But the ‘Black Sorcerer’ is not present…”

The king assumed that Rofus had returned with Meilin’s kingdom’s army and had called both of them to this place, yet for some reason, he was absent.

Rofus had also been absent from the commendation ceremony for the previous capital assault.

Not again, the king frowned.

In response to the king’s questioning voice, Meilin bowed her head and answered while still prostrate.

“Rofus said he had ‘something to do’ and disappeared in the southern lands.”

“What…?”

The king narrowed his eyes sharply.

Meilin continued, sweating nervously.

“We raised the troops to search for him, but could not find him… I deeply apologize.”

The king let out a deep sigh at Meilin, who remained prostrate and unmoving.

“Very well. Raise your head.”

Meilin raised her face as commanded.

The king asked, “The ‘Black Sorcerer’ said he had ‘something to do,’ correct? Do you have any idea where he might have gone?”

“Well, that is…”

Meilin hesitated.

She had a clue.

The day before Rofus disappeared, at a balcony during Count Gimlet’s evening party, he had murmured:

“The Empire… I might as well destroy it.”

Rofus had the power to single-handedly destroy even the monstrous army of Legion.

If Rofus said it, even as a joke, it was no laughing matter.

Meilin didn’t want to believe it, but she couldn’t think his ominous muttering was unrelated to his disappearance.

However, she hesitated to speak of this in front of the gathered military officers and civil officials.

Sensing Meilin’s hesitation, Marshal Ganard spoke.

“Your Majesty, it appears Meilin has some clue. May I confirm with her first?”

Ganard’s suggestion caused a tense atmosphere among the officers and officials.

The king slightly narrowed his eyes and nodded, “You may.”

Ganard bowed and walked over to Meilin.

After hearing the content of Rofus’s murmur before his disappearance from Meilin, Ganard’s eyes widened.

Ganard glanced at the gathered officers and officials and carefully chose his words.

“…It seems Lord Rofus went to eliminate a threat to the kingdom as quickly as possible.”

At Ganard’s words, the military officers expressed admiration, while the civil officials buzzed in confusion.

“Silence in the presence of His Majesty!”

Ganard’s sharp reprimand restored order in the throne room.

Ganard knelt and waited for the king’s words.

“…Is that true, Marshal?”

“Yes. Lord Rofus said those words just before his disappearance.”

“Hmm… Did he act on some prior information?”

“Most likely.”

Ganard nodded.

Seeing the reactions of the officers, officials, and the king, Meilin tilted her head in confusion.

The king signaled Ganard to explain to her.

Ganard bowed and looked at Meilin.

“We received a message from Margrave Stereia that the Empire has attacked.”

“——!?”

Meilin’s eyes widened in shock.

The ceasefire agreement that had held for half a century had been broken.

For fifty years since the war, through repeated diplomacy, relations had been repaired enough for minor trade of goods.

At least, that was the kingdom’s understanding.

Thus, everyone was stunned by this sudden invasion.

“The imperial forces consist of an elite battalion of a thousand, and a massive army of over ten thousand mechanical beasts—’Machine Beasts’.”

“A battalion and over ten thousand…?”

Meilin’s voice trembled at the scale.

This was not a skirmish but a serious invasion.

The Empire was literally starting a war.

Ganard continued.

“Fortunately, despite the scale of the imperial forces, the damage was surprisingly minimal. The kingdom’s army and Stereia’s unique forces—the White Phoenix Knights—suffered significant casualties, but none of the border villages were occupied, and there were zero casualties among the villagers.”

Included in Margrave Steria’s message was that the forces of Lightless, who happened to be there, also helped repel the imperial army.

Ganard and the king surmised that someone from the Lightless family had somehow contacted Rofus.

“Wait, did the ‘Black Sorcerer’ head to the Empire? For what purpose? Retaliation for the attack…? That would lead to war!”

“Even if we were attacked, the kingdom currently has no damage to its territory or people! We must stop the ‘Black Sorcerer’ immediately and arrange talks with the Empire!”

The civil officials raised their voices in panic.

The military officers, losing patience, spoke up.

“What cowardice! It was an attack by a battalion and ten thousand ‘Machine Beasts’!”

“The ceasefire agreement was broken without a declaration of war! War has already begun!”

The two sides argued, clashing opinions.

Ganard took a deep breath and issued a reprimand that echoed through the throne room.

“Silence! This is not a war council!”

The air vibrated with tension.

The civil and military officials all fell silent.

Ganard bowed, saying, “My apologies for the disturbance,” to which the king waved his hand, saying, “It’s fine.”

The king, resting his chin on his hand, spoke with a troubled expression.

“We need to understand the Empire’s intentions in attacking Steria. However, our envoys have not returned. It seems the Empire has no intention of negotiating.”

The king’s words created a tense atmosphere.

However, the king continued.

“If the ‘Black Sorcerer’… has truly gone to the Empire, I would have preferred he report and consult with me first. But he, too, is of Lightless… perhaps this is fate…”

A civil official raised his hand, looking as if he had something to say.

“You may speak,” the king allowed.

With the king’s permission, the civil official spoke hesitantly.

“Your Majesty, attacking another country without the royal family’s permission is a clear violation. Even if it is retaliation, no matter how much of a hero he is for saving the capital, he must abide by the kingdom’s rules.”

“…That is true.”

“If so, he must be dealt with accordingly.”

No matter how heroic or significant ‘Black Sorcerer’ Rofus was, as a noble of the kingdom, he had to follow its rules.

As the king, he could not favor any noble without just cause.

Therefore, the king, in accordance with royal protocol, made an unwavering decision.

“There is no problem.”

“W-what?”

The king’s curt dismissal made the civil official furrow his brows.

“That… ‘no problem,’ you say?”

“The ‘Black Sorcerer’ is of House Lightless—thus, there is no problem.”

The king’s blatant favoritism towards House Lightless caused not only the civil officials but also the military officers to stir uneasily.

“Is it because House Lightless governs vast lands in the eastern kingdom?”

One civil official asked, but the king shook his head in denial.

The king rose from the throne and gazed at the white flag behind him—the symbol of the Magic Kingdom of Sinterio and the royal family crest.

He looked up at the sun emblem.

“As you all know, House Lightless is one of the oldest noble families, existing since the founding of the kingdom. They have long defended the kingdom from threats.”

“Is that the reason, Your Majesty?”

The king did not answer the civil official’s question. Instead, he picked up a wooden coaster with a sun emblem from a side table beside the throne.

The coaster had a sun on it—he turned it over to reveal a moon on the other side.

“The emblem of House Lightless is the moon—more precisely, a crescent moon surrounding the sun. Do you know the meaning behind this emblem?”

The king’s question caused the military officers, including Ganard and Meilin, and the civil officials to avert their eyes uncomfortably.

The emblem of House Lightless—a crescent moon consuming the sun—was seen by all as a highly disrespectful symbol.

But no one ever spoke of it.

House Lightless was one of the most powerful noble families, and the royal family did not reprimand them.

Understanding the unspoken tension, the king chuckled.

“The crest suggests rebellion against the royal family—but it was the first king, Arthur Roy Sinterio, who personally designed and bestowed it upon House Lightless.”

This untold royal story made everyone widen their eyes in surprise.

“The crescent moon surrounding the sun—it signifies not consumption but protection. That is the true meaning behind the emblem.”

The king continued.

“If the royal family is the sun, House Lightless is the moon. If the Royal Guard is the ‘sword of the royal family,’ House Lightless is the ‘sword of the kingdom.’ Historically, House Lightless has eliminated many threats. The previous head repelled the empire in the last war, and the current head has improved the skills of the Dark Knights and manages the upper-tier dungeons within the kingdom.”

The numerous dungeons within the kingdom, especially the dangerous ‘upper-tier’ dungeons, were mostly managed by the Dark Knights of House Lightless.

Even lower-tier dungeons, if neglected, could lead to disasters like the southern swamp.

An upper-tier dungeon break would be far more catastrophic.

Nations have perished due to upper-tier dungeon breaks.

Previously, the Royal Guard managed upper-tier dungeons, but under Ludens Lightless, the Dark Knights became highly skilled, rivaling the Royal Guard.

Some named knights were even stronger than the Royal Guard.

Under Rudens, House Lightless transformed into a noble family with the strongest military force, capable of managing almost all upper-tier dungeons alone.

“And the next generation of Lightless—the ‘Black Sorcerer’—became a hero who saved the capital and suppressed the southern dungeon break. Now, he has gone to repel the empire that broke the ceasefire—acting as the ‘sword of the kingdom.'”

The king glared at the gathered officials.

“House Lightless has consistently shown unwavering loyalty and action since the founding of the kingdom. Therefore, there is no problem.”

The king’s words silenced everyone.

House Lightless had the grounds and achievements to warrant special treatment.

The royal family trusted them enough to overlook this incident.

No one could contest this.

The king glanced at the silent officials and sighed.

“However… I would like to speak with Rofus. The empire broke the ceasefire and attacked without a declaration of war. But that doesn’t mean we can violate international law. If the kingdom is to attack the empire, it must be done according to international law.”

Wondering if there was a way to contact Rofus, the king looked at Meilin.

As someone who had accompanied Rofus on the southern expedition, she might know something.

Startled by the sudden attention, Meilin flinched.

The king shook his head, dismissing the thought.

If Meilin had a way to contact Rofus, she wouldn’t have needed to search for him in the south.

“Hmm—summon anyone associated with the ‘Black Sorcerer’ immediately. Friends, acquaintances—anyone who might have a means of contacting him. Search thoroughly.”

At the king’s command, the officials began to move.

The most likely candidates were Annegerut, Valm, and Orgus, who often acted with him at the academy.

And though not yet publicly announced, his fiancée Falathiana was also a strong candidate.

These four were the most likely to have a way to contact Rofus.

But before the officials could act, the doors of the throne room burst open.

A golden-armored, blond man strode in.

A Royal Guard— the royal family’s sword and the only ones allowed to be armed within the palace.

This man, however, was no ordinary guard.

He was the commander of the Royal Guard, known as the ‘Strongest Knight in the Kingdom,’ Chief Valframe.

During the previous capital assault, he had held off numerous disaster-class monsters at the palace gates, not allowing a single one inside.

His title was well earned; as long as he stood, the palace would never fall.

Chief Valframe ignored the stunned officials and marched straight to the throne, kneeling before King Alexei.

No one dared reprimand him for ignoring anyone but the king.

No one could challenge the ‘Strongest Knight in the Kingdom,’ Valframe.

“I have an urgent report.”

Valframe, still kneeling, spoke briefly.

The surrounding officials, fearing news from the empire, watched in dread as the king listened.

“Speak.”

With permission, Valframe calmly delivered his message.

“A messenger from Lord Rofus, the ‘Black Sorcerer,’ has arrived.”

The throne room tensed at Valframe’s words.

He hesitated before continuing.

“The message is as follows: ‘I have seized the central city of the empire. The cleanup is yours to handle.'”

“…What?”

King Alexei involuntarily asked again.

For context, the capital and the southern lands were quite distant, taking considerable time to travel by horse.

Normally, it would take over five days to travel that distance. But Meilin and her party, urgently reporting Rofus’s disappearance, had minimized rest stops and ridden hard.

Thus, it took three days for Meilin to return to the capital after Rofus went missing.

Three days—more than enough time for Rofus to reach the empire and annihilate enemy forces.