Repeat Vice - The Villainous Noble Doesn't Want to Die, So He Swore to Not Die As One of The Four Heavenly Kings - Chapter 18: Reunion

Chapter 18: Reunion

Early morning in Rougvelt

On a hill near the chief’s residence where Fol and others resided, Carlos was present, gazing out at the vast sea stretching far into the distance.

Carlos was waiting for Rofus to return.

Last night, just before transferring to the Steria domain, Rofus had said, “I’ll figure out how to get back here myself, so just wait for me.”

If there were transportation stones that directly pointed to the Lightless domain, there would be no problem. But if not, Carlos predicted that Rofus would return by sea or perhaps using flying magic to come back in the shortest time.

If he headed straight south from the Steria domain, he would reach Rougvelt easily.

“Master…”

Carlos had already been waiting for about two hours, but there was no sign of Rofus anywhere.

And that was to be expected.

If he was traveling by sea, it would still take more than a day to reach Rougvelt from the Steria domain by boat.

Flying magic wouldn’t be much faster, so he probably won’t be able to return by today.

Waiting here might be pointless.

But Rofus had said, “I’ll come back by morning.”

Once Rofus said something, he would definitely follow through with it.

Of course, Rofus wasn’t executing everything he said because of his capricious nature, but surely this was one of those words he wouldn’t bend on.

So, Rofus would surely protect the residents of Rougvelt, including Norn, who had been sold as a slave, and return to the Lightless domain by morning.

Serving by Rofus’s side as his caretaker, Carlos had something close to conviction from his words.

—Hmm, but…

Shadows flitted across Carlos’s expression.

Rofus had the power to carry out his whims and had a formidable strength to make them a reality — but right now, he was definitely not in top form.

Most of his magical power had been exhausted, and even though he had been treated, his body was still recovering, with his left arm still being lost.

With Yurika — the Dark Knight accompanying him, there was unlikely to be any major issues unless something unexpected happened.

Carlos remembered Rofus standing alone, facing the magical whale after letting them escape.

Rofus tended to shoulder problems alone because of his immense power.

“Again, I hope he hasn’t been injured more…”

Carlos closed his eyes, thinking that Yurika must also be struggling being by his side.

—?

Suddenly, Carlos sensed magical power approaching rapidly from the direction of the Steria domain in the north.

Carlos focused his magical power through his eyes, enhancing his vision.

Looking into the distance, he saw a shadow in the sky that seemed to be approaching them with wings that are spread throughout the skies.

“Is that… a Wyvern?”

A Wyvern approached Rougvelt at a tremendous speed, tracing a trajectory in the sky.

On its back were Rofus, Yurika, and what appeared to be a slave.

Carlos noticed this as he focused his gaze.

He knew that in the Steria domain, there was a custom of raising Wyverns as riding dragons.

But he couldn’t have imagined that Rofus would return riding a wyvern.

“…Indeed, Rofus-sama is amazing.”

Carlos smiled, relieved to confirm of Rofus’s safety.

“But…”

Although Carlos’s magical sensing abilities didn’t match those of Rofus’s extraordinary precision, he could still distinctly sense Rofus’s high-density magical power.

However, the amount of magical power emanating from Rofus felt considerably weak, even considering the exhaustion of magical power.

“…Seems like he’s been quite reckless again.”

Carlos, judging the trajectory of the Wyvern approaching at high speed, dashed towards the landing point.

To welcome back his master who had returned to the Lightless domain.

In the skies near Rougvelt:

Rofus confirmed that land was getting closer and breathed a sigh of relief, just before his magical energy depleted completely.

He had been riding a Wyvern borrowed from Vallum, flying continuously across the magical sea from the Steria domain.

This Wyvern consumed magical energy far more vigorously than Rofus had anticipated, and especially in his current state of exhaustion, it was quite challenging for him to keep it going.

During the journey, he had consumed all the mana potions he had on hand, yet Rofus’s magical energy was nearing its limit.

This wyvern, obedient to Rofus only because of Vallum’s instructions, was sucking up Rofus’s magical energy aggressively to maintain its speed.

As a result, Rofus arrived at Rougvelt much faster than he had anticipated, but with his magical energy nearing its limit, he felt like he might lose consciousness at any moment now.

“Young master, it seems your magical energy…”

Yurika expressed concern for Rofus, whose complexion had turned pale.

“We’re almost there. No problem,” Rofus replied.

He surveyed the landing point for the wyvern.

If the Wyvern were to land directly on the beach, it might cause a commotion.

“Right… there, Wyvern. Land around there,” Rofus pointed to a rocky hill slightly outside Rougvelt, signaling the wyvern to land.

The Wyvern let out a cry and began descending slowly, landing in a way that minimized the burden on its riders while flapping its wings.

Given its origins as a riding dragon, it seemed quite intelligent to be considerate in this way.

Impressed, Rofus thought to himself, “Vallum must have trained it well.”

As the Wyvern landed, Carlos was already standing there. 

When the three dismounted from the Wyvern, he bowed to greet them.

Incidentally, the Wyvern it immediately took off into the sky again and flew off towards the Steria domain, as if its mission was accomplished.

Rofus smiled and raised his eyebrows as he saw Carlos bowing.

“Thank you for waiting.”

“I’ve been waiting. It seems you’ve been through quite a lot,” Carlos replied.

A brief exchange took place between the two.

Watching this, Yurika couldn’t help but be surprised.

Why was Carlos waiting as if they had coordinated it beforehand?

There had been no communication between Rofus and Carlos during the journey, and Rofus seemed to have decided on the landing point on the spot.

Despite this, Carlos had anticipated it as if he had foreseen it, and Rofus accepted it as if it were natural.

Yurika couldn’t help but cover her mouth with her hand at the excessive level of trust between the two.

Not only that, but Yurika couldn’t help but feel awe at Carlos’s actions, which seemed like foresight akin to future prediction.

From the perspective of Yurika, a dark knight herself, the head dark knight, Alba, was undoubtedly a monster.

Despite not openly displaying his power, his abilities were nothing short of monstrous.

Among the elite group of dark knights, each capable of fighting a hundred men alone, Alba stood out as one of the top, and if all the dark knights were to fight against Alba, the dark knights would likely come out on top, but even then, they would probably suffer more than half of their number as casualties.

As a fellow dark knight, Yurika felt a shiver at the thought that Carlos, the predecessor to the head Alba, was also no ordinary person.

Carlos noticed Yurika’s gaze and shifted it towards her.

Yurika involuntarily tensed her body and straightened her posture.

However, the gaze Carlos directed at Yurika was surprisingly gentle.

“Thank you for accompanying Rofus-sama. It must have been quite challenging with such a sudden task springed onto you,” Carlos said.

“N-No, not at all,” Yurika replied, slightly flustered and stumbling over her words as she saluted.

Carlos then shifted his gaze to Norn.

Norn hid behind Yurika, appearing fearful of his gaze.

Seeing this, Carlos narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Is she… the one Rofus-sama has been searching for?”

“Yes, I rescued her. Once we deliver her to Rougvelt, that will be the end of it,” Rofus answered, stifling a yawn as drowsiness suddenly overcame him due to magical exhaustion.

But Carlos calmly lowered his gaze.

“That might not be advisable.”

“Why is that?”

“Firstly, it would be better to send her to the church instead.”

Carlos replied firmly to Rofus’s question.

The excessive fear of men exhibited by Norn, seen not only in her but also in other rescued slaves, was evident.

An excessive fear that could potentially disrupt her daily life.

Considering their condition, it was not difficult to imagine how they had been treated after being sold as slaves.

Most of the rescued individuals had injuries severe enough to require urgent treatment, and it was evident that they had been subjected to inhumane treatment during their days as a slave.

Both physical and mental treatment was necessary, so all the rescued residents were temporarily entrusted to the church.

Although Norn had received physical treatment from Yurika, Carlos perceived her mental state as still severely unstable so he thought it would be better to redirect Norn to the church as well.

Rofus focused his sharp gaze on Norn.

“…I see, but what about you?”

Even as Rofus, a man, directed a sharp gaze at her, Norn did not exhibit an excessive fear.

Perhaps it was because Rofus was the one who had rescued her from dire circumstances, or perhaps it was because she was still at an age that could be considered childlike,

Norn gritted her teeth and looked at Rofus with determination.

“I… I want to go back… to Rougvelt. I want to go back and see everyone waiting for me, see Fol.”

Though hesitant, Norn spoke with resolve, expressing her own wishes.

Hearing this, Rofus smiled and chuckled.

“That’s right. She’s not a slave anymore — she’s a person. She can decide what she wants to do. If she wants to go back to Rougvelt, then we should fulfill her wish.”

Carlos slightly widened his eyes and looked at Norn and Rofus.

Certainly, Norn still seemed to have some fear of men, but she still had strong eyes with a core.

Eyes that didn’t seem like those of a slave at all.

Carlos narrowed his eyes slightly.

What happened on the way… no, what was said?

Yurika is skilled in healing, but that is only for the body.

Mental wounds can only heal over time.

Judging from Norn’s condition, it seems that her mental wounds have not completely healed, but she still shows a strong will to move forward.

There must have been something that brought out that will, but it is unlikely that Rofus would comfort a wounded commoner, and Yurika wouldn’t act too much as well since she’s a Dark Knight

Carlos pondered, but in the end, he didn’t understand it well enough so he just shrugged his shoulders.

“…If that’s the case, then I have nothing to offer.”

As Carlos quietly lowered his eyes, Rofas glanced around slightly.

“Hey, Carlos, where’s the carriage?”

“It’s prepared at the foot of the mountain… Aren’t we going to Rougvelt?”

In response to Carlos’s question, Rofas began to walk with an air of reluctance.

“There’s no need to go. Everything is finished.”

Rofas declared decisively.

However, Carlos, seeming somewhat dissatisfied, persisted.

“Please wait. Aren’t we going to see Faratiana-sama?”

“Why does her name come up? What do you mean?”

Rofas frowned.

Carlos shifted his gaze to Norn.

“Isn’t she a friend of Lady Faratiana? Why not just take her directly to her?”

“I don’t need to go meet myself. But more importantly, what did you mean earlier? Why are you addressing commoners with honorifics?”

To Carlos, who addressed Folar as “Faratiana-sama” with respect, Rofas showed annoyance.

However, Carlos casually dropped a bombshell.

“Well, she’s a prospective fiancée for the young master.”

“…Huh?”

Rofas’s expression disappeared in an instant.

Yurika and Norn held back their laughter.

Carlos continued calmly.

“She seemed quite fond of you, from what I observed.”

“…If it seemed that way to you, Carlos, then you have poor judgment.”

Rofas spat out and began to walk towards the carriage prepared at the foot of the mountain, as if he couldn’t stand it anymore.

Carlos persisted.

“Please wait! What happened? You were attending the banquet last night with her…”

“I said everything that needs to be said. I have no intention of coming there again.”

“Young master!”

Ignoring Carlos’s attempt to stop him, Rofas continued walking ahead.

Then, without looking back, Rofas instructed Yurika.

“Yurika! Take Norn and deliver her to Rougvelt!”

“U-understood!”

Yurika, who was standing bewilderedly, hurriedly saluted.

Norn felt the tense atmosphere and anxiously watched Rofas’s back.

“Rofus-sama…?”

Seeing Rofus heading towards the carriage alone, Carlos stood still.

Carlos was puzzled by Rofus’s behavior.

This resolute rejection was unexpected to Carlos.

What was wrong? What did Carlos said that made him act like that?

Did the joke about her being a prospective fiancée touch a nerve?

Carlos pondered, but there was no clear answer.

To Carlos’s eyes, the relationship between Fol and Rofus was not bad at all.

At the very least, Rofus didn’t trust anyone else as much as he trusted Carlos.

Certainly, there was a reluctance to be straightforwardly honest in response to Fol’s affection, but there was no clear rejection either.

However, now Rofus’s clear rejection could be keenly felt.

As if he were refusing to even face Fol.

What exactly happened in the Steria Domain.

Or has he now only realized the difference in status between him and Fol?

Carlos thought, but still no clear answer came to mind.

However, regardless, the change in Rofus’s demeanor over the past few days was very pleasing to Carlos.

Rofas had been lonely for a long time.

He had a bad relationship with his parents and siblings, and since the age of 10, he had lived away from the main house where the main family lived, but instead in a separate residence.

Since then, he had become even more self-centered and developed a strong sense of elitism.

Rofus, who was born with immense magical power and genius magical aptitude, had no equals.

And yet, despite twists and turns, he had somehow managed to establish an equal relationship with Fol, a commoner.

He would vehemently deny it, but Carlos saw Rofus, who spent time with Fol, as genuinely enjoying himself despite his outward grumbling.

It was a cheerful face he didn’t show to his blood relatives or to even Carlos, his close aide.

Carlos lightly wiped away tears and quietly exhaled.

Then he turned his gaze to Yurika and Norn.

“Yurika, right?”

“Y-yes. I am Yurika.”

Yurika, who was suddenly called by name, tensed up.

Carlos gently bowed.

“I apologize for the inconvenience, even though it was at Rofus-sama’s behest. I will accompany her to Rougvelt myself. Please take care of Rofus-sama in my place.”

“O-okay…”

Yurika, at a loss for words, nodded obediently.

Seeing the trust between Rofas and Carlos that had been shown just now, Yurika nodded obediently.

Then Carlos knelt before the anxious Norn and bowed his head.

“Um, um… “

Norn, who was showing a hesitant expression but didn’t try to resist, heard Carlos’s words as he kept his head lowered.

“I am Carlos, the Rofus-sama’s butler. I’m sorry for the suddenness, but I will guide you to Rougvelt. I know it may be uncomfortable, but would you please accompany this old man?”

Feeling Carlos’s gentle demeanor and his calm and gentle voice, Norn’s tense body relaxed slightly.

“Rofas-san’s… butler… I see. I’m sorry for being afraid of you. I’m okay now.”

Trying to smile somehow, Norn’s face twitched.

She’s a strong person, Carlos thought, and then stepped back two steps and began to guide Norn to Rougvelt.

Norn followed him.

Yurika chased after Rofas, who was heading towards the carriage.

After being confined as a slave for almost half a year, Norn’s muscle strength had weakened, and she struggled considerably to descend the rocky mountain path.

Carlos accompanied her, lending her a hand, and eventually even carrying her, bringing her back to Rougvelt.

Norn, while being carried, stared intently at Carlos’s face, which was marked with numerous wrinkles.

“I’m sorry for the trouble…”

Hearing that, Carlos smiled gently.

“What trouble? We’ve arrived.”

In front of Carlos and Norn was the town of Rougvelt and the skyline of the sky-blue horizon that stretched beyond.

The nostalgic scent of the shore and the cries of seagulls could be heard.

The sights she thought she would never see again brought tears to Norn’s eyes.

Being set down by Carlos, Norn, slowly but steadily, moved forward on her own feet.

In Rougvelt, residents were bustling around, tidying up after last night’s banquet.

One of the residents noticed Norn returning and dropped the wooden box he was carrying.

“Hey, isn’t that Norn…?!”

“It’s true! It’s Norn, who was kidnapped! Has she come back?!”

Other residents also reacted, and they gathered one after another.

“Norn!”

Among the gathered residents, Lilia, the innkeeper’s daughter, pushed through and hugged Norn.

“Norn! Are you okay?! Were you not treated badly?!”

“…Rofus helped me.”

“…I see. You’ve lost so much weight.”

Norn, not denying it, felt the strength in Lilia’s embrace.

Meanwhile, the gathered residents split apart like receding waves, clearing a path.

At the end of the cleared path stood Fol, eyes wide open.

It had been about half a year since Norn, her childhood friend, was taken by Clinton’s private soldiers.

Due to the increasing aggression of monsters and the damage caused to fishing boats, Fol, along with Rofus and Log, gathered skilled young sailors to deal with the situation.

Norn’s kidnapping occurred during this time.

Norn was the first resident of Rougvelt to be kidnapped.

It was carried out by the private soldiers who did not accept the plead the villagers made when they couldn’t pay taxes due to monster attacks.

When Folar returned after dealing with the monster extermination, he was naturally furious.

She stormed the Clinton residence in the port town and demanded Norn’s return.

However, naturally, her demand was not accepted, and several houses in Rougvelt were burned down in retaliation.

The fact that any action against Clinton would cause harm to others besides herself was enough to restrain Fol’s actions.

After that, kidnappings of residents continued, targeting the absence of skilled young sailors.

Fol could do nothing.

Kidnappings targeted mainly women and children, and the number of residents in Rougvelt decreased as they fled.

During such a hellish period, Fol could only curse her own helplessness.

Half a year since Norn was taken.

She had already thought she would never see Norn again.

It might be better to say that she had given up halfway on rescuing her.

And yet, Norn was now in front of Folar.

The morning after the banquet, Norn returned to the village.

“Norn…?”

Folar uttered a name she had thought she would never call again.

Seeing that, tears welled up in Norn’s eyes as she smiled.

“I’m home. It’s been a while, Fol.”

Fol slowly approached and touched Norn’s cheek with her hand.

She could feel the soft, fair skin of Norn that she touched.

It wasn’t a dream or an illusion.

Norn smiled.

“What’s with that bandana? It’s so boyish, it doesn’t suit you.”

To Fol, who laughed softly just as she did six months ago before being kidnapped, tears naturally flowed.

“Norn!”

Fol embraced her gently, and Norn hugged her back gently.

“Norn… Norn…”

Repeating her name, Folar cried like a child.

It was as if tears were flowing endlessly from the depths of his soul.

It was the tears of Faratiana, accumulated from repeated tragedies.

She was not saved in the story.

No, she couldn’t be saved.

Even the hatred for Rofus, which had settled in the depths of Fol’s soul, seemed to be washed away from its roots.

While gently stroking Fol’s head as she cried, Norn whispered in her ear, so that only Fol could hear.

“Rofus-san helped me.”

Hearing that name, Fol raised her face abruptly.

“Rofas…?”

“Yeah. Do you know him, Fol?”

Folar seemed hesitant to answer.

“…Yeah. He’s the benefactor of Rougvelt. He’s a noble, but he’s not that bad.”

“So… is Rofus-san a good person to Folar?”

The words spoken by Carlos earlier about a “prospective fiancée” came to Norn’s mind.

She hadn’t missed them.

Seeing Folar visibly flustered by Norn’s words, she turned her eyes away.

“…Huh?! Why would you…? What did Rofus say…?”

Norn shook her head.

“It’s nothing about Fol. He just scolded me for crying and said something like, ‘Don’t be so dependent. Don’t you have someone waiting for you to come back?’ He got really angry, and that’s when he mentioned your name.”

“That damn Rofas…”

Fol sighed with exasperation.

When Norn was rescued by the buyer and finished receiving treatment from Yurika, preparing to return to Rougvelt, she cried and refused.

She felt a strong aversion to meeting everyone in Rougvelt again, feeling deeply tainted.

Her dignity as a person had been thoroughly trampled on, and she had even wished to die rather than continue living like this.

But Rofas didn’t comfort her like others would. Instead, he scolded her.

His tone was harsh, but strangely, hearing Fol’s name gave Norn a glimmer of hope.

If she couldn’t be saved here, and couldn’t see everyone in Rougvelt or Fol again… she envisioned such a future and trembled.

“Rofus-sama is a kind person. He helped me.”

“No, he’s definitely not kind…”

Fol retorted with a serious expression, to which Norn chuckled softly.

Suddenly, Norn noticed that Fol’s eyes were reddened.

“Fol, what’s wrong with your eyes? It looks like you’ve been crying all night.”

Fol looked away.

“…It’s nothing.”

“Is something wrong? Is it about Rofus-san?”

“It’s nothing.”

As Norn and Folar conversed, Log, who had been watching them along with the residents, widened his eyes.

—Could it be that he overheard the conversation with Rofus from last night…?

Cold sweat dripped down his forehead.

“…Fol, about yesterday…”

Before Log could finish his sentence, Carlos knelt beside Folar and Norn.

“I apologize for interrupting your reunion. Please forgive my intrusion, Faratiana-sama.”

“You, the butler…”

Folar’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Please address me as Carlos without honorifics. Faratiana-sama.”

Addressed with an honorific, Folar felt uncomfortable, but his eyes naturally scanned the surroundings.

“Carlos, where did Rofus go? He wasn’t there when I woke up this morning, and then I heard that Norn was rescued. I don’t understand…”

Folar furrowed his brow as he couldn’t spot Rofas around.

Carlos, still bowing, quietly informed him.

“Rofas-sama will not be returning. He will not come to Rougvelt anymore.”

“…What?”

Fol’s expression was tainted with shock.