Repeat Vice - The Villainous Noble Doesn't Want to Die, So He Swore to Not Die As One of The Four Heavenly Kings - Chapter 27: Yellow Lily

Chapter 27: Yellow Lily

“I can’t believe it!”

Riruka confronted Rofus.

“Seriously! When someone pushes you down and asks if you like somebody, what else are you supposed to think!? You’d naturally assume they’re hitting on you, right!? Am I wrong!?”

Riruka’s voice echoed throughout the ship as she continued her tirade.

Rofus avoided eye contact and ignored her, but Riruka persisted.

“And on top of that, I didn’t exactly give an entirely negative response, did I!? But it’s understandable, right!? After all, I owe my life to you! You saved everyone! Rofus, you’re so strong, and not bad-looking either, so it’s normal to think you’re kinda nice too, right!? Right!?”

Riruka grabbed the hem of Rofus’s coat and pulled him while complaining.

Rofus, with a somewhat weary look in his eyes, continued to ignore everything.

Watching from a distance were members of the Crimson Wind—Kei, Dan, and the short-haired female member, Elma.

“Hey, what’s up with Riruka?”

Elma asked, and Dan replied, “They’ve been like that since they came back to the deck together.”

“That Rofus kid, isn’t he from that noble family, the Lightless? Is Riruka really into him? I heard something about him pushing her down or trying to charm her,” Kei chuckled.

“Yeah, that’s why I think Riruka isn’t exactly his type. From what I’ve heard, Riruka might have misunderstood and passively agreed to his advances, further complicating things. She’s probably throwing a tantrum now because she realized she wasn’t actually being charmed,” Dan analyzed.

“Is that so? I’ve never seen Riruka so angry before. And is it really okay to shout at a noble like that?” Elma questioned.

“It should be fine. From what I can tell, that noble guy is quite the ladies’ man. Even if he’s not interested, he wouldn’t treat a woman rudely. Hey, Elma, why don’t you give it a shot? Didn’t you say you wanted to marry a rich guy?” Kei teased.

Elma grimaced. “Well, I did say that, but… isn’t he about the same age as Riruka? Besides, he’s too far above me in status, and dealing with nobles seems a bit… well, he’s not bad-looking though,” Elma replied.

Dan tilted his head. “…Kei, isn’t Riruka being ignored? Isn’t that being rude to her?”

“They’re dealing with a noble, remember? Just ignoring her is already quite lenient. If we were to do the same to Riruka as that noble did, what do you think would happen?” Kei retorted.

“Well, I’d be executed immediately,” Dan responded.

“…I’d lose my head,” Elma added.

Kei shrugged at Dan and Elma’s immediate responses. “See? That’s how it goes.”

As Dan and Elma nodded in agreement, Hawk arrived from the corridor.

Hawk furrowed his brows as he looked at the shouting Riruka. “What’s all the commotion about?”

Kei grinned. “Hey, wanna hear? It’s about Riruka’s failed romance.”

“That’s interesting, but… we’ll be landing soon. Prepare yourselves for the impact,” Hawk warned as he left the three.

He then approached Rofus, who was being confronted by Riruka.

“Rofus, we’ll be arriving at Roguebelt shortly. Brace yourself for some impact, so hold onto the railing or something,” Hawk advised.

“…Understood,” Rofus sighed in relief at Hawk’s words, but Riruka continued unabated.

“Hey! We’re not done talking yet! Are you listening, Rofus!?”

Soon, the ship was hit with the turbulence of descent, yet Riruka’s voice continued to echo throughout the ship.

Near the summit of a rocky mountain near Roguebelt.

A place previously used for landing upon returning from the Sterian territory.

The airship Ifrit was hovering above.

Ifrit was equipped with advanced invisibility and magic-nullifying barriers, making it impossible to spot the airship from the ground.

High-speed flight through complete invisibility.

This has been the reason why the Crimson Wind has been evading the kingdom until now.

Even now, as Ifrit hovers over the mountain, the residents of Rougvelt are unaware of its existence.

From the deck of Ifrit, Rofus looked down at the mountaintop.

There, as expected, stood a wyvern.

It was unmistakably Vallum’s Wyvern, with one of its wings painted dark.

The Wyvern repeatedly cried out as it gazed up at the sky.

It was as if it were calling out to someone.

“Wow! It’s a Wyvern!”

“Hey, be careful!”

Riruka exclaimed from the deck, leaning over the railing, while being grabbed by Hawk.

“Why is there one here… is that why it’s here?”

Sigil asked, and Rofus nodded.

“We’ve come all this way. I’ll be getting off here.”

“Huh… so what about us…?”

“Go wherever you want,” Rofus replied curtly.

“Alright!” Sigil pumped his fist, ignoring Rofus’s gaze.

Rofus glanced around to ensure the others were at a safe distance, then spoke.

“…I have a warning for you.”

“Huh? What’s…?”

“That pricey miracle cure,” Rofus began, “there’s currently no such thing as an effective medicine for Iz’s condition.”

“…What?”

Sigil tilted his head in bewilderment at Rofus’s words.

“W-Well, you’re not even a doctor, why would you say something like that…?”

“Has any doctor told you there’s a miracle cure for this disease? Something like that?”

“…”

Sigil fell silent.

When he showed Iz to a doctor, they said there was nothing they could do.

There was no medicine available, just like what Rofus was saying.

Yet, they couldn’t give up hope, and they desperately gathered information about the endemic disease.

At that time, they were approached by a certain wealthy merchant.

Though the price was steep, they claimed to have a miracle cure.

In the kingdom, there might not be such a medicine, but in the empire, where technology is more advanced, they claimed that a cure for the disease already existed.

The merchant had connections in the empire, and while it was costly, it was possible to obtain it, though it was as precious as an elixir.

But with that cure, Iz could be completely cured.

Without suffering, they could once again go on adventures together.

To grasp that future, Sigil and the other members risked their lives exploring high-level ruins and dungeons.

To hear this now…

Sigil let out a dry laugh.

“…Haha. Don’t say such irresponsible things. There is a miracle cure. It might not be in the kingdom, but in the empire… so—”

“The empire? That’s a ridiculous notion. The disease you’re talking about accumulates magical elements in the body. While the empire has advanced technology, they’re lacking in magical knowledge. There shouldn’t be any miracle cure for such a disease,” Rofus interrupted.

“Stop with your nonsense already!”

Unable to bear it any longer, Sigil grabbed Rofus by the collar.

The sudden action caused a commotion around them.

Rofus glared coldly at Sigil.

“Let go.”

“You’ve been saying nonsense since earlier. Who the hell—”

“Who was it that spread the false information about the miracle cure from the empire?”

“What the hell are you—”

“Hooold it right there!!!”

Hawk, who had sprinted over with a shout, put Sigil in a headlock.

Even so, Sigil didn’t let go of Rofus’s collar, and Kei and Dan, who arrived late, joined in to pry Sigil off.

“Damn it, Sigil! Who do you think you’re messing with!?” Hawk shouted angrily at Sigil while Kei and Dan restrained him.

Riruka ran worriedly to Rofus.

“W-What’s wrong, Rofus!? What happened!?”

Ignoring Riruka, Rofus straightened his disheveled attire and faced Sigil, who was being held back.

“Do you think I’m lying? Well, whether you believe it or not is up to you.”

Rofus then deployed a magical barrier and flicked away Riruka’s hand, which had grabbed his coat.

“Rofus!”

Ignoring Riruka’s protests, Rofus climbed over the railing and stood at the edge of the deck, facing Sigil and then Hawk.

“You’ve been meddling unnecessarily. I’ll forgive your disrespectful behavior earlier.”

Rofus then leaped off towards the ground.

“Wait, Rofus—”

“Oi oi oi!?”

Kei stopped Riruka, who tried to chase after Rofus, by putting her in a headlock as well.

Despite Kei’s intervention, Riruka still peeked over the railing at the ground below.

She saw Rofus being carried by a large dark hand, slowly descending to the ground.

“He can even fly in the sky.”

Kei muttered as he watched with Riruka.

Riruka gritted her teeth slightly before reluctantly returning to the deck.

“What’s wrong, Riruka? Are you seriously into that noble guy?”

Kei teased, causing Riruka to puff her cheeks and turn away.

“…That’s not what I meant.”

“No, no, your attitude clearly suggests…”

“I already told you, it’s not like that!”

Kei teased Riruka as she sulked.

Watching the scene with a sigh, Hawk finally released the calmed Sigil.

“Are you calm now, leader? Do you realize that your tantrum could have put Crimson Wind in danger of total destruction again?”

Sigil turned away sullenly, running his hand roughly through his spiky hair.

“Sorry about that.”

“What happened?”

“…I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Hey.”

Seeing Hawk narrow his eyes, Sigil sighed in resignation.

“…It’s about the miracle cure.”

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

“Huh? Why would the legitimate heir of the Lightless family say that…”

“I don’t know, it’s just a warning.”

Sigil walked towards the cabin.

“…I need to confirm with Gilan.”

Muttering to himself, Sigil turned back to the members of the Crimson Wind.

“You guys, we’re departing. Our destination is north—Sterian territory.”

The wealthy merchant who approached the Crimson Wind with talk of an expensive miracle cure—merchant Gilan.

Sigil didn’t necessarily take Rofus’s words at face value.

If Rofus’s words were indeed true, it meant there was no miracle cure, and Iz, afflicted by the disease, would not be saved.

That was something he couldn’t believe.

But in the first place, there was no reason for Rofus to lie about this matter.

In any case, it was necessary to hear what Gilan had to say.

The magical engine of the airship Ifrit roared, emitting crimson flames.

In an instant, Ifrit reached its maximum speed, leaving behind a red trail in the night sky as it flew north.

Through the window of Ifrit, Riruka continued to gaze at the distant rocky mountains of Rougvelt.

Riruka spoke with emotionless eyes.

“A Wyvern… maybe we’ll meet again over there—Rofus.”

Her small murmurs melted away into the sound of the engine.

At the summit of a rocky mountain near Roguebelt.

Having jumped from the airship, Rofus descended slowly with the aid of the Dark Hand, a dark arm, and landed on the ground from a distance of several tens of meters above.

The remaining Dark Hand dispersed and disappeared, and Rofus touched down on the ground.

The only thing visible to Rofus’s eyes was the wyvern, as far as he could see.

Perhaps because it was night, there were no signs of the few residents of Rougvelt who had obstructed the extermination team.

In his mind, the face of Fol flickered briefly, but Rofus immediately shook his head to dispel his thoughts.

Having jumped from the airship enveloped in an invisible barrier, Rofus appeared to others as if he had suddenly materialized.

The Wyvern, surprised by Rofus’s sudden descent from the sky, opened its eyes wide and emitted a short cry before approaching.

“…”

Rofus, wary of the sudden approach, recalled the moment when he was almost attacked by the Wyvern upon their first meeting, but there was no hostility in the Wyvern’s actions right now.

Rather, it rubbed its head against Rofus’s coat, emitting weak cries.

It seemed less like affection and more like a plea for something, almost as if it were seeking help.

Rofus narrowed his eyes and looked at the wyvern.

“What happened? Why did you come alone, where’s Vallum?”

The wyvern naturally couldn’t answer Rofus’s question.

However, as if responding to Rofus’s words, the wyvern grasped the hem of Rofus’s coat with its mouth and tugged.

It was almost as if it was asking him to ride on its back.

“Could it be… you want me to come to Sterian territory?”

The wyvern let out an affirmative cry.

Rofus looked up at the night sky and sighed wearily.

Rejecting the wyvern’s plea would be easy, but he couldn’t ignore Valm’s situation.

Come to think of it, Vallum didn’t attend the Galleon-hosted party earlier.

It wasn’t that he didn’t come, but perhaps something happened that prevented him from coming.

“Oh, now that I think about it…”

Rofus suddenly remembered.

He had forgotten until now, but three months ago, at their parting in Sterian territory, Valulm had mentioned something.

At that time, Vallum had said he would expose the merchant Gilan for his involvement in slave trading.

Merchant Gilan… a slightly overweight man who had once held Norn as a slave and had been freed by Rofus’s hand.

And later, the Rofus family received a complaint from merchant Gilan.

The contents stated that Rofus, as the legitimate heir of the Lightless family, had attacked his mansion.

Although there was no evidence left at Gilan’s mansion that could identify him, having his identity exposed meant that the Lightless family crest given to Vallum had become a liability.

“I see.”

In Rofus’s mind, dots began to connect.

“Vallum… what do you mean by ‘expose’? It seems you’ve messed up…”

Merchant Gilan seemed to hold considerable power in Sterian territory, despite not being a noble.

He wielded enough influence to cover up even some major crimes.

“A commoner without magical power, trying to rise to prominence… seems to be getting carried away. I should have killed him on the spot.”

Muttering to himself, Rofus mounted the wyvern.

“But Vallum is Vallum. If he’s as skilled as he is, he should be able to handle it.”

The Wyvern, infused with excessive magical power by Rofus, flew at tremendous speed through the night sky.

The two trails left in the night sky quietly disappeared before anyone could notice.

In the underground dungeon of Sterian territory, a frigid land.

Standing before the heavily restrained Vallum, a man stood alone.

With long crimson hair and clad in a red coat, he wore a white ermine fur wrapped around his neck like a scarf, and at his waist, he carried a finely crafted sword engraved with the royal crest.

The winner of this year’s Swordsmanship Tournament held annually in the kingdom—current Sword Saint.

The second son of the Sterian Lord—Eric Idea Steria.

He was nicknamed the “Crimson Sword Saint” due to his hair color.

The Sword Saint Eric spoke amiably to Valm.

“Have you cooled your head, Vallum? It’s not good to be so stubborn. Here, I have a gift for you. I bought it from a flower-picking girl on the way. Despite the snow still melting, it seems to be already blooming. The flower is tenacious and robust, isn’t it? Just like our soldiers.”

“…”

Eric took out a yellow lily from his pocket and showed it to Valm.

But Vallum remained silent in response.

In the continuing silence, Eric sighed and lowered his shoulders.

“As much as I hate to admit it, I can’t stand seeing a warrior like you rotting away in a place like this. I want you to come back under my wing for a while.”

Eric served as the leader of the Sterian Order of Knights.

Vallum, despite being only 12 years old, worked as a laborer under Eric’s command.

It was Eric who had instructed Vallum in combat techniques.

Eric was Valm’s superior and his martial arts instructor.

Seeing Eric’s friendly gesture, Valm glared at him.

“I want my father… to be released. You also understand, don’t you, about Gilan’s misdeeds. Why would you let such a man roam free…?”

“A 12-year-old child wouldn’t understand. Sterian territory is vast and our soldiers are strong, but it’s by no means a wealthy land. Gilan is indeed a despicable man, but his skills as a merchant are top-notch. Without a doubt, he keeps the Sterian territory’s economy running. What do you think would happen if we were to drive him away?”

Faced with Eric’s explanation, Valm gritted his teeth.

“Why did you let a man like him run free until he controlled the entire economy…! My father would never have allowed such a thing! Even if it meant… for the sake of Sterian territory…!”

“…Don’t say that in front of my father. If you don’t want to be executed. Even I, no matter how much I try, cannot stop my furious father.”

Eric shrugged his shoulders in exasperation.

“Your father, unfortunately, may have to give up. Your father fought against Gilan in Sterian territory. Even if he’s released, he won’t live long in this land.”

Vallum glared at Eric.

“That’s unacceptable! Gilan is a poison to Sterian territory! My father was trying to do something about it, for the sake of Sterian territory…!”

“It seems calm discussion is impossible. You’ll need to cool your head here for a while longer.”

After Eric left, Vallum’s angry voice echoed in the dungeon for a while.

As Eric left, the yellow lily that had slipped from his hand fell to the ground.

Its yellow petals froze white against the cold ground.