Repeat Vice - The Villainous Noble Doesn't Want to Die, So He Swore to Not Die As One of The Four Heavenly Kings - Chapter 31: Before the Decisive Battle

Chapter 31: Before The Decisive Battle

On a hill a little distance away from the capital of the Steria territory, high above it.

The airship Ifrit, rendered invisible by a concealing barrier, was anchored.

In one room onboard, a paper was spread out on the table.

The headline read, “Leader of the Sky Pirates ‘Crimson Wind,’ Sigil, Captured by ‘Merchant Prince’ Gilan.”

Reading this were the members of the Crimson Wind other than the captured Sigil.

The sub-leader Iz had also risen from bed and was now sitting on the sofa.

In the tense atmosphere, Hawk slammed his fist on the table in frustration.

“Darn it, we should’ve gone together after all. Sigil shouldn’t have gone alone!”

Hawk muttered bitterly.

Kei patted Hawk’s shoulder with concern.

“It was Sigil who insisted on going alone. It’s not your fault.”

“No, Gilan is known for his bad reputation anyway. It was reckless for us to let him go alone…”

Hawk gritted his teeth.

Iz closed her eyes and shook her head.

“Even if someone had gone with him, they probably would have been captured too.”

Elma, sitting beside Iz, tilted her head.

“So, what do we do now? We have to rescue Sigil, right?”

“Of course! We should prepare and go immediately…”

“Wait.”

Iz stopped Hawk, who was about to act immediately.

“Hawk, calm down a bit. Sigil is skilled. If we rush in without a plan, it’ll be like falling into Gilan’s trap again.”

“…Gilan’s mansion is quite large. Even if we break in, it will take time for us to search for Sigil.”

Dan added as a supplement to Iz’s words.

“Even if they’re skilled, if we all attack together, we can defeat them. Why not rush in head-on and rescue him in one go? It’s a lightning operation.”

Kei said while hanging his spear on his shoulder, and Elma sighed.

“Fool. If you do that, the regular troops of the Steria territory might also come out.”

“No, that’s why it’s a lightning operation, a quick battle.”

Iz shrugged at Kei’s suggestion.

“The opponents may not just be skilled individuals. If we fail to defeat them, we’ll be caught between them and the reinforcements from the capital. Then, we’ll all be done for.”

The discussion among the Crimson Wind members continued toward rescuing Sigil, but no consensus was reached.

At this point, Riruka, who had been silent the whole time, spoke up.

“Hey, isn’t it a good idea to rely on Rofus-sama?”

The mention of his name silenced the members of the Scarlet Wind.

Each of them closed their mouths awkwardly, and it was Hawk who spoke up.

“Riruka, I understand that you want to see the heir of the Lightless family, but think about the situation.”

“Huh?! No no no, it’s not about wanting to see him! I’m serious!”

“That heir of the Lightless family has no reason to help us. Besides, he warned us not to enter the Lightless territory again. If we meet again, we might really get caught.”

“Well… if we explain the situation…”

Iz put her hand on her chin, pondering.

“No, it might not be a bad idea.”

“Iz!? What are you saying!?”

Hawk stood up and confronted Iz.

Elma glared at Hawm, “Don’t raise your voice too much. It affects Iz’s health.”

“…Sorry. But, he’s from the Lightless family, right? Honestly, I don’t trust that young noble. Even if he offers to help, we don’t know what he’ll ask for in return.”

To Hawk’s dissatisfaction, Iz tilted her head slightly.

“…Hawk, we are pirates, claiming to be pirates, earning illegally by diving into ruins and dungeons. We’ve been chased by knights and soldiers more than once or twice. What would normally happen if we were caught?”

“Well, Ifrit would be taken, and we would be executed or imprisoned.”

In response to Iz’s question, Hawk answered without hesitation.

Iz smiled.

“That’s right… So, what did that little nobleman do to us despite that?”

“That’s… maybe it’s just the whim of that nobleman…?”

“A whim, well, it’s mercy. Let’s cling to that mercy. The opponent is Gilan, who controls commerce in the Steria territory. There’s no chance of winning without the support of the nobility, right?”

“We can’t be sure if that mercy will be there next time. I, for one, don’t trust that Rofus kid.”

“Is that so? I think he’s much better than Gilan. Anyway, this is how it turned out. That’s why I was against going along with Gilan’s plan.”

“That’s… Sigil was trying to cure your illness…!”

Iz and Hawk argued, expressing opposing views.

“I agree with Iz’s opinion. The opponent is Gilan, right? If the rescue of Sigil fails, we will lose everything.”

“…I agree too. Besides, we were helped by that young nobleman, Rofus. He’s more reliable than Gilan.”

Elma and Dan showed their support for Iz, and the remaining Kei shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, I think it’s okay to have that little nobleman on our side. He’s a womanizer, so if Elma and Riruka flatter him, he might cooperate immediately. But… I don’t know…”

Kei closed one eye and looked at Hawk.

“Rescuing Sigil as soon as possible is better, right? How about going back to the Lightless territory, finding the young master, and asking for help? It’ll take at least a whole day to come back here. During that time, there’s no guarantee that Sigil will be safe.”

At Kei’s words, Iz, Elma, and Dan fell silent.

While they were in disagreement, Riruka gritted her teeth slightly.

Suddenly, the wind brushed Riruka’s hair behind her.

“…?”

Turning around, there was, of course, no one there.

Riruka narrowed her eyes slightly and spoke.

“I’ll go out for some fresh air.”

Riruka muttered and left the room alone.

Meanwhile, in the Steria Territory Capital

 A certain luxury inn in the main capital of Steria territory.

 I was sitting on the sofa in the highest grade room and relaxing.

 In my hand was a mug of coffee, and on his desk were the morning newspapers that had been scattered all morning in Honto.

 I narrow my eyes at the headline in the morning paper.

 “Why are these guys here?”

I should have parted ways with Crimson wind in Rougvelt, telling them to disappear somewhere, but I had no idea that their destination after that was the same Steria territory.

 Moreover, Sigil, the leader of Crimson Wind, has been captured by Gilan for some reason.

 Gilan is one of my targets for moxibustion in Steria territory.

 Those who imitated the Lightless Marquis family must be given a suitable punishment.

 The Crimson Wind leader, which many nobles and knights were unable to capture, has been captured by Gilan for some reason.

 I tilt my head as I wonders what happened

 “Is it true that Gilan is the source of the story about the miracle drug?”

 At Rougvelt, I asked Sigil about the authenticity and falsity of the magic drug.

 Or perhaps because of that incident, Sigil took some kind of action against the merchant who came to him with a story about a miracle drug.

 A magic bullet with doubts about its authenticity.

Rofus hadn’t heard the merchant’s name from Sigil directly, but considering the situation, it was probably Gilan.

 “A stupid thief has been captured by an ignorant servant. There’s no way to save him.”

 I snorts and drinks his coffee in one gulp.

 Then he turned his gaze towards the bed.

 Vallum was lying on the luxurious bed, covered in scars.

 In the incident at the prison tower earlier, Vallum had consumed a large amount of magical power and had become depleted of magical power.

 Rofus carried him on his shoulders and rode Frugel to the capital.

I enter a luxurious-looking inn, and to the owner, who is perplexed by the child who enters with a child in his arms, I reveal that I am an incognito aristocrat, and then hand over a large amount of money to the owner, who is puzzled by me.

 At first, the owner was suspicious of me, a self-proclaimed incognito aristocrat who did not reveal his identity, but when he saw the Lightless emblem decorated on Lofus’ cloak, his face turned pale and he immediately prepared a room of the highest quality.

 After being handed a large amount of money, the owner’s face, which had been completely pale, turned even paler in a blink of an eye, and his eyes turned into gold coins as he responded to the situation with high excitement, massaging it with his hands at high speed.

 He is a cash-rich owner with a strong merchant spirit.

 However, the owner, who bowed down before money and power, was an easy opponent for Rofus.

I was taken to the highest grade room, rolled Vallum onto the bed, and then enjoyed the coffee the clerk had brought him.

 It was at that time that the morning paper on the desk caught Lofus’s attention.

 The reason I brought Vallum to the capital in the first place was because there was a connection between Gilan and Vallum, who he was planning to destroy.

 Vallum’s father was captured by Gilan.

 In that case, I speculated that Vallum would definitely want to be involved in crushing Gilan.

 This was due to my kindness toward Vallum, and it was only because I felt a little guilty about having made fun of him unilaterally in the prison tower.

 However, I never apologized for that.

 Hence the warmth.

 “Hmm”

 I glance at Vallum who is lying on the bed, snorts, and leave the room.

 As I headed towards the entrance of the inn, the owner approached me while massaging my hands.

 “Ah, esteemed guest! Are you going out?”

 “I’ll leave a little. When my companion wakes up, give him a mana potion. I’ll pay extra.”

 The owner gives a quick salute.

 “I’m in awe! We will provide you with the highest quality products!”

 Rofus throws off his black cloak and goes out into town.

 It was as if I was being guided by something.

 *

Rofus was currently walking around town when someone suddenly hugged him from behind.

Startled, Rofus turned around to see the faint, light brown hair tied behind.

It was a very familiar head.

“Hey, Riruka! What are you running off to all of a sudden?”

Emerging from the crowd was a member of the Crimson Wind wearing round sunglasses—was his name Hawk?

Hawk’s face turned pale when he saw me, as if asking, “Why are you here?” but it was I who should be saying that.

Riruka, the girl who had hugged me from behind, was still crying and murmuring on my back.

“Rofus… Sigil, Sigil…”

She kept repeating it, crying.

Although I had learned from the morning paper about Sigil, for now, I still glared at Hawk.

“Hey, what are you standing there for? Quickly, get rid of this rude person. She’s your relative, right?”

I said coldly, and Hawk, startled, tried to pry Riruka off me.

“Fool! Stay away from Rofus-san! You’re bothering him, aren’t you?”

“No way! If I let go now, Rofus will go somewhere else again!”

“Get away from him now!”

“No way!”

Hawk struggled to pry Riruka off, but Riruka wouldn’t let go and continued to clung to me.

No, isn’t it strange to say, “I’ll go somewhere else again”?

The Crimson Wind—they were just regular criminals. I didn’t want to cause any more trouble with them.

If the guards heard about the commotion, it would be a big problem.

Seeing Riruka, who refused to let go no matter what, I sighed deeply.

“…I’m not going anywhere, so let go.” 

“Really!?” 

Surprisingly, Riruka obediently released her grip as I spoke. 

Hawk didn’t miss the opportunity. 

He swiftly took a hold of Riruka and gradually backed away from Rofus. 

“Hey, Hawk! What are you doing!?” 

“That’s my line! Rofus-san, I apologize! I’ll get her to step back right away! I’m really sorry for this sudden intrusion!” 

“Geez! Hawk! Let go—!” 

From behind her, Riruka gave a strong blow to Hawk’s vital point, who was tightening his hold onto her by, by kicking him up with her ankle.

 “——!!!?”

 Hawk lets out a silent scream and collapses, blowing bubbles.

 Riruka, now free, puts her hand on her waist and puffs out her cheeks, saying, “Mou”.

 When I was shown such a scene, I was stunned.

Riruka, freed from Hawk’s embrace, pouted with her hands on her hips. 

Seeing this scene, I couldn’t help but be amazed. 

Sensing my gaze, Riruka waved her hands in a flustered manner. 

“N-no, it’s not what you think, okay!?” 

What’s not? It seems pretty straightforward to me. 

“I-I mean, I was just asking Elma-nee about what to do if we were attacked by thugs, and it just came out!” 

She seemed to be making some kind of excuse, but treating family like thugs? I’m not so sure about that. 

Suddenly, footsteps, possibly from approaching guards, could be heard. 

“Make way!” Voices could be heard approaching. 

Given the commotion we caused, it wouldn’t be surprising if the guards were coming. 

In the capital, security is tight, so it’s only natural. 

I pointed to Hawk, who was lying on the ground. 

“That’s enough. Guide me to the airship. I’ll hear you out. And you’ll carry those sunglasses.” 

Either way, I was planning to gather information about Gilan. 

The Scarlet Wind probably had some information about Gilan. 

“Really!? But, Rofus-san, Hawk is heavy…” 

“Hurry up. Before I change my mind.” 

…You’re the one who knocked him out, after all. 

“Okay…” 

With a lackluster reply, Riruka hoisted Hawk onto her back and swiftly ran through the gaps in the crowd. 

She’s quite skilled at carrying Hawk on her back. 

Using the Dark Carpet technique, I extended my shadow and connected it to Riruka’s shadow, then slipped into the shadows and followed her. 

From Riruka’s perspective, she shouldn’t be able to see me, but she didn’t seem to suspect that I wasn’t following her, so she ran without looking back. 

Riruka’s magically enhanced feet were fast, and it didn’t take long for us to reach the airship. 

“Hey, why is Rofus here?” 

“I don’t know…” 

Kei muttered, while Dan tilted his head. 

The setting is the cabin of the airship Ifrit. 

Rofus lounged on the sofa, while Hawk stood in front of him. 

And just like a few days ago, Kei and Dan stood in the corner of the room. 

When Rofus first arrived on the Ifrit, Iz tried to get up from the bed to greet him, but Rofus refused, saying the sick person should stay in bed. 

Then, Rofus specifically designated Hawk to attend to him. 

From Rofus’s perspective, Hawk was just one of the nameless members, but he was relatively good at assessing situations and reasonably intelligent. 

That’s why he was chosen. 

Hawk, who had been unconscious, was awakened by Kei and Dan and placed in front of Rofus. 

Hawk inwardly cried out, “Why me!?” 

“I made tea for everyone! Oh, and Rofus-san, you have coffee.” 

Riruka entered the room with a tray and served tea to everyone. 

Rofus accepted coffee from Riruka without refusing, unlike before, and took a sip. 

Hawk explained the situation to Rofus as he was asked. 

How they came to the Steria territory, the fact that Sigil was captured by Gilan, and so on. 

After listening to the story, Rofus finished his lukewarm coffee and looked at Hawk with his black and emerald eyes. 

“So, what do you want me to do?” 

“W-well…” 

Hawk hesitated. 

From the standpoint of the Scarlet Wind, it would be preferable to seek shelter and cooperation from Rofus. 

However, personally, Hawk opposed that idea. 

It was simply because Rofus posed such a significant danger, both in terms of combat ability and threat level, that he didn’t think the Scarlet Wind could handle him. 

If he wanted to, Rofus could probably wipe out the entire Scarlet Wind with just a flick of his finger. 

In Hawk’s eyes, Rofus appeared to be that dangerous. 

It was akin to making a deal with the devil. 

“…We’re going to rescue Sigil. We want your help with that, Rofus-sama.” 

Riruka said, clinging to Rofus as if she were begging, since Hawk remained silent. 

But Rofus didn’t respond to her plea and instead kept his gaze on Hawk. 

“…That’s all well and good, but are you sure about this? Hawk, you were chosen by me as the representative of the Crimson Wind. Can you really say that with confidence?” 

Hawk looked somewhat surprised at Rofus’s words. 

He had thought that Rofus would simply make one-sided demands as a noble, but seeing Rofus genuinely willing to listen changed Hawk’s perception of him, at least a little. 

At the very least, the other party was a human who sought conversation, not an unreasonable demon. 

“…I’m sorry. It might be difficult for just us to rescue Sigil from Gilan. That’s a fact.” 

Hawk paused for a moment before continuing. 

“But it’s inappropriate to trouble you just because of that. We don’t have the means to compensate you, Rofus-san. And I doubt we can satisfy your demands.” 

With his hands on the floor and his forehead against it, Hawk continued. 

“Even so, please. We want your help to rescue Sigil.” 

The sudden bow from Hawk surprised Riruka, Kei, and Dan, each of them widening their eyes in shock. 

“Hey, Hawk!?” 

“Hey, hey!” 

“…!” 

Hawk continued to bow. 

Rofus looked down at him quietly. 

“In my personal capacity, I don’t have anything to offer from the Scarlet Wind except my life—feel free to use it however you wish.” 

Hawk’s words caused a stir among the other members. 

Rofus tilted his head. 

“As an individual…? But I chose you as the representative of the Crimson Wind. Why aren’t you giving an answer as the Crimson Wind?” 

“I’m neither the leader nor the deputy leader of the Crimson Wind. Therefore, I don’t have the authority to offer anything on behalf of the Crimson Wind—except my own life.” 

Hawk raised his head and looked straight at Rofus. 

And Rofus frowned. 

“…So, what are you trying to say? Are you suggesting that I made a mistake in choosing you as the representative, since you’re neither the leader nor the deputy leader?” 

“Yes, that’s correct. Since I’m neither the leader nor the deputy leader, the fact that you chose me as the representative is entirely your responsibility, Rofus-sama.” 

There was a brief moment of silence between them. 

In the piercing tension, Riruka, Kei, and Dan couldn’t utter a word or move. 

Rofus narrowed his eyes, and then… he chuckled. 

He laughed quietly, clutching his stomach but shaking his shoulders. 

Riruka, Kei, and Dan watched him with surprise. 

While Hawk, despite the sweat dripping from his forehead, lifted the corners of his mouth slightly as he looked at Rofus. 

After laughing for a while, Rofus looked directly at Hawk. 

“You certainly make a point. I chose you as the representative, assuming we could at least have a conversation. But you have no authority apart from me, so your response is reasonable. Hawk, you’re quite audacious. Thinking through it rationally.” 

With that said, Rofus seemed somewhat pleased. 

“Very well, Hawk. I’ll go along with your cheap talk. I’ll help rescue Sigil. In return, you’ll be absolutely obedient to me for the rest of your life.” 

“T-Thank you very much!” 

Hawk bowed his head. 

“Wait a minute! Don’t just decide that on your own!” 

“…It’s not good to bear it all alone.” 

Kei and Dan crowded around Hawk. 

“Ugh… why does it have to come to this…” 

Riruka groaned, holding her head. 

Rofus turned away, ignoring the rest, and lounged on the sofa. 

And thus, Sigil’s rescue was added to Rofus’s plan. 

In the capital of the Steria territory, at the Gilan mansion. 

“What, Rofus Ray Lightless is in the Steria territory…!?” 

The setting is a guest room. 

Gilan, reclining on the sofa with a surprised expression on his face, looked up. 

In front of Gilan stood Eric Idea Steria, the Crimson Sword Saint, with his long crimson hair and crimson coat. 

Eric, the Sword Saint, had come to Gilan as an envoy of the lord. 

He reported the incident of the partially collapsed prison tower to the lord, who was also his father, the Count of Steria, and was then ordered to guard Gilan. 

It was a prudent decision considering the possibility that Gilan might incur Rofus’s wrath and be targeted. 

“Gilan, you dared to send a complaint to the Lightless family without my permission. What a foolish thing to do.” 

Eric’s words, tinged with sarcasm, made Gilan’s eyes bloodshot.

“We were the ones who were attacked! We’re the victims here, aren’t we!?”

“…Who do you think covered up the slave trading incident?”

Gilan fell silent at Eric’s words.

“…You’ve made quite a mess by picking a fight with the Lightless family.”

“Hmph. He attacked us first.”

“As a result, the Steria family may end up at odds with the Ligbtless family. For now, I’ve been sent by your father, who’s a bit of a worrywart, to serve as your bodyguard.”

“With the champion of the Royal Sword Saint Festival and the legendary assassin, Red Cap, by my side… With such forces, even that Lightless…”

Gilan laughed vulgarly, full of triumph.

Red Cap, who stood by Gilan’s side, adjusted his deep crimson hat and shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, who knows…”

Eric muttered quietly as he touched the hilt of his sword, which had a crack in it.