Repeat Vice - The Villainous Noble Doesn't Want to Die, So He Swore to Not Die As One of The Four Heavenly Kings - Chapter 36: Dawn

Chapter 36: Dawn

“The rewinding of time, and the Wind God singling me out… I wonder?”

As Rofus listened to Riruka’s story, he pondered. The content of Riruka’s tale was hard to believe.

However, Rofus himself had experienced dreams of the future and could not ignore the experience of being killed countless times, which was anything but ignorable.

Given Rofus’s background, he could not dismiss Riruka’s words as absurd.

Moreover, if what Riruka said was true, it would explain her previously inexplicable behavior.

Suddenly, Riruka remembered something and spoke up.

“Oh, I almost forgot. I also met the God of Darkness.”

“Huh?”

Rofus raised an eyebrow at Riruka’s claim of meeting the second of the Six Gods.

“You see, during the time on the deck when I was out of it, right?”

“You mean when you were mumbling nonsense and I had to push you off the ship? It did feel quite unreal, but I thought you were just out of it…”

“At that time, the surroundings suddenly turned pitch black, and when I came to, there was a person in front of me, all dressed in black.”

“…And that was the God of Darkness?”

Riruka nodded.

“Unlike the Wind God, they didn’t introduce themselves as such, but I could just feel it. They had a really terrifying gaze, totally different from the Wind God. It kind of reminded me of you when you were one of the Four Heavenly Kings.”

“…So, after the Wind God, you met the God of Darkness. And why did this God of Darkness appear before you?”

“The God of Darkness said to me…”

Riruka took a deep breath.

“‘Stola Endowalker is here. You will not be able to move a finger against the current Rofus—you will die.’…That’s what they said, the divine revelation and all.”

Rofus frowned, his veins popping.

“…Hmm. Not able to move a finger, huh?”

“You probably would have died if I hadn’t been there,” Riruka said, looking at Rofus with half-closed eyes, and he snorted.

“But that explains your unnatural behavior on the deck, doesn’t it?”

Recalling the incident, Rofus had tried to prevent Riruka from disembarking at Gilan Manor, driven by his suspicion of her strange behavior. However, he ended up disembarking himself, pushing her off the ship.

Rofus smiled bitterly, remembering the situation at the time.

“However, did you stay because you wanted me to help heal Iz’s illness? That’s quite a demand.”

“Well, there was no other choice, it was urgent. If I had said it was a divine message, would you have let me stay?”

“I wouldn’t have bought it. I would’ve laughed it off.”

“You see—”

Riruka, standing up slowly, leaned over Rofus, who was still sitting.

“Here’s my story. I have no intention of being hostile, and I actually want Rofus’s help. More than that, please.”

Riruka took Rofus’s hand and knelt before him.

“I want your cooperation in saving my sister, Iz.”

“…Cooperation, or whatever, I don’t know any methods for healing the illness either.”

“Of course, we’ll find a way. I’m absolutely sure. That’s why I need your cooperation, Rofus.”

“And what if the Wind God is lying?”

“…I don’t know. But last time, no matter what I did, I couldn’t save Iz. So now, I have no choice but to rely on the Wind God.”

Riruka looked sad, and after a moment of silence, Rofus sighed.

“…Understood. I’ll cooperate as much as I can. As long as you’re not hostile towards me.”

“Really!? Thank you so much!”

Riruka tried to hug Rofus out of joy, but he held her at arm’s length, keeping her away.

“Don’t cling to me.”

“Hey, you were the one who said ‘until we’re done talking’ earlier—”

“I said that, but—”

Riruka pouted but obediently moved away.

Then, voices could be heard from above ground.

“Hey, Riruka! Are you okay!?”

It was Sigil’s voice.

“I’m here! We’re fine, Sigil! We’ll be right up!”

Riruka shouted upwards, her voice echoing to the surface.

“You’re fine, huh?”

Rofus couldn’t help but snort at Riruka’s white lie.

Just then, a beam of sunlight pierced through from above.

It was the sign of dawn, morning light.

“Wow, it’s already dawn? Hurry up, Rofus! If the guards find us, it’ll be troublesome!”

Riruka climbed onto the pile of rubble and reached out to Rofus.

Her light brown hair glowed yellow in the morning sun.

Seeing this, Rofus thought of a certain flower.

“Yellow lilies… ‘cheerful’ and ‘false,’ huh?”

He chuckled to himself, as if he had come to a satisfactory conclusion.

Riruka, hearing Rofus’s muttering, blushed slightly and stammered, “Li… Lily? Why all of a sudden a nickname?”

“Just because,” Rofus replied casually.

“No, it bothers me! Why? You’re not the type to just give someone a nickname, are you?”

Riruka, flustered, leaned into Rofus, who had stood up from the rubble.

But then—Rofus collapsed from the knees down.

“Whoa, Rofus!?”

Riruka quickly embraced the falling Rofus.

The hand that Riruka used to support him was soaked in blood.

“!”

Looking down, there was a pool of blood where Rofus had been sitting.

Although Rofus had used a potion, which allowed him to speak, his throat wound had not fully healed.

The wound was still covered by darkness, holding back the blood that would otherwise flow out.

Despite this, blood was slowly seeping out, and Rofus, having lost too much blood, was unable to stand and leaned on Riruka, murmuring weakly.

“Your… story was long, so…”

“Oh, I’m sorry! I got it, so stop talking! You can’t die before we save Iz, Rofus!”

“Riruka! We need to get down here, the guards are coming!”

Sigil’s voice echoed from above.

“Sigil, come down quickly! Rofus is—Rofus is—”

Riruka shouted in a panic.

The sound of her voice echoed through the ruins as she held the unconscious Rofus in her arms.

In a dilapidated, uninhabited church on the outskirts of Gilan Manor, Vallum sat with a look of annoyance on a worn-out chair, his golden hair a mess.

“Unbelievable, chasing me all the way here. You’re quite the persistent one,” Vallum grumbled, looking up at the massive wooden cross and the six pillars representing the Six Gods on the altar. At the center of the cross, a man with a missing left arm was impaled by a spear, his body writhing in pain from the electricity coursing through him. His ashen skin was stained with his own blood. This was the man known as Redcap, laughing as he spoke, despite the blood trickling from his mouth.

“…Please forgive me. I was only hired by Gilan for money. Can’t you let me off the hook?”

Vallum looked at him coldly. “You’re the one who ran away from Rofus’s magic. Your fate is in Rofus’s hands. If you want to beg for your life, do it to him, not me.”

As dawn broke, Vallum made his decision, looking out at the morning sun.

*

At Gilan Manor, now half-destroyed and scooped out, Sigil, Hawk, Riruka, and Rofus were surrounded by countless knights bearing the Sterrion family crest, a griffin spreading its wings atop a mountain.

Rofus, immobilized underground, had been carried to the surface by Sigil and Hawk at Riruka’s call. However, they had emerged too late; they were already surrounded by knights who had gathered upon discovering the anomaly at the manor.

Dan and Kay had already returned to the airship for treatment of their injuries, so they were not present.

The knights closed in, and Hawk, clutching the handle of his sword, looked serious. “What the hell are we going to do… Any chance we can break through?”

“Hawk, why are you always so uptight…?”

Hawk reached into his pocket, gripping a flashbang crystal. “…Alright, get ready to be dazzled. Sigil, you take care of Rofus, okay? He did save our lives, after all.”

“Fine, whatever.”

Just as Hawk was about to throw the flashbang crystal, the surrounding knights suddenly opened a path.

“Huh?”

Taken aback, Hawk held the crystal in one hand. A man with fiery red hair and a matching red coat appeared, walking through the opened path. It was the Sword Saint, Eric, the same man who had effortlessly defeated Hawk and his companions at the mansion.

“Damn it, the real troublemaker has arrived,” Hawk muttered, his danger senses tingling.

Sigil and Riruka, who had never met Eric before, exchanged confused glances.

With a sense of urgency, Hawk quickly aimed his magic revolver at Eric. However, Eric simply raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.

“…Thank goodness, you’re here. I have something important to discuss with you.”

“…You’ve got some nerve showing up here,” Hawk said, lowering his revolver but keeping his guard up.

“There’s no time for this. We need to leave immediately,” Eric insisted, glancing at the approaching knights. “I can help you escape, but you must listen to what I have to say.”

“What could possibly be so important that you’d betray your own people?”

Eric’s expression turned serious. “It’s about the future of this world, and it concerns Rofus as well. You see, the Wind God has spoken to me too.”

Hawk narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but Riruka interrupted, “Eric, if you’re telling the truth, then we need all the help we can get. Right, Rofus?”

Rofus, barely conscious, could only manage a weak nod.

“This better not be a trap,” Hawk warned, still holding his revolver at the ready.

“Time is of the essence,” Eric urged. “I can teleport us to a safe location, but we must leave now.”

With no other choice and trusting in Riruka’s judgment, Hawk and Sigil carefully loaded the wounded Rofus onto a makeshift stretcher.

“Let’s go,” Riruka said, determination etched on her face. “We have a world to save.”

And with that, the group, now unexpectedly allied with the Sword Saint Eric, disappeared into the early morning light, leaving the ominous Gilan Manor behind them.

Vallum sat on an old chair in the abandoned, unmanned church outside the town of Gilan Manor, his blond hair with streaks of gray messily hanging down.

“I didn’t expect to be chased all the way to this remote location. You’re quite the fast runner,” he muttered in annoyance.

His gaze was fixed on the altar, where six pillars representing the Six Gods stood tall, along with a large wooden cross that symbolized the kingdom’s glory. At the center of the cross, a man dressed in an old, bloody red coat was impaled by a spear and suspended in the air. Lightning crackled around him, causing his body to convulse in pain and leaving him immobilized. This man, missing his left arm and covered in his own blood, was none other than Redcap, who smiled and spoke despite the blood flowing from his mouth.

“Could you forgive me? I was only hired by Gilan with money. Can’t you just let me go?”

Vallum looked at him coldly. “You’re the one who ran from Rofus’s magic. Your fate is in Rofus’s hands. If you’re going to beg for your life, do it to him, not me.”

Redcap took a deep breath. “The one-armed mage—Rofus, huh? He doesn’t seem like the type to show mercy.”

Just then, a ray of sunlight poured in through the broken window of the church. “It’s dawn. What a long night it’s been,” Vallum said, stretching and gazing at the morning sun.

In the meantime, at Gilan Manor, which was half-destroyed and looked as if a part of it had been scooped out, Sigil, Hawk, Riruka, and Rofus were surrounded by countless knights. The knights’ armor bore the emblem of a griffin spreading its wings atop a mountain—the family crest of Steria. Rofus, who had been immobilized underground, was somehow brought up to the surface by Sigil and Hawk at Riruka’s call. However, they were late, and the knights who had gathered due to the anomaly at the mansion had already surrounded them. Dan had returned to the flying fortress to treat his wounds, and Kei had accompanied him, leaving the two of them absent.

Surrounded by knights, Sigil grimaced. “What should we do… Think we can break through?”

“Sigil, why are you always so logical…?” Hawk said, exasperated, as he gripped the hilt of his sword.

“Well, what do you suggest we do? With so many knights around, we can’t use the ‘Transfer’ function. It’s not precise enough, and we might end up bringing the knights with us if we’re not careful.”

‘Transfer’ was a feature on the airship that allowed them to transport people from the ground to the inside of the ship, regardless of its position in the sky. It was very convenient but had many limitations. For one, it couldn’t specify targets precisely. If they were not careful, they might accidentally transport the surrounding knights into the ship along with them.

As Hawk reached into his pocket and grasped a flash crystal, the knights suddenly opened a path. “Huh?” A surprised Hawk held the flash crystal in one hand.

Walking down the path opened by the knights, Hawk’s expression turned serious when he saw the man who appeared. It was a man with long crimson hair and a matching crimson coat—the Sword Saint, Eric. Previously, even the three of them together could not defeat him.

“Damn, this is bad,” Hawk said, feeling a sense of crisis. Sigil and Riruka, who did not recognize Eric, looked puzzled.

Hawk quickly aimed his magic revolver at Eric, but Eric simply raised his shoulders in a gesture of surrender.

「… I apologize, but would you mind lowering your weapon? We have no intention of fighting,” said Eric as he withdrew a potion from his pocket and tossed it to Riruka.

“Ah? What’s the meaning of this…?” Hawk questioned suspiciously, keeping his gun trained on Eric.

“There’s no hidden agenda here. This is purely a political move,” Eric explained, his gaze fixed on the dark-haired Rofus, who was being carried by Sigil.

“Political, huh? I doubt that,” Hawk retorted, still suspicious.

In the meantime, the knights parted once again to reveal a group of knights clad in white armor, led by Adler, the head of the Sterian border earl family and Eric’s father. Adler’s sharp gaze landed on Rofus and his companions before settling on Eric.

“What is this…? You dare to bring this upon our Sterian lands—Eric!” Adler’s voice thundered.

“Forgive me for my actions,” Eric responded calmly.

“…Is Gilan safe?” Adler asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

“Gilan is missing. We are conducting a search, but given the state of the mansion and its surroundings…” Eric trailed off, implying the worst.

“Don’t play games with me! Without the heads of Gilan, how do you expect to maintain order in Sterian territory?!” Adler’s anger echoed through the air.

With a murderous glare directed at Rofus, carried by Sigil, Adler continued, “You, with your dark hair that reminds us of the darkness, the young Lightless who caused trouble in our territory. You’ve made a complete mess of our lands…!”

Upon hearing this, Rofus’s forehead pulsed with veins, but the potion given by Eric had helped him recover enough to stand on his own. Rofus dismissed Sigil with a curt “Let go,” and hopped off his back.

Amidst the accusing glares from Sigil and Hawk, Rofus ignored them and locked eyes with Adler on horseback.

“Your defiant gaze reminds me of your father when he was young. Do you understand what you’ve done, boy? Causing damage to our Sterian facilities, attacking nobles… the consequences are severe. How do you plan to compensate for this?” Adler questioned, his eyes narrowing.

Rofus smirked, his eyes gleaming with hostility. “Steria made the first move against the Lightless family. You should apologize first. We can discuss further from there.”

“…You might have magical prowess, but it seems you haven’t learned manners from your father,” Adler retorted.

“The first to lack courtesy was Steria,” Rofus countered, the tension between them palpable.

Suddenly, from the shadows at Rofus’s feet, a black bird emerged, flying upwards and perching on the roof of the half-destroyed Gilan Manor. A magic circle was deployed, and from it appeared three figures: a man with black hair and a dark coat, his cold gaze freezing those who met it—Rofus’s father and the current head of the Lightless family, Rudens Lightless. Following him, the leader of the Dark Knights, Alba, and the female knight, Yurika, also made their appearance.

“Father…!? Why…?” A flustered Rofus called out.

Rudens ignored him and fixed his calm yet icy gaze on Adler. “…It’s been a while, Adler. It seems my son has caused some trouble here.”

Adler’s face contorted at Rudens’ familiar yet piercing words. “Ru… Rudens… Why are you here…?”

“Teleportation magic. It should be obvious, shouldn’t it?” Rudens replied, referring to the long-distance teleportation magic that was a closely guarded secret and prohibited by kingdom law, unless used in emergencies by high-ranking nobles such as earls or higher. Its use was strictly limited to emergency situations, and violators, regardless of their noble status, faced judgment from the royal family.

“You’re breaking kingdom law…!” Adler exclaimed, his expression grave.

“This is different. My son was in trouble in a foreign territory. Isn’t that an emergency?” Rudens countered, shrugging nonchalantly.

The sudden arrival of Rofus’s father and the tension between the Lightless and Sterian families highlighted the importance of political alliances and the consequences of breaking kingdom laws, even for high-ranking nobles.

Adler’s face turned red with anger, “Preposterous! The damage has already been done! Do you have any idea how much damage your brat has caused?!”

Rudens tilted his head with a look of mild curiosity, “I came here as a parent to stop my son from being disrespectful, but what damage are you talking about?”

From atop the damaged mansion, Rudens spoke calmly, causing Adler to shout, “Don’t play innocent with me! Look at the damage to this mansion, the result of your brat’s actions! And the prison tower where the prisoners were kept was also destroyed!”

Adler fumed with rage, glaring at Rofus, “…Rofus, explain yourself. Why did you destroy the prison tower?”

Rofus felt the weight of his father’s expectations and knew he needed a valid justification. He cleared his throat and replied, “My acquaintances were unjustly imprisoned, so I helped them escape.”

Eric recalled the scene where Rofus had mercilessly defeated him and questioned, “Escape…? Unjust imprisonment?”

Rudens silenced him with a finger to his lips, “Adler, it’s unbecoming of an adult to yell at a child. You should know better.”

Adler’s face turned bright red as he struggled to maintain his composure.

“Moreover, I’ve been informed of Rofus’s actions through his familiar,” Rudens continued, causing Rofus to widen his eyes in surprise.

“What? How long has he been tracking me?” Rofus muttered, realizing that his father had been watching his every move in Sterian territory.

Rudens revealed that Rofus had been interfering in various matters within Sterian lands, acting recklessly under the assumption that his father wouldn’t find out and confident in his own magical abilities.

“However, if my son’s actions were justified, the situation changes,” Rudens said, ignoring Adler’s protests.

“Rofus acted with righteousness in freeing his friend who was wrongfully imprisoned. It’s only natural to correct a wrong, isn’t it?”

Adler, at a loss for words, tried to argue, but Rudens was already beside him, having used a refined, short-range teleportation magic—Shadow Move—that left no trace of movement.

“Don’t shout so much. If you’re a lord, you should always remain calm,” Rudens said coldly, his dark gaze fixing on Adler.

Startled, Adler instinctively cast a low-level light magic spell, but Rudens, a master of darkness magic, easily countered it with a mere wisp of dark energy he held in his hand.

The resulting clash of magics was clear to everyone, especially to Rofus, who watched in amazement as the light magic was dispersed by the darkness, leaving Adler dumbfounded and thrown from his horse.

The horse bolted, leaving Adler on the ground, staring up at Rudens in disbelief.

“Talking like this brings back memories from our school days, Adler. Isn’t this kind of greeting typical for us?” Rudens said with a smirk, causing Adler to shift uncomfortably and look away.

“I… I mean, this situation is…” Adler stammered, struggling to find the right words.

Rudens cut him off with a casual wave of his hand, “Let’s arrange a meeting to discuss this further. I expect we’ll be able to have a more civilized conversation then.”

With that, Rudens looked towards Alba and Yurika, who had been waiting on the roof, giving them a signal to commence their actions. Alba used Shadow Move to teleport to Eric’s side, while Yurika descended to Roofus.

“Sword Saint, it’s been a while. Please refrain from unnecessary actions,” Alba addressed Eric with a hint of intimidation.

“Ah, the Dark Knights of Lightless. I’ve heard rumors… But there’s no need to worry. I have no intention of starting a war with Lightless,” Eric replied calmly, acknowledging Alba’s veiled threat.

“Young master, long time no see. We will attend to your treatment immediately,” Yurika said, bowing to Rofus after landing beside him. She had been brought along for her exceptional skills in healing magic, a thoughtful gesture by Rudens that suggested he had been observing Rofus more closely than the young mage had realized.

“…I’ve already taken a potion and recovered to some extent. Just tend to her,” Rofus said, gesturing towards Riruka, who looked surprised by his request.

“Me? No, no, no, Rofus, you’re in much worse shape! You’re the one who needs healing!” Riruka protested, flustered by the sudden attention.

“I said I’ve recovered enough. Besides, weren’t you the one vomiting blood earlier?” Roofus countered, not backing down.

As they argued, both Rofus and Riruka found themselves enveloped in a healing light cast by Yurika, who urged them to remain still. They both complied, allowing the healing magic to wash over them as they looked up at the stoic Yusrica.

“Understood. Please try not to move too much,” Yurika said, her tone firm yet soothing.

The commotion at the scene was brought under control by Rudens’s careful orchestration. The members of the Lightless family and the remnants of the Crimson Wind, who remained at the scene, were treated as guests of the Sterian lord, at least formally, and were escorted to the main house.

Soon after, Vallum returned, dragging a severely wounded Redcap along with him, who was promptly apprehended by the knights. Vallum was taken to the main house, an unexpected turn of events given his intention to turn himself in.

In the end, Gilan’s whereabouts remained unknown, and despite a search of the half-destroyed mansion, no trace of him was found. Thus, the disturbance at Gilan Manor came to an end with the break of dawn, and on that day, Rofus disappeared without a trace.