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

Chapter 44: Treatment

The Lightless family, secondary residence.

Hovering above the mansion where Rofus resided was the crimson airship, Ifrit.

Inside one of its rooms, Rofus sat on a sofa, drinking coffee prepared by Riruka.

The room Rofus was in this time was more private than before. It had a counter with an array of liquor bottles lining the walls, and tables and chairs were arranged throughout. This bar lounge was the usual dining area for the members of the Crimson Wind.

Incidentally, the numerous bottles on the wall were Hawk’s collection. Being shown into this room indicated the high level of trust the members of Crimson Wind had in Rofus.

In the bar lounge, besides Rofus, the members of Crimson Wind were also gathered, sitting freely in their preferred seats. Among them was Iz, whose complexion had improved somewhat, possibly due to having some of the magical essence drained from her.

Another person in the room, newly returned from a suspension disguised as a vacation, was the old butler. Carlos, the old butler, tried to maintain his composure, but his gaze darted around like a borrowed cat’s. Rofus looked at him with exasperation.

“Calm down a bit, Carlos. Are you a country bumpkin visiting the city?”

“I-I apologize… But to think the day would come when I’d board an airship…”

Carlos’ expression was one of surprise and awe, causing Rofus to sigh.

At that moment, Kay approached Carlos familiarly.

“What’s up, old man? First time on an airship? Yeah, you don’t see flying ships every day.”

“If you’re Rofus’s companion, you’re always welcome.”

“Well, thank you kindly.”

As Kay patted Carlos’s back with a laugh, Dan pounded his thick chest to show off his muscles. Carlos responded with a smile. While some of the others watched the scene with a mixture of amusement and exasperation, Sigil and Hawk were a bit more anxious.

Carlos, who at first glance appeared to be a gentle old man, was actually highly vigilant, with his hand always near the hilt of his sword. If anyone in the lounge tried to harm Rofus, Carlos would swiftly eliminate the threat. However, there was no one in Crimson Wind foolish enough to attempt such a thing. Despite appearing full of openings, Carlos was a master without a single gap in his defense.

Observing Carlos’s demeanor, Sigil and Hawk concluded that he served not only as a butler but also as a bodyguard.

Amid these musings, Riruka, having finished distributing drinks, sat next to Rofus, resting her head on his shoulder affectionately.

“How’s the coffee, Ro?”

“…Ordinary.”

Rofus responded curtly to Riruka’s affectionate inquiry, but he did not push her away, indicating a certain level of trust.

Carlos observed the pair with a curious expression. Another set of eyes was also watching them: Iz, who sat in a nearby armchair with her chin in her hand.

“Wow, you two seem to have gotten quite close since I last saw you. Are you two lovers now?”

“Pretty much!”

“…Seriously?”

Iz’s face twitched at Riruka’s cheerful and immediate response. Iz had asked jokingly, but the reply was unexpectedly affirmative. Rofus maintained his silence, neither confirming nor denying the statement.

Carlos was naturally shocked.

“M-Master… Is that true?”

“Carlos, keep quiet.”

Rofus answered lazily, causing Carlos to freeze. Was Rofus simply too lazy to deny it, or was it actually true? Unable to discern Rofus’s true feelings, Carlos was perplexed. The image of Fol striving to become a noble flashed in his mind, adding to his confusion. Carlos had heard a broad account of the incidents in Stelia during his week of rest but lacked detailed information, such as the nature of Riruka’s relationship with Rofus.

As Carlos nervously pondered this, the conversation continued.

“By the way, I still owe you a thank you. I heard you’re the one who cured this illness. I’m feeling much better, thanks to you.”

“…It wasn’t precisely me. And as I told Riruka, it’s not completely cured.”

Iz, apparently feeling better, rotated her arms energetically. Rofus replied in a slightly exasperated tone. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t Rofus who had healed her, but from Riruka’s perspective, who hadn’t seen Yunnel, it was natural to think it was Rofus.

Switching from her earlier affectionate demeanor, Riruka now looked at Rofus seriously.

“You called us here to discuss something related to Iz’s treatment, right?”

At Riruka’s words, the members of Crimson Wind focused their attention on Rofus. With a sigh, Rofus began to speak.

＊

Iz had been suffering from a rare endemic disease. It caused pain by accumulating a unique magical essence in the body. The only way to cure this disease was to extract the magical essence, but current medical knowledge had no method to do so. Consequently, this unnamed endemic disease was considered incurable in remote areas.

However, Rofus learned an unexpected way to treat it, thanks to Yunnel, who had been a ghost. Yunnel brought this method as a form of gratitude. Ghost-type monsters could use a skill called Mana Drain, which absorbed magic power from the living. Since magical power and magical essence were fundamentally the same, Mana Drain could extract the magical essence from Iz’s body, improving her symptoms.

Rofus explained this to the members of Crimson Wind, omitting the details about Yunnell. The members’ faces brightened upon hearing that there was a treatment method.

“So, Iz’s disease can be cured…”

“That’s great, Iz!”

“…I’m relieved.”

Elma, Kay, and Dan crowded around Iz, expressing their relief.

“A ghost-type monster, huh…”

Hawk mused thoughtfully.

“Rofus, thank you! I can’t express my gratitude enough…”

Sigil bowed deeply to Rofus, who waved him off irritably and then looked at Iz.

“We know the treatment method. Now we need to prepare for it.”

“That’s good to hear, but what kind of preparations are we talking about? Are we going to ask a ghost for help?”

Iz tilted her head in confusion. Riruka recalled something Wind God had said: only Rofus could treat Iz’s disease.

“…Something only Rofus can do… a ghost-type monster…? Could it be, the shadow…!”

Riruka’s eyes widened as she looked at Rofus, who had the ability to use magic to turn monsters into familiars.

Rofus smirked.

“Carlos, are there any places nearby where ghost-type monsters appear?”

“Knight patrols regularly clear out monsters around the capital. Ghosts usually appear in graveyards or cemeteries, but only rarely at night. There is a dungeon within the Lightless territory where ghost-type monsters are known to appear.”

Carlos answered calmly, impressing Hawk.

“The Haunted Cave to the south, right? Not many people know about it because it’s unpopular.”

“Oh, that place. We explored it a while back… It’s about a 10-minute flight from here.”

Sigil added, remembering the location.

“Then it’s decided. We head there immediately.”

“Leave it to me!”

Sigil ran to the cockpit at Rofus’s words, with Hawk hurrying after him.

“Ten minutes… This ship can travel that fast?”

Carlos was astonished, while the others were excited about the prospect of curing Iz’s illness soon.

Ignoring their excitement, Rofus sipped his coffee silently. To Riruka, he seemed troubled.

“…Worried about something?”

She asked quietly. Rofus lowered his gaze.

“…Who knows. I hope it goes smoothly.”

“?”

Riruka’s question was met with a vague response from Rofus.

＊

The Haunted Cave.

A small dungeon located in the southern Lightless territory. Though not particularly challenging, it was avoided due to the ghost-type monsters that inhabited it. Physical attacks were ineffective against ghost-types, requiring magical weapons or magic to defeat them. Additionally, they didn’t leave behind corpses like other monsters, only occasionally dropping magic stones or specific items. This meant that despite the necessary preparations, they weren’t very profitable to hunt.

Thus, the Haunted Cave, primarily populated by ghost-type monsters, was an unpopular dungeon among treasure hunters and explorers.

At the cave entrance, the members of Crimson Wind, armed with magical weapons, were waiting. Motivated by the prospect of curing Iz’s illness, they were well-prepared for battle but now stood idly.

Rofus had told them to stay put and not get in the way. With their determination to fight for Iz’s treatment thwarted, the members of Crimson Wind stood awkwardly.

“Are we really that much of a burden?”

“From Rofus’s perspective, maybe we are.”

Kay, carrying his spear, spoke lazily, and Dan answered with a serious expression.

“We were pretty useless last time. It’s embarrassing for grown men.”

Hawk adjusted his round glasses and sighed. Recently, they had encountered two formidable opponents: Sword Saint Eric and Blood-Stained Redcap. Despite fighting together, they had been utterly defeated. The main fighters in both instances had been the twelve-year-old trio of Rofus, Vallum, and Riruka.

In the end, it was quite pathetic that three adults were holding him back.

“On top of that, Sigil…”

Hawk let out a voice that sounded exasperated.

The leader of “Crimson Wind” was, unbelievably, imprisoned in an underground cell.

Suddenly, all three pairs of eyes turned to Sigil.

Sigil averted his eyes awkwardly.

“Ugh… sorry about that. I was an idiot who rushed ahead and got caught.”

“Exactly.”

“…Reflect on that.”

“Seriously, don’t go off alone again.”

With these words from Kei, Dan, and Hawk, Sigil shrank back.

While the four men were having this exchange, Riruka was kicking the ground with a sullen expression.

“…What’s the deal? At least take me with you.”

Riruka, left behind by Rofus, muttered sulkily.

Elma approached the pouting Riruka.

“You’re in quite a mood. Could it be that you’re already facing a breakup crisis?”

“Of course not. We’re still very much in love.”

Elma teased, but Riruka turned her face away.

“…Aren’t you supposed to be with Big Sis Iz?”

“She said she’s feeling good. Actually, I was going to stay with her, but she kicked me out, saying not to treat her like an invalid.”

“Well, Iz is an invalid.”

“Exactly.”

Riruka and Elma burst into laughter together.

After a bout of laughter, Elma asked quietly,

“So, what’s the real deal with you and Rofus? The romance thing is just a cover, right?”

“…Oh, does it look that way?”

“It does. Just so you know, Iz is suspicious too. The guys seem to be fooled, though.”

Elma glanced at the four men with a mix of exasperation and amusement.

Riruka sighed.

“I guess I can’t fool you two.”

Riruka raised her hands in a gesture of surrender.

“Obviously. We’ve been together since you were born… So, can you tell me what’s really going on?”

Riruka shrugged at Elma’s question.

“…Sorry.”

“I see. Well, you don’t seem to be under duress, so it’s fine, I guess?”

Elma’s nonchalant response left Riruka feeling a bit off balance.

“What, you’re not going to stop me?”

“Stop you? Why would I? As long as you’re having fun, that’s all that matters.”

“W-what?”

Ignoring Riruka’s confused voice, Elma turned her back.

“Looks like we won’t be needing to prepare for battle. If we’re just waiting around, I’ll head back. I’m worried about Iz’s condition too.”

Elma waved her hand as she walked away, then disappeared with Ifrit’s “Teleport.”

Left alone, Riruka gazed blankly at the sky.

“Having fun… me?”

The question slipped from Riruka’s lips as a murmur.

Riruka had expected to be stopped this time as well.

In the previous world, before the rewind, when she said she liked Abel Carrot, Elma had firmly opposed it.

Therefore, Riruka had thought Elma would stop her again this time… but as it turned out, Elma’s response was surprisingly supportive, as long as Riruka seemed happy.

“Was I really that unhappy when I was with Abel…”

If that was the case, Riruka felt she had wronged Abel, and she smiled wryly.

Previously, Riruka had developed feelings for Abel after a chance joint battle and joined his party.

That was essentially the setup.

Abel, who had significantly contributed to the defeat of the sea monster Strauf, one of the four beasts wreaking havoc in the kingdom, had become quite famous.

Naturally, “Crimson Wind,” which had fought alongside Abel, also attracted considerable attention.

However, not all attention was good.

The demonstration of the airship’s usefulness to the kingdom and other nations’ authorities became a double-edged sword.

The world’s only airship had an immeasurable value, and everyone desired it desperately.

In fact, after the collaboration with Abel, many nobles and authorities in the kingdom tried to make contact, from sweet invitations to threats.

“Crimson Wind” were essentially outlaws calling themselves sky pirates.

They had no backing.

If they were continuously targeted worldwide, it was only a matter of time before someone’s blade reached “Crimson Wind.”

Worried about this, Riruka decided to ingratiate herself with Abel.

To be more precise, she aimed to get under the protection of the royal family through Abel’s party, which included a princess.

By getting close to Abel, “Crimson Wind” would become officially recognized by the royal family.

They would gain the royal family’s protection.

So, Riruka devoted herself to Abel.

She actively showed affection, got along with the other female members, and in battles, her wind magic and scouting, though not flashy, showed reliable contributions.

When necessary, she sought cooperation from the “Crimson Wind” members, sometimes using the airship to transport Abel’s party to their desired locations.

As a result, Riruka’s plan succeeded, and “Crimson Wind” was officially recognized by the royal family, making the nobles and authorities unable to touch them.

Riruka’s affection for Abel was purely strategic.

All her feelings were a lie, an act.

Elma must have realized this.

That’s why Elma had firmly opposed Riruka following Abel.

“Thinking back… maybe Abel also suspected it.”

Abel treated Riruka almost like a little sister.

No matter how much affection she showed or how much physical contact she made, Abel never made a move on her.

Riruka didn’t regret her actions.

She didn’t, but perhaps there was a way to cooperate with Abel’s group as just a normal ally, without resorting to such deceit.

Thinking this, Riruka sighed wistfully.

Then she tilted her head.

This time, Elma hadn’t stopped her.