Repeat Vice - The Villainous Noble Doesn't Want to Die, So He Swore to Not Die As One of The Four Heavenly Kings - Chapter 70: Friendship

Chapter 70: Friendship

Raymond was the heir to the duke of the kingdom, yet he spent five years of his childhood in the neighboring empire.

More accurately, he frequently traveled back and forth between the empire and the kingdom with his diplomat father, spending more time in the empire. As a result, Raymond regarded the empire as his second home.

His father, aiming to give Raymond a broad perspective not confined to the kingdom, exposed him to the empire’s vastly different ideologies and customs, spending considerable time there together.

The experiences he gained during this period profoundly shaped Raymond’s character.

The empire, known for its advanced science and technology, did not extend its benefits to its remote regions. The capital city was illuminated brightly by electric lights day and night, resembling a city that never sleeps. Steel lines spread across the sky like a spider’s web, with numerous train-like vehicles running on them. While the capital had a futuristic and glittering appearance, this scene did not continue into the outskirts.

As one moved away from the capital, the level of civilization dropped, with some areas near the borders still bearing the scars of a war from over half a century ago. The prosperity of the capital was inversely proportional to the poverty of the remote regions, where slums and poor districts were common.

During his time in the empire, young Raymond witnessed and experienced both the prosperous capital and the impoverished outskirts.

Due to the empire’s aversion to those with magical powers, Raymond had to conceal his identity and magic abilities while living there. This experience allowed him to personally encounter a worldview completely opposite to that of the kingdom, where those with magic were privileged.

Over the five years, he made friends his own age. Raymond learned that there was no significant difference between those with and without magic—they were all equally human.

However, one of his friends, who was secretly a magic wielder, was killed by other empire citizens. His friend, unaware of his own magical ability, had his attribute suddenly manifest, revealing his power. The neighbors who had laughed and spent time with them the day before turned violent and brutally killed the young friend once they discovered his magic.

By the time Raymond noticed the commotion and rushed to the scene, it was all over. His friend lay there lifeless, surrounded by excited adults.

“He was the child of a demon,” they told Raymond, as if possessed by a demon themselves.

“Who is the real demon here…?”

Raymond, in a fit of rage, tried to blow away the adults with his magic, but his father stopped him.

“I thought such barbaric practices were gone… This is the empire, Raymond. This is the common sense of its people. In this place, we are the abnormal ones. Never forget this.”

Raymond was stunned by his father’s words.

The people of the empire, who had laughed with him the day before, now seemed like completely different creatures.

That day, Raymond left the empire with his father and returned to the kingdom. During the journey, his father spoke:

“Do the people of the empire seem barbaric to you? If so, change your perception. Both the people of the empire and the kingdom are equally human. Their values may differ, but their essence is not much different.”

And then his father continued, “…I apologize for making you see such things. It was not my intention.”

After returning Raymond to the kingdom, his father immediately went back to the empire alone to continue his diplomatic duties.

Raymond, having suffered a deep shock from the incident in the empire, was taken by his mother to the countryside to recuperate.

However, another event occurred that seemed to further torment Raymond.

On their way to the countryside, a poorly dressed woman suddenly appeared in front of their carriage, holding a baby in her arms. She spoke of her misfortune and poverty, clearly begging for alms.

Remembering the poor he had lived with in the empire, Raymond felt sympathy and reached into his pocket to give her some money.

At that moment, the knight driver cast a spell at the woman.

A brief scream.

The woman’s upper body was blown away, and the baby she held was thrown aside, lifeless even without a cry, already dead with flies buzzing around.

It seemed the baby had been dead for some time.

“My apologies for showing you something so unpleasant,” the knight said, as if nothing had happened, and urged the carriage forward.

Raymond no longer had the energy to speak.

The people of the empire and the kingdom were no different at their core. His father’s words echoed in his mind.

Through these incidents, Raymond began to see both those with and without magic as equally repulsive.

Humans, driven by their respective values, oppress the weak without malice, even killing without question.

Humans are terribly ugly.

Even as a child, Raymond despaired of humanity.

The incidents in the empire and with the carriage in the countryside left a deep, indelible scar on Raymond’s heart.

And in that same year—

Raymond was to meet his fiancée, whose engagement was arranged by their parents.

Having despaired of humanity, Raymond met Asteria.

Asteria was unlike anyone Raymond had ever met. Pure-hearted, genuine, compassionate toward the people, and respectful of the weak as a member of royalty. Asteria’s innocent and beautiful smile captivated Raymond at first sight.

It made him feel hope for humanity.

Raymond was saved by Asteria’s pure smile.

＊

“—And that’s how I met Asteria. Her smile saved me. She brought me so much happiness. Asteria is…”

“Too long.”

Rofus cut off Raymond’s nostalgic tale, unable to endure it any longer.

“Way too long.”

Rofus repeated, looking at the sinking sunset with irritation, tapping his shoes on the ground.

“How long do you plan to talk? After all that preamble, you end with being saved by Asteria’s smile? Basically, you fell in love at first sight. Stop pretending.”

Raymond shrugged at Rofus’s glare.

“Sorry. I wanted you to know.”

“And what am I supposed to do after hearing such a long story…?”

Raymond grasped Rofus’s hand, looking straight at him.

“…I want you to investigate the relationship between Asteria and Abel.”

“What!?”

“Please.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! Find someone else!”

“You’re the only one I’ve told this story to… which means you’re the only one who can do it!”

“Why not ask your summoned beast to do it?”

“If I ask my summoned beast, it’s the same as me doing it. I can’t be involved. I wouldn’t be able to make a calm judgment.”

“How should I care! Let go of my hand!”

Rofus tried to pull away, but Raymond held on firmly.

“I won’t let go until you agree.”

“You child!”

The two men, sitting on a bench, wrestling with their clasped hands, attracted the attention of intruders in the rooftop plaza.

“…Ah.”

A faint voice escaped.

Rofus and Raymond stopped and looked at the source of the voice.

There stood Anne and August, Anne blushing and looking away, while August frowned in bewilderment.

“Raymond, you… even though you have a fiancée… is it okay because Rofus doesn’t have one… Wait, aren’t you a womanizer… Oh, I see. You go both ways.”

Anne muttered, blushing as she looked at Raymond and Rofus holding hands. Raymond released his hand with a wry smile, while Rofus glared indignantly.

“Hey, what do you mean by ‘I see,’ Anne! Stop your delusions!”

“It’s okay, love comes in many forms. Rofus, you’re not confined by gender. I think that’s wonderful.”

“Don’t think that, idiot! And why am I the only one!”

Anne’s words made Rofus approach angrily, while August stepped back reflexively.

“Rofus, are you really like that? Well, it’s not uncommon. During the war… in our grandfather’s time, it was common. But I’m straight, so keep that in mind.”

August said, trying to be understanding. Rofus was livid.

“Why is it just me! Suspect Raymond too!”

“No, Raymond has a fiancée. You don’t.”

“So what!”

“For a noble without a fiancée at your age, especially from a marquis family, it’s rare. You should have many marriage proposals. So, that means… Oh, I see.”

“That’s a ridiculous conclusion! Do you want to be knocked out again, musclehead!”

As Rofus trembled with rage and dark magic began to rise from him, Raymond intervened.

“August, Anne. It’s a misunderstanding. I was asking Rofus for a personal favor. He agreed so willingly that I was overwhelmed with gratitude.”

Raymond smiled, looking at Rofus.

“No, wait. I haven’t agreed…”

Anne and August, satisfied with Raymond’s explanation, nodded.

“Oh, I see. I thought…”

“A favor? Are you in trouble? Tell me if you are.”

Raymond shrugged.

“No, it’s nothing major. Rofus agreed, so it’s settled.”

Raymond patted Rofus’s shoulder.

“Thanks, Rofus.”

“You…”

“I’ll make it up to you.”

Raymond whispered to Rofus, who sighed deeply, looking exasperated.

“…This favor will cost you dearly.”

“Of course. I’ll repay you with interest.”

Raymond, relieved by Rofus’s agreement, smiled and turned to Anne and August.

“It’s getting quite dark. Shall we head back?”

“Because you took so long.”

Ignoring Rofus’s complaint, Raymond turned his back.

With the three comrades following him, he left the rooftop plaza.

Suddenly, Rofus tilted his head.

“…Where’s Vallum?”

“He left already. He said he’d go ahead since you two were late.”

Anne answered, and

 Rofus looked down the stairs with a slightly lonely expression.

The vineyard that had been established to help revive the economy of the Lightless territory had a side project—a beekeeping operation. Although initially intended to be just an ancillary venture, the honey produced there was becoming the second most renowned product of the Lightless territory, next to grapes.

Starting from an old shack that was on the verge of being abandoned, the beekeeping operation had managed to turn around in less than half a year. Rath, the person behind this success, had earned the unwavering trust of her employees, proving herself to be a highly capable manager.

The current policy that Rath had set for the apiary was to improve the quality of the honey.

Until now, the apiary had been supplying the commercial guild with honey of decent quality at a low price and in large quantities. This product targeted low-income individuals—commoners. Through this approach, Rath had reaped enormous profits and now aimed to target high-income individuals—namely, nobles and merchants.

Rath planned to enhance the quality of the honey, branding it as a luxury item, thereby aiming for further business expansion and success.

From Rofus’s perspective, the current achievements were more than sufficient, but Rath was not satisfied.

Rofus had once asked Rath what her ultimate goal was with the business expansion.

Rath had smiled and replied:

“How far do I want to go? Hmm… I’d like to make the Lightless family’s economy reliant on me. That way, you wouldn’t be able to abandon me, right? — Hey, don’t get mad. I just want an insurance policy that ensures I can’t be abandoned.”

Rofus had been outraged, wondering which part of Rath was so similar to Gilan, but he decided that as long as Rath was enthusiastic about business expansion, it was acceptable. He chose to continue monitoring her while letting her be.

Since enrolling in the academy, Rofus hadn’t been in contact with Rath, but it seemed Rath was still diligently working on improving the quality of the honey.

Rofus was exasperated.

“What a meticulous woman. Do you really plan to control the economy of the Lightless territory with just a beekeeping operation?”

“Of course. I’m always on edge, wondering when you might abandon me. For someone as pragmatic as you, I must constantly demonstrate my usefulness.”

“What do you think I am?”

“Well, you tried to kill me repeatedly when we first met. It’s hard not to be wary of when that murderous intent might be directed at me again.”

“…“

Rofus couldn’t entirely disagree, thinking that might indeed be the case.

When Rofus remained silent, Rath tilted her head slightly.

“By the way, it’s rare for you to contact me. Did something happen?”

“No… There was something I wanted to ask, but I’ve lost my train of thought. I’ll contact you again tonight, so keep some time open.”

“Sure… Telepathy? Oh, it must be through your familiar, right?”

“Of course. I’m at the academy in the royal capital. Directly meeting would require long-distance teleportation.”

“I see, that’s unfortunate. I wanted to see your face after a long time.”

“Stop saying creepy things.”

“That’s harsh.”

Despite exchanging light banter and shrugging his shoulders, Rath seemed to be enjoying the conversation somehow.

“Tonight, then. That’s fine. I wanted to discuss this term’s sales figures anyway.”

“I don’t need it. It’ll just be another boast about your increasing performance. This conversation is over, I’m ending the connection.”

“Alright, see you tonight.”

As Rofus sighed and tried to disconnect from his familiar, he stared at Rath.

“…Rath.”

“Yes?”

“Recently, there was a welcome party camp. Did you… do something?”

“A welcome party? I don’t recall anything like that, but did something unusual happen?”

“…No, never mind.”

Rofus decided to temporarily dismiss his lingering suspicions.

Under the 24-hour surveillance of his familiar, Rath had not shown any suspicious movements or use of magic.

In any case, Rath, who possessed almost no magic, shouldn’t be capable of anything significant.

Concluding thus, Rofus severed the connection with his familiar.

The incident where the dungeon’s floor boss, the Great Wolf Gévaudan, began rampaging at an unexpected time might have been a coincidence caused by changes in the students’ actions.

Nonetheless, the fact that the creature seemed to be targeting Asteria persistently was curious, though possibly also a coincidence.

Returning his consciousness to his actual body, Rofus opened his eyes, still harboring doubts.

Someone was sitting next to him.

“Hey, Rofus. Were you napping?”

“…Raymond.”

Raymond smiled, peering at him, holding his own coffee, which he had taken from Rofus’s pot.

“How long have you been asleep? This coffee is already cold.”

“…There’s no milk or sugar.”

“That’s fine. I’m in the mood for something bitter.”

Raymond gulped down the pitch-black coffee in one go and then slightly clouded his expression.

“…Asteria has been acting strange since the welcome party camp.”

Rofus, having some inkling, stayed silent and listened.

“You probably know this already, but during the recent welcome party camp, the dungeon’s floor boss went berserk, and Asteria was affected. Fortunately, thanks to the teachers’ help, she only suffered minor injuries.”

“I see. So, what do you mean by her acting strange?”

“Well… Asteria claims that a commoner student named Abel defeated the floor boss. She insists that Abel, not the teachers, is her savior. However, that student Abel apparently testified that he was rescued by the teachers.”

“Hmm.”

“Asteria asked me… If the academy is threatening Abel to maintain their reputation, she wants me to help him. I don’t mind being relied upon, but Asteria talks about this Abel as if she’s… like a maiden in love… — Rofus, I understand how you feel, but please don’t look so troubled.”

Seeing Rofus’s overtly displeased face, Raymond shrugged.

“Why are you consulting me about this? Isn’t there someone more suitable?”

“You are knowledgeable about romantic matters. I don’t know anyone more suitable than you.”

“Wait a minute. Who says I’m knowledgeable about romance? Where did you get that idea?”

Rofus glared, feeling unjustly accused, while Raymond tilted his head in confusion.

“Well, it’s my own observation. That black-haired maid at the mansion… you’re quite close, right? And Vallum’s sister. Recently, you seem to be on good terms with Anne too…”

“…Stop.”

Rofus grimaced and cut Raymond off.

“You’re completely mistaken. It seems you have no eye for people.”

“Is that so? I was confident in my observational skills, though.”

“Then your eyes are nothing but glass beads.”

Muttering complaints about Raymond’s ridiculous assumptions, Rofus gulped down his cold coffee.

Then, a question arose in his mind.

“…Wait? This is about your fiancée Asteria, right? Why are we talking about romance? Wasn’t your engagement a political arrangement between your families?”

“Is that a problem?”

Raymond looked at Rofus with a solemn expression.

“Is it a problem that I’m in love with my fiancée… with Asteria?”

Raymond’s straightforward words.

Rofus dropped his mug.