Repeat Vice - The Villainous Noble Doesn't Want to Die, So He Swore to Not Die As One of The Four Heavenly Kings - Chapter 71: The Day Before

Chapter 71: The Day Before

The First Part of the Original Game’s Story: The Magic Academy Enrollment Arc

The sequence begins with the entrance ceremony, followed by the freshman welcoming camp. After these events, there are light classes and daily life segments, leading up to the upcoming grade-level tournament.

This tournament involves students separated by grade, fighting in duels within a combat dome. Although the tournament doesn’t directly affect academic grades, it attracts a large audience from outside the academy, including high-ranking members of the Kingdom’s Knights and Court Mages, and even foreign dignitaries.

Achieving good results can lead to offers from the Knights’ Order, even for commoners. While this is irrelevant for noble heirs who already have predetermined roles, or second sons obligated to support the firstborn, it is a crucial opportunity for third sons and beyond, as well as commoners, to make connections in various fields.

For students, the tournament is part of their job hunting process, and for the audience, it’s a chance to scout talented individuals. However, in the original game, this tournament is interrupted by a monster attack.

Specifically, the attack comes from one of the Four Demon Beasts, Winged Slayer Despia, who leads a horde of bird-like monsters, targeting the dome when it’s packed with spectators. Among the spectators are many active military personnel, and together with Abel and his comrades, they repel Despia and the monsters.

Although there are a few casualties among the audience, this incident leads Saintess Fran, using a divine oracle, to discover the existence of the Four Demon Beasts and that their appearance signifies the impending resurrection of the Demon King.

However, this time, Winged Slayer Despia has already been defeated by Rofus, and even the Demon King Rath, the mastermind behind the Four Demon Beasts, is now so weakened that he can’t even fight properly. According to the original story, the emergence of the Four Demon Beasts should have caused damage from monsters throughout the kingdom, but the current Rath has lost almost all his magic power and is now struggling as a beekeeper in the Lightless territory.

Contrary to the original, the kingdom—and school life—was extremely peaceful. Everyone was experiencing a normal, uneventful daily life, but Abel was increasingly dissatisfied.

*

“Hey! School life without battles is just a dating sim! What happened to the isekai school RPG!? Where’s the Demon King!? Where are the Four Demon Beasts!?”

The day before the grade-level tournament, after school.

Abel was shouting alone in the school rooftop plaza.

A dating sim.

The main heroine, after the welcoming camp, was the first princess of the kingdom, Asteria, who frequently approached him. The sub-heroine, Mira, often joined him for meals after school. He also often talked with the knight apprentice, Gold.

Raymond and his group didn’t treat him hostilely or harass him. It was never boring, and Abel was seriously engaged in his magic classes, making his school life quite fulfilling.

However, this was not “Vice Story” by any means.

In the original school life, students were often called to deal with monster damages across the kingdom, balancing daily life (classes and after school) and battle parts. This was significantly different from the current peaceful daily life.

“Peace is a good thing. Also, people are looking at you like you’re suspicious. Please calm down,” said the fireball, Abel’s other consciousness, in an exasperated tone.

Abel shouted back, “Peace? Don’t say irresponsible things! Don’t think the current peace will ensure future peace! With this much deviation from the original story, I can’t predict anything! What, is the Demon King already gone? What about the other Four Demon Beasts besides Ambre?”

“I don’t know… But maybe the other Six Gods’ apostles did something.”

“The headmaster hasn’t done anything, right? So, it must be the other apostles. Don’t tell me they’ve already defeated the Demon King and the Four Demon Beasts… By the way, why do the Six Gods keep their chosen apostles’ information secret from each other? Are they on bad terms?”

“I don’t know much about the relationship between the Six Gods, but it’s to prevent information from leaking to the Dark God. The Fire God said that none of the apostles should be missing.”

“Yeah, they said that. But it’s really not enough explanation, right!?”

Abel spat.

There were two consciousnesses within Abel’s body—Abel Carrot, with knowledge of the past, and a certain player with knowledge of the original game “Vice Story.”

Chosen by the Fire God, they became apostles, tied to Abel’s current body in this reset world.

They were given only the minimum explanation by the Fire God, the same information Rilka received from the Wind God.

A world reset by the Six Gods, and the apostles chosen by each of the Six Gods were necessary to defeat the Dark God, with none of them being dispensable. And the Six Gods did not reveal their chosen apostles to each other.

“Seriously, it’s too little explanation. The Fire God hasn’t appeared since then. Just reincarnate us and leave us alone, huh?”

“They said, ‘I want to conserve my power, so don’t expect contact.’ It takes a lot of power for gods to talk to humans. If you really want to talk, go to the Fire God’s ruins or shrine.”

“The Fire God’s ruins aren’t common. At least, there are none in the capital. The nearest one is the Fire God’s Shrine… which is at the volcano where Touchbomb Heles was rampaging? That’s too far.”

In the original game, Touchbomb Heles, also known as “Living Lava,” was the last of the Four Demon Beasts to be defeated. After the Winged Slayer Despia battle, the main mode of transportation was the airship Ifrit from the pirate Scarlet Wind, so the vast kingdom territory wasn’t a big issue. But without the airship, moving to neighboring towns alone took days.

“I guess we have to rely on Abel’s full sprint again?”

“…I’ll remind you, that’s really exhausting. It’s one thing to go to neighboring territories, but running to the Fire God’s Shrine is no joke.”

“Is it tough? Hmm… I could mark it with a teleportation crystal if I go once, but without an airship, new places are inconvenient.”

Abel tilted his head, troubled.

“Should we have contacted the heroines earlier? They are potential candidates for apostles, right?”

“Are they potential candidates? I initially thought the apostles were our former companions, but Asteria wasn’t an apostle…”

“The headmaster was the apostle chosen by the Light God. So, the criteria for choosing are unclear… Strength, maybe?”

“The headmaster is a top-level magician, the king’s younger brother, and Asteria’s uncle. He has royal magic power and exceptional magical skills. But in my opinion, Asteria was stronger. Though, the blessings of the Six Gods played a role, so it’s not straightforward.”

“Well, whatever. Thinking won’t give us answers.”

Abel cracked his neck and looked up at the setting sun.

“After the tournament, I’ll contact the other heroines. Since there are no Four Demon Beasts incidents, we don’t have chances to meet them.”

“Faratiana and Riruka… Yes, there’s a good chance those two are apostles.”

“Huh? Oh, well, finding the other apostles is important, but we need to meet them to reach the harem ending, right?”

“Harem… You’re still thinking about that?”

“Still? I’ve been saying it all along. Besides, Faratiana will continue to suffer from heavy taxes if we don’t go. That corrupt official in Rougvelt is involved in kidnapping and slave trading, right?”

“Official, not the lord. Rougvelt’s lord is the Lightless family.”

“Ah, right. So, we might have to confront Rofus… again.”

“As I said, I can’t win against him now. Don’t make enemies of the Four Heavenly Kings or Raymond… at least for now.”

“At least for now… got it.”

Abel ended the conversation and turned on his heel.

With the Demon King and the Four Demon Beasts silent, Abel believed nothing would happen during the tournament tomorrow. He even considered aiming for victory, thinking it might be interesting, and looked forward to the tournament.

*

With blurred vision, Rofus’s consciousness drifted into the realm of slumber.

A girl with slightly bluish, glossy black hair, in a disheveled uniform, almost half-naked, leaned against Rofus’s shoulder.

That girl was someone Rofus knew well—Annegelt Lu Triandaphilia.

Rofus and Annegelt had a close relationship during school life, often seen with Raymond and others. However, this relationship was more of friendship or camaraderie, never romantic.

Therefore, being half-naked and close like this was an unprecedented situation, making it feel unreal.

In his drowsy state, Rofus instinctively realized it was a dream.

He felt a strange mix of emotions, thinking it was absurd to dream of an intimate scene with a school friend. Was he frustrated? 

Indeed, Annegelt was the closest female companion during his school life. But did he 

unconsciously see her in such a way?

Rofus was genuinely feeling down when Annegelt, who had been leaning against him, began to speak.

“…You overdid it.”

Annegelt muttered resentfully. Rofus was taken aback.

“W-what do you mean…?”

“What do you think? Your magic. You just poured it in without any restraint…”

“Magic…?”

Rofus glanced at Annegelt’s exposed back. There, a complex magic circle was drawn using Rofus’s blood as ink.

Rofus stared at it for a while, his eyes widening in realization.

“A magic transfer… technique?”

“Now you get it? Are you really okay?”

Annegelt looked at him worriedly, bringing her face closer to his. Rofus turned his gaze away.

“…You’re too close.”

“Too close? That’s nothing new.”

Annegelt laughed softly. Despite their intimate closeness and her appearance, Rofus noticed that she looked a bit more mature than he remembered.

Could this be… memories of the future “Shadow Wolf”…?

Rofus recalled the story he had seen in his dream. The large-scale thorn magic Annegelt used during the Four Heavenly Kings battle, and the powerful barrier enveloping the academy. Both would require an immense amount of magic power.

Given Annegelt’s average magic capacity, she couldn’t possibly manage such feats without some external supply of magic.

If Rofus had been the one supplying her with magic, it all made sense.

This must be a memory of when “Shadow Wolf” Rofus was supplying magic to “Thorn” Annegelt…?

As Rofus pieced together the puzzle in his mind, Annegelt sighed softly, observing him.

“Recently, I’ve noticed something. When you’re deep in thought, you make a really grim face… probably without realizing it.”

“A grim face? Me?”

“Yes. It makes you look very unhappy. If you could just fix that, I’m sure you’d be quite popular among the noble ladies. You have a good face, after all.”

“I see… I’ll keep that in mind.”

Rofus replied nonchalantly, which made Annegelt widen her eyes in surprise.

“Oh… how unexpected. I thought you’d retort with something nasty.”

“What do you take me for…”

“I’m sorry. It’s just a bit different from my image of you.”

Annegelt laughed softly, then continued speaking.

“——This time… you’ve really softened up, haven’t you? Did you meet someone special?”

That strange phrasing made Rofus furrow his brows.

This time——as if distinguishing it from a previous time. Rofus narrowed his eyes sharply.

“You… who exactly——”

Before Rofus could question her further, Annegelt wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

Their faces were so close their lips almost touched, and Annegelt spoke quietly.

“Last time… we made a mistake. And this time… it might happen again…”

Annegelt continued, her voice tinged with sadness.

“Raymond won’t stop… he can’t be stopped——regardless of his own will…”

“Raymond’s own will…? What do you mean? What do you know?”

Despite Rofus’s questioning, Annegelt continued.

“…So, Rofus. You need to stop Raymond. Only you… can do it.”

A crack appeared on Annegelt’s cheek.

It spread like a fissure, covering her entire body.

“H-hey!?”

Rofus, startled and desperate, pulled Annegelt into an embrace.

However, her body continued to crumble, turning into ashes.

Annegelt didn’t seem to mind her body’s disintegration. She just smiled gently.

“——And one day… bring about the world we wished for——a kind world without injustice——”

With those final words, Annegelt crumbled into ashes in Rofus’s arms.

Staring at the ashes in his hands, Rofus was left in shock.

Then his vision blurred, and his consciousness drifted into slumber.

＊

——Fas!

——Rofus!

Repeated calls brought Rofus’s consciousness back.

When he opened his eyes, Annegelt was looking down at him worriedly.

Seeing him awake, Annegelt sighed in relief but turned her face away, slightly irritated.

“Finally awake. Falling asleep, how luxurious of you. Was my explanation really that boring?”

“Anneg…gelt…?”

“Yes, that’s me. Are you still half-asleep? …Are you really okay?”

“…Sorry, I had a bit of a dream.”

Rofus shook off the lingering sleepiness, roughly scratching his head.

But his face still looked pale, as if he had a bad dream.

“Sorry, go on. We were talking about the fertilizer ratio, right?”

Rofus prompted her to continue.

He had been discussing the vineyard project he started in the Lightress territory with Annegelt, seeking her advice.

Annegelt’s family, the Triandaphilia County, was primarily involved in forestry and agriculture, and she had extensive knowledge of plants.

Although the vineyard Rofus started was doing well, its performance had recently plateaued.

With declining yields, Rofus had sought Annegelt’s opinion.

Rofus had fallen asleep while listening to her advice on countermeasures.

Annegelt sighed and shook her head.

“We’ll continue this another time. You stay up late working on your territory’s duties, don’t you? Receiving reports and giving instructions through telepathy. You’re not getting enough sleep, are you?”

“Wait. How do you know about that…”

“Raymond told me.”

“Raymond, that blabbermouth… Wait, how does he even know?”

“Ask Raymond yourself.”

“…I’ll do that.”

Rofus grimaced, perplexed by the invasion of his privacy, and let out a deep sigh.

After parting ways with Annegelt, Rofus sighed again.

Was the dream he saw really just a dream?

In the dream, Annegelt had said——You need to stop Raymond.

The sorrowful look on Annegelt’s face lingered in Rofus’s mind.