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

Chapter 86: Re: Epilogue – Rougvelt

As the sun set, casting long shadows, Rofus made his way to the clock tower in the royal capital, responding to a summons he received. The location was the highest point of the clock tower, where a massive bell was suspended. The letter bore the crest of the Lightless family, making it impossible to ignore. Rofus deduced that it was probably from his father, Rudens. There was no one else who would officially use the Lightless crest.

Feigning illness to have a proxy attend the awards ceremony for him, Rofus figured this was his father’s way of expressing his disapproval in person. It had been a while since they met face-to-face, and Rofus sighed, deciding that a lecture from his father was a small price to pay. However, he couldn’t help but think that they could have chosen a less scenic location. Rofus looked over the royal capital’s skyline, still undergoing reconstruction.

Since the letter had no time or date, he had come immediately upon reading it. If no one showed up after a short wait, he would leave. Not specifying a time or date made it an improper summons. He had no reason to be blamed for leaving.

Nevertheless, he continued to gaze at the city bathed in the red hues of the setting sun. Recently, Rofus had hardly any time to relax. During his time at the academy, he was constantly wary of Abel and had to deal with Raymond’s request to probe Asteria’s true intentions. At the academy, he struggled to find a way to talk to the infatuated princess who clung to Abel. Just as he managed to separate from Abel during the grade-specific tournament and found an opportunity to talk, Abel barged in, sensing something was wrong.

If Riruka hadn’t intervened then, Rofus might have killed Abel in a fit of frustration. It would have been as easy as swatting away a troublesome fly. Rofus didn’t trust the six gods, so the fact that Abel was a chosen one was no reason to keep him alive.

Later, during the information exchange meeting among the chosen ones on the airship, Rofus sensed that a proper conversation with Abel was impossible and excused himself. For some reason, Riruka followed him, and during their conversation—

Then, Raymond and Asteria’s meeting ended well, but just as Rofus thought everything was settled, the intervention of the “Dark God” led to the emergence of the “Second Demon Lord Raymond.” Rofus had to deploy all his shadow familiars, and shortly after, he was teleported to the empire. He then had to return to the capital at supersonic speed, using his energy-consuming demon transformation.

“However, I must say, meeting him was a stroke of luck.”

The “him” Rofus referred to was Abel, the reincarnator. Thanks to a magical tool given by Abel—a small knife that forcibly turned the stabbed person into a ghost—Rofus managed to avoid killing Raymond. The magical tool seemed almost too convenient, as if someone had orchestrated the events to provide him a way to resolve the situation.

Rofus watched the battle between Abel and Raymond through a shadow familiar he had secretly attached to Abel. Abel seemed to possess many unpredictable magical tools. The fact that Abel had multiple legendary resurrection tools alone indicated his high importance. Considering his various magical tools, it might be best to persuade and utilize him. While Rofus couldn’t forgive Abel for killing him once, he did appreciate that Abel didn’t want friends to kill each other.

Most importantly, Rofus admired Abel’s unyielding will, despite repeatedly facing death. Rofus found a part of himself in Abel’s repeated deaths. After witnessing the entire battle between Raymond and Abel, Rofus reevaluated his opinion of Abel.

Meanwhile, after the sky battle with Raymond, Rofus had no time to rest. He had to restrain the potentially suicidal Raymond, draft a petition for Raymond’s reduced sentence, and inform his father Rudens via telepathy while seeking cooperation from various parties. As a result, he was declared a hero and a dark mage, partly due to a statement from Saint Fran, one of the people he asked for help.

When he requested support from various noble families, the topic of marriage with Annegelt arose for some reason. Annegelt supposedly already had a fiancé, but that seemed to have changed. The thought of it made Rofus feel dizzy, and he shook his head to clear his mind.

“I shouldn’t think about this anymore. I might actually get a headache,” Rofus sighed deeply.

At that moment, the clock tower bell rang loudly nearby.

“That’s it. I’ve wasted enough time,” Rofus thought, deciding to leave.

As he turned to go, he heard a familiar footstep behind him. Instinctively, he used his magic to sense who it was and turned to face them. It was a girl with light blonde hair, dressed casually in the academy uniform. Rofus widened his eyes in surprise when he saw her.

The girl scratched her cheek awkwardly when their eyes met.

“…Hey.”

“——Fol…”

It was their first reunion in three years.

＊

“…Long time no see,” Fol said in a slightly awkward tone, standing next to Rofus.

Feeling embarrassed to face him directly, Fol stood beside Rofus, looking down at the capital bathed in the setting sun.

“…Was that letter from you?”

“Letter…? Oh, probably from Carla. She insisted on this place for our reunion… She set everything up.”

“Carla… you mean Kaldera? Carlos’s granddaughter?”

“Yeah, Kaldera. Carlos’s—wait, she’s Carlos’s granddaughter!?”

Fol’s eyes widened in surprise at the new information. Rofus chuckled slightly, almost exasperated.

“Didn’t you know?”

“Well, neither Carla nor Carlos ever mentioned it…”

“Even though you’ve been together for almost three years?”

“Carla doesn’t talk much about herself…”

Talking to Fol, Rofus felt a sense of familiarity. Fol suddenly realized something and looked surprised.

“…So you knew about the development in the Demon Sea?”

“Carlos tried to hide it, but it was impossible not to notice, especially since the projects in that area were under my jurisdiction.”

Rofus had been involved in various projects to revive the economy in the regions around Lothbelt, areas economically drained by Clinton’s misrule. These projects included vineyards, beekeeping, and brewing, providing jobs and revitalizing the area.

Fol felt a mix of embarrassment and realization.

“…Once, while developing, I sensed your magic during a disaster-level monster encounter.”

Fol recalled the time they first encountered a disaster-level monster, a three-headed sea dragon, in the development area. At that time, they were not strong enough to defeat it. Normally, Carla would have handled it, but a dark tentacle from the sea suddenly appeared and dragged the dragon into the depths.

Rofus had released the dark tentacle, Strarf, as a guardian of the Demon Sea, to deal with the threat. Carla had thought so too. However, Fol had sensed Rofus’s presence faintly then.

Rofus neither confirmed nor denied it, but Fol took his reaction as a confirmation. Knowing that he was watching over them made Fol feel warm inside.

Impulsively, Fol turned to face Rofus, lightly gripping his sleeve. Looking directly at him, Fol spoke with determination.

“I’ve become a noble.”

“…Yeah.”

“I became a noble…!”

“Ah, ah.”

Fol drew closer and reiterated her words, making Rofus lean back, taken aback.

The academy uniform Fol wore had a gold stripe on the collar, signifying nobility.

“Are you going to enroll in the academy?”

“No.”

“Huh? Then why are you wearing the uniform…?”

“This was given to me as a surprise by Carlos. Also, that’s not important right now.”

“Oh, okay…”

Forcing the conversation back on track, Rofus kept his eyes on Fol despite his nervousness.

Fol took Rofus’s hand and lowered her face.

“…At the awards ceremony, I received a title from the king. I’m now a Viscount.”

“A Viscount…!?”

Rofus widened his eyes in astonishment.

When a commoner becomes a noble, they typically start as a baronet at best, or a baron with significant achievements. For a commoner to skip these and become a Viscount is unheard of in Rofus’s knowledge.

As Rofus was stunned, Fol continued.

“…Is it not enough?”

“What…?”

“Am I still not standing in the same world as you?”

At Fol’s question, Rofus was silent for a moment, then he gripped her hand back.

“…I thought I had asked the impossible. Telling a commoner to become a noble…”

Fol listened quietly to Rofus’s words.

“But you’ve become a noble, just as promised. However, it’s been three years. By now, you must have many suitors. You have plenty of options besides me…”

“Rofus.”

Fol interrupted Rofus’s words, gently touching his cheek.

“You’re taller now. You used to be shorter than me.”

Unlike three years ago, Rofus was now tall enough for Fol to look up at him, and she smiled.

“You’ve become stronger too. I saw you fighting in the sky.”

“Ah, ah.”

Not understanding the intent behind Fol’s words, Rofus responded hesitantly.

Fol then smirked mischievously and pinched Rofus’s cheek.

“—!?”

Rofus was bewildered, not knowing why. Fol laughed like a mischievous child.

“Yet, have you become more timid? You used to be so confident. Like, ‘No one is better than me! I’m the strongest!’ or something.”

“…I don’t remember saying anything that foolish.”

“But you are the strongest, right?”

“Well, yes. It’s an undeniable fact that I’m the strongest.”

Fol laughed again, finding Rofus’s straightforward confirmation amusing.

“If that’s the case, then don’t say things that test me. I became a noble to stand by your side. Or do you still dislike me?”

Dislike.

That was the word Rofus had thrown at Fol when she confessed to him before.

“…Have you been bothered by that?”

“Of course. If someone you like says that, you’d be naturally upset.”

Rofus averted his eyes apologetically at Fol’s words.

“I’m sorry… I never truly disliked you. Not back then, not now, not ever.”

“…”

Hearing Rofus’s words, Fol’s ears turned red as she took a few steps back.

“Ah… Rofus—”

Just as Fol, her face as red as a boiled octopus, began to speak, fireworks burst into the darkening night sky.

With booming sounds, colorful sparks lit up the sky.

Were there plans for fireworks? Rofus frowned quizzically, while Fol looked on, mesmerized.

Raised in the countryside, Fol had never seen such magnificent fireworks before.

Fol whispered in awe.

“…They’re beautiful.”

Rofus responded.

“Yeah—beautiful.”

They stood together, watching the fireworks.

Then, Rofus turned to look at Fol, illuminated by the fireworks.

“…You cast a spell back then. To protect me from the dragon’s breath that appeared behind us.”

“Yeah, well, it wasn’t just me though.”

“If it weren’t for that, I would have been in real danger. So—”

“So?”

“Make a wish. I’ll grant it if I can.”

Fol’s eyes widened in surprise at Rofus’s unexpected proposal.

“You’re generous. Anything?”

“Of course.”

“Even… if I wish to get married?”

“If that’s what you want.”

“…Oh? I see.”

Fol narrowed her eyes meaningfully.

Hmm… Fol tilted her head in thought and glanced at Rofus.

“Rofus, if you were to marry me, would you plan to take any other wives besides me?”

“…Huh?”

Rofus was perplexed by Fol’s unexpected question and looked away.

“…At the moment, I have no such plans. But the possibility isn’t zero. As a noble, political marriages are always an option… though I’d be selective about my partner.”

Rofus said this, recalling a recent engagement proposal involving a schoolmate.

Sensing this subtle change, Fol reached for Rofus’s tie and pulled him close.

“Are you thinking about another woman right now?”

“…Who knows.”

Rofus averted his eyes blatantly, causing Fol to sigh lightly.

Then, she looked straight into Rofus’s eyes and spoke again.

“Alright, then my wish is for you to consider Riruka as a candidate for your wife.”

“Huh?”

Rofus’s voice was filled with confusion.

Fol’s wish was something Rofus had never anticipated.

Hearing that his first response wasn’t agreement, Fol frowned.

“What the heck? You’re the one who said ‘anything’.”

“Yeah, I did say that… I assumed you’d say you wanted to marry me… But why bring up Riruka now?”

Rofus remembered hearing from Riruka that she had met Fol before.

Though he didn’t know the specifics of what happened between Fol and Riruka, he was aware they had some connection.

Even so, he couldn’t help but question why Riruka’s name was brought up in this situation.

“Riruka helped me explore the demonic sea area. Thanks to that, I became a noble faster than planned. And because of her, I made it in time for that battle.”

Fol continued.

“I also promised to repay her with interest.”

Fol scratched her cheek as she spoke.

“I don’t know what kind of agreement you made, but is it normal to push someone as a potential wife because of that? Besides, we need Riruka’s consent. This isn’t something I can decide alone.”

“I see. So if Riruka agrees, you’re okay with marrying her?”

“…Fol.”

Rofus clutched his head as if dealing with a headache, while Fol smiled, having achieved her goal.

“Don’t twist my words. Are you teasing me?”

“Don’t sulk. Marriage is a significant decision that should be made by both people. Forcing it on you with a ‘make a wish’ condition feels wrong.”

“Uh, right… I guess you’re right… Sorry.”

Feeling like he’d been scolded, Rofus apologized.

Fol smiled, a bit surprised by his honesty. “Wow, you’re straightforward.”

“And I’ve already told you how I feel three years ago. You told me to become a noble, so I did. Now—I want your answer, Rofus.”

“…I see.”

Rofus looked into Fol’s blue eyes, staring straight at him.

Then, as if making a decision, he spoke.