The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

As I fell, I stretched out my arms and legs in a cross shape.

“Dark Fog Art 3: Mist Gliding!”

With the incantation, black mist erupted from within my body.

The mist swiftly enveloped me, and soon, my falling speed began to decrease gradually.

My descent, now gentle, reminded one of a flying squirrel.

Below the cliff was a thicket populated with large trees.

As I carefully placed my feet on the ground, the mist disappeared immediately.

“Growl…”

Despite not yet entering the valley, the sound of dogs howling came from deep within the forest.

I slowly raised my head, only to find myself facing several drooling hellhounds.

Well, if you think of it as an appetizer, it is not too bad.

-Swish

I naturally drew my sword from within my cloak.

At the same time, the hellhounds backed away.

They felt the pressure just by sensing the sword’s aura.

However, for these beings devoid of reason, that was only a momentary deterrent.

The fiercely barking creatures eventually charged at me all at once.

“Bark!”

-Slash

I drew a semicircle with my sword, tracing a parabolic path.

The head of a hellhound plummeted to the ground in an instant, and dark red blood flowed out from the severed gap.

Indifferently observing the torn bodies, I picked up a suitable head and held it.

-Gulp, gulp

The blood of the beast flowed down my throat.

Sigh…

Putting the taste aside, the smell that rose was extremely foul.

Yet, having long become accustomed to it, I hardly cared.

However, if someone were to see me now, they would never think of me as human.

This scene was such that, even if mistaken for a demon and killed, I would not feel wronged.

-Thud

Once I had finished eating to a certain extent, I threw the creature’s head away without hesitation.

There was no need to squeeze out every last drop.

After all, it is not like the creatures would run out of stock just because I ate and discarded one.

“Phew…”

I felt my body heat up and a surge of vitality.

This was evidence that the blood of the beast had been properly absorbed into my body.

With each passing day, I feel the changes occurring in my body.

Nonetheless, it is important to take care of the trash properly.

After finishing my consumption, I gathered the bodies of the hellhounds in one place.

-Whoosh!

A small flame dropped from the tip of my finger soon ignited the bodies.

If one is not planning to return to that vicinity, it is absolutely necessary to incinerate the bodies of beasts with fire.

Otherwise, as they decompose, they would emit a terrible stench, contaminating the surroundings.

The stench was so overwhelmingly foul that it could not even be compared to the rotting smell of ordinary beasts, which is why the soldiers at the front always concluded their battles with the beasts by burning their corpses.

“……”

I gazed silently at the bodies burning brightly red.

It has already been a month since I started doing this.

Just like that, every night, unbeknownst to anyone, I would go out alone to hunt these beasts.

Since the knights on the frontline do not openly stick together, it was relatively easy to move around as long as I was not caught.

However, they periodically checked on my well-being, so as a countermeasure, I used Emily for this purpose.

In exchange for sneaking out under the pretext of nighttime exercises, I had her stage situations like, “Master Cyan is currently asleep~.”

The knights’ camp is located on a hill overlooking the Lemea Valley, so if you just change direction a bit and jump down, you can directly head into the territory of the beasts.

Of course, there is no fool who would actually jump down there.

However, coincidentally, I continued to train my body day by day by traveling back and forth between these two places in this manner.

[Hey, master. Isn’t it about time you graduated from these bastards?]

Kaeram materialized out of the rising smoke at some point.

[Considering only the blood you’ve consumed, you could’ve filled a bath by now. Surely, you won’t keep catching these insignificant creatures, right?]

Indeed, the beasts I had caught over the past month were only mid to low-level ones, like hellhounds, ogres, and harpies.

Honestly, it is nonsensical to think I could fully regain the power of my prime in just 30 days.

In the meantime, if I recklessly faced higher-level beasts and met with disaster, who would I blame?

It is said that being cautious can never be a bad thing.

Of course, I could not keep squabbling with these minnows forever.

My body had already changed to a different dimension than before I came to the front.

I should be able to use some high-level magic and secret techniques to a certain extent by now.

“Yeah, it’s about time to move deeper in.”

[Right? Then let’s go hunt some proper ones……]

“But not today.”

[Why not?!]

She responded with a scream to my sharp refusal.

“I might not care about other times, but not today. Tomorrow, the imperial family is coming for an inspection tour.”

[An inspection tour?]

As I have said several times, Vellias is the only region on the continent classified as a front.

The state would not just leave a place, where peace could be shattered at any moment, unattended.

Once every half a year, the Emperor personally visits to inspect the overall situation.

Indeed, it had significantly decreased after Duke Vert took total control.

The central nobility, filled with nothing but foolishness in their heads, have always spouted nonsense about reducing support to the front lines, but the current Emperor is a wise ruler.

He believes it is more important to minimize future damage than to chase immediate gains.

Hence, an equitable symbiosis between the front lines and the central government is being maintained.

Well, that is while the current Emperor is alive.

In a few years, when the current Emperor passes away, the empire will truly descend into chaos.

Anyway, with the Emperor’s visit announced as a big event, it is best not to act rashly.

At least for today, I plan to not overstep and continue as usual.

[Seriously! When did you become so confident, ready to take down even the Demon King, but now you’re too scared to move because of the Emperor?]

“Just think of it as avoiding a headache. I too want to live a peaceful life this time around.”

[And you call it living peacefully, yet why did you seek me out!]

Hmm, that is a good point?

Even as I say it, it seems contradictory… Well, if that is how it is, then so be it.

While soothing Kaeram’s complaints, we entered the Lemea Valley.

A wilderness of ignorance, where not a single ray of moonlight penetrated.

It was so enveloped in darkness that it was impossible to see anything around.

-Ding

I manifested mana at my fingertips and applied it to my eyes.

After gently closing and then opening my eyes, the once-dark vision became clear.

1st-grade magic ‘Dark Adaptation’.

It shortens the time it takes for the eyes to adapt to the darkness, securing a brief period of visibility in dark environments, a spell of the darkness attribute.

Although a very basic 1st-grade magic, it is difficult for magicians of different attributes to use due to its nature.

Of course, since my attribute matched, I could use it freely, but compared to other elemental magics, it was not particularly something to boast about.

After all, the darkness attribute is considered the lowest and most disdainful by the imperial magic academy,

Yet, is it not amusing that I am using it so effectively in such situations, proving that power depends on how one uses it?

“Kekeke!”

The moment my vision was secured, I was met with dozens of glowing red eyes.

The creatures, which I would usually have to search for by myself, had come out in groups to welcome me today.

It did save me some trouble, but encountering different monsters together at the entrance of the valley was extremely rare.

Something’s off?

[Hmmm…]

Kaeram, who had been clearly observing the monsters, also rested his chin in his hand, puzzled.

[They’re all terrified right now?]

At first, all that was visible were Hellhounds, the giant mantis monster Canyon Mantis, and the not yet grown small ogres.

Normally, these creatures would have charged at the sight of prey, lighting a fire under themselves, but unusually, they seemed to hesitate significantly.

To say it was because of Kaeram seemed frankly too serious.

It was as if they had run away from something and unexpectedly encountered me…

“…!”

From the eerily silent and desolate ground, a sudden intense murderous intent was felt.

Sensing danger, I quickly propelled my body into the air.

-Crack!

As my body took flight, giant teeth burst from the ground.

The monsters, unable to dodge in time, were swallowed up in an instant without any chance to respond.

Had I been slightly later, I would have been included in that fate.

“Kueeek!”

Screams echoed from within the gnashing teeth.

If what I was seeing was correct, I knew the identity of these grotesque teeth.

[A Worm?]

Kaeram, who had also leaped up, looked down at it with interest, as if fascinated.

Meanwhile, a streak of cold sweat ran down my cheek.

‘Death Worm.’

A superior monster reigning as the top predator in the Lemea Valley.

Why was a creature that dwells in the deep shadows of the valley here?

The long protrusions that sprouted from the ground were sharply aimed at me, as if it regretted letting me escape…

* * *

The full moon hung in the night sky above the vast plain stretched out below.

Time had passed beyond twilight into dawn, yet numerous carriages were busily moving across the wide field.

Around the carriages, dozens of escort soldiers armed with various weapons maintained a tight defensive formation, deterring any approach.

“…….”

The girl sitting demurely inside the carriage suddenly looked out the window.

Nothing but desolation as far as the eye could see, as if looking into a mirror.

“Princess, wouldn’t it be better if you rested a bit?”

The maid sitting opposite her asked with concern.

“It’s fine. I didn’t come here to leisurely sleep…”

The maid felt embarrassed by the curt reply.

The girl was wearing a red brooch, a symbol of the royal family.

“Could you reconsider your decision? Even if not to Vellias, there’s no need to go to the dangerous front lines…”

“I am the clear Princess of the Empire! Like Abamama, I am going to fulfill my duty as a member of the royal family! If you say that one more time, I will really get angry, okay?”

The girl’s eyes were both upright and assertive.

The maid bowed her head in remorse.

“Ha…….”

The girl sighed and looked out the window again.

The atmosphere inside the carriage became very awkward, so the maid quickly thought of a topic that might lighten the mood.

“Oh! Speaking of which, I happened to hear from the knights that there is a boy about the Princess’s age on the front lines!”

“A boy…?”

The girl turned with a spark of interest.

“Yes! The child of Duke Vert, they said. Interestingly, like the Princess, he volunteered to go to the front lines?”

Hearing this, the girl tilted her head in curiosity.

“Did .. did Duke Vert allow that?”

“Initially, he was against it. But they say there’s no winning against a child’s determination, and realizing he couldn’t break his will, the Duke set a trial for him. After proudly overcoming that trial and gaining recognition, he was allowed to go to the front lines!”

“A trial…?”

The girl’s eyes, previously dull, were now filled with curiosity.

“It’s not really related to me! It’s not about making comparisons, and that child must have his reasons for wanting to go.”

“Still, isn’t it impressive? It’s like he’s similar to the Princess. You also personally spoke to His Majesty the Emperor and…”

“Enough. Let’s stop talking about that. I’m tired now, so I’m going to sleep. Wake me up when we arrive.”

“Yes, Princess”

After cutting off the conversation, the girl quickly fell asleep.

The maid, about to resign herself to silence, was startled when the girl spoke again.

“What’s the boy’s name?”

Taken aback, the maid hesitated for a moment.

“Ah, that, well, it’s, uh, Cyan! I think his name was Cyan Vert!”

“Cyan Vert…”

Was it a sense of empathy?

His name was strangely easy to remember.

His name kept replaying in her mind, refusing to leave.

Realizing the futility of her thoughts, she closed her eyes again.

The girl soon fell into a deep sleep.

(To be continued)