The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

Year 985 of the Creation Era, March 1st.

Current age: 10 years old.

I have returned exactly 27 years back in time to the moment I faced the blade of betrayal.

Assuming I have traveled back to the past, everything still seems infinitely perplexing.

To think I have traveled back in time…

Such magic, I have never heard of nor thought possible in my life.

In many novels, they call this “regression”…

But frankly, could it be that I am just a lunatic lost in vain delusions?

To better grasp my current situation, some verification seems necessary.

As I mindlessly chewed on meat, I casually picked up a vase that was on the table.

…It’s heavy.

Even with both hands, it trembles with weight.

This clearly reaffirms the frailty of my ten-year-old body.

Next, I took a flower out of the vase.

Aiming at the petals with the knife I was using to cut meat, I struck it mid-air.

-Tock tock tock

Six petals fell without a hint of deviation.

Just like when I received the sculpture earlier, it seems my concentration, reflexes, and other senses largely remain intact.

These are definitely senses that my 10-year-old self did not possess.

“…Emily?”

“Yes, Young Master?”

Emily, who was brewing tea as a dessert, answered with a dry face.

“What do you think of me in this house?”

“What do I think? You’re the incompetent one who can’t do anything.”

Her blunt reply came without a second’s hesitation.

But thanks to that, my conviction is now over 99% certain.

I have returned to the past with all my memories and senses from my previous life.

You might wonder how the word “incompetent” could bring about any certainty, but it’s perfectly fitting for my current situation.

Lacking strength and ability, openly disregarded even by my direct maid, unable to express anger – the incompetent scion of the ducal family.

This is identical to the ten-year-old Cyan Vert I knew.

I have returned to the most miserable time of my life, when I was devoid of anyone’s interest or expectations.

How is something like this even possible?

Even transcendent magicians cannot defy the natural order with time regression, making this an inexplicable event.

Did the god of time play a prank or something?

“I didn’t think you’d eat even half, but you’ve already finished everything, Young Master?”

Emily, bringing the tea, noted the now-empty plate.

“Why, what’s wrong with finishing my meal?”

“Well, it’s just that today’s swordsmanship duel is being attended by Duke Vert himself. Just yesterday, you were wishing that today would never come…”

A memory from 30 years ago flashed through my mind.

The monthly swordsmanship duel held in the domain.

Today, March 1st, is exactly one year before my admission to the Royal Academy, and it’s a very important event attended by the lord of the domain, Duke Vert himself.

Swordsmanship and the duke…

Back then, those were the two things I dreaded the most.

* * *

Under the blue sky, a white dueling arena sprawled below.

It was already filled with soldiers from the domain.

In terms of scale, it was a force of at least a company’s strength.

Of course, it was not just composed of soldiers; the mansion’s servants and affiliates of the Vert ducal family were also included.

They were all gathered here for one reason.

It was for the swordsmanship duel held by the scions of the ducal family.

Hmm, how should I put this? It’s a strange feeling.

Perhaps it is akin to the nostalgic emotion one feels upon returning home?

Despite it being a place I loathed more than death at the time, now it looks nothing more than an indifferent stone floor.

“You don’t seem nervous? You’re more calm than I thought.”

Emily asked with curiosity, noticing my unusually indifferent face.

“Well, there doesn’t seem to be any reason to be nervous…”

I could sense how foreign this seemed to her from the puzzled look on her face.

Not that it’s surprising.

As she mentioned before, in this household, I was the incompetent who couldn’t do anything.

Even when I stood in the arena, instead of wielding a sword, I just trembled and was a fool who would easily give up.

Because of that, no one had any expectations or interest in me…

Only the strong and capable are respected, a meritocracy.

That was the ideology of the Vert ducal family, tasked with the mission of protecting the continent.

“The duke is coming!”

With the knight’s booming shout, everyone bustling about took their places.

Shortly after, Duke Vert appeared at the entrance of the arena, and a salute with swords was performed by the senior knights.

“…”

The duke passed through them with a gentle smile, followed by the duchess and the duke’s fourth son, Cranz Vert.

-Thud

With a dignified motion, the duke settled into his seat, removing his cloak.

Despite being close to fifty, he boasted a robust physique and appearance.

“Let’s begin immediately.”

There was no need for wasteful preliminaries like a pre-event ceremony.

Following the duke’s command, the blonde boy following him headed towards the center of the arena.

Cranz Vert, the duke’s fourth son, my brother of the same age but from a different mother.

As Cranz stepped forward, I too rose from my seat.

“Your sword, Young Master.”

Emily offered me a sword as I was about to proceed.

It was a slender rapier embedded with a blue gem.

Every scion of the Vert family receives a sword from the duke on their 7th birthday.

This gift symbolizes the start of their journey to cultivate the strength to protect themselves and the world.

Ironically, I had never properly utilized this sword until now.

“Why not just surrender and come back?”

Instead of encouragement, my ever so ‘grateful’ maid threw a sarcastic remark.

“Surrender? I just need to win and come back, right?”

“Just don’t get hurt…”

She showed her concern in her own way, to which I responded with a soft smile.

Ready, I advanced to the center of the arena to face Cranz.

As we reached a distance of three steps apart, the duel official instructed us to bow to each other.

While bowing without issue, an irritating voice reached my ears.

“You actually didn’t run away?”

I lifted my eyes to look at Cranz’s face.

A scornful sneer that looked down on the opponent.

It was a smile filled with malice, implying that someone like me existed only to elevate him.

Seeing that smile brought many thoughts to my mind.

The legitimate son versus a bastard whose mother’s identity was unknown.

In fact, the comparison ended right there.

From birth, he received tremendous support from his maternal side, and even the quality of food he ate was on a different level.

I never really envied that.

I just thought it was utterly natural.

Although I realized how foolish that was much later…

These were merely ten-year-old boys clashing swords, but for the Vert family, the significance of a swordsmanship duel was immense.

Boys of 10, about to leave home for the Royal Academy in a year.

This crucial moment was a test from the head of the family, embodied in this swordsmanship duel.

In other words, failing to show a good performance today meant becoming completely distanced from the duke’s attention.

No child of the Vert family was unaware of what that meant.

In my past life, I lost in this significant duel.

To put it more accurately, I was utterly defeated.

It was a defeat so miserable that calling it a duel would be an understatement.

But that didn’t change anything.

No one had expected me to win in the first place.

The thought that Cyan Vert, the family’s incompetent, could overpower Cranz Vert, who had completed all professional training, was honestly not even entertained by myself.

Isn’t it obvious?

An incompetent who neither has the ability nor puts in the effort cannot possibly beat a talented individual.

My defeat was so expected that no one was surprised.

However, after the duel, my father called me and said this:

“Do nothing.”

What could that mean?

It meant that since I had fallen out of his favor, I should no longer make any effort.

How could a parent make such a statement that seemed to give up on their child? Yet, this is the Vert ducal family.

In this place, the dignity of the nobility or a parent’s warmth is nothing but a superficial ceremony.

Only the strong children who can carry out the ideology of the Vert family survive here.

I casually lifted my head and looked around the entire arena.

Easily over 100 spectators were all staring at me and Cranz.

None of them would be expecting my victory, would they?

“……”

Suddenly, as I turned my gaze, I briefly made eye contact with the duke.

I quickly looked away, but even in that short moment, I could clearly catch it.

Expectation.

Even as everyone expected my defeat, the duke harbored an expectation that I would show something.

In my past life, I utterly shattered that expectation.

But, what about today?

An inscrutable smile formed on my lips.

-Dang Dang Dang!

With the drumbeat signaling the start of the duel, Cranz drew his sword and aimed it at me.

I, too, calmly drew my sword.

The blade gleamed blue as it reflected the sunlight.

Unlike the heaviness I felt in the past, it now felt incredibly light.

-Thud

Without any time for exploration, Cranz immediately kicked off the ground and rushed towards me.

Was it meant to convey that I was not even worth checking out?

I simply watched him close the distance in silence.

Seeing my utterly defenseless stance, he smirked.

Yet, he also moved to deflect my sword.

The trajectory of his sword was clear.

Using the momentum of his charge, he thrust his sword directly at me.

I thought to myself, is this snail moving?

Without needing to block, I stepped back, easily dodging his strike.

“……!”

I caught the momentarily flustered look in Cranz’s eyes.

Losing his target, Cranz stumbled, and I did not miss this opportunity.

I raised my sword and struck down on his.

-Clang!

Cranz’s sword crashed to the ground.

He stared at his fallen sword as if his soul had left him.

-Thump

“Agh!”

I kicked his shin, forcing him to kneel.

Cranz, now naturally on his knees, didn’t even think to pick up his sword, instead clutching his ankle in pain.

The duel had already ended at this point.

If I aimed my sword at Cranz’s neck now, it would be my victory.

“……”

But why do I dislike that idea?

A sense of emptiness welled up in a corner of my heart.

Insufficiency.

There is a feeling that ending it now would be lacking something.

It’s grossly insufficient to just overpower him and to assert my presence.

A desire to dominate him further and stand above him was rising in my chest.

The desire soon turned into action.

-Thump

My right foot, thrust forward, struck Cranz’s head.

Lack of strength was compensated by accuracy.

My toe precisely hit his temple, and Cranz, unable to withstand the shock, collapsed.

-Thud

The unconscious Cranz spilled various secretions from his mouth.

The ducal family’s hope was miserably shattered, unable to control his body.

Above him, I, Cyan Vert, who had been labeled the family’s incompetent, stood firm.

I aimed my sword at his neck, undisturbed.

“……”

Silence ensued.

Had everyone’s minds stopped, unable to anticipate such an outcome?

Soon, with a loud drumbeat, the official announced in a booming voice.

“The duel is over! The winner is Cyan Vert!”

(To be continued)