The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

Demon King Belkarion.

Those who had witnessed him during the war with the demon legion unanimously stated,

“It’s as if all the evils of the world have come together.”

An entity that completely negates the inner workings called ‘affection,’ which the Creator God bestowed upon all creatures at the creation of the world.

An existence of a realm so negative that no amount of negative words could fully describe, eliciting an incomprehensible sense of rejection.

The being before whom I, even having made a pact with the gods, first felt the emotion of fear anew.

Perhaps, even the gods might have feared this man.

The violently throbbing heartbeat was a testament to my current unstable state of mind.

“Are you human or not? Why aren’t you speaking?”

Belkarion pressed for an answer to his call, which went unanswered.

“Are you mute? Or can you not understand what I’m saying?”

It’s not that I couldn’t understand; I caught every single word.

Finally, Belkarion leaped from the cliff and landed lightly on the ground before me.

“Judging by your appearance, you seem barely ten years old, yet quite bold, aren’t you? Killing a pack of hellhounds in one go and even drinking from them?”

With each step he took closer, buried memories of the past resurfaced.

The thrill of facing the strongest.

A chilling cold that penetrated to the bone and a rising bloodlust.

An overwhelming emotion that demanded I pour everything into this moment without regard for what comes next was consuming me from within.

Silently, I extended my hands forward.

“…?”

Crossed wrists and the sword tip pointing forward, with two eyes set upon the curved space created.

I entered the optimal defensive stance, considering all possible scenarios.

Belkarion burst into laughter at the sight.

“Phahaha! Isn’t this kid cute? Hey, relax! Who’s going to kill you…!”

His smug expression froze in an instant.

The distance between the Demon King and me was barely ten steps.

Close enough to fall over but not any further, that is all that was permitted.

Even if it was not visible to the eye, a red circular boundary had already formed around me.

The moment he steps even one foot further, he would enter the domain of my killing sword, designed by me.

Belkarion’s face, which had stiffened, now bore a smile once more.

“The potential for growth in your race seems limitless indeed.”

In response to my killing intent, an indescribable and enormous surge of killing intent blossomed from Belkarion’s body as well.

“Do you want to fight me, kid?”

In his extended right hand, a different kind of energy, not mana, was condensing.

A power that no human could wield, unique to the demon race.

Both were ready, and all that was left was to see who would make the first move.

[Well, I’ll ask, but who is this guy?]

Kaeram, who had been silently observing, finally spoke up.

“The Demon King.”

Contrary to expectations, she showed no sign of surprise.

It seemed she had somewhat anticipated his identity from their first encounter.

[So, you’re saying this guy is the one I obliterated with my soul in a previous life?]

“Well, fundamentally, yes…”

Strictly speaking, what Kaeram had obliterated was not the Demon King himself but the Death Sword he wielded.

However, the Demon King currently did not possess the Death Sword.

Nor could anything resembling a sword be seen on his person, much less a small sword like Kaeram that could be concealed.

If he had it, it would have been obvious.

So, it is missing now?

[So, you plan to fight with that wrecked body of yours and win?]

Truthfully, not having confidence didn’t necessarily mean I had a high chance of winning.

As she pointed out, my body was far from normal,

Having been entangled in various incidents throughout the night, I had continuously expended energy, leaving me nearly depleted.

Unbeknownst to me, a slight tremor began in the hand holding Kaeram.

The odds of this gamble were too slim…

Could I really fight and win against the Demon King now?

-Pop!

“…?”

Suddenly, the energy that had been condensing in the Demon King’s hand dissipated in an instant.

Lifting my head in confusion, I saw him waving his hands at me.

“Enough, enough. What’s the point of fighting with a little kid… I’m not going to harm you, so relax, kid.”

The killing intent that had filled his eyes was now gone.

Although I was skeptical, I could not let down my guard completely.

As I raised my sword higher in caution, the Demon King eventually flopped down on the ground.

“Look, I really won’t do anything! Even if I’m a bit of a rogue, I don’t mess with kids! If it really bothers you, shall we lie down and talk like this? Does this make you feel safer?”

He looked quite pitiful for a Demon King.

Perhaps moved by his pleading, I unwittingly lowered my sword and eased my guard.

“All this suspicion from a young one, you seem like you won’t easily be backstabbed in the future.”

“…!”

I flinched momentarily at the mention of being backstabbed.

However, I did not show it and continued to observe him with restrained eyes.

“So, going back to my earlier question, you’re human, right?”

Silently, I nodded.

“How did you end up here?”

“…Swept away by the current.”

“Swept away, huh? So, you didn’t come here on purpose?”

I hesitated for a moment but then nodded again.

Though I had answered his question, it seemed he was genuinely curious without any malice.

“Okay, so you ended up here, but anyway, you’re quite the odd one, aren’t you? You look so young yet carry such a heavy aura of killing intent, what’s your real identity?”

“Just a regular human…”

It was a response given for lack of a better explanation.

“Ha! You don’t seriously expect me to believe that, do you? Why would a ‘regular human’ be drinking the blood of hellhounds? That’s not exactly staple food for your kind. Or were you so hungry you couldn’t see straight?”

“What I eat is none of your concern, is it?”

Despite the sharp retort that could provoke, the Demon King maintained his unchanging smile.

“You’re quite prickly, kid. But as you say, what you eat is none of my business, though I advise moderation. You seem to have done it more than once, and you know, attracting terrifying demons with your scent could happen, right?”

It was something I already knew, so I was not particularly surprised.

Belkarion looked somewhat sullen at my calm response, then tilted his head in curiosity.

“Hey, kid. Not to brag, but I’m quite an authoritative demon in this land you’re standing on. Without lying, there’s hardly a demon living in this realm who doesn’t know me…”

That made sense; living in the demon realm and not knowing the Demon King would indeed be odd.

“But you’re a human, not a demon, and it’s your first time here in the demon realm, right?”

I nodded once again.

“So, it must be our first meeting, but why does your face look so peculiar? The way you were on guard earlier, it’s as if you know who I am…”

He’s definitely not average in perception.

Trying to calm my nerves, I gulped down the saliva that had pooled in my mouth.

Simultaneously, a bead of sweat that had formed on my forehead trickled down my neck.

“Have you seen me somewhere before…?”

“No, it’s our first meeting.”

Of course, that was only true for this lifetime.

My quick response might have been suspicious, but he seemed to accept it.

“Well, I suppose so. It’s my first time encountering a human, after all. Or is it that all humans are naturally indifferent?”

Honestly, the fact that I am having such a casual conversation with the Demon King is incredibly astonishing.

Instead of engaging in dialogue, one might expect him to shatter my legs to prevent escape, torment me to extract whatever he desires, and then discard me without a second thought. And yet, here we are, continuing this seemingly trivial conversation…

Is this demon really the Demon King I knew?

“…Why are you here?”

It was the first time I initiated a question since this conversation began.

“Me? I was just touring the area with a certain nagging demon. Felt a strange aura coming from this canyon, so I decided to check it out. Never expected to find a human here, to be honest.”

“Touring?”

“Yeah, touring! It’s basic for a Demon King to patrol the lands under his rule. Though I usually skip it because it’s a hassle, I had no choice this time because of that nag…”

His face suddenly contorted as if he regretted letting something slip.

“Ki-kid. What did I just say?”

“That patrolling the lands under your rule is basic for a Demon King?”

“Ah, yeah, right…”

Belkarion seemed somewhat embarrassed, scratching his head.

“Aren’t you surprised?”

“About what?”

“That I just admitted to being the Demon King and you’re not shocked?”

“…”

“Really, have you seen me before? No child, no matter how naive, would react like that upon hearing they’re speaking with the Demon King. Haven’t you been warned by your mother that the Demon King would take you away if you don’t listen?”

What an odd situation this is.

Clearly, the Demon King I am facing now is not the merciless ruler I remembered.

Could it be that even the Demon King was not born evil?

If I do not significantly alter the course of history, the invasion of the demon legion in the not-so-distant future is inevitable.

If this casual and straightforward demeanor was the Demon King’s true nature, what then transformed him?

Am I destined to fight against this changed Demon King once more?

“The more I see, the stranger you seem. Anyway, you’re planning to return to where you came from, right? You just need to go against this river?”

“That’s the plan.”

“Right, staying in a place where you don’t belong is only uncomfortable. Though it was brief, I’m glad we met, kid. Seeing how you handled those hellhounds, I’m not too worried, but still, be careful on your way back.”

Receiving such a kind farewell from him made me wonder if this was really the end.

Could it be over this easily, contrary to my earlier fears of not making it back alive?

With a lingering sense of caution, I turned around, but my steps hesitated to move forward.

It felt as if there was something very important I needed to ask.

“You…”

“Hm?”

“If you really are the Demon King…”

Swallowing the dryness in my mouth, my heart continued its loud thumping.

Turning my head to meet his gaze once more, I finally voiced the question that had risen to the brink of my throat.

“As the Demon King, what do you want to do?”

A question loaded with much significance.

Furthermore, it could be the spark that determined how my future would intertwine with this entity known as the Demon King.

Belkarion looked at me with eyes wide in disbelief.

“This kid, I thought you were bold, but you’re actually just reckless, aren’t you?”

He finally moved from his stance, stepping closer to me.

The distance of ten steps quickly closed to barely an arm’s length.

“What do I want to do as the Demon King?”

His towering figure loomed over me, looking down with an intensified gaze.

“Is there anything special? Just want those under me to live well and prosper. That’s the role of a king… But!”

The youthful eyes of the Demon King flashed brightly for a moment, unleashing the suppressed killing intent within.

A sinister smile formed on his lips, as if his cheeks were about to ascend to heaven.

“If there are those who hinder that! Those who go beyond hindrance and inflict harm! Those who dare invade my land and harm my kind, I will obliterate them all! That’s my duty as the ruler of this land and as the Demon King!”

For a brief moment, I could distinctly feel it.

The cruel true nature of the Demon King Belkarion I knew…

Though now restrained by various shackles unknown to me, those shackles could be undone at any time, and that day would bring chaos to the world.

Whether I could prevent that predetermined future, I was not sure.

The only thing that clearly lingered in my mind was a single thought.

“Would you like to make a deal with me?”

“A deal?”

Belkarion scratched his head at the sudden proposal for a transaction.

“I don’t know what the future holds for you, but it’s going to bring a tremendous change that could completely overturn your current state of mind. As if flipping the world upside down…”

“What are you on about? Why would I want to flip a perfectly fine world upside down?”

“I don’t know what will happen. But what I can tell you for certain is that you’ll change 180 degrees because of it. And your change will significantly impact our human world as well…”

Seemingly realizing that my words were not mere bluster, he looked back at me with serious eyes.

“Are you saying I’ll invade your lands?”

“That’s why I’m proposing a deal. No matter what happens, please don’t cross over to our lands.”

Belkarion scoffed.

“Ha! Kid, are you some kind of prophet? It’s funny you’re proposing a deal out of nowhere, asking me not to cross over to your lands. Alright, if I agree not to cross over, what will you do for me?”

“I’ll help you.”

He looked puzzled, not fully grasping the meaning of my offer.

“Help me with what?”

“Anything. I’ll help you overcome any crisis or difficulty that comes your way. It’ll surely be a big help.”

The Demon King silently stared into my eyes for a while.

I quietly waited for him to speak.

“What’s your name, kid?”

“Cyan Vert.”

“Cyan Vert, huh… Alright, as the ruler of the demon realm, I promise not to invade your lands, no matter what happens.”

Belkarion readily agreed to my deal.

“But remember, you must fulfill your promise to help with anything. I really dislike those who break their promises, be they children or adults.”

I silently nodded.

I am unsure if this deal will extend into the not-so-distant future, but if we ever meet again, at least there should be no clashing of swords between the Demon King and me.

The best outcome would be never meeting him again…

I then resumed my journey back to the front lines.

(To be continued)