The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

Dawn was breaking, and a round sun rose in the morning.

In contrast to the tranquil sky, the inn’s hallway was nothing short of chaotic.

-Bang bang bang!

Numerous knights clad in plate armor were pounding on the door roughly.

At this, Brian hurriedly opened the door and came out.

“What, what’s the matter?”

Brian seemed flustered by the unexpected intrusion.

“An emergency measure has been issued throughout Saphern! A collective investigation will be conducted targeting outsiders, so everyone in the rooms must come out!”

The knight demanded cooperation while showing an order with the emblem of Saphern stamped on it.

Sweat trickled down Brian’s face as he saw the order.

“Um… I’m really sorry, but could you give us some time to comply if you tell us the location? Could we have a grace period for now?”

“A grace period? Do you think we’re playing around here? If you don’t want to be forcibly taken, come out now!”

“Well, the thing is, our young master is still asleep, and he has strictly told us not to wake him up until he wakes up on his own…”

“Young master~?”

The mention of a “young master” made the knight snort in derision.

A common inn frequented by adventurers has a young master staying?

That implies a noble is present, but would people who value their dignity above their life stay in such a place?

It was too absurd even for a joke.

“If you don’t come out by the count of three, we’ll consider it non-compliance and start forcible removal!”

The knight pointed his finger to count to three.

“One!”

“Wait a moment, knights! It’ll be a big trouble for you!”

The knight paid no heed.

“Two!

“You might all end up on the road to the underworld if you mess this up…!”

“Three!”

With the count of three, the knight kicked the door open forcefully, bypassing Brian.

Soon after entering the room, the knight faced Cyan, who was sitting on the bed, shirtless.

From his blank stare, it seemed he had just woken up.

“…?”

The bold entrance was soon enveloped in silence.

A long, sleek body with not a single bit of flab, and tight muscles.

Numerous scars etched on his body did not match his youthful face, reminiscent of a veteran who had experienced countless battlefields rather than a boy.

It was as if they thought they were entering a rabbit hole but encountered a tiger instead.

Everyone who entered the room was at a loss for words.

“Have you… woken up, young master…?”

Brian, who was the first to regain his composure, cautiously asked.

“I woke up because it was noisy.”

His eyes, filled with a murderous intent, were directed straight at him.

Upon meeting those eyes, Brian momentarily felt his entire body stiffen.

“What did I tell you last night?”

Irritation was heavy in Cyan’s voice.

“That- that you shouldn’t be woken up until you wake up on your own…”

“And what is this? I didn’t wake up on my own, did I?”

“I- I tried my best not to wake you, but there were unavoidable circumstances…!”

Trembling, Brian looked at the knight of Saphern as if to say it was their responsibility.

The knight, standing there with a blank expression, quickly shook his head upon realizing his duty.

“According to the emergency measures of Saphern, all outsiders currently in the city must be urgently investigated! So, we are involuntarily asking for cooperation but…”

The knight’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s.

“Perhaps, are you a young master from a noble family?”

His tone changed to formal speech, as if he had realized something was terribly wrong.

Cyan simply stared fiercely into the knight’s eyes, offering no response.

Overwhelmed by an inexplicable aura of intimidation, the knight could no longer continue speaking.

Breaking the silence was Brian.

“Our young master is Cyan Vert, the son of Duke Vert of Vellius! We were en route to Luwen for the Royal Academy!”

He hastily showed the knight the Vellius family’s crest that was placed on the table.

Upon seeing the crest, the knight’s eyes widened, and he immediately sheathed his weapon and bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle.

“I apologize for not recognizing you! It’s an honor to meet the scion of the Duke of Vellius!”

The rest of the knights also hurriedly bowed their heads.

“……”

A moment of silence passed where no one dared to speak.

Cyan, with a stern look, gazed at the knights and then began to hurriedly dress himself, as if he had finally awakened.

Seeing this, Brian thought to himself that he had saved several lives today.

* * *

“An emergency measure for outsiders?”

“Yes, that’s correct!”

“Suddenly, why? Did someone steal the tax evasion money hidden in the warehouse?”

The knight was startled at the mention of tax evasion money.

“What a serious matter to speak of! No, it’s not that, our lord of Saphern, Lord Paqaron, went missing last night…”

Paqaron?

Where have I heard that name before?

I remember he was one of the prominent family members of the empire.

“Are you talking about Paqaron Nephelis of the Duke of Nephelis family?”

“Yes, exactly! He has been governing this territory in place of the previous lord of Saphern who suddenly passed away a year ago!”

I had no idea that this bald lineage was ruling over this place.

The Nephelis family is one of the empire’s top three wealthy families, backing Cassandra Nephelis, the current Empress.

At this time, probably Randolph Nephelis would be the head of the family.

And the lord governing here would be Paqaron, Randolph’s brother.

But he’s missing?

How incompetently did they guard him for the lord to go missing?

“It’s a serious matter that the lord is missing, but what does that have to do with outsiders like me?”

“Ah, well, that is, how should I put this…”

The knight seemed to be hesitating, as if hiding something.

“If you were going to summon and interrogate us anyway, weren’t you going to talk about it? Don’t beat around the bush, just say it.”

It was supposed to be them conducting the investigation, but somehow it felt like the roles had been reversed.

After hesitating, the knight finally spoke with a resigned look, closing his eyes tightly.

“The truth is, our lord is not just missing; it’s suspected that he was kidnapped…”

“Kidnapped?”

I continued to press questions.

“The suspected kidnapper?”

“Well, it’s not certain yet, but, haven’t there been continuous talks recently about an organization? Those who follow the Black Mist, those Mist people…”

What nonsense.

I personally confirmed last night, even wasting my time, that they weren’t here.

Now, every time something happens, do they just blindly suspect the Mist?

Moreover, kidnapping instead of assassination?

If it really were the Mist, they would have killed on the spot, not bothered with something as troublesome as kidnapping.

It would be more plausible if a fake claiming to be the Mist kidnapped the lord…

Wait a minute.

Speaking of fakes, naturally, what happened last night comes to mind.

Could it be…

“Does this Lord Paqaron have no hair?”

“Yes…”

The knight immediately answered without a hint of hesitation.

A kidnapper wearing a black mask, and a noble without hair.

Could it be the same person I saw last night?

Wanting to avoid unnecessary trouble, I had walked past, but it turns out, the two individuals I saw yesterday were indeed the missing lord and his kidnapper.

Now, I’ve gotten myself entangled in this mess.

“I- it’s not something we would normally consider likely! Our lord is not the kind of person to be targeted by those dark figures!”

What a load of nonsense.

Do they think I’m unaware of the dirtiness of that bald family?

Knowing that the Duke of Nephelis, along with the current empress, would later be accused of treason and eradicated, would surely make them faint.

“However, because a strange black smoke was seen rising in the room from which our lord disappeared, we thought it prudent to consider the possibility of involvement!”

“So, you’re conducting investigations on outsiders to find anyone who might be disguised among them?”

“Exactly! You have keen insight!”

He blabbered on even about things I hadn’t asked.

Truly, he couldn’t be anything but a knight.

Even though I’m an offspring carrying the Vert name on my back… it seems you’re not cut out for anything significant.

I stood up from my seat.

“Alright. I’ve heard enough. Now leave.”

“Excuse me?”

The knight asked with a face full of confusion.

“The investigation is over, isn’t it? You’re not needed anymore, so leave.”

Of course, when I said the investigation was over, I meant from my side, and by not needed anymore, I meant the knights.

They must be bewildered for being interrogated instead of finding anything, but what can they do?

At least it’s clear I’m not the culprit.

After sending off the clueless knights, I immediately started getting ready to leave.

“Where are you heading, young master?”

Brian, who had been watching the situation unfold, asked with a puzzled look.

“Out for a walk.”

“In the morning?”

“It won’t take long. Make sure everything is ready for us to leave as soon as I return.”

“Yes, understood!”

Although the journey to the academy is long, there’s a saying, isn’t there?

The more urgent, the more you should take a detour.

I’m not trying to solve some pointless kidnapping case but to leisurely look around… is total nonsense.

I’m just bothered by it.

Seeing that guy has seen my face, if I leave now, who knows what trouble might come my way.

I returned to the alley where I had dispersed the fog last night.

Despite it being morning with the sun already up, the alley was as deserted as it had been the night before.

After making sure there were no people around, I closed my eyes once more.

“Dark Arts 4th Form: Sensing Killing Intent!”

A small fog escaped through the collar, creeping up the neck and into the eyes.

The vision wrapped in fog turned everything black, transforming the world into shades of black and white.

However, this monochromatic world was merely an unnecessary background.

-Poof!

A glint of red slowly emerged within the focused pupils, shining intensely beyond the long walls and densely packed buildings.

It was the same.

The same killing intent I felt last night.

I crossed the alley, quickly heading towards the source of the red light.

The place I reached, following the light, was in front of a dilapidated house.

It didn’t seem abandoned at first glance, but honestly, it was so run-down that it wouldn’t be surprising if it were considered a ruin.

Conversely, it meant it was a suitable place to dump a body or to kidnap and confine someone.

I naturally knocked on the door.

-Bang bang bang!

I waited for a minute after knocking, trying a few more times in between, but there was no response from inside.

Are they pretending not to be there despite clearly sensing someone’s presence?

I stepped back to take a stance, preparing to forcefully break in.

Such a rotten wooden door could be broken down with a punch, without even needing to draw my sword…

-Creak

Just as I was about to punch, the door suddenly creaked open.

“Who is it?”

“…?”

I couldn’t hide my surprise.

The person who opened the door was not the middle-aged man I had expected, but a young girl who seemed to be around my age.

Moreover, she was using a crutch on one leg…

“I’m sorry. It took me some time to come to the door because my leg is not in good condition.”

I glanced down briefly.

This wasn’t just a bad condition.

The girl’s left leg was completely twisted below the knee, wrapped tightly in white bandages.

Looking back up into her eyes, there was no trace of malice, only an untarnished purity that hadn’t been touched by the harshness of the world.

What’s going on? Did I come to the wrong place?

Just as I was doubting whether I had mistaken it for the house behind this one, another person inside the house revealed themselves.

“What’s the matter, Sal… gasp!”

It was a middle-aged man with graying hair.

The moment he saw my face, he couldn’t hide his shock, as if he had seen a demon.

Seeing his trembling eyes, I knew.

I had come to the right place.

(To be continued)