The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

Duke Willius Vert.

The Grand Duke who governs Vellias, the western territory of the Empire.

Beyond merely being a duke, he is known among the people as this:

‘The Guardian of the Continent’

A hero who, based on his outstanding magical power and tact, has long resisted the invasions of the demon race.

People unanimously say that without him, the continent would have been occupied by the demons long ago.

But did you know?

That the most burdensome life in the world is that of a hero.

By definition, a hero is a being destined to protect all the people in the world, a heavy duty.

To protect the entire world with a human body that can barely protect itself?

In the end, it is a life without any benefit to oneself.

The one who chose such a life was my father.

“Sigh…”

The moment I arrived in front of the office, escorted by Eulken, I let out a sigh without realizing it.

It had been almost 15 years since I last saw him, after he perished in battle during the demon army’s invasion.

-Knock Knock

As I knocked on the door with a calm heart, a deep and resonant voice was heard from inside.

“Come in.”

Eulken seemed to wait outside.

I did not hesitate and opened the door.

-Creak

The duke observed me entering with a refined gaze.

Ignoring this, I bowed respectfully.

“Cyan, the youngest of the Vert family, greets father.”

“No need for such formal greetings. Take a seat.”

The duke instructed me to sit in a prepared seat.

“…….”

It may seem disrespectful, but I want to describe the person known as my father like this.

‘A foolish man.’

A man who foolishly took on the hero’s duty that no one forced upon him, and wished his children to carry on that duty.

A man who, despite having a large-scale force that even the emperor couldn’t meddle with, did not harbor even a small desire for power.

The only thing he desired was solely the peace of the continent.

To put it nicely, it is peace, but if you think about it, it is nothing more than volunteering for the good of others.

The reason he wanted strong and capable children was also to cultivate a successor who could continue this peace.

In my previous life, I was far from being such a successor…

“Have you learned swordsmanship?”

His first question was undoubtedly about sparring.

“It’s not so much that I learned, as I have been training alone at night.”

“Was there someone who taught you?”

“No, there wasn’t.”

“So you’ve been doing it entirely on your own?”

“Yes…….”

Of course, that was a lie.

The reason I was able to learn swordsmanship in my previous life was clearly because I had a helper.

“The you I knew had neither talent nor interest in swordsmanship, yet you possessed such skill. Why did you hide it from those around you?”

If there was interest and talent, it could have been showcased freely.

Moreover, I could have received all sorts of support from the duke.

The duke was curious why I had not done so and had lived like an incompetent until now.

What I was actually hiding was something much bigger, but there was no need to mention that.

I answered with a natural look on my face.

“Well, I just didn’t want to stand out. Considering my position in the family, I thought it wouldn’t be good to attract too much attention…”

“Were you conscious of other people’s gazes?”

“Yes…”

Seeing me hesitate and falter, the duke looked at me with eyes full of compassion.

It seemed like playing the part of a child had somewhat worked.

“If that’s the case, then it’s my fault. There won’t be such a thing from now on. If you want to hone your swordsmanship, practice freely. If you wish, I can even assign a training master for you. No one will be able to say anything to you.”

“Thank you, Father!”

It was an unexpected favor.

Not that I particularly needed it, but there was no reason to refuse.

“Before we started the spar today, I had expectations of you.”

“Expectations, you say?”

“Didn’t you meet my eyes before we started?”

I swallowed momentarily.

Not just a passing glance, but he had been clearly aware.

“Do you know what I saw from your eyes at that time?”

“What, what did you see?”

“Confidence.”

The duke continued with a smile.

“I, saw a confidence in you, that you would definitely win against Cranz and you proved that confidence splendidly.”

To catch that in a fleeting moment, should I say that is just like father?

But it doesn’t matter.

If it allowed me to reestablish how I’m perceived, then it’s for the better.

“However…”

The atmosphere changed in an instant.

The duke’s tone suddenly became grave.

“Wasn’t your subsequent action unnecessary?”

The subsequent action.

He was referring to the act of brutally beating Krantz.

“After overpowering him and the outcome was already decided, was there really a need to treat Krantz like that? Why did you show such behavior?”

The duke asked quietly, his face full of seriousness.

He wanted to verify.

What is contained within ‘me’.

Depending on my answer now, it would decide how I am perceived by the duke.

It’s not difficult.

I just need to give the best answer possible in this situation.

“I thought it was insufficient.”

“Insufficient?”

“If I had just pointed my sword at Cranz, who was kneeling at that time, and ended it there, Cranz would never have accepted his defeat.”

The duke’s brows furrowed slightly.

I did not hesitate and continued.

“I learned that the purpose of a swordsmanship duel is to compete in skill and establish superiority over the opponent. However, if one side does not recognize that, it’s meaningless. That’s why I took such action. I thought simply making Cranz kneel was insufficient…”

A moment of silence passed.

From the way he stroked his beard, one could discern his deep contemplation.

Cranz, having been raised with expectations from those around him from birth, had a pride that pierced the heavens.

Such individuals usually do not admit defeat with just one loss.

If I had ended it by making him kneel, Cranz would have likely continued to challenge me repeatedly.

The desire to crush that, to make him submit, manifested in me kicking his head.

(PR: He’s a top?)

If Cranz wakes up now, he probably will not be able to even make eye contact with me due to trauma.

“Did you want to make Cranz submit?”

The duke immediately understood my intentions.

I answered with a restrained voice.

“Yes. Even if he were a brother by blood, I wanted to make him submit.”

I know.

The words and actions I have taken are in no way compatible with those of an innocent ten-year-old child.

Any ordinary person would think I am far from a normal child.

But who is the person in front of me?

It is Duke Vert.

He’s not someone who cares about petty things like character.

Look.

See his smile, faintly visible between his obscured hands…

“Excellent! Yes, the purpose of a duel is to demonstrate superiority over the opponent. There’s no need to be entangled in personal emotions like familial love!”

The duke was genuinely pleased.

He must be very happy that a child capable of continuing the family’s ideology has appeared.

From the beginning, he does not regard his children as more than that.

“Your cold rationality is remarkable for your age! You will surely become a strong ally to support Aschel in the future.”

“……!”

It felt like being struck on the head with a hammer.

What?

Become whose ally?

Does he know to whom I ended up dying that he speaks like this?

As strength poured into my fist, a repugnant feeling surged in a corner of my heart.

Another reason I called the duke a foolish person was his terrifying obsession with the eldest son, Aschel.

Aschel is not the child of the current duke’s official wife, Margaret.

He is the son born from the first wife, who was known to have died long before I was born. I do not know how much he loved that first wife, but his love for Aschel was truly excessive.

As if he were under some sort of spell…

Well, like I am one to talk.

After all, I was the one who ended up cleaning up after him the most…

But now, it’s over.

The moment Aschel’s sword pierced my heart, a mark was engraved within me.

A life solely for myself.

All actions being taken now will serve as the foundation for the future.

“It might not be much of a reward, but I still want to give you something for the duel. If there’s anything you wish for, tell me.”

A wish.

An unexpectedly great opportunity had come my way.

In that brief moment, I had to think about what choice could serve my interests best.

Currently, all I have are the memories and senses from my past life.

I still need time to grow before I can regain my original strength.

Meanwhile, I need to cultivate a power even greater than what my past self could have imagined.

Yes, there is no need to overthink it.

I have always felt that whatever you want to do, you need power first.

I do not care about the risks.

In the current situation, I should pursue the most certain and effective method.

“I want to go to the front lines, Father!”

* * *

In a space underground where light does not penetrate.

Something faint like mist filled the surroundings, almost tangible.

Despite the absence of any light source, the terrain around was clearly visible, making it a very peculiar place.

-Step, step

A woman appeared through the mist.

The woman, who hid her face with a black hood, walked along the mist-filled corridor.

Her steps seemed as if she was searching for something.

Eventually, at the end of the corridor, a table emitting a faint light appeared.

On the table, there was an unidentified black box.

As she always did, the woman naturally opened the box.

“……!”

The inside of the box was completely empty, not a speck of dust inside.

This was clearly a case of something that should have been there disappearing without a trace.

After inspecting the box from various angles, the woman soon smiled with joy.

“The time has come!”

She hastily grabbed the box and retraced her steps.

At the end of the corridor, a vast underground space unfolded.

The woman looked at the figures wearing the same hoods as hers, referred to as ‘members’.

They were indulging in various entertainments such as drinking, gambling, and sleeping, paying no attention to the woman.

Without any expression, she moved to the center and then threw the box in front of the members.

-Clang

The box rolled with a loud metallic sound.

Soon, all members’ eyes turned towards the box.

“The Mist Stone has disappeared.”

The woman, announcing the disappearance of the contents of the box.

There was no member who did not understand what that meant.

“…….”

The previously noisy atmosphere quieted down in an instant.

During the silence, a member asked a question.

“Has the successor returned?”

The woman said with a smile.

“We’ll have to see now.”

The woman extended her hand towards the box.

As magic surged, black mist rose from her fingertips, soon enveloping the fallen box.

-Whoosh

Unknown white smoke leaked from the empty box.

The smoke stretched upward and gradually morphed into an indiscernible shape.

-Crack!

With an unknown sound, the color of the smoke turned black.

After a moment, the smoke formed into the shape of a young child, then, disappeared without a trace.

Having finished the verification, the woman raised her hands high and announced.

“The day of the prophecy has dawned! From this moment, we resume the activities of the Mist!”

At her command, all members disappeared without a trace.

Left in the vast underground space were only the woman and the box.

“…….”

The woman looked at the box with a meaningful smile.

(To be continued)