The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

In the dim early dawn, as the faint light of morning begins to break.

A woman’s dark blue hair, blending with the dusky dawn light, fluttered beautifully in the wind.

“Are you leaving?”

At the sudden familiar voice from behind, the woman turned her head.

A spirit, the size of a fist, was sparkling with a transparent light.

“Did you come out to see me off, by any chance?”

“Don’t misunderstand. I just happened to find you while I was out enjoying the morning air.”

Knowing it wasn’t sincere, the woman covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

“It’s regrettable, but I planned to quietly leave after just leaving a letter. I can’t be any more of a bother than this.”

“A bother… I don’t think the children would see it that way. It’s strange to see you shy away from something, unlike everything else you’ve shown before.”

“Is that so?”

Trying not to show the emotions buried inside, she managed a smile.

“Still, you’ve had a hard time taking care of a stranger from another place for two years. I’ll keep the memories here as precious ones that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.”

“I’m not sure if there’s anything that could be called a good memory. It’s fortunate, though, if you have any good memories to take with you.”

There was an indescribable bitterness in the spirit’s words.

“Are you going back to your homeland?”

“Yes, but I have a place to visit before I go. I need to meet the person who guided me to this point in time.”

“I see. Be careful on your way back.”

“Yes! Marian, live long and healthy!”

At the wish for a long life, the spirit chuckled as if it was absurd.

After all, telling a being that lives many times the lifespan of a human to live long, it was a peculiar feeling, not knowing quite how to react.

With a final farewell, the woman turned around and disappeared beyond the horizon where the sun was rising.

The spirit alone remained, watching the spot where she had left for a while.

“It’s truly regrettable. She had a natural talent, but it’s a pity she had to die young without being able to fully showcase it…”

The spirit lingered, seemingly unable to take a step away, filled with regret.

“Perhaps, considering a painful life of being tossed and turned, it might be better to die young. Live well for the little time left, Alice Vert…”

However, all it could offer was meaningless sympathy,

The spirit turned around and returned to the forest where no light penetrated.

Only a faint trace of mystery remained where the spirit had been.

* * *

“I’ll verify your identity.”

In front of the castle gate, where a long queue was forming.

As the entry procedure required an identification, the woman took out a badge from her possession and showed it.

“…?”

A gold badge with three different swords crossed.

This was the symbol of the Vert Ducal family, one of the prominent families of the Ushif Empire.

Having this badge itself was proof of being a member of the Vert Ducal family.

The guard hurriedly widened his eyes and looked at the face of the woman who handed him the badge.

“Eh…?”

The cleanliness of the deep sea was felt in her navy blue hair.

Pure silver eyes without a hint of malice.

And an attractive figure that stimulates the instinctive desires of humans.

There was only one person in this world who could have this appearance and possess this badge.

“A-Alice Vert?”

Commonly known as the child of god.

It was Alice Vert, the second child of the Vert Ducal family and a graduate of the Royal Academy.

“I’ve graduated, but I still have the right to enter, don’t I?”

There was no one, regardless of age or gender, who could deny entry after seeing that smile.

As there were no particular problems, she completed the simple entry procedures and immediately entered the city.

A visit after a long three years since her graduation.

With each step she took, all the eyes of those around her turned to her.

There was no one whose heart did not race at her charming appearance reminiscent of a goddess,

And no one who did not sweat at the strong scent of magic power emanating from her.

However, whether she knew it or not,

Alice continued on her way to the academy with a peaceful face, following the golden road.

The first place she arrived at, following the footsteps her body remembered, was the top floor of the academy’s main building, the chancellor’s office.

“…”

The chancellor, who was working, looked straight at her face with a calm gaze.

“It’s been exactly three years.”

As if welcoming an expected guest, Chancellor Kundel stood up from his seat to greet her.

“I was worried I might have been kicked out, but I’m glad that’s not the case.”

The girl who was hailed as a child of god at 16 had grown into a charming woman who wouldn’t be exaggerating to call a goddess, three years later.

Alice sat down with a down-to-earth smile.

“So, how was your impression after exploring the continent for three years?”

“To be honest, there wasn’t much of an exploration. I stayed in ‘Pruina’ for two years straight.”

“The territory of the White Elves?”

The chancellor raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“It wasn’t a land where humans are welcomed, was it?”

“I thought it was the best place to contemplate the meaning of harmony you spoke of, Chancellor. In a group filled with distrust and rejection, how much could my existence shine? It definitely wasn’t easy. It took a whole year to be truly accepted by them.”

Pruina, the white land in the northern part of the continent.

The residents there, the White Elves, had lived isolated from the outside world for hundreds of years, extremely rejecting human access.

The fact that she lived there for two years, becoming assimilated as if she were a local, the chancellor internally thought it was something only possible because it was her.

“Chancellor, you gave me various pieces of advice three years ago, just before I graduated. Do you remember?”

It was impossible not to remember.

After all, he didn’t give advice to just anyone.

‘Wherever you are, any organization or group you belong to will inevitably thrive.’

‘So, you must constantly think and ponder about where your existence should continue to be.’

As a student hailed as a child of god with a thousand talents, the chancellor had no doubt that wherever she would be after graduation, it would become a central force in the continent.

Thus, the chancellor made her an offer.

To take time for a journey to organize her thoughts.

There was no special motive.

He simply wanted, as an educator before being a chancellor, to guide a student towards a good life.

Alice happily accepted the chancellor’s proposal and reappeared before him after spending three years.

Her eyes shone with a resolution clearer than before.

“Seeing your eyes, it seems you’ve made up your mind.”

“Yes. After more thought, I realized that the answer was determined from the beginning.”

A somewhat bitter emotion accompanied Alice’s words.

The chancellor patiently waited, not rushing her, for her to speak first.

“I’ll join the Knights of Light.”

“…!”

The chancellor’s eyes furrowed slightly this time.

The Knights of Light.

A high-ranking knight order of the empire that pursues the peace of the continent, following the doctrine of the god of light, Lumendel.

Most of the knights in the order were high-ranking knights who had reached the pinnacle as warriors, performing the important task of protecting the continent from demons under the command of the Ducal family of Vert, the guardians of the continent.

It wasn’t really surprising.

Most people who knew Alice thought it was natural for her to join the Knights of Light after her graduation.

At the age of 16, she had reached the 6-star level.

With an astonishing attribute rating of 88% in water.

And excellent swordsmanship skills that even the skilled instructors of the academy couldn’t match easily.

Moreover, since their leader was her father, it was the optimal group for her, where she was most needed and could stand out.

The chancellor understood why she made such a choice.

“So you’re intending to continue the legacy of your family.”

She aimed to follow in her father, Duke Vert’s footsteps to protect the continent, continuing the family’s legacy.

However, the chancellor didn’t want her to join the Knights of Light.

The reason was hard to explain.

Affection for a beloved student?

The vain intuition of an old man?

Somehow, he felt that it wouldn’t end well if she joined the Knights of Light,

So, by suggesting a time for travel, he was very much hoping that her heart might change.

“In the end, my heart was set on it. Someone has to shoulder this responsibility. If I can do it and am able to bear it, then I should. At least so that the younger ones walking these halls now can lead a comfortable life…….”

At the mention of “younger ones,” Chancellor Kundel’s expression subtly changed.

“Did you say ‘younger ones’?”

“Yes, that’s right! You know them, don’t you? Cranz and Cyan! Are they doing well without causing any trouble?”

The chancellor couldn’t easily give an answer.

“Chancellor?”

“What do you think of your siblings?”

He asked a question in return instead.

Alice answered somewhat taken aback.

“Well, Cranz might have a bit of a mean streak, but I think he can grow up to be a good man if guided properly…….”

He didn’t question further about Cranz.

“As for Cyan, I’m not sure yet, but it seems like he has some inexplicable great talent. I think he has a lot to learn! Just a bit timid is the downside… Why do you ask, Chancellor?”

The chancellor’s face had turned significantly more solemn than before.

Alice, startled, asked him, and after maintaining silence for about 10 seconds, he finally spoke.

“You’re somewhat mistaken, Alice…….”

“Yes?”

“Do you think you know everything about your brother?”

The atmosphere changed drastically, and Alice couldn’t hide her confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“Three years ago, I also said this to you. I had one student among all those who passed through my hands whose depth I couldn’t gauge…….”

Of course, that one wasn’t Alice.

“However, now there are two, and coincidentally, both are related to you.”

“I- I don’t understand what you’re saying…….”

-Knock Knock

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

Looking towards the door, the chancellor sighed softly and continued.

“That person has just arrived.”

“……?”

“Come in.”

-Creak

As the door opened, Alice’s gaze naturally shifted in that direction.

Dark hair reminiscent of the twilight sky and sharp eyes.

His height seemed similar to hers but was slightly shorter, in the late 160s.

(PR: Height is in cm, about 5’6”)

However, the face was of a boy with a youthful appearance.

Even though his looks had changed a bit, Alice recognized who he was instantly.

“Cyan?”

He was the youngest of the Vert Ducal family and her brother, Cyan Vert.

(To be continued)