The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

Exactly 3 minutes.

It could have been faster, or it could have been slower.

What welcomed me back, after I had excused myself for a moment under the pretense of going to the bathroom, was nothing but an empty warmth.

She’s gone, I suppose.

She had been aware, from the moment she had precisely described her physical condition, of the minions of the Garam Society, emitting an unpleasant smell.

Well, I hadn’t thought that she had come out with permission.

It’s impressive enough that she went out without permission, but the thought that this delicate girl had crossed the border to come here alone made me involuntarily chuckle.

If what Luna said was true, then there’s no good in deliberately encountering the minions of the academy watching me.

I vacated the spot with the intention of just bringing the runaway granddaughter back home quickly.

[It seems our master is in a particularly bad mood today? Sporting a face like he’s chewed on a bug, a rare sight indeed.]

Kaeram was thoroughly mocking me.

Honestly, I can’t deny it.

“I’m not exactly thrilled.”

To be more honest, it’s downright repulsive.

If stirring up my insides was her main goal, then I’d personally like to commend her.

To the point where the party in question feels absolutely terrible.

Did I feel sympathy for her dwindling life?

Don’t be mistaken.

After all, human life isn’t that robust.

At best, slightly tougher than a fly.

Having seen countless deaths and having led numerous people to death, if I felt sympathy for such, I could confidently say I’ve lived life incorrectly.

I repeat, I am not a savior.

So, why do I feel so disgusted?

I don’t know.

Honestly, I don’t even understand my own feelings right now.

What’s clear is that the disgust I’m feeling stems from a kind of discomfort.

It’s like feeling incredibly uncomfortable because I could do something but chose not to, that kind of vulgar feeling.

Thinking more about it is pointless.

With a short snort, I turned around.

[Just going to leave?]

“Isn’t it obvious? There’s no reason for me to hold her back if her family wants to take the runaway granddaughter back home. Getting involved would only give me a headache.”

[Hmm. Really…?]

She showed a different reaction today, unlike her usual provocative remarks.

It seemed like agreement, yet there seemed to be something more she wanted to say.

That made it all the more suspicious.

“What do you want to say?”

I asked directly.

[Well, no, it’s just. Those tall ones who came to fetch the girl. Did you happen to hear what they were muttering among themselves?]

“What, they probably just said to hurry up and take her before they get into more trouble.”

The longer they wait, the more their own lives are at risk.

[You didn’t hear?]

Her malicious laughter made me involuntarily turn my gaze.

[They were engaging in mental communication. Maybe as if they didn’t want the kid to hear, talking openly in front of her?]

The ‘me’ who hadn’t heard and the ‘Kaeram’ who had.

I couldn’t help but smile at the familiar situation.

“You experienced mental resonance?”

It’s a type of magic that allows communication through thoughts alone, not by exchanging words verbally.

It’s not an easy magic.

As it involves transmitting thoughts through magical power, it requires quite a high level of computational power to manifest.

However, its high utility means that it’s a frequently used magic among the members of Mist, but that’s not the issue right now.

Really?

Was there something she wasn’t supposed to hear?

Maybe they were just making some silly comment about ‘taking her away before we get scolded more.’

Or perhaps they could have been saying ‘it’s all your fault we’re in this mess.’

Even if I have unusually good hearing, I can’t hear mental resonance.

More importantly, the fact that Kaeram told me this means…

It means she heard something interesting in her own way.

Of course, not to me.

“……”

Suddenly, my gaze shifted to the chair where she had been sitting.

I can feel it, albeit faintly.

The remnants of mana that someone had scattered, which hadn’t yet dissipated.

I quickly placed my hand over it.

“Sweet Sleep……”

Seeing the dull white powder smeared on my hand, I was certain.

The remnants of a 5-star mental sleep magic.

They had put Luna to sleep.

Was that necessary?

Why put her to sleep and take her away when there was no sign of resistance?

Unnecessary actions always arouse suspicion.

My gaze shifted back to Kaeram.

“What did they say?”

Kaeram approached my ear as if he had expected this and whispered.

[I’ll tell you everything without missing a single word. Open your ears wide and listen carefully~]

After a moment, the sinister whispers of the magic sword spread through my ears like an aria.

As her whispers continued, my expression was becoming increasingly sour.

* * *

Somewhere along the border between the Ushif Empire and the Garam Kingdom, in the outskirts of Luwen.

A small cargo wagon, not a luxurious carriage fit for nobility but rather one used by merchants, was advancing through a barren wasteland with not a single blade of grass in sight.

At the forefront, two men were leading the wagon, while three others, coming from various directions, were spread out around it, guarding the wagon as if deploying a formation.

They all had one thing in common: they were all draped in blue robes.

A sense of urgency, hard to pinpoint, was visible on their stern faces.

“…….”

Eventually, one of the men at the front raised his hand to signal a halt.

What appeared before the halted group was the border checkpoint of the Garam Kingdom.

They momentarily reversed the wagon to maintain a distance, so as not to catch any unwanted attention.

-Rustle

They all simultaneously took off their robes and began changing into worn merchant clothes, a disguise to conceal their true identities.

They even possessed forged merchant identification from different nationalities.

-Clomp

At the sound of unfamiliar footsteps, they all hurriedly turned their heads.

“……!”

Someone emitting a sinister magical aura was staring at them, draped in a grey robe, seemingly also trying to conceal their identity.

The man leading the wagon slowly approached this figure.

The others watched tensely, not daring to approach.

“Where is she?”

Judging by the voice, it was a woman.

“She’s inside the wagon. We’ve put her to sleep with a sleep spell, but it seems to have taken effect more strongly than expected. It should last at least a day.”

“May I check?”

“Of course.”

The man led the woman in the grey robe to the front of the wagon.

The woman climbed aboard, navigated through the pile of haphazardly stacked cargo, and discovered something hidden deep within.

A delicate girl was found, her hands and feet bound, and gagged.

The moment the girl’s identity was confirmed, the woman smiled faintly.

“You’ve managed to bring her this far.”

“Honestly, it was almost as if there was no chance at all.”

“Right. Who would have thought a kid who seemed destined to rot away in the academy would run away on her own? And to the academy of all places…”

The woman pulled a letter from her pocket.

“By now, the real watchers sent from the academy should have arrived at the academy. We need to get out before news reaches the border checkpoint.”

“Yes, understood!”

The man bowed and received the letter.

The woman, about to turn away, glanced at the girl once more and said, as if intending for her to hear in her sleep,

“Don’t resent us too much. Rather than suffering from useless experiments your whole life, isn’t it better to make a meaningful impact and die? This is actually for your benefit.”

Despite her seemingly convincing words, her expression and tone did not convey any sincere sentiment.

To them, the girl in the wagon was merely a means to an end, devoid of any emotional significance.

The woman then turned to leave.

“Well then, I’ll be going now……!”

-Thwack!

The sound of a blade piercing flesh was followed by the woman’s face contorting in agony.

“Gah……!”

For a brief moment, her gaze was drawn to the droplets of blood dripping onto the ground, but as she slowly lifted her head, her vision captured a figure whose pitch-black robe was fluttering in the wind.

“……!”

The sword that had penetrated her organs and the unfamiliar, purplish aura seeping out from between them.

Before she could fully comprehend what it was, the owner of the sword withdrew it with merciless motion.

-Thud

A torrent of blood gushed out like a waterfall.

The woman let out a single moan and fell forward, drawing her last breath immediately.

Those who witnessed this were utterly horrified.

“L- Lightning……!”

-Swish

The man who had received the letter hastily began to chant a spell in desperation.

However, his incantation was cut short, replaced by a painful scream in the midst of the chaos.

“Argh…!”

That scream did not last long.

One hand, which was manifesting mana, was mercilessly severed, and as he attempted to scream, a brutal sword energy flew towards his mouth, decapitating him instantly and sending his head flying towards the wagon.

-Thud

Isn’t it said that when people are too shocked, their senses freeze, and they just can’t move?

That was exactly the state they were in now.

However, their gaze was sharply focused on the unfamiliar figure before them.

A small stature that reminded one of a boy.

Yet, the murderous intent in the eyes revealed beneath the simple black mask was enough to send shivers down one’s spine.

The men facing this figure had only two thoughts.

‘Why has this situation occurred?’

Or

‘We must escape.’

The latter thought, at least, indicated a slightly quicker judgment of the situation.

If they had realized that the masked figure’s target was the wagon, they might have had time to quickly use magic to burn the wagon and escape.

Of course, that doesn’t mean they would have retained their lives.

It would only mean extending their life by a few seconds, as they would still end up being dismembered.

However, among the remaining four, only one had this thought.

The rest were simultaneously questioning the situation and thinking that they needed to deal with the entity before them as soon as possible.

But those thoughts did not translate into action.

In the moment they barely managed to gather their nerves and collect mana,

-Swish

That sound was just the beginning.

-Swish Swish Swish

The continuous horrific sounds of slaughter.

It’s been said that when human ears perceive such sounds, one should not entertain the thought of surviving.

Not just the sound of a part of the body being severed, but if one hears the sound of a person’s flesh being slowly tightened and even the last bit of their soul being gnawed away, the one who perceives that sound will at some point cease to exist as a human…

It’s likened to a dance of the grim reaper’s sword.

-Whish

Amidst the barren wilderness, a foul stench mingled with the smell of blood was wafting through the wind.

(To be continued)