The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

-Kwajangchang!

I rolled a couple of times on the floor with a refreshing sound.

If you ask why I came in so noisily, well, it’s because I didn’t enter through the main entrance; I came in through the window.

Raising my head quickly, I saw the chancellor sitting behind the desk.

I stood up without much enthusiasm and calmly said,

“I am Cyan Vert, a new student at the Royal Academy. I’ve come to raise an objection against the complaint with the chancellor.”

The chancellor had a rather enigmatic expression on his face.

You could interpret it in two ways: either he genuinely didn’t expect me to come here, or he knew I would come but didn’t expect me to do so in this manner.

Did he install such a strong “restriction barrier” and then expect me to come through the main entrance?

Well, without Aeru’s power, breaking through that restriction barrier with my bare body was impossible.

But assassins don’t usually use the front door, do they?

So, I went up one more floor and headed to the rooftop.

Then, I jumped down.

Using a mana orb to leap, I dashed straight to the chancellor’s office window.

It might have been a bit reckless, but it was the least conspicuous method I could think of.

Instantly, the chancellor looked at me with a chilly tone.

“You’ve come to lodge an objection?”

“Yes. Since the sender of the warning letter was Chancellor Quazel, I came directly.”

The chancellor seemed incredulous, letting out a hollow laugh.

“How audacious. A student from this sacred institution comes to challenge disciplinary action against a student for failing to attend class? Do you mock the Royal Academy?”

Each word carried a strong tone of authority.

He’s coming on pretty strong.

Of course, I understand that the current situation is not in my favor.

If he wanted to, he could charge me with unauthorized entry and damage to property and impose additional sanctions.

But if that were his intention, he wouldn’t have sent me a warning letter in the first place.

I replied in a restrained tone,

“To be honest, coming to lodge a complaint was merely a formal procedure to meet you, Chancellor. I have no intention to contest the warning you issued. I consider it a reasonable measure.”

“Hmph, so that means you’re here for something else,” the chancellor said with a sneer.

“Well, I sent the same warning to both you and your brother. The appearance and format were the same, but the sender was different. Your brother’s warning probably came from the academy administration, but yours did not. If you had any objections to the warning, you should have come to me, not the administration.”

The chancellor’s tone remained firm and composed.

“Why do you think I sent the warning letter only to you, not to both of you?”

“Well, I assume it was to test me. Discovering and nurturing talent is what you do best, isn’t it, Chancellor?”

The educator’s duty is to promote the growth of students to contribute to the development of the country and society.

Moreover, as the head of the continent’s top educational institution, the chancellor wouldn’t just overlook talents like me.

Despite my criticism of the academy’s corruption, fundamentally, it’s a place of learning.

Throughout history, countless talents have passed through here, maintaining its reputation as the top educational institution on the continent.

“Very well. Despite the somewhat aggressive approach, you succeeded in capturing my attention with the duel yesterday and other incidents. If you didn’t come to lodge a complaint, then go ahead, tell me your original purpose…”

Honestly, I deliberated several times before coming this far.

For the sake of a clear and straightforward path, I had to decide whether to partially reveal my hand or choose a safer route that might involve some detours.

Honestly, the latter option didn’t appeal to me.

As someone who had lived a life where failure meant the end, the word “safety” didn’t quite resonate with me.

While I’m not particularly fond of phrases like “a single shot in life,” now that I’ve agreed to deal with the chancellor, I must set aside any half-heartedness.

With determination, I looked the chancellor straight in the eye and spoke,

“First, may I ask you a question, Chancellor?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you desire the prosperity of the empire, or do you seek the honor of your family?”

For a moment, the chancellor’s eyes flickered and shifted.

“Before becoming the Head of the Royal Academy, you were also the leader representing the Quazel Ducal family. Furthermore, you rose to become the emperor’s former Father-in-law. I understand that you maintained a good relationship with His Majesty even after the passing of Empress Diana.”

“What’s your point?”

“Please answer my question first. My subsequent words will depend on your response.”

The chancellor’s imposing gaze felt like that of a predator reigning at the top of the ecosystem, almost as if saying, ‘Why should I answer that question for you?’

I, too, did not flinch and accepted his gaze.

“Prosperity and honor?”

The chancellor, who had maintained silence until now, finally spoke.

“Both are none of my concern.”

It was a somewhat unexpected response.

“The current continent is experiencing an unprecedented era of peace since the establishment of the Royal Academy. It’s been over a hundred years since nations clashed swords. In essence, now is the most prosperous time in the entire history of the empire.”

It had been about a hundred years since the Great Sage founded the Royal Academy.

Indeed, there hadn’t been any wars between nations since then.

The Royal Academy played a crucial role in maintaining peace.

As the chancellor said, the current period was indeed an unprecedented era of prosperity in the empire’s history.

“Furthermore, I lost interest in the family’s honor long ago. The family can function perfectly well without me, and I retired from the ducal position long ago. For me now, this academy is more important.”

The chancellor’s words were filled with unwavering determination.

I nodded and said,

“I understand. So, you’re saying that the prosperity of the empire and the honor of the family are not important to you. Even if the first prince or second princess of the empire does not inherit the throne, it’s okay with you?”

“…!”

For a moment, the air in the room became heavy.

“It wasn’t audacious… it was arrogant,” the chancellor uttered with a deep tone, wearing a faint smile.

“I’ve dedicated myself to this academy for nearly 30 years. Over the years, I’ve seen countless students, countless talents. Among them, there was your sister, who was called the child of God, and your brother, who was said to become the continent’s second guardian. I once thought of you as someone within their category.”

I appreciate the positive view you’ve held, but it feels somewhat ambiguous to be placed in the same category as them, doesn’t it?

Nonetheless, I decided not to show any reaction for now.

“However, it seems I’ve misjudged you. You’re just a dullard who’s arrogant about the power you’ve been given. Have you ever considered the repercussions your words might bring? Or perhaps, have you let vanity take hold of you, thinking you’re favored by the emperor? I regret ever seeing you in a positive light. Let’s pretend I didn’t hear your words just now. Since I’ll temporarily lift the barrier, please leave.”

He’s quite relentless.

The chancellor decisively instructed me to leave.

Without hesitation, I responded.

“As you’ve said, Chancellor, the current era is indeed unprecedentedly peaceful for the empire. At least, it will continue to be as long as His Majesty enjoys good health. But will this peaceful era persist even after the emperor’s passing?”

The chancellor’s eyes flickered for a moment.

“You, despite stepping back from the family, must be aware of the current state of the empire. The empire is walking a tightrope. The conflict between the former empress’s faction, the first prince and second princess, and the current empress’s faction, the third and fourth princes… The internal strife among them is already a foregone conclusion.”

There is one more person, but for now, let’s leave her aside.

“On what basis do you make such claims?”

“Rudolf Nepellis, the Viscount, is not someone to be underestimated like yourself. He values the family’s honor above all else and is willing to slay demons from hell to uphold it. He most certainly desires his bloodline to ascend to the throne.”

There was a slight tremor in the chancellor’s eyes.

He knows more about Viscount Nepellis than I do.

I continued.

“From a legitimate standpoint, it’s right for the first prince to inherit the throne. But the Nepellis family won’t just stand idly by while this plays out. It will inevitably lead to internal strife. Then the empire’s prosperity will shatter in an instant. And if the worst-case scenario unfolds, and the first prince’s faction is defeated, the security of the Quazel family won’t be guaranteed.”

“Do you think our Quazel family is that feeble?”

“I said we can’t predict human affairs. It’s all hypothetical, isn’t it?”

Perhaps the chancellor is thinking this right now.

A mere eleven-year-old boy seems to see through the empire’s political situation so clearly?

It might seem too audacious for someone like me to speak so confidently.

Moreover, no one besides his immediate subordinates would dare speak like this to him in the first place.

“Prosperity of the empire, honor of the family… You said you don’t particularly care about them. But in the near future, both might come crashing down simultaneously. Are you truly okay with that, Chancellor?”

The chancellor remained silent, but his gaze told me a lot, one thing in particular: he no longer sees me as just a mere new student.

“No one from the family has ever spoken to me like you just did.”

His tone softened slightly.

“Fine. I didn’t expect someone like you to give me advice on which path to take in this tumultuous situation.”

I smiled subtly in response.

“Yes, I understand your greatness, Chancellor. If internal conflict does arise, you’ll lead us to victory, making the Quazel family’s heir the emperor.”

In fact chancellor Kundel, made innovative contributions leading Quazel to victory in the imperial dispute, and crowned Prince Louisnel Sevellerus as emperor.

However, the conflict didn’t end there.

After the internal strife subsided, the chancellor desired to peacefully reconcile Emperor Louisnel with his remaining four brothers.

Knowing that as long as they weren’t included, conflict could erupt again at any time, he wished to maintain an amicable relationship unless death was unavoidable.

However, Emperor Louisnel had different thoughts.

Born and raised in the arena of power struggles, brotherly affection was never there from the start.

They were merely reactive agents threatening his position.

Many foresaw the fate of others, including the once esteemed Chancellor Kundel, but failed to see their own.

Internal conflict birthed yet another, and ultimately, Emperor Louisnel not only assassinated Chancellor Kundel, who opposed his will, but also condemned the remaining brothers for treason, executing them all.

Princess Arin was left stranded outside.

“Hah! So what does that person who has been saying such things to me all this time mean?”

Unless significant changes occur, the empire’s future will continue unchanged.

Frankly, I no longer care about the empire’s prosperity or the glory of the lineage.

But this old man must be different.

Despite anything else, he’ll wish for the current peace to remain undisturbed for the rest of his life.

Well, then, I’ll just take advantage of that chancellor’s wishes.

“After all, Chancellor, you’ve always said this academy is more important, right? So it doesn’t matter who becomes emperor as long as the academy’s prestige is maintained as it is now. Especially in this peaceful era, wouldn’t it be better to witness both the empire and the academy prospering?”

“Are you implying you’ll help with that?”

As expected, he saw through it right away.

I replied with a smile.

“Yes, I acknowledge it. As long as the security of this academy is guaranteed, it doesn’t matter who becomes emperor. However, what will you do? What power do you have?”

I’ve said everything I can with words.

Now, it’s time to prove it.

Kiing!

With that, I conjured a small mana orb in my palm.

Are you thinking this is just an ordinary mana sphere?

Indeed.

This is a very ordinary mana sphere that even a grade 1 student can create.

However, even the ordinary can feel different depending on who creates it.

“…!”

The dean’s gaze shook intensely.

He sensed it.

The tremendous magical power emanating from the black mana sphere.

And he understands.

That the power I’m showing right now is not all there is…

“What are you…?”

“You don’t have to think too hard about it. Consider me a genius, a prodigy, or any divine being who descended to the human realm, feel free. As long as you don’t see me as just an ordinary student, that’s fine.”

The dean wore an expression of incomprehension.

But that moment didn’t last long.

After collecting his thoughts, he asked me again.

“What do you want from me?”

Indeed, our dean knows well what give and take means.

I didn’t hesitate to answer.

“Nothing much. Just retract the warning and let me continue my academy life as it is. I won’t skip classes often, and I’ll take the exams seriously.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes, that’s all. Nothing more.”

The dean seemed somewhat surprised.

“And what do you gain from this?”

“Peace. I also want to attend this academy without any issues.”

With a smile on my face as if to say ‘what’s the problem,’ the dean had a complex expression on his face.