The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

Honestly, I was a bit surprised.

The stance she took with the sword, the force emanating from the blade, and her spatial manipulation abilities—all surpassed my expectations of a mere manager.

And above all, her gaze.

It was like a fiery determination to kill me, spreading like wildfire.

Was she warning me to leave the city as soon as possible if I wanted to live?

Just a few hours ago, her indecisiveness was evident, but now, it was a whole different story.

From behind, Lindsay watched with amusement.

– Swish

Continuing the brief standoff, she drew another sword from her waist.

– Swish Swish Swish

Four swift sword strikes, seamlessly connected with smooth curves, reminiscent of a butterfly’s fluttering wings.

Of course, none of the attacks were meant to hit me.

In such a confined space, extravagant movements would be futile.

She must have known that too.

I quietly extended one foot back, creating about two steps’ distance.

Then, I naturally adjusted my grip on the sword handle and brought my withdrawn foot forward again.

I resumed my sword strikes, diagonally from the lower right, then swiftly adjusting the grip and striking vertically.

She must have predicted the direction of movement and blocked it without difficulty.

However, she was mistaken if she thought it was over.

I naturally linked the previous two sword strikes and resumed the sword attack.

-Shuuk

Once diagonally from the bottom right,

-visor

Quickly turn the hilt of the sword in the opposite direction and hold it vertically again.

Although she was a bit embarrassed because she didn’t expect it to happen four times, she was still able to block it without wavering.

Unfortunately, it’s not over yet.

As my foot descended to close the gap by just 1cm from the ground, I smoothly lifted my arm, aiming for the center of her chest.

– Slash

She couldn’t block my final strike, and one of her swords flew into the air.

Her face betrayed a hint of surprise.

“….”

It took about 5 seconds for the sword to embed itself into the ground.

During that time, I remained still, knowing that sometimes, inaction can inflict greater wounds.

I don’t think she knows the meaning of my actions.

-Woo!

She hesitated for a moment, pondering her next move.

She realized she had been underestimated.

Her gaze now held not just murderous intent but venomous intent.

I paid her no mind, silently waiting for her to make her next move.

– Swish

With fluidity akin to a dance, she retrieved her sword and swiftly resumed her stance.

– Clang

This time, without any elaborate swordplay, she pushed forward with both swords, emanating undeniable pressure from the crossed blades.

Though she was a mature woman, she seemed to opt for strength, given her advantage in stature over me.

“…!”

It wasn’t just the physical force that I felt.

It was the unwavering determination to kill me, accompanied by an urgency that transcended mere strength.

Lost in the intriguing mix of emotions, my body found itself gradually pushed back against the wall by her.

“… There’s none.”

Amidst my attempts to push her away, she suddenly whispered something.

“What did you say?”

“I have no personal feelings…”

I couldn’t help but inwardly scoff.

Emotions, matters of the heart, were things I hadn’t bothered with in ages, so it didn’t matter.

But it seemed she was laboring under some misapprehension.

“Listen, Manager Lisa.”

I broke the silence with a dull voice.

“…!?”

“Such words should only be spoken when you are absolutely sure you have the upper hand over your opponent.”

Though she didn’t answer directly, her eyes conveyed that she knew well enough.

“Do you think you have the right to say such things to me?”

I slightly eased the restrained force and pushed back.

“…!”

Caught off guard by the unexpected strength, she lost her balance.

– Thud

Seizing the opportunity, I swiftly grabbed her throat and pushed back.

“Grrgh!”

It wasn’t a complete subjugation.

Though I had her by the throat, her hands were still free.

She immediately retrieved her fallen sword and swiftly retaliated.

– Clang!

Of course, it was an attack I couldn’t possibly handle.

However, as her strikes came at me like water flowing, I deflected them left and right, causing her sword to fly out in a wide arc.

Finally defenseless, I awaited her next move.

As her retaliatory strike was rendered futile, her fiery will extinguished like a candle snuffed out.

“Ha…”

With a sigh of defeat, she closed her eyes entirely.

I don’t know if she’s quick to admit it or if she’s quick to give up.

Without the slightest hesitation, I swung my corrected Kaeram down upon her.

– Thud

As her body hit the ground, a cloud of dust rose.

Once again, silence flowed for 5 seconds.

I lifted my head, feeling indifferent.

“Haah, haah…”

From below, the breath of a woman who had narrowly escaped the brink of life and death grew rough.

“What were you doing?”

Lindsay, who had been observing the situation all along, asked me with a stiff voice, unlike the mocking tone before.

It could be said differently.

Why didn’t you kill her?

“Actually, I’d like to ask you the same thing. What were you doing?”

“What?”

“Even though it was just an illusion, it was a situation worth intervening in. Why did you stand by and watch instead of stepping forward?”

She said it unmistakably.

When comparing myself to her child, she admitted that she wanted to see how much power I had.

I acknowledge it.

This manager showed quite remarkable movements.

She was far superior to the riff-raff in the junkyard.

Her mindset as an assassin, with no hesitation in killing her target, was extremely commendable.

It was simply insufficient to reach me.

The problem lies in the fact that I, she in front of me, and even this manager lurking below, all know this fact.

When her last counterattack was blocked, she closed her eyes.

Her face seemed resigned, as if surrendering all will to live.

Her expression was observed not only by me but also by Lindsay, who was openly watching.

However, she didn’t lift a finger.

She just watched endlessly, with an inexplicable smirk.

I asked for the reason.

She sarcastically licked her lips and said,

“What? Do you think I was going to step in and save that child?”

“……”

“The child known as an assassin is truly naive. Showing mercy to the target who had tried to kill none other than themselves.”

Why?

Didn’t she call her, her own child?

Why let her die so easily?

At least this manager was sincere with me.

She had poured out everything to kill me, and when that failed, she cleanly acknowledged it and gave up everything.

Just for that woman who had been merely watching.

Shouldn’t I be disgusted by such a sight?

“How arrogant. Why did Silica send a child like you?”

For a moment, her eyes sank coldly, and her body, which had been swaying like waves, was engulfed in mist for a moment.

It was a power bestowed upon her by a superior being, undeniable Aeru’s energy.

“Are you finally revealing your true self?”

She opened her mouth with the same arrogant smile as before.

“Yes. You probably already guessed it, but I, too, was once an assassin submerged in the mist. I joined around the same time as your master Silica and shared blades.”

I wasn’t particularly surprised since it was expected.

“You might not know this. If I hadn’t left the mist and had still been around, the person you would call your leader might have been me, not her…”

It was a bold, almost shameless gaze.

It wasn’t just empty boasting but words that came purely from the heart.

“Do you find it hard to believe? Silica and I, even when we were low-ranking members, both achieved remarkable growth. From swordsmanship to magic and the application of secrets… rising to become senior members was a breeze.”

The spreading fog gradually invaded the narrow room, as if trying to imprison me within it.

“The god of mist, Aeru… Although an entity banished from the divine realm, his power is undoubtedly immense. It is a realm that mere mortals can never reach, and truly, it is a power that can accomplish many things. It can also pursue infinite development.”

She asked me while looking at me.

“The Mist’s assassin. What do you think the purpose of the Mist’s existence is?”

All I could offer was a conventional answer.

“It negates the existing world order centered around light and reveals the hidden, sinister aspects of humanity.”

She nodded as if she had expected my response.

“You know it well. Then let me ask another question. What did the Mist do for that goal?”

As I was about to answer “assassination,” I hesitated.

The Mist had not been consistently active.

It had hidden its traces for 50 years due to the whims of the idiot God.

During that long period, all they could do was wait indefinitely.

“It did nothing! Despite possessing the power to achieve and change many things, the Mist did not act! It waited for an heir who might never be born!”

Ironically, that was me.

“Isn’t it truly pathetic? Why fear when you possess the power of gods? Why hide from the world? I couldn’t understand why this power had to be wasted, why it had to be rendered meaningless!”

Someone listening might think it was their own achieved power.

“So I left that organization! I couldn’t bear to see my power go to waste! But I didn’t just leave! I wasn’t the only one rotting away there…”

I entertained the idea of listening a little longer, but I couldn’t bear it any longer.

Just as I was about to reveal my true intentions, the fog, which had been gathering, finally spread in all directions, distorting the space.

Wait, is she unleashing this here?

The old wooden floor vanished like dust, replaced by dense fog.

If my senses weren’t mistaken, this was undoubtedly…

“A pocket dimension?!”

An unreal space created by the power of gods, an area that allowed no external access.

This was definitely not a mere illusion.