The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

It’s already been two weeks since Cyan left the academy.

As usual, Nana, who had just finished her midday nap, stretched and yawned.

“Ahh~ I slept well!”

Despite her sudden growth spurt, she still needed plenty of sleep.

Feeling refreshed, she stepped out of her room and saw Emily by the window, nervously chewing her nails.

Emily’s body trembled, her eyes filled with anxiety.

“Emily, you don’t look well. Are you feeling unwell?”

Despite Nana’s innocent inquiry, Emily replied with a serious tone.

“I don’t look well? Well, can you blame me?”

Nana chuckled.

“It’s been two weeks since the Young Master left! Not only that, but he’s with some girl named Kaeram! How can I not worry when there’s been no word, no sign of him at all?”

Even though Emily didn’t show a hint of concern when Cyan fell off the cliff, this time was different.

She prided herself on knowing Cyan better than anyone else.

But leaving with some unknown woman to an unknown place for a ‘vacation’? It felt like a bizarre turn of events.

In truth, it was more exasperating than worrying.

“Ugh! Papa always says the most useless thing in the world is worrying about him! If you have time to worry, why not spend that time sleeping more? Just wait a little longer, he’ll be back!”

Even those who were enraged couldn’t help but smile at her innocent words.

However, Emily’s face, upon seeing that smile, only seemed to contort even more.

“Huh, how could the Young Master end up with such an immature little brat…”

Ironically, Emily had no idea how Cyan really felt about her.

*Squeak*

At that moment, the sound of the door opening echoed through the room as someone entered.

Since the only person who would enter at this hour was likely Brian, Emily didn’t even bother to turn her head.

“If you end up with the wrong woman, your life’s in big trouble. Seriously, what kind of woman and where…”

“What’s wrong with how my life is?”

“Ahh!”

A high-pitched scream startled the room.

Emily quickly turned her head, doubting her eyes.

“Y-Young Master!?”

Cyan, who had been missing for half a month, was suddenly standing before her.

“Papa!”

Unlike the startled Emily, Nana rushed forward with a joyful cry.

Cyan calmly patted Nana, who nestled into his arms.

“When did you come back?”

“Obviously, just now. Didn’t you hear the door opening?”

“W-We did, but we thought it was Brian…”

At that moment, the door creaked again, and Brian followed behind.

From the situation, it seemed they came together.

“Welcome back… Oh wait, Young Master. Who is Kaeram?!”

Overcoming her initial shock and panic, Emily soon straightened up and questioned Cyan sternly.

“Hmm? Ah, you didn’t know?”

As always, Cyan’s reaction was nonchalant.

“You never mentioned them in the first place! Who are they to be with you all this time?”

[Were you looking for me?]

“Kyaaah!”

Emily screamed again at the whispered voice from behind.

With fine black hair that seemed to shimmer in the starlight and captivating eyes, the mysterious woman exuded a nobility far beyond that of the noblewomen Emily had ever seen, as she smiled oddly at her.

[Nice to formally meet you, isn’t it? Pleasure to meet you~!]

Emily was dumbfounded.

“W-Who are you?”

[Surprised? Even though we spent a year together on the front lines with your master?]

“W-What does that…?”

Setting aside the fact that they were meeting for the first time, the woman’s presence was strangely unsettling, stirring Emily’s senses.

“Y-You’re really beautiful…”

[Hmm?]

“You’re, you’re really beautiful! The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen!”

Emily blurted out in her confusion.

At this, Kaeram’s face lit up in a rare and bright smile.

[Oh my! Do you have a different perspective from your master?]

“…”

Cyan shook his head in disbelief.

“Papa! Did you buy me a present?”

“Oh right. Just wait a moment.”

Cyan retrieved a small rectangular box from his pocket.

With a flick of his finger, a tiny dimensional portal opened, revealing a large basket inside.

The basket was filled with snacks that children would enjoy.

“Don’t eat them all at once. Eat them in moderation, okay?”

“Yeah! Thanks, Papa!”

As she hugged the basket tightly, her face lit up with a bright smile of happiness, and soon Cyan wore a satisfied grin on his face too.

Observing this, Brian had a somewhat peculiar expression in his eyes.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Well, it seems like your gaze has changed compared to usual…”

At this, Cyan chuckled softly.

“You’re saying the same thing as the leader.”

“Yes?”

“Nah, forget it. Since the sun hasn’t set yet, let’s go do some exercise. You didn’t slack off on your training while I was away, did you?”

“Of course not! I’ll get ready right away!”

As Brian began his preparations as if he had been waiting, Cyan smiled with satisfaction.

“Yeah, when I’m not around, you have to look after the kids too.”

Brian, who was focused on getting ready, didn’t hear his words.

* * *

A week before the start of classes at the Royal Academy.

It was time for students who had returned to their territories during the vacation to come back, but the academy was unusually quiet.

Some students chose to observe the situation further before returning, and some even outright refused to come back to school.

This was truly an unprecedented situation in the history of the academy.

“About 1/10 of the total enrolled students have expressed their intention to delay their return. It seems that not only students but also some faculty members are considering taking leave. If things continue like this, it’s likely to cause significant disruptions to the operation of this semester…”

Despite Silica’s report, Headmaster Kundel maintained a composed demeanor.

But she knew.

It was evident from the Headmaster’s face that there was hidden worry.

“Isn’t it still a bit precarious with the Nigriti? You don’t need to worry about appearances. If you want to take a leave of absence, go ahead.”

“It wouldn’t be appropriate. We should maintain a separation between personal matters and official duties.”

Silica’s response was unwavering.

At this, Kundel chuckled.

“Even though you’re known for your strategic mind, you’re quite composed even when your betrothed has passed away. Well, judging by your demeanor, it’s not particularly surprising…”

She carefully averted her gaze.

It had been a month since the infamous Blood Feast incident at the Ushif Empire Palace.

While the incident itself had been resolved, its aftermath had reverberated throughout the continent, causing significant shockwaves.

Social gatherings among students, which should have been in full swing, were canceled one after another, and most nobles didn’t dare to step foot outside their territories or mansions.

However, before the dust from the incident had settled, another incident erupted at the academy.

The kidnapping of Luna Rainriver.

It occurred just a fortnight ago when disguised outsiders infiltrated the academy and kidnapped a female student who was alone in the cafeteria.

Although the incident was thwarted by the Garam Society, it didn’t receive much public attention.

However, given that a noble’s daughter was kidnapped in broad daylight, it was quite a shameful incident that inevitably raised doubts about the academy’s security.

In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that, compared to the previous banquet incident, most students postponed their return due to this kidnapping incident.

“Well, considering the current situation, all we can do is strengthen the academy’s security. Just tell the remaining staff to focus on preparing for classes and not to worry about the guards.”

“Understood.”

With her head bowed, Silica noticed the numerous letters on the Headmaster’s desk.

Judging by the Quazel family crest stamped on all of them, she could tell they were sent from noble households.

“Are you concerned about what’s happening in the capital?”

“If I weren’t, that would be a lie.”

There was a hint of bitterness in Kundel’s tone.

“After all, aren’t I also from the empire? I was once the Emperor’s father-in-law. Well, now the academy takes precedence over the imperial court, but at least I need to know how the capital is functioning.”

Silica inadvertently noticed the name Louisnel written on one of the letters but didn’t show any reaction.

Shortly after, Kundel gathered the letters and set them aside.

“Anyway, on another note, we’ve decided to bring in new instructors for this semester.”

“New instructors, you say?”

“We need to fill the vacancy left by Nella instructor, who went missing after the kidnapping incident. Coincidentally, it seems our family sent a replacement directly.”

“Are they from the Quazel family?”

“Not exactly. They’re from a branch I’ve never heard of before. Have you heard of Ruchelheim?”

“No, I haven’t. It’s the first time I’ve heard of it…”

Even she had never heard of such a place.

“While they don’t seem to be of common birth, they appear to be quite extraordinary. Despite being barely in their twenties, their magic grade is said to be an impressive 8th tier.”

“An, an 8th tier?”

An 8th tier, just below the Headmaster’s 9th tier, which is almost on par with a grandmaster, surpassing her official 7th tier rank.

Considering that most humans can’t achieve the level of magic prowess achievable by those in the upper 8th tier even in a lifetime of study, this was a remarkably high rank, suggesting potential for a high-ranking position within a magical society.

– Smart

“Looks like they’ve arrived.”

“….!”

It was just a knock on the door, but Silica felt extremely flustered inwardly.

‘How did I not sense anything?’

The assassin’s senses are so sharp that they can detect even the slightest sound of a leaf falling from a tree beyond 100 paces.

Though she tries to be more cautious about relying on those senses now that she’s a teacher rather than the leader, until just before the knock on the door, she felt no inkling of any presence or energy.

It was like an intangible spirit materializing at the door.

Silica couldn’t shake a sense of unease, somehow.

– *Creak*

Finally, the door opened, and a man of small stature stepped inside.

“Welcome. You must have had a long journey.”

The Headmaster greeted with hospitality, and the man nodded with a subtle smile.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Boris Ruchelheim…”