The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

As I fell, I reached out with my hands and feet.

“Shadow Arts: Mist Glide!”

Simultaneously with the chant, a black mist erupted from my body.

The mist quickly enveloped me, and soon, my falling speed began to decrease.

The smooth descent resembled that of a flying squirrel.

Below the cliff was a thicket of large trees.

Carefully stepping onto the ground, the mist vanished immediately.

“Grrrr….”

Though I hadn’t even entered the valley yet, I could hear the howls of dogs from the other side of the forest.

When I slowly raised my head, I came face to face with a number of hellhounds dripping with saliva.

If you think of it as an appetizer, it’s not bad at all.

*Swish*

Naturally, I drew my sword from its sheath.

At the same time, the hellhounds took a step back.

Just feeling the energy of the sword was intimidating enough.

But for those without reason, it was only temporary.

The fiercely barking creatures eventually rushed at once.

“Thunk!”

*Swoosh*

I swung the sword in a semicircle.

The heads of the hellhounds hit the ground in an instant, and crimson blood flowed through the severed gaps.

Casually glancing at the torn bodies, I picked up a suitable head.

*Squelch*

Blood flowed through the throat.

Taste aside, the smell rising was extremely unpleasant.

But even that didn’t bother me anymore; I had long since become accustomed.

Surely, if someone saw me now, they wouldn’t think of me as human.

Well, even if I was mistaken for a demon and killed, it wouldn’t be unjust.

*Thud*

Once I had finished my meal to some extent, I tossed the head without hesitation.

There was no need to squeeze out every last drop.

After all, they weren’t worth the effort even if I took a single bite and discarded them.

“Phew….”

My body heated up, and my blood boiled.

This was evidence that I had properly absorbed the blood of the demonic creatures.

With each passing day, I could feel changes occurring in my body.

Nevertheless, garbage disposal was necessary.

After consuming them one by one, I gathered the hellhound corpses in one place.

*Whoosh!*

A small flame fell from my fingertips and ignited their bodies.

If I didn’t burn the demon corpses, they would inevitably rot, spreading a tremendous stench and contaminating the surroundings.

Since their odor couldn’t even compare to that of ordinary beasts, frontline soldiers always incinerated the demon corpses after battles.

“….”

I silently watched as the bodies burned brightly.

It had already been a month since I started this business.

Like this, every night I secretly go out alone to hunt demons, without anyone knowing.

Since the frontline knights don’t openly associate with me, it was relatively easy to operate as long as I didn’t get caught.

However, since they periodically checked on my safety, I used Emily as a precautionary measure.

Under the pretext of night exercises, instead of sneaking out secretly, I had her stage situations like, “Sir Cyan is currently asleep~”

The knights’ camp was situated on a hill overlooking the Lemea Valley, so with just a slight change in direction, I could jump down straight into the demons’ territory.

Of course, there wouldn’t be anyone foolish enough to actually jump down there.

However, ironically, I continued to move between these two places using this method, training my body day by day.

[Hey, master. Isn’t it time to graduate from dealing with these little brats?]

Amidst the rising smoke, Kaeram materialized and appeared.

[Just considering the blood you’ve consumed, you must have filled up at least one bath house by now. You’re not going to keep hunting these trivial creatures forever, are you?]

Certainly, for a month, the demons I caught were only low to intermediate-level ones like hellhounds, ogres, and harpies.

Honestly, it’s unreasonable to expect to fully regain the power of my prime in 30 days.

And if, in the meantime, I recklessly confronted higher-level demons and got into trouble, who would I blame?

It’s better to be cautious about everything.

Of course, I couldn’t keep playing around forever.

My body had already changed significantly compared to before I came to the frontline.

I would be able to handle high-level magic and techniques that I couldn’t use before to some extent.

“Yeah, it’s about time to start moving inward.”

[Really? Then let’s hurry and hunt some proper ones…]

“But not today.”

[Why not?]

In response to my sharp refusal, she replied with a scream.

“Not today. Tomorrow, the royal family is visiting.”

[The royal family?]

As mentioned several times, Velias is the only area classified as the frontline on the continent.

The country couldn’t just abandon a place where a flashpoint crisis could erupt at any moment.

Once every six months, the Emperor of the Empire personally visits to assess the overall situation.

Actually, even that has significantly decreased since Duke Vert’s assumption of power.

Although the nobles with heads full of crap had always muttered about reducing support to the frontline, the current emperor is a wise ruler.

He believes that minimizing future losses is more important than pursuing immediate gains.

So, the symbiotic relationship between the frontline and the central government must be maintained.

Well, that’s only as long as the current emperor is alive.

If the current emperor dies in a few years, the empire will fall into chaos.

Anyway, since the visit of the emperor was announced as a big event, it’s better not to act recklessly.

At least until today, I won’t act differently and will continue as usual.

[Damn it! You act all confident as if you’re going to defeat the demon king, but you’re scared of just an emperor?]

“Let’s just think of it as avoiding troublesome matters. I want to live comfortably in this life too, you know?”

[Why does a guy who wants to live comfortably come looking for me then?]

Well, that’s true, isn’t it?

Even though it seems contradictory as I say it… Well, that’s how it is.

Trying to soothe the complaining Kaeram, I entered the Lemea Valley.

A wilderness untouched by a single beam of moonlight.

It was shrouded in darkness to the point where nothing could be seen around.

*Ring*

I manifested mana at my fingertips and brought it into contact with my eyes.

Then, I gently closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, my previously pitch-black vision became instantly clear.

**1st Grade Magic: Shadow Adaptation**

This is a dark attribute magic that shortens the time it takes for the eyes to adapt to darkness, providing a brief period of clear vision in the dark.

While it’s a very basic 1st-grade magic, it has innate elements that make it difficult for even 8th-grade mages to use if their attributes don’t match.

Of course, I could freely use it since it matched my attribute, but compared to other attribute magics, it wasn’t particularly impressive.

Dark attribute magic is even classified as the lowest attribute by the Imperial Magic Society, so despite its usefulness, it’s often underestimated.

“Kekeke!”

As soon as my vision cleared, I faced dozens of glowing red eyes.

The ones who usually roamed around individually were now collectively welcoming me today.

Although it saved some effort, it was still rare to encounter different demonic creatures in the early parts of the valley.

Something seems strange.

[Hmm…]

Kaeram, who was watching the demons keenly, also seemed puzzled, as she stroked her chin.

[Are these guys scared right now?]

“Scared?”

At first glance, there were only hellhounds, a giant scavenger demon called Canyon Mantis, and some small ogres that hadn’t grown yet.

Normally, they would have rushed at me as soon as they saw me, but today, they seemed particularly hesitant.

It was serious enough to blame Kaeram.

This was like… encountering me unexpectedly while running away from something else…

“….!”

In the silence of the land, suddenly a strong presence was felt.

Sensing danger, I quickly propelled myself into the air.

*Swoosh!*

As my body ascended, giant teeth protruded from the ground.

The demonic creatures that failed to evade were swallowed up in an instant without any response.

If I had been a little slower, I would have been included in there too.

“Kwaaah!”

Amidst the teeth moving eerily, screams were heard.

If what I’m seeing isn’t wrong, then I know the identity of those grotesque teeth.

[Worms?]

Kaeram, who had jumped up alongside me, was looking down at the creature with interest.

But there was a cold sweat running down my cheek.

‘Death Worm.’

A high-level demonic creature reigning as the top predator in the Lemea Valley.

Why was such a creature, which inhabits the depths of the valley, here?

A long spike protruding from the ground aimed sharply at me.

As if regretting missing its chance…

***

Under the round moon rising in the night sky and the vast plain spreading beneath it.

Though time had passed beyond twilight into dawn, numerous carriages were still bustling along the wide field.

Around the carriages, dozens of guards armed with different weapons maintained strict defensive positions to prevent anyone from daring to approach.

“….”

Inside one of the carriages, a girl who had been sitting silently suddenly looked out the window.

Nothing could be seen except for their surroundings.

It felt like looking into a mirror.

“Your Highness, would you like to rest for a bit?” asked the worried maid sitting across.

“It’s okay. I didn’t come here to sleep peacefully anyway…”

With a curt response, the maid became uneasy. A red brooch, marking the girl as a member of the royal family, adorned her body.

“Wouldn’t it be better to change your mind now? Even if not as far as V]elias, there’s no need to go to the dangerous front lines…”

“I am clearly the princess of the empire! Just like my Father and Mother, I am going as a member of the royal family to fulfill my duties! If you say that one more time, I will really get angry.”

The girl’s eyes were sincere yet firm.

Feeling apologetic, the maid lowered her head.

“Sigh…”

The girl sighed and looked out the window again.

As the atmosphere inside the carriage became awkward, the maid quickly racked her brain for a topic that could turn things around.

Then, as if something came to her mind, she spoke up.

“Oh! I overheard from the knights that there’s another boy of your age on the front lines!”

“A boy…?”

The girl, now interested, turned her gaze.

“Yes! They say he’s the son of Duke Vert, and strangely enough, he volunteered to go to the front lines just like you!”

The girl who heard the story tilted her head.

“Did Duke Vert allow that?”

“At first, he opposed it. But it seems Duke Vert didn’t want to break his child’s will, saying that there are no parents who can control their children. So, he gave him a trial, and after bravely passing it, he was granted permission to go to the front lines!”

“A trial…?”

The girl’s eyes, which had been indifferent just moments ago, were now filled with curiosity.

“It doesn’t concern me anyway! There’s no need to compare, and he must have his own reasons for wanting to go.”

“Still, isn’t it impressive? He seems like he resembles you. Your Highness, you also personally spoke to the Emperor…”

“Enough. Let’s stop talking about that. I’m tired now, so I’ll rest my eyes a bit. Wake me up when we arrive.”

“Yes… Your Highness.”

The girl who ended the conversation immediately closed her eyes.

Just as the maid was about to give up and doze off, the girl’s voice was heard again.

“What’s the name of that boy?”

Startled, the maid froze for a moment.

“Oh, um, well. His, his name is… Cyan! Cyan Vert, I think!”

“Cyan Vert…”

Was it a feeling of camaraderie?

It was a name that was strangely easy to remember.

His name kept echoing in her mind.

Then, as if realizing it was futile, she closed her eyes again.

Soon, the girl fell into a deep sleep.
———