The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

For an assassin, secrecy is as vital as life itself.

Even if it’s something as insignificant as a speck of dust, one’s own secrets must never be exposed to others.

Boris Ruchelheim had crossed the line.

Since the revelation of his surveillance, he had been marked as a target, but he was already aware of much more than they had anticipated.

In response, Silica, the head of the mist, thought to herself.

For an assassin, hesitation is akin to death’s law.

That man, today in this place, would be dealt with in the name of the mist, even for the sake of the successor who was not present here.

With a signal, the assassins who had been lurking withdrew and rushed toward Boris.

In the midst of their stormy charge, half of them suddenly ascended into the air.

Though the human body may seem sturdy, in reality, it’s a very vulnerable vessel with numerous weak points.

From the temples to the Adam’s apple, throat, eyes, waist, groin, anus, and more.

Assassins’ basic principle lies in swiftly exploiting these human vulnerabilities.

But who were they?

They are elite assassins who can sever a hundred necks with a single stroke.

Even if they don’t open their eyes, they are like monsters who can target every vital point with just their senses.

What if such individuals, who exclude all other trivial matters and focus solely on one vital point?

Ten assassins attacking from ten different directions.

Their prepared strikes of instant death, known as the Ten Point Strike, were aimed at completely different places without overlap.

Although using ten elite assassins to kill one person may seem somewhat inefficient, there is no more certain technique for killing one person.

Among these ten strikes aimed at the target,

If even one hits,

That target will immediately cease to be of this world.

-Thwack!”

A dull thud that struck the eardrums reverberated through the wilderness.

It wasn’t the sound of a blade slicing through the air or the crisp clang of blades colliding.

Their specific targets may have differed, but ultimately, all the assassins aimed for one common target: Boris Ruchelheim.

However, what their blades struck wasn’t Boris’s body.

“…..!”

The assassins doubted their eyes.

Despite possessing impeccable kinesthetic vision, the enigmatic entity before them left them perplexed.

A disturbing sensation akin to stabbing a living organism yet feeling as though it couldn’t possibly be true lingered within them.

Watching this unfold, Silica muttered with an uneasy expression.

“Marionettes…”

Lifeless bodies infused with mana, reborn as dolls.

The culprits who turned the palace banquet into a banquet of bloodshed and disrupted their purification operation.

While it was a magic she had anticipated, Silica couldn’t find it within herself to smile.

Boris, with a smirk that seemed to mock the unfolding events, was being met with a truly contrasting demeanor from Silica.

She looked at Boris’s feet with a troubled expression.

His two feet were no longer touching the ground of the wilderness.

It appeared as if a portion of the night sky had been detached and placed beneath him.

It was a two-dimensional space reminiscent of a divine realm – the Dimension Room.

This space, created by harnessing vast amounts of mana, made the surrounding assassins feel threatened, causing them to quickly retreat.

As they did, strange forms of marionettes began to appear within the Dimension Room.

Silica commented with a wry smile, “Your tastes are rather peculiar, aren’t they? Carrying around such bizarre dolls won’t win you any favor with the students, especially with that handsome face of yours.”

“Having a blade hidden behind a disgusting smile is preferable to some,” Boris retorted without missing a beat.

Silica chuckled hollowly in response.

“I hope you don’t judge too harshly. Even though my dolls look like this, it’s all…”

-Splurt!

“They’re very fond of people…”

“…!”

The gazes of the assassins who were watching Boris all turned to the back.

Under their feet, a new dimensional space appeared out of nowhere, and soon another group of marionettes revealed themselves there.

Kagagak…

The dolls charged towards the assassins, emitting eerie sounds.

The assassins, though able to fend them off individually, were outnumbered.

The dolls’ numbers grew rapidly, overwhelming the assassins to the point where one assassin had to contend with multiple marionettes.

These dolls moved with a fluidity that surpassed the elite assassins’ movements, despite being controlled by mana.

In an instant, the situation shifted to a numerical disadvantage.

However, what concerned Silica wasn’t the overwhelming odds but rather her contemplation of the magic at play.

‘Is this really magic?’

Though it may bear the moniker of ‘Black,’ black magic is still a branch of magic that operates on mana.

The marionettes Boris displayed, along with the Dimension Room, were not spells one could wield with ease.

From calculating movements to manipulating mana, it required immense concentration.

Was it any wonder that mages were often called geniuses?

Mastering this sequence of calculations and being backed by overwhelming mana is what truly earns one the title of a Grandmaster.

But look at that repulsive, almost nauseating face.

Is that truly the face of someone concentrating?

It seems more like one on the brink of indulgence, if not outright debauchery.

It certainly didn’t resemble the demeanor of someone casting high-level magic.

And then there’s another strange aspect.

‘What on earth is he holding?’

It was the mysterious book gripped in his right hand.

It wasn’t some forbidden grimoire that would typically appear in a flimsy novel.

When confirmed with the assassin’s eyesight and the academy instructor’s insight, that book was clearly… … .

‘History books?’

It was a comprehensive history book of the continent that you would often see in a library.

Whether it contained techniques for black magic or not, Boris never let go of the book throughout the battle.

To an observer, it was undoubtedly suspicious.

“Are you just going to stand there?”

Boris asked with a casual smile.

“You’ve revealed your true face to kill me, so wouldn’t it be a shame to just fold your arms and leave?”

“Oh, you’re so kind…”

Silica replied sarcastically, her grateful smile fleeting.

– Swipe!

Without a moment’s hesitation, Silica leaped towards Boris.

Kikyaeng!

Despite the marionettes rushing to block her, they were effortlessly swept aside by a single sword strike.

Boris then reached out in front of him.

“Summon: Hell Hound!”

Following his control spell, he now cast a summoning spell.

With the incantation, a summoning circle appeared from his outstretched hand, and soon hungry predators from the infernal realms emerged.

“Kuung!”

However, mindless beasts like these couldn’t block her path.

– Swoosh!

With a swift sword strike, the Hell Hound’s mouth split in half, and its body thudded to the ground.

As a fountain of blood sprayed from its body, it seemed there was no one who could bear to witness the sight without losing their bladder control.

– Oooooohhh…

Boris, seeming a bit more desperate, manifested even stronger mana this time.

“May the holy light’s judgment punish you!”

With a spell, a white magic circle formed in his hand, sparking with light.

7th-tier Light attribute combat magic, ‘Spear of Retribution.’

Silica couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the sight.

Casting such a powerful magic without any preparation gestures was a feat that could only be expected from a Grandmaster like the Chancellor Kundel or the President Regens of the Garam Magic Society.

But there was no time for admiration.

Allowing this attack at close range would cause significant damage not only to her but also to the surrounding assassins.

She had to deflect it right here and now.

Without stopping her charge, Silica manifested mana in her free hand, which wasn’t holding the sword.

“….!”

Boris’s face, maintaining a smile until now, stiffened for the first time.

He seemed to have caught onto her intentions but was taken aback by the unexpected turn of events.

What Silica intended wasn’t anything special.

She was simply about to activate magic, just like Boris.

However, it wasn’t a combat spell like the Spear of Retribution.

Silica’s publicly known magic attribute was fire—a relatively common attribute but one she had only adopted as a disguise while acting as an instructor.

It was the moment when the inner nature of the assassin, carefully concealed from anyone’s sight, was revealed.

“Everything to nothing…”

Silica muttered the incantation, and a black orb formed in her hand.

At the same time, Boris’s Spear of Retribution, aimed at Silica, was absorbed into the sphere.

“…..!”

The sphere of nothingness—a dark attribute magic unique for nullifying all surrounding mana.

Silica’s magic attribute was darkness.

“B-But, the light mana…!”

Boris, growing more desperate, attempted to cast another spell, but he was not given another chance.

-Bang!

With a merciless grip, Silica grabbed Boris by the throat and slammed him forcefully onto the ground.

“Auhh!”

Blood spurted from his neck due to the intense pressure.

“Isn’t it too early to scream?”

-Kwasik!

With a swift stroke, Silica’s unforgiving sword severed Boris’s right hand, scattering his mana into dust.

“AAARGH!”

Witnessing his agony, Silica struggled to contain her laughter.

“You’ve been quite enthusiastic, Instructor Boris! I was hoping for a bit more resistance, but alas, it seems we must end it here!”

With the cleanup of the marionettes done by the other assassins, there was nothing left to aid Boris.

“If you have any last words, now’s the time. I can offer you that much mercy…”

“Cough!”

But instead of words, only a gurgling of blood emerged from Boris’s throat.

Time was running out for him, a truly desperate situation.

Struggling to speak, Boris managed to mutter,

“For an assassin…”

“……?”

Though not entirely certain yet, from the first words, it didn’t seem like they were about to speak of bequests or the like.

“I’ve heard that hesitation is death for assassins…”

Silica’s face, which had been full of smiles, began to cool down again.

“Why do you show such arrogant behavior…?”

Sensing danger, Silica swiftly raised her sword.

– Ping!

At that moment, a radiance emerged, blocking Silica and the others’ line of sight.

Hastily readjusting her gaze, Silica tried to pinpoint the source of the light.

“…!”

She couldn’t believe her eyes.

It could be a simple luminous phenomenon, Boris’s last hidden trump card, or even her own mistake.

But Silica didn’t think so.

Despite its pure and immaculate radiance, there was an unmistakable sense of revulsion emanating from the light.

This was a light that could never be friendly to those who followed the god of the black mist.

“Why, why…?”

Silica’s eyes were fixed on exactly what was in Boris’s left hand.

“The Bible is here!”

They were directed towards a blank white document, the contents of which were unknown.

—————