The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

The Academy’s location in Luwen, bordering the three kingdoms, means that stepping outside the city leads directly across the border, placing me at the very edge of the Spania Kingdom.

Perhaps it’s just my imagination, but there’s a sense that the sun has become hotter already.

Why do I feel like this?

It’s not exhaustion, just a growing irritation.

That’s exactly how I feel right now.

Of course, that doesn’t mean I’ll cross this barren land barefoot.

Prince Set brought along Spania Kingdom’s unique artifact and means of transportation, the Magic Carpet.

With this, we can easily reach Nodelli.

*Swoosh!*

A fierce gust of wind brushed against my skin under the scorching sun.

Instinctively, I raised the scarf draped around my neck.

“Haha! The air of the homeland always feels refreshing, doesn’t it?”

Meanwhile, that foolish prince, with all his holes wide open, was sitting there accepting every speck of dust.

No wonder he can’t live up to his name and is prone to catching colds.

The already heated atmosphere feels even more stifling thanks to that idiot.

“Are you feeling hot, Senior?”

Luna, who had been watching, asked.

“Just… I’m fine. What are you doing?”

I tried to act nonchalant, but when I looked at her face, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

In this blistering heat, which was almost turning reddish, something like blue droplets surrounded her face, which didn’t suit her at all.

It was as if rain only fell around her.

“It’s a magic spell called ‘Cooling Magic,’ which combines wind and water elements. It creates a whirlwind around me and then generates water molecules to create a cooling effect.”

In my two lifetimes, I’ve never heard of such magic.

“Is this also a spell made by your society?”

“Of course not. If I submitted such a trivial spell, my grandfather would be furious. I just made it on the spot.”

So she’s tinkering with magic like it’s her toy?

I couldn’t help but admire her each time I saw her.

“But wait, now that I think about it, how did you get past the society members who were monitoring you?”

“Don’t worry. I made a special artifact for such days.”

“A special artifact?”

She took out a small doll from her pocket, resembling herself.

“It’s similar to a marionette. I infused the doll with magic and my mana to give it a form, then reconstructed it for summoning and operation. So right now, there’s a puppet that looks like me representing me in the academy. My society members won’t even notice I’m gone.”

There were so many things I wanted to say, but the feeling suddenly disappeared.

It’s a truly perfect response, only possible because it’s her.

If the face is hideous and the body gigantic, then it’s a monster.

If there’s such an overwhelming sense of alienation that you can’t even think of them as human, then that’s a monster too.

In fact, I’ve been called a monster by many over the years.

Suddenly, I wondered what would have happened if this genius girl had stayed in the Garam Kingdom in her past life without dying.

“Senior, should I also do it for you?”

“I’m fine. I can still endure it.”

“Don’t say you don’t want it.”

She replied curtly, seeming a bit annoyed.

“Is your body okay?”

“Huh?”

“You’re not in a normal state, so is it okay for you to use mana like that?”

Removing the Heart Curve might have caused some unexpected side effects.

Just because the thing that was eating away at my body is gone doesn’t mean my body instantly recovered.

“Are you worried about me?”

“I’ll be in trouble if you suddenly die out of nowhere.”

Unexpectedly, laughter burst out of her mouth, which had been straight-faced until then.

“Don’t worry. Nothing that concerns you will happen.”

“Please, just do as I say.”

It was a sincere request without any pretense.

Flying smoothly on the carpet without any obstacles, her penetrating gaze that wouldn’t leave the back of my head was quite burdensome.

* * *

After flying for a whole day on the carpet, we finally arrived at our destination, Nodelli.

I’m not sure if it’s because Set guided us well, but we managed to arrive safely without any major issues.

As we stepped onto the rough sandy ground, a cool breeze brushed against our skin, providing relief from the heat.

It was definitely cooler here than the places we had passed through earlier.

“The ruins are located just beyond the outskirts of the village. I’m not sure if the village chief will allow us entry, but if not, we’ll just sneak in!”

Set, seemingly excited for the reunion with Demon, continued into the village with a constant grin.

Although I’ve heard that it’s a quiet village, there was an eerie atmosphere beyond mere silence.

There were only three visible houses, but there was no sense of activity inside.

“It seems quieter than usual here. Is this normal for this place?”

“No! Even though it’s a quiet place, people should still be around! Did everyone go somewhere together?”

Feeling something was amiss, both of us continued to scan the surroundings, but not a single person, not even an ant, could be seen.

“Hey! Is nobody here? I’ve come after a long time, at least someone should say hello…”

“Hurry, hide!”

Luna, who had been quietly sitting, suddenly grabbed Set’s sleeve and shouted.

I quickly hid my body at the unfamiliar presence I felt ahead.

“Why? What’s going on?!”

After hastily covering his surprised mouth, I cautiously peeked out.

Two unfamiliar men were coming around the corner.

They were obviously not villagers, wearing familiar blue magic robes.

If there were people on this continent who would wear those robes…

“They’re members of the Garam Magic Society.”

Luna whispered in a panicked voice.

After the two appeared, three more members of the society showed up.

They seemed to be looking for something, scanning their surroundings.

“It seems like Grandpa made a decision faster than expected.”

She muttered with a bitten lip, showing her discomfort.

“What do you mean?”

“I told you. Our society also knows about the information regarding Demon and the ruins. They’ve come to properly confirm the truth behind that information.”

This feels like it’s taking a turn for the worse.

It wouldn’t be good if it’s just Set, but for both me and Luna to be caught by them…

“For now, it’s best to observe the situation slowly…”

Swoosh.

Something heavy rushed past me quickly.

A moment later, with a loud thud, one person was sent flying into the air.

“It doesn’t seem like it’ll be a peaceful field trip.”

The perplexed Luna and I faced the Sand Prince, who was emitting mana with rage engulfing his entire body.

His eyes were filled with intense hostility.

They say one of the things you should never see in life is the anger of a fool.

Once they’re angry, they become incapable of reasoning, making it unpredictable what they might do.

And that fool of a prince was in exactly that state right now.

“I, Prince Set Shaharkan of Spania, order you. I’ll give you 3 seconds. Explain who you are, why you’re here, and what happened to the villagers!”

Caught off guard by the unexpected situation, the members of the society couldn’t even react.

“Thre-”

Whether they respond or not, Set started counting.

“Two-”

The mouths of the society members still remained shut.

“One-”

Just as Set was about to explode and punch them again…

Thunk!

A sudden transparent barrier appeared, blocking Set’s fist.

“…!”

Seemingly coming back to his senses a bit, he withdrew his fist and stepped back.

Soon, the members who had rushed over after hearing the commotion surrounded him.

Observing the situation closely from behind, Luna furrowed her brows and said.

“This is awkward. I never thought he would show up.”

Among the members wearing the same robes, one man stood out.

A middle-aged man with white hair and faint wrinkles around his mouth, emitting a particularly strong aura from his robust physique.

“Who is he?”

“He’s the person I hate the most.”

“What?”

“Just kidding. He’s Karun Rains, one of the most influential figures in the Garam Magic Society after my grandfather. He seems to be the head of this investigation.”

As soon as I heard his name, I remembered.

In my past life, he was an 8th-grade mage who betrayed the Garam Magic Society and defected to the empire.

Some even called him the mastermind behind the downfall of the Garam Kingdom.

Although I have no direct connection, I don’t particularly like him.

After all, he’s the one who committed the act of betrayal, which I despise the most.

“Since the situation might only escalate if we just watch, I’ll take care of it. Senior, please stay still.”

“What did you say? Hey! Wait…”

Before I could stop her, she dashed straight towards where the crowd had gathered.

* * *

The intense mana and vigor emanating from his imposing figure made it clear that he was no ordinary person.

In the midst of the tense standoff, a woman’s voice echoed.

“Stop right there.”

The mouths of the Garam Magic Society members slowly began to open as they spotted Luna.

Karun also couldn’t hide his surprise after seeing her.

“L-Luna?”

Set, too, looked surprised, his eyes wide open.

“Why is Luna here?”

“I came out with Prince Set for a field trip. We’re here to explore the unnamed ruins in this village.”

“Exploring ruins? That’s ridiculous!”

“Isn’t it similar to why Karun came?”

With just that one remark, Karun was left speechless.

Taking control of the conversation, Luna continued with her questions.

“First of all, Prince Set is most curious about this. Where are the villagers?”

After a moment of hesitation, Karun replied in a restrained voice.

“The residents of Nodelli are currently gathered at the chief’s house. We were gathering information temporarily to ensure a stable exploration of the ruins. I assure you that the Garam Magic Society has not engaged in any misconduct under our name.”

“Is that so?”

Upon hearing this, Luna turned to Set and he asked.

“Do you know these people?”

“They’re members of the magic society I belong to. It seems like they’ve come to explore the ruins, just like us.”

Even under Set’s suspicious gaze, Luna remained nonchalant.

“I’ll make the judgment after seeing for myself…”

Eventually, showing his intention to decide after personally witnessing the situation, he nodded his head.

“Please guide us to where the people are. Prince Set wants to see for himself before making a judgment.”

Karun also asked with a skeptical look.

“Is this man named Set your companion?”

“Yes.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Luna replied.

“Then who is the person behind you?”

Startled by the sudden presence, Luna turned around.

“I am also a companion.”

“S-Senior Cyan?”

Cyan, who was asked to hide, suddenly appeared behind her.

“A-Are you Cyan Vert?”

Among the high-ranking members of the Garam Magic Society, his name was well-known.

Despite the negative glances coming from all directions, Cyan stood calmly with his arms crossed.

“I’ll guide you to where the residents are. Let’s go.”

Although Karun seemed to have more questions, he decided not to ask them for now and immediately began to lead the way.

Set, who had been waiting, stepped forward.

It seemed like he was willing to let go of the current situation for the time being.

“What are you thinking, Senior?”

“Why?”

“We’re not supposed to get caught here, right?”

“Aren’t you in the same situation?”

“Well, yes, but…”

Cyan nonchalantly remarked.

“Once Set intervened, things were bound to go awry anyway. It’s better for us to stick together.”

“Do you think so?”

Although she didn’t say it aloud, Luna was internally nervous.

Seeing her like this, Cyan comforted her as if it were nothing, and another faint smile appeared on her lips.

“…..”

Meanwhile, Karun observed their interaction from not too far away, and Cyan seemed to be aware of his gaze.