The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

Princess Arin found the current situation deeply distressing.

A boy being bullied by multiple students and bystanders turning a blind eye.

No one extended a helping hand to the boy. She could guess why the boy was being bullied.

He was probably a commoner admitted to the academy as an honor student.

Some students, unable to accept this, appeared and subjected him to humiliation.

While Arin expected the Royal Academy not to be entirely peaceful, she never imagined it would be this bad.

Attempting to force mana spheres into someone’s mouth went beyond mere bullying. It was akin to attempting murder.

Although she had heard that it was advisable to be on good terms with the nobles, this was unacceptable. If no one else intervened, she had to do it herself.

“I am Barrett Louisemill, the eldest son of the Duke Louisemill of Garam Kingdom. And who might you be?”

The blond student, after introducing himself bluntly, also demanded a formal introduction from her.

“I am Princess Arin Sevellerus of the Ushif Empire.”

The mention of her title made him momentarily flinch, but at the mention of her name, he smiled with an unpleasant smirk.

“Oh, so it’s the Ushif Empire’s princess? It’s an honor to meet you.”

“Unfortunately, I’m not in the mood for pleasantries right now. You’ll need to explain this situation.”

He shrugged, as if he didn’t know what he had done wrong.

“It seems there’s a misunderstanding. We were just having some fun. It wasn’t bullying.”

“You’re shameless. I witnessed your cruel behavior with my own eyes, yet you claim it wasn’t bullying?”

“Shall we ask him directly?”

Barrett grabbed the hesitant boy by the hair and asked in a brazen tone.

“Speak up. Were we bullying you?”

The boy hesitated.

“It’s okay! Speak freely! The princess here is curious. You need to answer quickly!”

It seemed like a question with a predetermined answer. The boy reluctantly spoke up.

“I-I wasn’t being bullied…”

“What?!”

Arin doubted her ears.

“W-What did you say?”

“I wasn’t being bullied! So please don’t worry and just leave…”

However, Arin quickly understood.

Those words were a consideration for her.

In the boy’s fragile gaze, she saw a message urging her not to get involved and to escape from this situation as quickly as possible.

“You… You don’t need to hide! Anyone can see that you were being bullied. If by any chance these people were threatening you…”

“Hehehe…”

A sinister laugh made Arin shudder.

“Threats? Your words are a bit exaggerated. Beyond misunderstandings, I’m starting to feel uncomfortable.”

Barrett chuckled, and Arin bit her lip in anger.

“Even if you’re like that, taking an innocent student and treating him as both a bully and a blackmailer is a bit too much, don’t you think? If I don’t receive an apology, I’ll be very upset.”

He grabbed his chest, making a gesture that seemed like he was hurt.

Of course, knowing it was all pretense, it only made him seem more malicious to Arin.

*Swoosh*

As Barrett moved his hand as if giving orders, several men hidden behind the trees revealed themselves.

Dressed in plain clothes but armed with swords, they appeared to be his bodyguards.

At this point, Arin’s awaiting guardian knights appeared and confronted them, adding to the subtle yet simmering tension.

While brandishing swords in the middle of the park would be a foolish act, ultimately, it was Barrett and Arin, not the knights, who could resolve this situation.

Arin, gathering her resolve, spoke up again.

“Very well. Instead, I will take this boy with me. Unless he was the aggressor, I’m not sure how these injuries came about, but I will take responsibility for his healing.”

As Arin reached to support the boy’s arm,

*Snap*

Barrett grabbed Arin’s arm.

“…!”

“It seems you don’t understand my words…”

He stared at Arin with a deeply serious expression, his discomfort evident on his face.

The knights, for a moment, prepared to draw their swords, but Arin raised her arm to stop them.

“It seems it’s you who doesn’t understand, Barrett. Shall I officially request an investigation from the academy?”

She stared back at Barrett with an unwavering gaze.

“You truly are a naive princess. Who would pay attention to a mere commoner like him just because you do?”

“I can’t find any sense of pride in you. If nobles, who have a moral obligation to lead by example more than anyone else, are not interested in these matters, then who should step up?”

Barrett even showed a smirk, openly mocking.

Arin felt extremely uncomfortable but kept her composure.

“Hehehe! Very well, let’s have this friend answer directly this time. Come on, Ressimus, speak up! Do you want to heal your wounds with the princess here?”

Once again, he passed the question to the boy, who hesitated and glanced around. Arin, taking his hand, said,

“There’s no need to endure such absurdity any longer. I’ll vouch for you as Princess of the Ushif Empire. So, come with me.”

To hear a princess of the empire speak so and stake her name… It was truly an unbelievable situation for the boy.

As he trembled with complex emotions,

*Thud, thud*

“…?”

Unexpectedly, footsteps echoed from the front.

Suddenly, the boy’s bewildered gaze fell on a pair of legs.

The owner of those legs suddenly slumped down, meeting the boy’s confused gaze.

“What-what…?!”

Arin, to her surprise, stood up abruptly, covering her mouth.

Even Barrett was taken aback, seemingly oblivious to the arrival of this mysterious man.

“….”

The young-looking man, appearing to be of the same age, said nothing as he stared intently at the boy’s face.

* * *

The situation was unfolding rather interestingly, I thought.

Three nobles harassing a pitiable peer, the imperial princess stepping in unable to bear the sight, and even a commoner friend advising not to worry about the harassment.

Despite the heightened atmosphere, even the guard knights couldn’t do much in reality.

What was somewhat surprising was Arin, the princess, showing a more resolute stance than expected.

Compared to her indecisiveness and immaturity from a year ago, she seemed to have grown significantly.

The moment I heard the name, Barrett Louisemill, memories flooded back.

He was quite infamous even in his past life for his problematic personality.

The way the fight would unfold was indeed quite intriguing, but then, that commoner friend… on closer inspection, his face seemed oddly familiar.

While I’m not particularly good at remembering faces, there was something about him that struck a chord.

I couldn’t quite put my finger on it… but there was a certain weariness about him, a scent of hardship rather than malice.

Did I have some connection with him from a past life? It felt like meeting someone who would give me quite a hard time in the future…

“Speak up, Ressimus! Do you want to heal your wounds with the princess here?”

The name uttered by the blonde kid caught my attention.

Ressimus? Could it be the same Ressimus I know?

The last defender of the Garam Kingdom, the Greatest Sword of the Continent, Ressimus?

The boy who was currently seated awkwardly… was he the same Ressimus?

Ha, that couldn’t be true. It’s probably just a coincidence in names.

There’s more than one person named Ressimus in the world, and it’s likely just a namesake.

But then, my body moved before my mind could stop it. It was as if I was drawn toward them by some invisible force.

“…?”

Facing the boy’s face, filled with suspicion and curiosity, I suddenly realized something.

Wait, he’s not a boy. The Ressimus I mentioned earlier is a woman.

Judging by the short hair and masculine features, people around must be mistaking her for a man.

However, when I sensed the aura emanating from her face…

She’s a woman.

Pretending to be a man.

Moreover, despite her injuries, that resolute and unwavering gaze…

A future leader, a sovereign in her own right, emanated from her.

I had my doubts when I heard the name, but upon seeing her face, I was certain.

This boy, or rather, this girl… she’s the Ressimus I know.

She seemed unsure of the situation, blinking her eyes as if not fully comprehending.

“Cy… Cyan, how…?”

“Oh, long time no see, Your Highness.”

Perhaps surprised by the sudden encounter, Princess Arin was stuttering over her words.

“Cyan?”

The blonde kid’s eyebrows twitched upon hearing my name.

“Are you Cyan Vert, the youngest of Duke Vert?”

From his reaction, it seemed he recognized me.

Ah, now that I think about it, he must have some connection with me as well.

Both Ressimus, the Greatsword of the Continent, and the madman Barrett Louisemill.

I killed them both.

Especially Barrett, I killed him quite brutally.

The eldest son of the Louiesmill family, the maternal family of the current king of Garam Kingdom and a powerful force in the kingdom.

Born as the youngest child, he received all the attention and love from his family. The problem was that it was too much.

He became a sociopath from an early age, intoxicated by the taste of power.

Beating up on the helpless was his pastime, claiming to offer food to beggars only to feed them filth, and even practicing magic by using animals as targets.

He was someone who engaged in acts that were beyond comprehension for ordinary humans, as if they were just routine.

His cruel nature extended to the point where he even killed opponents during magical duels, yet even that was brushed under the rug thanks to the influence of his family.

Of course, those who knew him were aware that Barrett had intended to kill his opponents from the beginning.

So, I killed him.

Under the pretext of cleansing the Mist.

After receiving disciplinary action, on his way back to his homeland, I ambushed him, subjecting him to the same atrocities he had committed.

At first, he refused to yield to such treatment, but as they say, people often don’t realize until they’ve been hit hard.

After the torture, he didn’t beg to be spared; he begged to be killed, his severed hands pleading until they wore down.

“I’ve heard many stories. You’re the one who survived that horrific front line, aren’t you?”

I nodded silently.

“Are you planning to intervene in this situation too? We’ve said it before, we weren’t the ones tormenting this student.”

“I’ve heard something about that. Something about ‘entertainment’?”

Perhaps uncomfortable with my blunt response, Barrett’s expression tightened.

“Playing a game where you force your mana into someone’s mouth… It’s a game I’ve never heard of, but I suppose it’s amusing for you?”

“Well, something like that…”

“Why don’t you try it with me then?”

“…?”

With a flick of his hand, a sphere of black mana materialized.

The face of the boy who saw it hardened instantly.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to use it?”

————