The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

“When I was about three years old, my grandfather said something like this to me.”

Asking for the reason, she suddenly began an old story.

“As you were born into the Rainriver lineage, you must live for the advancement of the Garam Magic Society. That’s your purpose, your duty, Luna. You cannot refuse it. I still vividly remember these words, even though I was only three years old.”

It wouldn’t be unreasonable.

It must have been a bone-chilling statement even for her young brain, leaving an indelible mark.

There’s no room for defense.

It’s only natural that, as a noble family member, one prioritizes the family’s ideology over individual interests.

I’m no exception.

“I received early education from that point on. My grandfather didn’t restrict my learning when it came to magical texts provided by the society or research materials from the Imperial Society, rather than the Kingdom.”

“You didn’t even have mana at that age, did you?”

It was like making a toddler run before they could walk.

“That’s why it was early education. Whether it helped me or not, my grandfather insisted I learn everything. By the time I turned ten and mana began to manifest significantly, I underwent a proper elemental examination. Senior, do you happen to know what my magical attribute is?”

“I don’t.”

That’s a lie.

I might not have heard about her attribute in this life, but I knew it very well.

“Fire, water, wind, light, darkness. I have a composite attribute evenly distributed among the five elements at 20% each. It’s a balanced composite attribute that doesn’t lean toward any single element.”

As I mentioned before, it’s rare but not particularly desirable.

While it allows for a wide range of magic, it’s difficult to advance to higher grades due to clear limits on numerical values.

It’s an ambiguous attribute that can only decline to a mediocre level.

I asked without revealing my knowledge.

“What did your grandfather say about that?”

“He was pleased.”

It was somewhat unexpected.

“Pleased?”

“Yes. He seemed pleased to a degree I hadn’t seen before.”

There was a faint trace of bitterness in her words.

“He said, ‘If you pursue it, you’ll become an unparalleled existence in this world. Once you, the possessor of a superior multi-element attribute that no one else has mastered, reach the peak of magic, you’ll be able to fulfill the wishes of our Rainriver family. His words remain unchanged even now.”

Theoretically, it’s not impossible.

If we liken the five different attributes within her to “vessels” existing within her, and if each of those vessels is significantly larger than the single vessel others possess, then it might be possible.

That is, if her 20% darkness attribute is higher than my over 90% darkness attribute, and the other attributes are also superior, what’s the problem?

She would undoubtedly reach the pinnacle of magic if her abilities far exceeded those of others.

Of course, it’s theoretically possible, but practically impossible.

Given the limitations of the human body, there are clearly limits to raising the vessels.

No matter how much magic is poured into an unstable vessel, it will eventually overflow without containing it, and this isn’t something that can be solved within the limits of human effort.

President Regens and Luna herself would probably know that.

“Do you think that’s possible?”

“I don’t know. Based on what I know, I thought there must be limits, but it seems my grandfather didn’t think so.”

I almost chuckled inwardly.

There are things you can and cannot do, even if you’re obstinate.

Unless he lost his mind, does that old chairman really think it’s possible?

It’s impossible without fundamentally modifying the human body…

Wait a moment.

Lost in the practical possibilities, I momentarily forgot which group this girl belonged to.

The Garam Kingdom’s Magic Society.

Considering the insane things they did in their past lives, using their granddaughter as an experimental subject is not unreasonable at all…

“Could you lend me your hand for a moment, Senior?”

“My hand?”

Without thinking, I extended one hand.

Luna grabbed my hand gently, and for a moment, a faint light of mana manifested from her hand.

“You have a Darkness attribute of 93% with a magical grade of 5 stars. Not only Darkness but you can proficiently wield magic from other attributes as well.”

“What did you just do?”

“I manifested my mana to confirm your physical grade, Senior.”

“Is that possible?”

“It’s a result of experiments. Since that day, my body has become a subject of research for the society and has been subjected to various experiments. I gained new abilities each time.”

The expectation fit perfectly.

“The ‘Scan ability’ I just showed you is one of them. I scanned your body from the moment I embraced you last time, and I relayed all that information to Grandfather.”

Fortunately, it seems she didn’t fully detect my mana.

Though it seems similar to a regular attribute check, it’s something that can’t be ignored.

As time passes and her mana grows, the range of mana she can detect will inevitably expand.

But that’s not the issue now.

New abilities from experiments?

Nothing special.

Even if she reaches the 6th rank, scanning the physical grade of someone lower is nothing.

I’m certain the experiment has given this girl more than just enhanced physical abilities.

There’s something ominous lurking within her.

“The more experiments I undergo, the less I can adapt to my body. I seem to gain something, but it’s injected into me forcibly without my consent.”

“Is there something wrong with your body?”

Luna answered with a faint smile.

“I can’t exactly say everything’s fine. In fact, it’s quite bad. I didn’t show it to Grandfather, but I probably won’t live long. Maybe around three years? It could be longer or shorter.”

“On what basis?”

“I know my body best. My body can’t handle the influx of mana from the experiments and is gradually deteriorating. I think I can hold out for about that long, considering the time it takes to break down.”

A chill ran down my spine, and cold sweat dripped from my back.

This is like a prophecy from the gods.

Her prediction was accurate.

Exactly three years later, the granddaughter of the head of the Rainriver family collapsed one day.

“Is it okay to tell Senior about this?” she asked.

“It’s nothing special. I just told you because it’s useless to me. It’s the duty of the Rainriver family? What does it matter to me, who doesn’t have much time left? It’s better to tell Senior and gain trust.”

Despite presenting her reasons, it sounded like a cry of despair to me.

Yet she maintained a chilling calmness.

“Why do I want to gain Senior’s trust? I’m not sure myself. I’ve been drawn to you since I first saw you. Could it be a sense of camaraderie? I felt like you were very similar to me.”

“Similar?”

“Yes. Senior, do you happen to like your household?”

That was a statement I couldn’t even lie about.

“No.”

“Then, it seems I’m similar to you. I also dislike my household very much. The only difference is that you’re making efforts to get out of it, right?”

“…That’s one way to put it.”

“Then I’m different. I can’t even entertain such thoughts.”

Similar yet different.

Listening to those words, I suddenly felt a tightness in my chest.

So what now?

What am I supposed to do about it?

I’m not a savior.

I’m too busy taking care of myself and those around me to care for the life of a poor girl who foresees her own death.

This means that I am not a divine being who will take care of the life of a poor girl who is predicting death.

Just listening to this conversation is the best mercy and redemption I can offer.

I said with a dry expression,

“It’s good to live life on your own terms. But you’ve got the wrong direction. At least, I’m not as good a person as you think I am to be drawn to.”

“But you’re not a bad person either, right? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have saved me like that.”

“I did what needed to be done. There were no other feelings involved.”

That, too, wasn’t for her sake but for mine.

I got up subtly from my seat.

“Where are you going?”

“The restroom. I won’t take long, so wait here.”

Of course, that was a lie.

When I returned, she probably wouldn’t be there anymore.

“Take your time, Senior.”

As if taking my words literally to wait,

She sat there, hands neatly folded, like a statue.

* * *

While Cyan was momentarily absent, Luna pondered.

Had she burdened him with unnecessary words?

Initially, she hadn’t felt this way, but as the conversation unfolded, she found herself divulging all her secrets.

She knew.

She was deeply attached to Cyan.

However, the reason eluded her.

She had explained it as a sense of camaraderie, but her feelings toward Cyan went beyond that.

She wanted to rely on him, to lean on him, and this desire had subtly emerged since their first meeting.

But was he just another person?

Cyan drew a clear line, denying any deeper connection, leaving Luna feeling disappointed.

“…”

In front of her, a group of strangers clad in blue robes appeared, encircling her as if to prevent her from going elsewhere.

There was no need for explanation; Luna knew they were sent by the society to retrieve her.

“Luna, it’s time to return.”

“Can’t I stay a bit longer? An hour should be enough, not two.”

“The Society Head is extremely angry due to your unauthorized absence. Returning promptly is in your best interest.”

Unmoved by her defiance, Luna sighed as rose from her seat.

Sensing something amiss, she looked around and remarked,

“But where do you belong? You look different from the usual surveillance team.”

Luna had lived under constant surveillance since birth.

Despite the society periodically rotating surveillance personnel, numbering in the hundreds, Luna usually remembered faces she had encountered before.

Yet, these five individuals surrounding her were unfamiliar.

“…”

Despite her inquiry, they remained silent. Luna’s curiosity quickly turned to suspicion, and in response, the man in front reached out toward her face.

“Sweet Sleep.”

A white powder emanated from his hand, entering Luna’s nostrils and mouth.

Shortly after, Luna fell into a deep slumber, cradled by the mages who, unnoticed by anyone, swiftly departed the scene.

————