The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

The warm afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows of the royal chamber.

With nothing to do, the bored maid yawned, the drowsy dragon lounged after lunch, and the knight, with no one to guard, focused on exercise.

But where was the master of the room?

“Really tough. How can you spend six hours exercising every day without fail? Are all knights like this?”

“Oh, my master insists that if you have even a second to spare, you should dedicate yourself to exercise. I’m trying to uphold that.”

Emily waved her hand as if to say, ‘Don’t be funny.’

“Ha! You’re better at jokes than being a knight. Did you really believe that advice?”

“Uh?”

“I know my master the best. He’s not the kind to give such good advice to anyone. It’s ridiculous!”

Brian, who spoke the truth, was taken aback.

“Oh, I have to hear about that. How was master’s academy life?”

Thus began a conversation about the abandoned ones, Cyan left behind.

“He almost never went to class, spent his days exercising like me, and went out for drinks at night, returning at dawn. Sometimes he’d be gone for a day to a week.”

Emily chuckled knowingly.

“Some things never change. Even when he was stationed at the front, he did the same thing. His habit of going out for drinks remains.”

She flopped onto the sofa, exhaling deeply.

“I finally get to the long-awaited academy, and all I find is boredom. Really, where did my master go after bringing me here? And leaving behind that weird half-grown kid!”

Emily’s gaze fell on Nana, who was sound asleep in the room.

Despite growing up, Nana was still a sleepyhead.

“Haha! You’re not alone. Anyway, my master always had Kaeram by his side.”

Brian smiled, trying to offer some comfort.

“Kaeram? Who’s that?”

“Uh?”

Silence filled the room momentarily.

“You don’t know Kaeram?”

“It’s the first time I’ve heard the name. Who is this person you know but I don’t?”

Brian, feeling embarrassed, couldn’t close his mouth.

Although she had spent a long time together with the Cyan, she was unaware of Kaeram’s existence.

It was a perplexing situation for someone as innocent as him to contemplate.

“Who’s Kaeram? Judging by the atmosphere, is she a woman? Who’s this person you know that I don’t?”

Emily suddenly grabbed Brian by the collar and began shaking him vigorously.

“Well, uh, she’s always by my master’s side, even if she doesn’t show up often…”

It was difficult to say something, and even if he did, it wouldn’t explain everything.

From Brian’s perspective, they had simply been together for so long that Kaeram had become part of the scenery, making her practically impossible to explain.

“What’s up with our master? Besides the princess and that noble lady, who else is by his side?”

“Um, Emily, could you please let go of me…!”

Brian’s collar was being shaken endlessly.

* * *

Ushif Empire’s neutral city Lambert in the southwest.

If Luwen is a legally neutral city established for the advancement of the academy between nations, this place was implicitly formed as a neutral city for humans to satisfy their desires.

In other words, it’s a dirty criminal city where money and fists prevail over law and order.

[Ugh, dismal! Are cities like this even real?]

Even Kaeram, who used to laugh and joke amidst the chaos on the front lines, was showing intense displeasure.

It’s not surprising.

Everywhere, there’s rampant swearing and violence,

Strange filth and the stench of blood permeate the ground,

And the people roaming the streets are rough and intimidating, to say the least.

Yet, I had only one reason to be here.

It was to carry out the solo mission given to me by the leader.

A leader who gives missions as a return gift for returning.

I’m so grateful for her consideration for her disciple that I don’t even know what to do with myself.

[Isn’t she going a bit overboard too? Does she really intend to send a kid like you alone to a place like this? Anyway, since there’s no corner that appeals to you?]

“Well, I don’t think that’s really what you want to say.”

Despite everything, she seemed displeased just by the fact that the leader had given me instructions.

-Tap

Suddenly, a flabby lump from the alley pushed my shoulder.

Of course, I didn’t budge.

I stopped in my tracks and looked at the one who had pushed me.

“Geez, you really need to watch where you’re going, instead of bumping into people like this?”

Quite amusing.

He was obviously peeking from the sidelines.

“What’s up? No adult with you? Why is a kid causing trouble in broad daylight?”

Would a kid be causing trouble at midnight instead of in broad daylight?

It’s a typical script from typical guys.

They pick fights with passersby and then extort money from them.

They probably thought there were parents or adults around me, so they thought they could just push me around.

They’re the kind of people who don’t even have the slightest intention of giving proper education.

So it would be best if they just brushed past quietly and took the money, but the problem is, people like them never just let things go.

“Hey, why are you just trying to pass by? Can’t you see my stomach hurting from hitting your shoulder? If you hit someone, isn’t it common decency to apologize and compensate?”

Well said.

Even now, if you kneel down and apologize, I might just let you pass.

“Hey? Now that I look at you, you’re quite handsome for a guy. If you have nowhere to go, why don’t you come with me? There are quite a few guys who like someone like you! I’ll give you a job! Employment!”

Instead of apologizing, he crossed the line.

He was dripping saliva as he slowly pushed his dirty fingers towards me.

It’s a clichéd repertoire, but unless you go through it at least once, progress is impossible.

I lightly twisted his finger as I grabbed it.

-Ouch!

Without even giving him a chance to scream, I immediately kicked his shin, disrupting his balance.

-Thud

His bulky figure fell with a loud noise.

The cheeky stomach that had hit my shoulder was now soaring towards the sky, and I mercilessly brought it crashing down with one foot.

It was a warning never to hit someone else’s shoulder with such a crude belly again.

“Ugh!”

With a groan, dirty fluids spurted from the guy’s mouth.

I shoved the finger that had been broken in his mouth and simultaneously stepped on it with my foot to keep it from being removed.

His struggling resembled that of a pig in a slaughterhouse.

“Hey, big guy. It’s called a head, you know. It’s not meant to be carried around like an accessory.”

“…!”

Perhaps he couldn’t bring himself to answer, as he only emitted pained groans.

“Why would a little kid like me wander around such a filthy place in broad daylight? Didn’t you think there might be something wrong? Even if you’re dumb, you should have some sense.”

In fact, those without any sense resort to thuggish behavior.

If they had any sense, they would have thought twice from the beginning.

But this guy approached without any thought.

-Whoosh

Still, it wasn’t just one; four thugs gradually gathered around the guy inflicting pain.

However, they didn’t approach easily.

Unlike this guy, they seemed to have some sense.

“I’ll say this only once, so listen carefully.”

“…!”

“Spread the word to as many people around you as possible. If anyone finds a boy wandering alone on Lambert Street from this moment on, don’t ever touch him. If anyone dares to ignore this and approaches…”

I brought down my foot, which had been holding his mouth shut, even harder.

-Crunch

“Someone’s going to lose something, like your teeth…”

A few teeth broke with a thud.

Thankfully, it was just a few teeth on one finger this time.

If anyone ignores my warning and approaches me again in the future, it won’t end this easily.

“Do you understand?”

I gently removed my foot, and the guy with his mouth covered managed to nod his head.

Judging from his expression, he understood well.

The bulky figure quickly gathered his gang and disappeared in a flash, much faster than expected for his size.

[Did you really want to make enemies? Are you prepared to face the consequences?]

With a click of her tongue, Kaream spoke.

“Don’t say things you don’t mean. I can see you’re secretly amused.”

As the enemies increased, there would be more opportunities for battle, which would be excellent for the demonic sword.

[Oh my, caught red-handed? Knowing women’s hearts, our master has grown up!]

Truly consistent, the demonic sword was.

I paid no mind and surveyed the area around the city.

The streets felt lifeless.

Beggars who had collapsed from starvation were seen everywhere.

Though it might seem like an abandoned city, surprisingly, Lambert boasted an influx of capital comparable to the Imperial Palace.

Of course, if that capital was being used for the city’s benefit, it wouldn’t have this eerie atmosphere.

As mentioned earlier, this was a neutral city, without a clear owner.

This meant that through a series of business transactions, the city managed to sustain itself.

Indeed, while walking the streets, you wouldn’t only come across petty thugs but also individuals with some level of power.

For now, without much concern, I moved my feet towards the luxurious building in sight.

-Squeak

The cleanliness inside starkly contrasted with the dreary exterior.

However, the faces of the people within didn’t match the environment.

“….”

A brown-haired woman, who seemed like a clerk, eyed me with disdain.

Can’t blame her.

My attire didn’t scream aristocracy; it was more reminiscent of a shabby wanderer.

“How may I assist you?”

She reluctantly inquired.

“Looking for a room.”

I sensed a slight change in her expression.

Perhaps she thought there might be another master besides me.

“How many guests?”

“Just me.”

Her expression reverted to its original state in an instant.

“Hey kid. You seem to have wandered into the wrong building. We don’t have a room for you to stay. Coming to a place where blood isn’t even dry on your head….”

-Thud!

The clerk, in the middle of her sentence, startled and stumbled backward.

Nothing significant.

I just placed a pouch full of gold coins on the table.

“The best room you have.”

“…Excuse me?”

Only then did the clerk, with widened eyes, start to inspect the pouch.

“Is this how you welcome guests here?”

Her expression changed once again.

“W-welcome to the Lambert Cage! We will escort you to the VIP room on the top floor immediately!”

At that moment, all eyes in the lobby turned towards me.