The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

In Lambert, fitting its neutral name, there was no lord ruling over it.

However, the absence of a lord didn’t mean there was no owner.

Especially in turbulent places like Lambert, the rulers of territories changed frequently, and with multiple factions vying to control them, it was like a small-scale battlefield.

“Hmm…”

A man with hair redder than blood sat on the stone steps, smoking a cigarette.

His name was Gunther Rictus, one of the rulers of Lambert’s western district, managing the waste yards of the city.

In front of him sat one of his subordinates, here to report a series of incidents from the eastern district that had just occurred.

“A young boy?”

“Yes, that’s correct. He appeared in the entertainment alley at the city’s entrance, trampling the area’s guards and leaving a warning.”

“What did he say?”

The man relayed the boy’s warning, which made Gunther burst into laughter.

“He said that? If anyone touched him, they would become a cripple? What’s wrong with that guy?”

It seemed more delusional than arrogant, to say the least.

He didn’t seem particularly bothered by the arrogant warning from the boy.

“So, how are the folks from that district dealing with it? Delkia isn’t one to sit still, right?”

“Of course, as soon as they heard about it, they started looking for the boy’s whereabouts. Surprisingly, they found him quite easily.”

“Oh really? Where was he?”

“He’s at Lambert Cage.”

“Lambert Cage?”

“Yes, and he booked the most expensive room, the VIP room, alone.”

Gunther’s expression subtly changed.

“Is he a noble?”

“I’m not sure. But when he booked the room, he didn’t give a name.”

“Did anyone see his face? Was there anything special about it?”

“Here’s the strange part… Everyone who was there couldn’t remember the boy’s face.”

“They couldn’t remember?”

Gunther immediately questioned.

“Yes. Although they could remember other details like his hairstyle, clothes, voice, and walk, they couldn’t recall his face. They only remembered that he had sharp eyes and black hair…”

“Does that make sense? It’s not like they have prosopagnosia, and if they got punched too, why couldn’t they remember?”

There was no answer to be had from someone who wasn’t the person in question.

Gunther’s expression stiffened briefly but didn’t last long.

“Anyway, the boy is in Lambert Cage now, right? He didn’t just come to watch; he trampled the street thugs and issued a warning. He must have more in mind than just sightseeing, right?”

“Well, I suppose so…”

A strange smile appeared on his lips.

After flicking the cigarette he was smoking, he stood up.

As he rose, a chilling bone-cracking sound emanated from his entire body.

“It’s been a while since I felt this interested to move myself. He’s not just interesting; he’s become something to look forward to.”

His face filled with exhilaration, Gunther’s destination was undoubtedly Lambert Cage.

* * *

People tend to attract a lot of attention when they are in places where they don’t naturally belong.

And that’s exactly the situation I’m in right now.

Although I’m not consciously aware of it, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that I’m receiving the stare of everyone around me.

“Oh. Lambert Cage has changed a lot, hasn’t it? Even kids like that are coming in?”

“Isn’t it like a lost servant wandering without its owner? Otherwise, there’s no reason for him to be here, right?”

“Why don’t we go and trip him up on the way back?”

If you do that, your legs might end up broken, so I hope you don’t act on it.

[After work, are you planning to kill everyone here?]

I asked back, surprised by the sudden and cruel words.

“What do you mean all of a sudden?”

[No, otherwise it would be too confident, right? No matter how far away you are, is it okay to show your face openly like this?]

“…….”

I stared into her eyes for a moment.

[Why are you looking at me like that?]

“Well, you seemed worried in a way that’s unlike you, so I wondered what’s up…”

[This rat-sized thing wants to die?!]

Given my past experiences, it’s natural to feel uneasy no matter what I do.

Well, still, what she said isn’t entirely wrong.

Normally, when an assassin reveals their face, it signifies a strong intention to kill the opponent.

Even though I’m far from the academy, thanks to the recent disturbance with the street thugs, rumors about me must have spread throughout the city.

So, it’s only a matter of time before my face and identity become known.

But why bother revealing my face so carelessly if I was going to do it this haphazardly?

I have my own precautions.

“It’ll be fine. People in this city won’t remember my face anyway.”

She seemed like she was about to retort but suddenly stared straight at my face.

[…Did you use some kind of illusion on your face?]

I didn’t change my face. I simply used a trick to prevent others from remembering it.

Right now, my face is obscured by a thin black mist, a modification of one of the techniques of mist, ‘Shadow Concealment: Disguise’, which induces a recognition disorder in those who see my face, preventing them from remembering it.

So, anyone who sees my face will all have a facial recognition disorder.

Therefore, there’s no chance of my identity being exposed, no matter how much chaos I cause here.

[In any case, it seems like you’ve perfectly inherited the power of the idiot god. You seem to be quite skilled in such simple tricks, don’t you?]

”…….”

[…Why? Got something else to say?]

“No, nothing.”

I wanted to retort that she also inherited the power of the idiot god, but this time, I decided to hold back.

I stood in front of the betting area with an indifferent expression on my face.

A middle-aged man who seemed to be an usher looked at me with ambiguous eyes.

“Um, so, are you here to place a bet…?”

Before answering, I glanced at today’s match-ups displayed on the table.

I checked just in case, but as expected, the name I was looking for wasn’t there.

“Can I just watch without placing a bet?”

“Y-Yes, you can, but, could you please show me your badge?”

The only thing I had that could be considered a badge was the one the attendant had handed me earlier.

“VIP…?!”

The attendant, after checking the badge, couldn’t close his mouth.

“I, I didn’t know! I’ll escort you to the VIP section immediately! What are you doing?!”

Amidst the commotion, guards who were waiting nearby rushed over.

I hadn’t bothered to check, but it seemed like quite a convenient pass after all.

“Hey? Nowadays, even chicks like this get VIP access?”

Just when things seemed to be going smoothly, a rough voice came from behind.

“W-What are you doing?”

The owner of the voice grabbed the badge the attendant was holding.

He was a typical big bully who couldn’t judge the situation, nothing more, nothing less.

“I don’t think it’s fake, but did this kid really book a VIP room with money?”

“What are you doing?! Protect the guest immediately!”

“Why are you all acting like this? I just want to watch. I’m not going to harm anyone.”

Even the guards seemed to be looking around awkwardly, not knowing how to respond.

“If you have money, even little kids like this get VIP badges? Is he from a noble family or something?”

I stared at the guy without saying a word.

“Wow! That look is really fierce! Oh? Could you be the main character of that hot gossip? The one who warned not to mess with him or you’ll be in big trouble? Am I in a really serious situation right now?”

With a strange laugh that I couldn’t tell if it was a joke or mockery, he put his hand on my shoulder.

Well, even though he knew my warning, he still touched me, right?

I casually grabbed his beard and…

“……?”

Before he could even realize it, I struck him down.

*Bam!*

Despite the loud noise that echoed through the space, I didn’t care.

There would be three more echoes in the future.

*Bam! Bam! Bam!*

After the exact three echoes ended, the surroundings fell silent as if nothing had happened.

“Hu… Haha…”

He didn’t faint after all.

I unceremoniously pushed away the guy’s bloody face.

“Where should I go?”

“The guards will guide you!”

The rest of the process proceeded swiftly.

* * *

“The match is over! Winner, Albert!”

“Yeeeah!”

Throughout the five matches, I felt only one thing: boredom.

Sitting in what was supposed to be the best seat in the house, I found the matches extremely dull to the point of almost falling asleep.

[Why do people pay to watch this?]

Kaeram seemed to share my sentiments.
The fun of watching a fight is guaranteed when those who are stronger than you face off against each other.

The moment you think ‘I can do better than that,’ the fun is over.

The thrill was long gone.

I observed the matches to gather information, but there seemed to be no harvest.

I pulled out the directive handed to me by the landlord.

[Owner of the Lambert Cage]

It’s quite concise, isn’t it?

Because that’s all there is to it.

No exact name, no specific charges, just a sentence demanding the death of the facility’s owner.

From the receiving end, it’s a situation where one can only tear their hair out.

However, the slightly better part is that I know who the eccentric owner of this facility is: Lindsay Nihalov.

He is the owner of Lambert Cage and one of the practical rulers of this city.

But even what I know is limited to just his name.

Nothing is known about his appearance, gender, age, or motives, just like in my past life.

It’s speculated that he must have a lot of money since he operates the arena.

In my past life, I had made contact with him in various places, one of which was with the Imperial Prince Louisnel.

Louisnel, who later became the emperor, approached him to secure military funds for continental unification but was vehemently refused.

Later, the emperor even sent troops to Lambert to conquer it as part of his expansion, but the city had already turned into a ghost town, and Lindsay Nihalov’s whereabouts were nowhere to be found.

I was one of the knights who set out to conquer Lambert at that time.

I only returned smelling like dust in the end.

Ultimately, I need to confirm who this Lindsay Nihalov is.

To do that, I need to make him find me, not the other way around.

Rising from my seat, I headed back to the betting area.

“W-What can I help you with?”

The attendant, now even more stiff-faced than before, hurriedly asked me.

“I want to sign up as a participant.”