The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

It wasn’t a misunderstanding.

This is clearly a part of telepathy magic.

Someone nearby has reached into my mind and spoken.

‘Please, I beg you! If anyone hears this voice, please help me!’

The more I hear it, the more it stimulates my protective instincts.

The voice was desperate yet tender.

Quite an original rescue request.

Well, rather than shouting meaninglessly, could there be a better way?

Of course, assuming there’s someone around here who can hear that voice.

But just because telepathy is cast doesn’t mean everyone can hear it.

Randomly shouting without a specific goal is even more pointless.

Though I’ve nearly reached the absolute pinnacle in interpreting mana, it’s unlikely that anyone here can hear the delicate plea of this unknown woman.

I guess luck is both good and bad.

Someone who could hear that voice emerged with a one in ten thousand chance,

but even if that person witnesses injustice with a one in a million chance, they might just ignore it and move on.

Next time, I’ll hold a tiny hope in my heart thatsheI might meet someone who can’t resist helping when they hear a voice or witness injustice, and I turned my head away.

[Hmm… There’s a cute cat inside the carriage, isn’t there?]

Yeah, just overlooking this situation isn’t her style.

I understand without needing to be told.

How could I walk away without helping a woman in danger?

That’s not the way of a man, and so on.

She’ll try to tempt me with nonsensical talk.

It’s obvious even without looking.

I’ve not been fooled once or twice, and I won’t fall for such obvious tricks…

[…]

Kaeram, who had been glancing towards the carriage, soon turned her gaze.

[Why? What?]

As I stared at her, wondering what was going on, Kaeram extended her chin with apparent dissatisfaction.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?”

[What about?]

“About rescuing the person inside…”

An unfamiliar and awkward silence lingered.

Kaeram, who had been staring at me with a puzzled expression, soon smirked.

[Our master has matured both physically and mentally, it seems. You now understand what to do without me having to teach you, huh?]

Got caught.

I’ve dug my own grave by not resisting her provocation and instead slipping inward.

Ignoring her provocation, I hastily distanced myself from the carriage.

[I was originally going to pass by, but I did not realize our master was interested? How about it? Should I tell you what cat is inside that carriage?]

“Even if there is a god, I won’t go.”

If there was that idiot god, it would be a different story.

[There’s a white elf.]

The two steps that were advancing confidently suddenly halted.

“Who’s there?”

[A white… elf!]

As if telling me not to question again, she spoke each word firmly and steadily.

“…”

[Moreover, it’s a female.]

[TL/N: Another waifu?]

[PR/N: mc is 20 but elfs have diff age metrics. What if she’s a gilf?]

* * *

A narrow mountain path barely wide enough for a small carriage to pass through.

Due to the unevenness of the earth path where I stood, the carriage shook violently.

– Clatter, clatter.

They seemed eager to escape hastily as the carriage sped away, showing no concern for the person inside.

With hands and feet tightly bound with ropes, she was thrown around repeatedly, causing bruising all over her arms and legs.

‘Help! Help!’

With a muzzle strapped over her mouth, she couldn’t even scream.

All she could do was hopelessly reach out for someone to listen through meaningless telepathy.

However, no matter how much she appealed for help, there was no one to hear her voice.

Truly a desperate situation where there was no one to help.

Tears of despair endlessly streamed from the woman’s eyes at the realization of being completely isolated.

– Sigh…

Then, suddenly, faint black mist crept in through the crack in the door, enveloping her lightly.

Even her blinking in the unfamiliar situation lasted only a moment.

Soon, within her tear-blurred vision, the figure of someone began to appear.

A man with long black hair and striking red eyes, possessing peculiar features.

He sat cross-legged in the facing seat, observing the woman with an intrigued gaze.

At that moment, the woman realized.

The one she was seeing must be an extraordinary being.

Not merely human, an aura of nobility emanated from him, distinct from the usual beings she encountered.

‘A deity?’

“AAhhh!”

Momentarily startled by the unexpected encounter, the carriage suddenly jerked to a halt amidst cries of pain from outside.

Turning her head, she noticed people beginning to collapse one by one.

Through the window, she couldn’t see what was happening, but unidentified liquids were splattering.

‘What… What’s happening?’

Darkness easily triggers primal human fears.

Without sight, one doesn’t know what’s happening, and without knowing what’s happening, one can’t predict what will happen next.

The situation aside, the energy felt too abnormal.

It felt like a demon from the depths of hell rising up towards me.

Overwhelmed by a grotesque fear engulfing her entire body, the woman hugged herself tighter.

– Thud, thud.

The vitality of the dozen or so people had disappeared, leaving only one unidentifiable energy approaching the carriage.

At this, the woman thought.

If the door that confined her were to open now,

she would undoubtedly meet her end.

“…”

As the executioner finally arrived at the door.

– Clunk.

With a harsh metallic sound, the latch turned, and soon, as the carriage door opened,

– Thud.

The woman lost consciousness and collapsed.

* * *

Before you misunderstand, let me say this upfront: I didn’t move to save the woman inside the carriage.

I’m serious.

Even when I heard from Kaeram that there was a white elf, I felt no enthusiasm.

I just planned to keep going straight.

So why did I end up in this situation?

It’s not because of the woman inside the carriage, but because of the escort troops guarding it.

Externally, they might appear as adventurers or mercenaries on a mission, but they are all knights affiliated with some organization.

The evidence lies in the swords they carry.

There are various types of swords in this world.

They are divided into longswords, shortswords, greatswords, and shortswords based on their size and weight, and swordsmen often have one sword each that they can use to maximize their abilities according to their physique and aptitude.

Just as a pen must be well-made to be well-written, it goes without saying that a sword meant to protect oneself should be of the highest quality.

It’s rare for members of the Mist, who change disguises as easily as eating, to even change their swords for a mission.

Especially knights who value honor and faith would be even more so.

It’s one thing if it’s one or two people, but when more than ten people all wear similar swords, how can you not find it suspicious?

And those are the swords of the Knights of Light…

After the incident seven years ago, the Empire significantly expanded the influence of the Knights of Light to crack down on me and my followers of the Mist.

Of course, expanding influence doesn’t mean that there are more knights who can act on the front lines like Eulken.

In reality, the majority are just these chicks drawn on paper.

Otherwise, this camp wouldn’t collapse so easily without reinforcements.

Well, in the end, they are probably not the ones I should be concerned about.

The fact that the Knights of Light, who are part of the Empire, are kidnapping White Elves from other countries, not even from the Empire or humans, is making my nose crinkle.

No, how did they even manage to kidnap White Elves in the first place?

It’s unlikely that a race that treats humans like bugs as much as dragons do would come willingly, and it doesn’t make sense to kidnap them for a purpose either, right?

Without hesitation, it’s best to ask the person involved…

[This kid really passed out.]

Kaeram said, poking her white cheek.

Thinking of interrogating her, I opened the door, but she immediately passed out as soon as she saw my face.

This situation is not unfamiliar, but it feels like being swept into quite an unpleasant situation.

I was about to shake her awake just to see.

– Zzzt!

“….!”

A strong current flowed from her hand as if sparking.

“What is this?”

It felt as if the strong energy flowing through her body was trying to reject my approach, even emitting a subtle pressure.

[I told you. There’s a cute cat.]

Kaeram, sitting across from me, said with a mischievous smile.

[This kid is under divine protection.]

* * *

The sensation of the warmth of the cloak blending with the chilly earth floor led to an unintended slumber.

Waking up groggily for a moment, the woman quickly got up and looked around.

Just like before she fell, she was still inside the carriage.

The only difference was that the bindings on her hands and feet and the muzzle on her mouth were nowhere to be found, replaced instead by a black cloak of unknown origin wrapped around her body.

The woman recalled her last memory before fainting.

The carriage had stopped, screams were heard, and an ominous darkness that couldn’t be called the energy of this land was approaching the carriage.

Then, the moment the door opened, she seemed to have passed out…

It felt like she had just dreamt a bizarre dream in the middle of the day.

“….”

Suddenly, the sound of water dripping outside the door reached her ears.

Carefully listening to the door, the carriage’s door weakly opened.

– Creak

The carriage door opened weakly.

The woman, hesitating for a moment whether to leave or not, eventually gathered her courage and stepped outside.

The bright afternoon sunlight and the clear flowing stream greeted her outside.

As if enchanted by the pure flow of water, the woman ran towards the stream.

Then, cupping her hands together, she drank from the flowing water,

“Ah…”

Finally, a happy smile spread across her face.

“….!”

But that moment of happiness was short-lived.

Sensing a strange presence behind her, she quickly turned her head.

A black-haired man stood with his arms crossed, gazing at her with indifferent eyes.

The woman pushed back her cloak defensively, assuming a guarded stance.

However, she soon realized.

The cloak she was pushing back belonged to the man standing before her.

She finally examined her own body.

Her previously injured body had miraculously healed without a single bruise.

Had this man not only rescued her but also healed her from her injuries?

She felt certain that he was the one who had listened to her desperate plea for help.

‘Did you rescue me?’

She tried to communicate telepathically, but.

“….”

The man only furrowed his brows in response, offering no verbal answer.

As she attempted to speak again, wondering if her voice couldn’t reach him.

“Can’t you speak?”

His indifferent yet captivating voice resonated deeply within her.