The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

At that moment, I had this thought.

Could that be a marionette imitating the emperor?

However, that thought vanished in less than three seconds.

Mimicking a person’s demeanor isn’t something one can do lightly.

The posture, gait, demeanor, and other supplementary elements.

The person approaching before my eyes is undoubtedly the emperor of this country, Dionne Sevellerus.

Despite suffering from a chronic illness for the past few years, unable to even carry out daily activities, his appearance suggests he could handle confronting a beast without any issues.

Not just the emperor.

Princes, knights of salvation, and numerous other knights who seem to have just wielded a sword are following behind the emperor.

If there’s one thing they all have in common, it’s that they all have swords in hand.

The swords emit a light similar to that of the holy sword.

“Why is His Majesty here?”

But the one who seemed more shocked than me was Princess Arin.

Her father, who had been lying in bed all day struggling to breathe, suddenly appeared fully armed before her.

It would be strange not to be surprised.

However, to avoid causing trouble, it’s better to calm her down for a moment.

I gently placed my hand on her forehead.

“Nullify everything…”

Just like during the Aquiel, I completely nullified her uncontrollable power.

The light emanating from the sword and wings gradually disappeared, and Ressimus supported her as she lost strength and fell.

“His Majesty…”

Even as she fell, her gaze remained fixed on the emperor.

As time passed, more and more knights gathered, and rumors spread that there was something interesting to see, attracting even ordinary people to gather.

Finally, stepping forward past Aschel, the emperor gracefully raised his sword.

“As the emperor of the Ushif Empire, I command those of you holding the Sword of Salvation to act!”

The knights responded with a thunderous battle cry.

“All knights, raise your swords to eliminate the misty being that insults the light and disgraces the imperial family! You must not lower your swords until that being kneels and falls!”

“We will follow Your Majesty’s command!”

This is truly the pinnacle of a puppet show.

So, ultimately, the reason for distributing the holy sword so freely was for this?

It’s a decidedly characteristic idea.

Instead of acting directly, creating a kind of holy sword legion by sharing power with those around you to deal with things on your behalf.

It’s just the same.

Countless swords aimed at me for the purpose of exterminating evil,

To them, I was like the absolute evil disrupting the order of this world.

I fought and resisted to survive until the end,

But in the end, I died.

Alone, truly desolate.

In reality, the situation now is even more serious than back then.

“Look! It’s Princess Arin! That assassin kidnapped Princess Arin!”

“Release the princess!”

“Kill that assassin!”

I didn’t say a word or take any action.

However, to the crowd right now, I probably appear as the culprit who kidnapped Princess Arin, the one responsible for the continent’s turmoil.

What a ridiculous and amusing situation.

“Do you see it, Cyan?”

Aschel, with an air of arrogance, suddenly asked me.

“This is the gaze of everyone directed at you. It’s also the world’s gaze upon you. Your existence is nothing but a sinful presence that ultimately brings chaos to people. No one desires your existence.”

Clever, isn’t it?

Since it’s not something I’m unaware of, I didn’t particularly care.

“No one is here to help you. Let alone a savior. If you become ensnared by loneliness and solitude, you’ll soon fall into despair. Then you’ll finally see. That I am the only one who can rescue you from the abyss of despair…”

He spouted such nonsense about being the only one who could save me in the worst moments.

I continued with indifferent responses, without offering any retort.

“Aren’t you feeling unjust?”

Princess Arin asked, looking at me.

“Is this truly what you and the mist wanted? Is being despised by people and unjustly treated by the world what you really desire?”

She appealed as if demanding an explanation, but I remained silent.

Who would want to be rejected as a human being? No one.

However,

“It’s just familiar to me.”

“What?”

“To me, this situation is just familiar. So, I’m unfazed.”

“How is that even possible?”

Princess Arin shook her head with a face that couldn’t comprehend.

You won’t understand.

But I have no desire to make you understand.

There was never an ideal salvation for someone like me to begin with.

Just me, alone, lonely.

Without anyone’s help.

I will overcome this situation.

With such a calm mind, as I was about to raise my sword,

“My lord!!!”

A familiar voice suddenly rang out.

-Whoosh!

Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through, and two men holding swords rushed towards me through the crowd.

Without a doubt, they immediately stood before me, pointing their swords at the knights instead of me.

“Brian?”

It was my servant, Brian.

“I’m glad you’re safe!”

I distinctly remember telling him to wait in the void, so why is he here?

The black-haired man who followed him glanced at me briefly before focusing his gaze back on the knights.

Wait, I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before.

Certainly, he was with Luna in Roland…

-Shush!

The confusion continued.

A mysterious black mist, of unknown origin, enveloped the surroundings as if trying to protect me, and from within, a familiar voice echoed.

“You’re really making quite a mess of things.”

It was a somewhat irritated voice.

The mist disappeared along with the brief voice.

“Gah!”

Suddenly, unfamiliar screams erupted from the crowd.

The screams gradually came from various places, and people shouted,

“It’s… it’s the Mist!”

As the knights were pushed back, the assassins began to reveal themselves.

They gradually gathered in front of me, soon preparing to defend me.

There were no words or explanations.

It was as if fighting for me was a given.

Amidst this, the leader who was annoyed at me did not appear.

“What will you do, my lord?”

Brian asked on my behalf, somewhat puzzled.

“Will you leave this place while we’re buying time? Or…”

Brian couldn’t finish his sentence.

If we’re not going to flee, the only option left is to kill them all.

But regardless of my choice, his eyes were filled with determination to follow through.

“Still, it’s fortunate,”

Princess Arin said, rising to her feet.

“You might always think you’re alone, but you’re not. No matter how much the world denies your existence as unnecessary, there are undoubtedly people whose lives have changed because of you. Like me and Ressimus.”

The princess once again poised herself, pointing her sword at the knights, not me.

Ressimus also took a stance with her.

“Remember what I said in Aquiel? I wanted to save you. I alone won’t be enough. But with the countless people who want you, I believe we can. There are surely people moving for you not only here but in entirely different places as well.”

“I’ve never asked for that.”

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t want it. It’s what I want.”

Unintentionally, a hollow laugh escaped me.

“You’re still clinging to hope until the end.”

“It’s too late for that now. There’s no impact.”

She now accepted criticism of herself without a care.

“Show me, Cyan. The true nature of the light and mist you speak of…”

I quietly looked up at the sky.

A dark sky covered with black clouds.

It felt like I was seeing my future filled with hardships and trials.

But strangely, it put my mind at ease.

I no longer want to entertain trivial thoughts.

I should just focus on what I need to do from now on.

Distorting the face of that detestable demon, laughing once again.

* * *

In the dazzling brilliance of the light-filled void, a woman sat on a silver throne at its center, her eyes closed, enjoying a moment of rest.

Tick-tock, tick-tock…

After a while, noisy footsteps were heard.

Accompanied by the sound, a faint black mist flowed from the front.

Sensing the arrival of a guest, the woman gently opened her eyes.

[Your face has improved a lot from seven years ago, hasn’t it?]

“….”

[Fortunately, it seems your recovery went smoothly. Did your master feed you well?]

Even with Kaeram’s sarcasm, she didn’t bat an eyelash.

[Human beings are becoming more and more cunning, aren’t they? They never know when to give up. When we see them accomplishing unimaginable tasks like this…]

“I’ll give you a chance, Kaeram,”

Durandal, who had remained silent all along, finally spoke up.

“Consume your master’s soul here and take over their body.”

[Are you still half asleep? What kind of nonsense is that?]

“Isn’t it a simple task? Just awaken your suppressed nature. Once you take possession of the successor’s body, I’ll take care of the rest.”

Durandal expressed firm intention.

[Was our Supreme Holy Sword someone who was so unable to judge the situation? Do you really think that this situation has turned in your favor?]

“Don’t you know? What will happen when our masters face off against each other. We might have to reshape the world once again.”

[…..]

“… Think about it, Kaeram. What would be more beneficial for you.”

At the somewhat serious proposal, Kaeram momentarily closed her mouth.

Turning her gaze slightly to the side, she seemed to be considering, albeit very slightly,

[No, I refuse.]

She firmly rejected Durandal’s proposal with a resolute tone.

“Why?”

[Because I don’t want to.]

With a very simple yet straightforward answer, Durandal was left speechless.

[Do you think I would refuse such an exciting future? I already told you. Let’s just do what we’ve been doing.]

Quietly withdrawing her foot, Kaeram approached Durandal little by little.

[Resist more! Rebel more! The more you and your master struggle…]

“…”

[The more exhilaration both I and my master will feel!]

“Well, you and your kind haven’t changed.”

Durandal nodded as if he had expected it.

“In the end, you and I cannot coexist on this land. Neither you nor your successor, nor the one who originated you! You shouldn’t think about existing wholly on this land anymore.”

The two women were thinking the same thing at the moment.

‘My master will triumph.’

The firm belief that their masters, who control and rule them, will win this fight and compel their opponents to submit, burned strongly in the hearts of both women, leaving no room for anyone to be dominant.

———