The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everything in the world went according to your will?

However, the world is not always an easy place where everything goes as planned.

What if the plans you’ve made don’t go smoothly and go awry?

With such thoughts, Violet once asked Aschel a question.

“I’m not trying to jinx anything, but what if all the plans you’ve prepared don’t work out as expected? What will you do?”

To this, Aschel replied,

“I’ve never considered failure regardless of what I plan. I’ve always believed that I will succeed.”

To say that the world itself was created for him would not be an exaggeration,

Aschel had smoothly achieved everything he had planned and pursued so far.

Until he came into contact with Cyan, that is.

“If someone heard, they might think you’ve never failed. Are you saying that the trouble you had with your cute little brother wasn’t a failure?”

“You’re being cruel with your words. I won’t deny it. What Her Highness said makes sense. As much as I prepare like this, my brother will also prepare many things for me. However, regardless of the process, I will be the one to have the last laugh.”

From his expression alone, it seemed as though he had high expectations for his preparations.

“Still, you know how unpredictable human affairs can be, right? What if your brother, not you, ends up being the one to have the last laugh?”

Despite Violet’s persistent probing, Aschel remained undisturbed.

Instead, he calmly spoke as if he had already anticipated such a situation.

“That’s unlikely, but if it were to happen, I would have to turn things back. To a complete beginning where no one can laugh.”

There were many memories and situations, but for some reason, Violet remembered most vividly the words Aschel spoke at that time.

And at that moment when he said those words, in Aschel’s hand was,

“…!”

The box that Violet was desperately trying to grasp now was there.

-Crack!

“Ah!”

Violet screamed in pain as her wrist was crushed.

The foot of someone who was none other than Mia, mercilessly trampling her delicate hand.

“That’s odd. I don’t recall anything about an item that can rewind time.”

Mia, holding the box, looked down at Violet dully and asked.

Despite the pain, Violet continued to reach out for the box.

“Sister!”

Startled, Arin cried out, but confronting Mia in front of the Leader of the Mist seemed almost arrogant.

Without missing a beat, Silica mercilessly kicked Arin’s abdomen.

-Thud!

Arin, defenseless in an instant,

Silica, as if she were about to slit her throat, hesitated and then changed her mind, adjusting her sword and thrusting it into Arin’s shoulder instead.

“…!”

Arin collapsed without even a groan.

She reached out to Violet with a faint gaze, but her hand never reached her, and her trembling figure on the ground was truly pitiful.

“It’s quite touching, isn’t it, this affection?”

Silica scoffed as she watched the scene.

However, a question arose.

Can everything really be reversed?

Is such an incredible thing really contained in that box?

Despite preparing it as a last resort, didn’t Boris warn that it would be better not to open it?

Somehow, a feeling of unease began to gnaw at her heart.

“Give me that box, Mia.”

Mia handed over the box nonchalantly.

Silica examined the box carefully, narrowing her eyes.

It looked ordinary at first glance.

But unlike when she first saw it, there was a strange yet familiar aura emanating from inside the box.

It wasn’t magic.

It wasn’t even the power emanating from a holy sword or scripture.

This aura was remarkably similar to the aura of a god that she sometimes felt when facing Aeru…

“…!”

Realizing something, Silica’s eyes widened suddenly.

“Hey, Mia.”

“Yes?”

In the sudden change of atmosphere, Mia was also slightly taken aback.

“Have you ever seen the owner of the holy sword and scripture do something with this box?”

“No. I haven’t directly seen it. However…”

Mia explained the series of events she had seen before to Silica.

Upon hearing her explanation, Silica,

“…!”

She made a blank expression for a moment.

Then, she seemed to realize something and made a decision.

-Whoa!

She rushed to Boris, who was collapsed in a corner, grabbed him by the collar, and pulled him up.

“What on earth have you done?!”

Boris, with a bloody face, chuckled softly before opening his mouth.

“We had to prepare many things, even to pass on your so-called successor. That box is our last resort. Even we are reluctant to open it…”

-Kugukwang!

Suddenly, there was a tremendous noise and vibration around.

It felt like a powerful lightning strike had hit nearby.

Despite everyone’s confusion, Boris didn’t stop his soft laughter.

“It seems like the rebirth has already begun.”

“…?”

“It’s all over. You can’t change anything now. From creations of beings defeated, you creatures can never change that future…”

-Thud!

With a sharp impact, Boris’s face distorted once again.

The distorted face soon fell weakly, and Boris tumbled to the ground like scattered leaves.

Silica looked back at the box.

‘Dangerous.’

The instincts of an assassin honed over decades warned her.

She still didn’t properly know what this box was.

But just keeping it shut like this could be very dangerous in the future.

Especially for Cyan.

As someone who prioritized the safety of the successor, she couldn’t help but destroy this box.

Soon, Silica closed her eyes slightly and released all the mist’s power she had stored inside her.

* * *

-Hweeing

The chilly wind brushing against my skin intensified my current miserable feeling.

An empty void where nothing existed before my eyes.

I briefly looked up at the sky and reflected on the process so far.

Why am I here?

To thwart the Leader’s plan to kill Princess Arin for the Mist’s awakening and to disrupt the plans of those who preach a new order, I came here.

To rescue Princess Arin trapped in the void, to fight the Leader, and to confront the owner of the Holy Sword.

Descendants of the former owner of Kaeram?

Knights of the Holy Sword?

Honestly, it was quite novel.

Their efforts to surpass me were quite evident.

After realizing the crucial fact that no matter what plans they made or tricks they tried, they couldn’t defeat me,

I wanted to inflict the best possible pain on him, who was enveloped in despair.

Crossing over past lives and present, I intended to finally end the continued cycle.

But he escaped.

Not a sudden retreat, but a blatant escape.

He fled right before my eyes, under the apparent protection of those esteemed individuals.

“Ha-ha…”

Only laughter came out.

Of course, it wasn’t laughter born of positivity.

In the midst of laughter, profane curses kept popping out unwittingly.

[Hey, master.]

Kaeram, who seemed somewhat calmed, called out to me quietly.

[It seems he now considers you a target to be completely erased.]

“That guy? Who is he?”

For some reason, Kaeram didn’t answer.

Even I didn’t have the heart to press further.

Her trembling, which still hadn’t completely subsided, continued to be felt through the sword.

“How did this happen?”

“What? Why do I suddenly have a sword?”

“What have I done until now?”

The knights, freed from the brainwashing of the Holy Sword, began to regain their senses one by one.

Their swords no longer emanated the power of the Holy Sword.

That meant the original wielder of that power had fled far away by now.

Ah.

It’s annoying.

I knew he was a stubborn fellow from before.

But I didn’t expect him to be this stubborn.

He had escaped right in front of me, the target of my long-awaited revenge, and I had to just let him go.

Those who haven’t experienced it firsthand wouldn’t understand my current feelings.

The feeling of anger extending beyond being tricked.

-Swish

Suddenly, a strange sensation was felt from the opposite hand.

‘Are you okay, Cyan?’

Hastia, who had approached unnoticed, looked at me with full of concern in her eyes.

The moment I felt her gentle touch, my soaring emotions calmed down slightly.

“Are you all right, sir?”

Brian, who followed right after her.

On his back, Luna, who had not yet awakened from sleep, was still snugly wrapped.

“Phew…”

With a deep sigh, my mind calmed down to some extent.

And naturally, I began to think about what I should do next.

First, I needed to stabilize the situation with Princess Arin, and then…!

Unconsciously, I glanced around, my eyes darting.

“Why, why are you like this, sir?”

“Where is the princess?”

“What?”

“Where is Princess Arin?”

‘The, the princess left the scene earlier with His Majesty, the Emperor!’

Hastia answered on behalf of them.

Princess Arin was nowhere to be seen.

The situation was not over yet.

That meant the Mist’s sword, which was aimed at her neck, had not been sheathed yet.

“Where did she go?”

‘Um, probably… in that direction…!’

Hastia’s eyes, which were calmly searching for direction, suddenly stopped.

‘…!’

As she held her stopped eyes with her hand, a trembling began to creep in gradually.

This was undoubtedly the trembling of fear.

Whether she sensed some ominous presence or not, she trembled in fear and apprehension, her body shaking as if possessed.

“What’s wrong? Why are you like this?”

Hastia could only stammer, unable to answer anything.

Out of precaution, I also looked in the direction she was staring.

The direction she was looking was none other than the palace.

At first glance, it seemed like an immensely dangerous presence had appeared there.

“…!”

Suddenly, a familiar signal rang in my mind.

This was the signal of the Leader’s call using mental resonance.

The direction was none other than…

“The palace underground?”

It was indeed the palace underground.

“…!”

The members who accepted the signal began to leave one by one.

They, too, seemed surprised and confused by the unexpected signal, their faces filled with astonishment.

A call to the palace itself?

No, the palace was not an empty house, nor was it just a door.

It was calling us to come to the underground?

As Hastia’s gaze and the Leader’s call overlapped, my anxiety only grew worse.

Just as I was about to lead the members to the summoning location,

“I recommend not going.”

A voice, unfamiliar to me, stopped me in my tracks.

“I actually recommend getting as far away from here as possible. If you want to extend your days even a little.”

Following the voice, my gaze naturally turned.

My flashing eyes landed on none other than Luna, who was on Brian’s back.

More precisely, it was the dark-haired man right behind her.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Our friend here seems to lack perception? Can’t you feel the fear emanating from the lady beside you right now?”

Fear from the lady?

It took about one second to understand those words.

With comprehension came mist, and Kaeram appeared.

[……]

Kaeram, without saying a word or explanation, stared fixedly at the dark-haired man.

Then, abruptly turning to me,

[Do as you wish.]

With that, she disappeared back into the sword.

The man, too, turned his head as if he wouldn’t say anything more.

“Sir? Who are you talking to…?”

Brian, who didn’t understand the situation, blinked his eyes and asked.

I looked at them for a moment,

“I’ll be back soon. Just wait quietly until I return!”

I created a spatial gate and forcibly pushed them into it.

Brian, who was pushed away without warning, couldn’t ask anything, and Hastia’s gaze was still filled with fear.

After sending them to the spatial gate, I immediately rushed to where the Leader had signaled.

“Intruders!”

Pushing aside all the departing members and even blocking knights, I arrived at the palace underground.

From the moment I first illuminated the chilly stone floor, the smell of blood stimulated my nose.

Not a particularly pleasant smell.

Suppressing the rising anxiety, I hurriedly headed towards the source of the smell.

The same place where Kellen, who had been imprisoned before, was killed.

Without hesitation, I opened the door and stepped inside,

“……?”

I doubted my eyes.

Boris, slumped in a corner like trash.

Arin, leaning against the wall with blood dripping, and Violet, who was sticking close to her.

Even Mia, standing dumbfounded with surprised eyes.

They were already a spectacle enough, but

What truly shook me was the sight of the Leader, covered in blood, suspended in mid-air just ten steps away.

————