The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

It is said that heaven grants a person three life-changing opportunities.

The moment Caron encountered Luna in this foreign land, he immediately realized that one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities had come his way.

For the past 20 years, he had existed within the Garam Academy with a heart full of falsehoods.

Throughout this time, he had often wanted to flee from the academy’s utopian vision of applying the significance of magical advancement even to those deemed inferior and unnecessary.

The sole driving force that allowed him to endure and eventually rise to the second-highest position within the academy was due to Luna Rainriver, the granddaughter of Chairman Regens and the hope of the academy.

A single beam of light in this dark and hopeless academy.

Could there be such a wondrous and perfect being in the world?

No flower or jewel could ever adequately describe her beauty.

The ultimate talent a human could possess.

Caron had no doubt that if her infinite potential could be properly guided, she would surely grow to become the sole mediator linking humans to dragons, demons, and even higher beings.

However, the academy had treated such a hopeful existence far too harshly until now.

If things continued this way, the stem would break before the flower could fully bloom.

That couldn’t happen.

If it did, humanity would once again be subjected to a lengthy period of suffering.

This was the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity bestowed by the heavens.

There had been some futile resistance, but it was remarkable in itself that she had managed to withstand his seven-star magic power.

Now, it was his turn to properly realize the potential she possessed and introduce it to the world.

“I have been waiting for this moment, Miss Luna…”

A smile of joy, long hidden behind a mask, appeared on Caron’s lips.

As he calmed his excited heart and finally took a step towards her,

The eyes of Caron and the academy members gleamed brightly.

“……!”

There had been no sign or forewarning.

Suddenly, as if appearing out of nowhere, a mysterious being had arrived.

The cool and eerie aura emanating from its back stimulated all five senses, an entirely unfamiliar sensation they had never encountered before.

Moreover, this being was not unknown to the academy members.

“C-Cyan Vert?”

Luna’s companion and the youngest of the Vert Ducal family,

It was Cyan.

* * *

It’s quite a spectacle.

So much so, that I don’t even know what kind of expression to wear in this situation.

I can roughly tell what’s been happening.

Luna, who had been casting a light attribute defensive magic barrier,

And Caron, who was overpowering that barrier with his magic.

No matter how much of a genius our junior is said to be, capable of being called a monster, she couldn’t possibly handle a professional who had been researching and training in magic for decades.

She probably knew that as well.

Yet, she squeezed out the last of her mana to maintain the barrier and bought us time.

And the moment she finally made eye contact with me,

She collapsed as if it was all a lie.

Even showing a strange smile that’s hard to understand.

To anyone looking, it would seem as though the savior of hope had arrived.

Honestly, I never thought she would just quietly stay put.

Had she given up and complied quietly, she wouldn’t have collapsed like this,

It’s indeed questionable why she would resist to the point of exhausting her body like that.

When she was lethargically saying her body couldn’t last much longer, where was this fervor?

Now, her will to live is overflowing to the point of bursting into the skies.

“Is- is that Cyan Vert?”

Those who discovered me couldn’t hide their bewildered expressions.

They had no idea why I was there.

I didn’t care about the puzzled reactions of these unalike people right now.

I gently touched Luna’s face with my finger.

1%, no, 0.5% remaining.

She had literally used up every bit of mana in her body.

It’s only because it was her that she managed to use up to 99% of it, anyone else would have fainted long ago.

She really is a junior that never ceases to amaze me every time I see her.

“Take your hands off her…”

I turned my head slightly towards the source of the voice, which was quite murderous.

Someone once said,

The most coveted treasure for a person isn’t money or jewels, but another person.

A beauty with the beauty of the ancient times, a talented individual with innate abilities.

The treasure that is a person can be incredibly meaningful, going beyond simply being there for someone, capable of transforming the owner’s life itself.

I thought I was such a treasure.

Perhaps, I’ve gone from being a treasure to trash.

In the end, they too are probably engaging in this mess to take possession of this treasure known as Luna Rainriver, which could change the world.

“Just pretend you didn’t see anything and quietly go back. If you leave now, we will let you go without any trouble.”

It seems they haven’t grasped the situation yet.

How the beast was dealt with, what happened to the colleagues in the passage, how they ended up here, and so on.

Indeed, it’s better than making unnecessary questions.

“Though it may seem like a misunderstanding, there’s no need to worry about her. Just turn around and go about your business, Cyan Vert…”

The tone suggests there’s no need for lengthy explanations, and there’s no curiosity either.

The feeling is mutual.

I don’t want to know what they want, what they’re plotting, and I have no intention of meddling.

But isn’t that just how things are?

When it’s not my business, I couldn’t care less, but as soon as it slightly involves me, my attitude changes completely.

I don’t think it’s a bad thing.

It’s human nature’s selfishness to survive in this messed-up world.

As the guy said, whatever is happening at their academy, whatever they’re planning, if it’s not related to me, I shouldn’t need to meddle.

Yes, that should be the case.

I’m the type who wouldn’t even give a second thought to troublesome private matters that could become annoying if entangled,

Especially when turning around means it’s no longer my problem, and there’s absolutely no reason for me to help at my own expense,

“……”

Strangely, I can’t seem to do that.

It’s not that my mind is refusing, but my body is moving on its own,

As if my very personality is moving to save her.

Without any resistance.

“What if I refuse?”

-Crack!

The response didn’t take long.

A spark emanated from his hand momentarily, and soon after, white lightning flashed before my eyes.

It wasn’t a mere threat, but magic intended to kill me.

Of course, such magic wouldn’t even make me blink…

“Judgment’s Lightning?”

Though I had to run as if my feet were on fire, escaping this situation with her would require more than the strength of an ordinary academy student.

That would leave several witnesses and cause headaches in many ways.

But for those who have even shown murderous intent towards me, a half-hearted response will only invite trouble, not help.

Then, the answer becomes even simpler.

Just kill them all.

Wouldn’t it be fine if everyone was killed without exception and the aftermath dealt with quickly?

It’s said that in urgent situations, one should not think for too long.

Just do what you can and worry about the consequences later—that has always been the simplest principle, and it’s what I’ve been doing all along.

The moment I made up my mind, I immediately drew out Kaeram.

“Assassination Art Six: Realm of Mist.”

As I cast the spell, a black fog enveloped the ground beneath the feet of the academy members.

It should be considered an honor, if anything.

This is a divine subspace that ordinary humans could not even glimpse.

Dying in such a sacred space, rather than on meaningless stone ground, must be a truly ecstatic experience, right?

“Dispel the barrier!”

Some, thinking it was a restrictive barrier, wasted their magic in vain.

It’s not a wrong approach.

If their magic had the power to overcome the strength of my mist, they could dispel it by all means.

But if they can’t…

They will fall into the abyss of despair, feeling utterly powerless.

“What, what is this?”

I slowly walked towards Caron, who, for now, was still maintaining his normal sight.

“Dark attribute magic? No, this filthy and vile aura can’t be magic! This must be…”

It’s said that if you’re in a sewer, you become desensitized to its smell.

I’ve adapted to this dingy aura to the point that I no longer think about it, but sometimes I wonder by what standards this power is deemed filthy and vile.

“Cyan Vert! What exactly are you? How could someone like you have such power?”

“Why make such a fuss now? You’ve been keeping an eye on me at the academy, so you must have suspected that I was hiding something, right?”

The faces of Caron and the other academy members stiffened like stone.

“How did you…?”

“She told me everything.”

I pointed nonchalantly at the fallen Luna.

“Impossible! Why would Luna entrust you with this? Why on earth! Could it be that Luna has betrayed the academy?”

Betrayal?

It’s so absurd that I can’t even muster a hollow laugh.

Did they really give her enough trust to feel betrayed?

Her capabilities and potential are so extraordinary that any descriptor would be meaningless.

Is that all?

Even I am impressed by her intelligence and realistic thinking.

She’s the kind of woman who could build a nation from scratch in the middle of a desert, all by herself.

And yet, for the simple reason that she likes me, a man of dubious character, she’s giving everything to me.

Why? Because she doesn’t care whether you lot succeed or fail; she sees you as utterly irrelevant.

This is entirely your own doing.

“An apostate of the Auram Academy, a mage with the name Caron Rains.”

“…!”

“He felt a repulsion towards the ideal of the Auram Academy, which seeks to apply the advancement of magic to all humanity. Wasn’t it said that magic should be a privilege only for those with the talent?”

“Why do you know that?”

Why indeed?

If you’re curious, ask your former self who bragged about it as if it were a matter of pride.

“In my opinion, you’re all the same. I can assure you, if you take her, you won’t be able to fully harness the potential she possesses.”

“What do you know to talk like that!”

“I talk because I don’t know.”

“…?”

“Even I, who have lived a damn complicated life, cannot see the end of the potential of our junior. Who can know how much latent power she possesses in her fragile body?”

The problem is that people like you will ruin her without letting her shine.

The advancement of magic? Human ideals?

I dare say, left to her own devices, she might achieve it all on her own.

A flower is most beautiful when it blooms on its own after enduring a period of hardship.

Forcing it to bloom prematurely will only ruin it without meaning.

If you, like me, have a next life,

I hope you remember this truth then.

“AAAAAH!”

A scream filled with despair echoes through the black fog of ignorance.

Sadly, there’s no one in this world who can hear that scream.

Except for me….

* * *

It was pitch dark.

Nothing was visible.

Like a dark night sky without a single star.

Like her own future, devoid of even a sliver of hope.

Suddenly, a strange fog began to envelop this gloomy space.

It felt grim and eerie, yet strangely, it wasn’t repulsive.

As she cautiously raised her hand to feel it, the fog gently enveloped her body.

A warmth she had never felt before in her life.

What was this black fog that made her feel this way?

She felt so warm and comfortable that she wanted to throw herself into it and rely on it completely.

Lost in this feeling, she gently closed her eyes,

And soon, a familiar voice reached her ears.

“Hey, junior…”

A callous call, devoid of any warmth.

Luna immediately opened her eyes.

“Sleeping on a stone floor will cause your back to become twisted.”

It was unclear if that was meant to be a joke, but that wasn’t important right now.

As if she had realized something significant, Luna quietly asked Cyan, who was embracing her body.

“You’re the senior, right?”

“What?”

“The person who saved me from the kidnappers that day, that’s you, right?”

Cyan’s mouth was agape, and he froze in place.

“…What?”

A slight tremor was felt in the hand supporting her back.

“You’re the senior! The one who removed the Heart Curve from my body!!”

The air around them suddenly became heavy, and an unexpected silence ensued.

Luna, with her eyes clear and unwavering, boldly met Cyan’s flustered gaze.

(To be continued)