The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin Chapter 53
Chapter 53. My Person (3)
Blood-stained eyes and blurred vision.
Enshrouded within that haze was a presence not unfamiliar.
Brian eventually began to doubt his own eyes.
Hair as dark as the pitch-black night, apathetic eyes tracing a straight line.
A youthful face that contrasted with the lethal aura it carried.
To his knowledge, there was only one person with such an aura.
“Yo-young master…?”
The lord he had sworn to devote his all to, Sian Vert, was before him.
The moment his drooping eyelids snapped open—
He felt he should reply to the question “What are you doing?” but his injured throat barely allowed words to form.
“Kuaaack!”
Meanwhile, screams as if vocal cords were tearing apart broke out around him.
The mercenaries who had been beating and torturing Brian clutched their severed limbs, spreading agony.
Ignoring them, Sian stroked Brian’s neck.
“Vocal cords damaged? No wonder you can’t speak. Is it from the beating, or did the beating stop you from speaking?”
He wanted to reply ‘the latter’, but even that was impossible now.
“I thought you didn’t know the crows were circling around, huh? If you didn’t want to be treated badly, you should’ve just run to me. What’s this? You said you’d devote everything to me, yet you end up risking your neck in such a sordid place? Are you really my person?”
It was not a situation of keeping silent but rather being silenced.
Despite surely being reprimanded, there was both an odd sense of embarrassment and a hint of joy.
Eventually, Brian grinned sheepishly at Sian.
Sian, taken aback, let out a small sigh.
“Ah, enough of that. You’ve been beaten enough; what more can I say? Luckily, you don’t seem on the brink of death. Just sleep until this is over.”
Sian gently patted Brian’s blood-streaked face.
“……”
It was but a light touch, yet it oddly seemed to bring slumber, his eyelids growing heavy.
The screams of people begging for their lives sounded as if they continued, but he couldn’t be bothered to care.
Soon enough, Brian slipped into a deep sleep, oblivious to the world.
* * *
Isn’t there a saying about discerning the promise of a mighty tree by its sapling?
I’m not too fond of old sayings, but I figure this one’s truly a gem.
Who did what to whom, planning what outcome?
It makes you wonder if such words should come from the mouth of an eleven-year-old.
Sparing it for being a sprout, pardoning it because it’s young?
That’s an attitude best left to knightly fools.
A sprout quickly becomes a tree, and a brat quickly becomes a villain.
Therefore, it’s important to ensure the sprout grows right.
“You, what are you exactly? Why are you doing this to me?”
Beruth roared, sitting defeated.
You’d think he’d already endured some cruel torture.
Yet, not even a single scratch marked Beruth’s limbs, perfectly intact.
In other words, I hadn’t laid a finger on him.
“Don’t come any closer! Stay away!”
Step by step, as I advanced, he frantically scrambled back.
“Looks like there’s been a misunderstanding, Sir Sian! I wasn’t trying to harm your knight! That guy… He seemed up to something fishy, so I was interrogating him! I heard he was trying to kill you, so I…”
His attempts at excuses were reminiscent of someone dwelling in a deep chasm.
Having no intention of listening to his pitiful blather any longer, I stepped heavily on his retreating left foot.
-Crunch!
The satisfactorily crisp sound of breaking akin to a snapping twig echoed.
“Kuaaack!”
At the agony of his broken bone, Beruth screamed.
Ignoring his cries, I leaned in, locking eyes with him.
“What were you going to do to me?”
He glared back with hatred-filled eyes.
“You think you’ll get away with doing this to me? I am Beruth Luimill! If I get angry, no one can stop me! The pain I am feeling now, I can make it many times worse…!”
He clearly didn’t understand the gravity of our conversation.
I casually seized one of his hands.
“What, what are you doing…?”
Rough, unrefined to the touch.
The scars along it were not due to hard labor or training.
These were unmistakably marks of brutality – a history of violence inflicted not by others, but by himself, signs of a tormentor from an early age.
Indeed, a seedling destined for significant growth.
“What’s the saying? If the master is incompetent, the subjects suffer? Seems accurate…”
I had no words to offer.
My negligence led to Brian’s harm, after all.
“But doesn’t it strike you as unfair? The lesser suffer due to an incapable master, yet the so-called master faces no repercussions. Like you, right?”
Look at these corpses scattered around.
They were subjects who just moments ago parted from this world due to their helpless master.
A terrible end for them, all because of this wretched child.
“What are you… Aaack!”
I drew Ceyram I had kept concealed and plunged it down without hesitation.
Beruth’s body convulsed like a fish freshly hauled from water.
If one plans to deliver pain to others, they must be prepared to endure the same.
The pain of this blade slicing the flesh, to be honest, barely qualifies as discomfort.
I had yet to inflict true agony on him.
Forcefully lifting his head, our eyes met once more.
“I might be loathsome to you. You might detest me. Whisper about me behind my back, I don’t care.”
It’s just petty jealousy from the inept, after all.
“But why mess with him?”
“Uuhuk…”
Beruth could only sob, unable to answer.
“If you disliked me so much, you should have confronted me, not him.”
“I’m sorry, Sir Sian! I won’t ever approach you or your people again! I promise I won’t go near the princess nor that commoner! Please, just spare my life!”
The roaring lion had become a groveling, pitiful worm.
[What a dull creature,] commented Ceyram, as if it had lost interest.
“I tend to agree.”
The creature who had once fearlessly snarled at me…
This is why nipping the sprout in the bud is crucial, you see?
But I’ve always been wary of those who only brag with words…
I set Ceyram aside briefly and flicked my hand.
“……!”
Sensing his imminent fate, his pupils quivered wildly.
“What, what are you doing?!”
In my outstretched palm, a black orb of concentrated mana formed.
The dark sphere seemed poised to devour Beruth, emitting a sinister aura.
“Time to finish what we started last time, shall we? The game where we put mana orbs in our mouths.”
“That, that kind of game doesn’t exist! If you put it in wrong, you really could die!”
“Don’t worry. The mana orb alone won’t kill you.”
I’ve spared you solely on the account of your noble title.
Not that I care if you die, but the hassle afterward would be intolerable.
But you’re likely to suffer more than death itself.
“So remember this well. If you ever cross paths with me or mine again, you will wish you were dead. Remember that until your dying day.”
If you don’t want a worse death in the future…
Without hesitation, I thrust the orb into his mouth.
“Aaaaack!”
A shrill scream spread throughout the desolate forest.
Beruth thrashed wildly like that fish out of water.
Such is the exquisite torment of mana.
“Bleargh!”
He strained to expel the forced mana, but it only multiplied his pain.
Soon enough, he wouldn’t have the energy to struggle.
I concluded my business and turned back without a second glance.
Sapling grooming was complete.
Should it show signs of corrupt growth later,
I will uproot it entirely, leaving not even ashes behind…
* * *
“Ugh!”
As consciousness returned, his head pounded.
“You’re awake!”
A single groan accompanied the flash of consciousness, followed by a high-pitched cheer.
“Did you have a good sleep, Brian?”
A small tail wagged playfully.
The owner sat on the bed, watching with innocent eyes.
“Nana…?”
Brian, suddenly alert, looked around quickly.
A peaceful dormitory bathed in the warm morning sunlight.
Gently touching his throbbing head, he found it tightly wrapped with a white bandage.
“I heard about it! You were bringing snacks and tripped over a curb, knocked out cold! Papa found Brian lying in the street and brought you here!”
Bright-eyed and innocent, she gently stroked Brian’s wounds.
Who would get such grievous injuries from tripping over a curb?
Brian stared blankly, recalling the events of the previous night.
Certainly, the last thing he remembered was being in the middle of a forest tinged with the stench of blood.
Caught by Beruth and his crew, he suffered vicious beatings and torture until Sian appeared, and then he lost consciousness.
“The, the young master…?”
-Creak-
As if summoned by his thoughts, Sian entered the room.
“You’re up?”
Same as ever, his expression detached.
Yet, Brian felt an inexplicable relief at his presence.
“Leave us; go eat, Nana.”
“Okay, Papa!”
With her father’s permission, Nana scampered out the door, leaving just Sian and Brian.
“Ar, are you alright?”
“That’s not something you should be asking me, right?”
Brian sheepishly scratched his face, realizing that the question might be better posed to a mirror.
“Really, I have no excuse. I tried to handle the situation without understanding my limit… I’m sorry for troubling you, young master.”
Sian crossed his arms in response.
“To be honest, I don’t want to criticize you for stepping in. But did you really think you could handle them on your own?”
Brian, flustered, waved his hands in denial.
“I, I never planned to fight! From the moment they followed me, their aura was so fierce I wanted to figure out what kind of men they were, then run away. I had no idea they’d attack without warning…”
“So you knew they were hostile from the start?”
“Yes…”
Brian wilted under Sian’s icy gaze, feeling his judgment looming unspoken.
“Here I thought I had a man willing to sacrifice himself for his master, yet he can’t even protect himself… Once your injuries heal, your training begins. Just be ready for that.”
Sian pulled something out and handed it to Brian before rising to leave.
“Wh, where are you going?”
“Out.”
It was just another one of Sian’s inexplicably timed outings.
“……?”
Brian sat there, gazing dumbfoundedly at the object left behind – a sturdy, somewhat heavy dagger.
The ornate sheath gave way to a finely honed blade that seemed to exude a chilling intent.
(To be continued)
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Chapter 54: My People (4)
There’s a saying that the culprit often returns to the scene, usually to tidy up after committing the deed.
Just to clarify, I haven’t done anything wrong.
I’m just returning to the scene to finish what I started.
Of course, it would be troublesome if I unexpectedly encounter my adversaries at the scene.
Actually, even if the person I expect shows up, it would still be inconvenient.
“…..”
The cold, icy stare conveyed a chilling coldness.
Our leader, today your face seems as heavy as a soaked cotton ball.
“Explain.”
In her brief question, her negative emotions were palpable.
Last night, the scene of the bloodbath was as pristine as if time had reversed.
Moreover, in front of the leader, there was another familiar face.
I said without much concern,
“His name is Kellen Diego. He is a formal knight of Velias. The leader of the surveillance team sent to monitor me all this time.”
Kellen lay on the ground, silent, with his eyes and mouth shut.
Naturally, the cleanup of the scene was done by Silica, the lord, and the members of Mist. It was not just cleaning up. Somehow, even though Barrett’s group was dealt with first, they were just the latecomers. The crows that persistently kept an eye on me were also there. I remember there were five of them at the time, but now there’s only one in front of me? The rest seem to have flown beyond the horizon.
“I’ve been quietly watching as you handle things on your own, but it seems you’ve made quite a few enemies in your hometown?”
“I had no allies to begin with.”
If there were any, it would be Emily or Alice, at best.
“What about Barrett?”
“I left him alive for now. I left him in front of the infirmary. He’s probably been found by the healers who were planning to clean the courtyard by now.”
“Not killing him was considerate.”
“If I had tried to kill him, you would have rushed to stop me.”
She didn’t try to deny it.
Regardless of how much of a trash he is, he still holds the status of nobility.
The position is fundamentally different from students like Ressimus who come from commoner backgrounds.
If emotions had prevailed and I had tried to kill him, not only would the academy be in an uproar, but also the relations between nations would become very ambiguous.
To exaggerate a bit, the peace that had lasted for 100 years on the continent could have been broken.
Of course, I’m not such a foolish person to make such irrational judgments.
Although I briefly considered killing him in a moment of excitement, I brought more than deathly pain instead, so there shouldn’t be any need to worry.
“Your abilities are truly admirable the more I see. Your strength surpasses even Mist’s assassins, your eloquence is enough to negotiate with the resolute Kundel, and your mental fortitude in handling the demonic sword… You’re showing the best you can as a successor.”
Who could be pleased with praise from such cruel eyes?
Either way, she continued speaking with a dry face.
“I’m not particularly interested in what happened in your hometown and how you grew up. Honestly, if I say I’m not curious, it would be a lie, but still, I won’t ask. The same goes for Lord Aeru.”
Sometimes, not knowing is more helpful to oneself and to those around.
An assassin’s duty is simply to pursue the target in front of them, without being swayed by sinister emotions or backgrounds.
She would understand this principle better than anyone.
“However, if this kind of thing continues to happen, it’ll be troublesome. Both Barrett and the crows here, those who are wary of your actions and find them suspicious will continue to appear in the future. Won’t it become quite annoying for you?”
“I agree. However, that doesn’t mean you should continue to oversee the cleanup. I should handle what I’ve done on my own.”
Even with my unyielding stance, she sighed.
“I wish you could understand the concern of a teacher. It’s good to punish those who harm your seed. But such aggressive methods within the academy will eventually become a crisis for you. Then, not only you but those around you will be in danger. Can’t we avoid that? As a successor, whatever means necessary, we will protect you.”
Whatever means necessary to protect…
I wonder why that firm person, in my past life, sent me away from the organization so coolly when I said I would leave.
It’s something I’d like to ask again, but it’s a question I won’t get an answer to anyway.
I shrugged and said.
“Punishment is an act of providing negative stimulus to induce positive development in the target. However, what I’ve done isn’t punishment. It’s a kind of warning to crush them if they dare to crawl further after receiving negative stimulus.”
Why would I bother to induce positive development in those scum?
I don’t even hope for redemption.
I just want them to disappear from my sight like dead mice.
“Jealousy toward me? It’s just the entitlement of those incompetent ones. I don’t care about such gossip. But if something happens that touches my people, not me…”
I felt it clearly this time.
“Then, I’ll find them all and crush them. That’s the way I want to live.”
As I promised during my meeting with Aeru, I must correct what I should have done but couldn’t in this life.
Didn’t he sometimes say to look around?
I feel like I know to some extent what that idiot god is saying.
The leader in front of me and the other members are the same.
They are all within my fence, within my scope.
I will never abandon those who are willing to sacrifice their lives for me because of the problems caused by me, as long as they don’t stab me in the back.
Perhaps touched by my firm resolve, the leader’s upright gaze softened slightly.
“I hope we don’t have to run around so busily.”
“I’ll do my best.”
I responded with a small smile to her modest smile.
“My task seems to be done. Leave this crow behind and go. From what I see, there seems to be no need to kill it.”
Leaving an unintended gift(?) behind, the leader left the place.
As she left, a black mist rose from the embrace, frighteningly.
[Pointless showing off…]
It was Kaeram, whose eyes were downcast as if she was displeased with something.
“What else could be bothering you?”
[If I speak, will you understand? Fine! Then what should we do with him?]
Kaeram asked, looking at Kellen lying in front of him.
He was motionless, like a dead body.
“……”
——————
——————
Wake up, you idiot.
I can hear the thumping of your heart all the way over here.
“Don’t pretend to be unconscious. I know you’re awake.”
“……!”
As I removed the mist and gag covering his eyes, his sweaty face was revealed.
“So, you’re Cyan Vert…?”
Since it was our first encounter in this life, such a reaction was expected.
“Wh-what on earth? Who are you? Why does the youngest son of the Verts have such power? They’re clearly followers of the Black Mist…?”
“I didn’t untie you to answer those questions. I’ll give you 5 seconds, think carefully about what you should say in this situation.”
He answered in just 1 second.
“Do you want me to provide an answer to what you desire? Unfortunately, my mouth isn’t so light. I’d rather you kill me right here!”
Firm indeed.
This guy is truly rigid.
Even I, who was once obsessed with that devil, feel a bit of reverence for his toughness.
Yet, he’s quite foolish.
Unable to distinguish shit from soybean paste, he’s a foolish man who thinks his beliefs are the best in the world.
Does he resemble me? Well, he might.
But I don’t feel an ounce of sympathy for him.
Because he was the first person to try to kill me.
Out of jealousy and envy, thinking I was unnecessary for the family, he, the first perpetrator, tried to assassinate me.
So I killed him with my own hands.
“I’ve seen everything you’ve done! It felt like I was seeing a demon, not a person! Perhaps he realized your true nature sooner than you think! Your existence will not only ruin the Verts but will also cause great harm to him!”
The “him” here is undoubtedly referring to his master, right?
Yeah, he’s already afraid of me, a kid who’s still blue.
How absurd. I said without expression,
“If I untie you now, what will you do?”
“I will return to Velias and report everything about you to my lord. No threat or coercion will work, even if you use ‘oath magic’ on me. I’d rather bite my tongue and die right here!”
“Sure about that. So, Aschel will keep using you.”
“Don’t speak his name so casually!”
“I’ll give you some advice. That won’t last long.”
“……”
His glaring eyes are so threatening, they make you want to pull them out.
“If he trusted you so much, there’s no way he’d let you die.”
That’s for me to say…
“What nonsense…”
“I don’t know anything about that. Even rolling in a pigsty is better than this, anyway. Let’s just prolong your life a little more for my sake. Make better use of you.”
I gathered a large amount of mana within my body.
“It seems you don’t understand my words. Whatever you do, I won’t change…”
“I never said I’d change you. I’ll just make something new.”
A significantly larger amount of mana than before coalesced in my hand.
“What is this power…? What are you trying to do?”
Consider it an honor.
I’m going to use high-level magic, which I find bothersome to use for the likes of you.
As the clouds that obscured the sun parted, hidden shadows began to appear.
I gathered the mana in my hand and struck Kellen’s shadow.
“Creation: Shadow Personality!”
-Boom!
With the spell, a jet-black light shot out from my hand where it touched the shadow, and the condensed mana transferred directly into Kellen’s body through the shadow.
Accepting it, Kellen wore an expression like a soulless husk.
Phew, it’s exhausting to do this again after a long time.
9th-grade dark attribute magic ‘Shadow Personality’.
A spell that creates a new personality from the shadow, which is said to contain a second soul of a human, and bestows it upon the target’s body.
It was the highest-grade magic that I had only used once in my past life.
After briefly holding onto my dizzy mind, I looked at Kellen again and asked,
“Do you understand who you are?”
“I am Kellen Diego. A legitimate guardian knight of Valias, tasked with surveilling Sir Cyan. I have come to Luwen.”
His tone was much more dignified.
“Who do you serve?”
“……”
After a moment’s hesitation, Kellen replied,
“I was originally serving Aschel, the eldest son of the Verts… But… I have no desire to continue. Instead, I wish to serve Sir Cyan, who created me, as my new master. Please accept me!”
His face was full of determination, as always.
——————
