The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

Cecilia Lien.

A commoner-born knight who became a Knight of the Light at the tender age of twenty after her baptism.

Right after joining, she caught the eye of my father and became a maid and knight at the side of my sister Alice, serving as a sort of mentor who greatly aided in my sister’s mental growth.

She was also the person my sister trusted and relied on the most.

However, strictly speaking, she was not my sister’s person, nor was she a person of the Vellias family.

Frankly, I don’t even care to know whose person she really is.

She could be an accomplice of the Second Princess, or there could be someone else above that.

Not that I’m completely in the dark about it now.

But what does that matter?

It is said that one has no right to speak of pain unless they have experienced it themselves.

A stab in the abdomen?

I have been stabbed by hundreds, if not thousands of blades in my previous life.

The pain of a cold piece of steel slicing through flesh is, to me now, nothing more than a tickle.

I daresay that my sister also did not feel much pain when her organs were grazed by a sword.

The true agony she must have endured was not physical pain, but the agony of betrayal from someone she trusted and relied on more than anyone.

As someone who has experienced it firsthand, I know all too well how painful it is.

Especially for my sister, who is so generous and righteous, it must have been even more painful.

I’ve said it before, but my sister is truly a strong person.

Unlike me, whose anger from those years has not subsided, she quickly sorted out her feelings.

She reasoned that it was simply that the woman was never hers to begin with.

Not only that, she even blamed herself for not realizing it sooner.

Isn’t that the kind of noble heart that would move even the gods?

But make no mistake.

That is only my sister’s view, not mine.

To me, this woman is nothing more than a vile creature who hammered a nail of betrayal into my sister’s pure and noble heart,

Giving her the worst pain imaginable, one that cannot be forgotten until death.

And now, she dares to brazenly attempt to assassinate my sister.

How could I possibly let her live?

“You are the one…”

After staring for a while, she was the first to speak.

“You’re the one who killed the beast I lured and saved Lady Alice…”

I’m thankful she recognized it without needing any explanation.

Naturally, she must also understand why I have called her here.

“Whose side are you on?”

I have no intention of entertaining such a trivial question.

I slowly raised my sword, answering her question with action instead.

* * *

He stands at 165cm, weighing around 55kg.

Though his frame might not be considered that of an adult male, it’s said that one should not judge by appearances alone.

The posture with which he wields his sword, the killing intent emanating from behind the mask, and the bizarre energy radiating from within.

Sensing the threat, Cecilia immediately drew her sword to confront his energy.

‘Was there such a powerful figure by Lady Alice’s side?’

He was someone she had never felt or heard of during her time with the Vellias family.

Look at this vile killing intent, which could hardly be attributed to a knight.

This was the kind of aura possessed by those who mercilessly extinguish the brilliant flame of life.

Cecilia knew right away.

This unidentified being before her was an assassin sent to kill her.

-Ziiing

A transparent magical power surged from Cecilia’s longsword.

Her life was not as insignificant as those of mere beasts, and she had no intention of giving it up easily.

Furthermore, if she could subdue the assassin, she might be able to gather more information to pass on to her lord.

Having prepared herself, Cecilia dashed forward.

-Tat

With a light step forward followed by a second, Cecilia’s sword was mere inches from the assassin’s neck in an instant.

However,

-Swish

The assassin naturally deflected Cecilia’s sword with his own.

Then, with a slight twist of his blade, he redirected her force.

“……!”

A merciless counterattack met her as her balance was broken.

-Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Four precise strikes aimed at her arms and legs.

Yet, Cecilia, undisturbed, calmly rotated her body to block each attack effortlessly.

‘His speed is certainly abnormal…’

His movements were on a different level compared to novice assassins.

If utilized properly, he could easily suppress the high-level beasts on the front lines.

There would be no issue for him to handle a Red Wolf alone.

But Cecilia thought,

Not a chance against her.

“May the winds of nature be with me…”

Along with her spell, a whirlwind of magical power the size of a fist formed beneath her feet.

7-star wind attribute magic, Wind Worker.

A magic that converts the floating wind into kinetic energy, maximizing her bodily movements.

It was also her forte.

To think she, who climbed to her position through speed, would be challenged in speed,

It even brought a slight sense of amusement.

Once the absorption of magic was complete and her physical abilities had skyrocketed, Cecilia charged at the assassin once again.

-Clang!

Yet, the assassin easily blocked her attack.

Undeterred, Cecilia launched a faster flurry of strikes, but

-Clang! Clang! Clang!

The assassin deflected each of her strikes with an unnervingly calm demeanor.

Without a moment to be stunned by the shock, Cecilia unleashed her maximum speed to press on him.

-Bang!

A dull sound of impact followed by Cecilia’s heavy breathing ensued.

Despite showing movements too swift for human eyes to catch, she hadn’t managed to land a single hit.

On the other hand, the assassin’s face remained completely unscathed, without even a hint of breathlessness.

Cecilia was beyond shocked.

To think she, who prided herself on reaching the pinnacle of wind attribute magic, couldn’t even touch this person.

She began to doubt if she was even fighting a human, as everything seemed so uncertain now.

‘What in the world is this man’s identity…?!’

At that moment, an unknown dark energy surged from within the assassin’s cloak.

It was not the pure mana that anyone could wield.

It was a very ominous energy that even she, with her extensive battlefield experience, had never encountered before, and merely perceiving it ignited a surge of negative emotions within her.

‘Mist?’

Just as she tried to discern its nature,

A spell flowed from the assassin’s lips.

“Mist Blade: The Severed Wind…”

-Swish!

Simultaneously with the spell, an unfamiliar sound emanated from below.

It wasn’t an illusion but the very distinct sound of something real being split apart.

However, Cecilia’s body remained intact, and looking around, nothing seemed to have been visibly sliced.

“……!”

But soon, Cecilia realized.

What this mysterious assassin had cut through,

Was not a tangible form, but the untouchable movement of nature itself.

-Crack!

* * *

I’m not sure how it appears to her, but I am quite excited right now.

The sweat that trickled down my back a moment ago was not due to the weather, which isn’t particularly hot, but because of the fiery onslaught of her sword strikes.

It signifies the remarkable adaptability of this knight in harnessing the tricky wind attribute.

However, that doesn’t mean I lack means to counter.

If her enhanced physical abilities originate from the surrounding wind, then cutting through that wind is all it takes.

Can the wind be cut?

What can’t be cut?

But there’s one thing to remember:

To cut through the wind is to defy the natural flow itself.

If one dares to resist and cut through this flow, which normally wouldn’t even scratch human skin, the wind will turn into sharp blades of vengeance, slashing through everything around.

-Crack!

“Aaaah!”

Just like now.

The comforting wind that had been protecting her turned into cruel blades, erupting violently in all directions.

Her armor, which would have been second only in hardness, was shredded, and blood flowed like a waterfall between the gaps.

“Ha, ha…”

She was incapacitated in an instant, gasping for air.

The fighting spirit that once filled her eyes had vanished.

All that remained was a time for repentance.

“……Why don’t you ask?”

While I was lost in thought, watching her kneeling, she spoke up.

“Aren’t you curious why I betrayed Lady Alice?”

As I said before, it doesn’t matter.

Whatever the reason, whoever ordered it, such things are irrelevant.

But what? Lady Alice?

When did she decide, without a moment’s hesitation, to stab her in the back, and now she pretends to care about her former master?

I couldn’t help but let out a scoff.

“Did you summon me here with the sole purpose of revenge? To kill me?”

She’s half right and half wrong.

Yes, I came with a motive for revenge, but not solely to kill her.

Although Alice might feel a bit sad about this, I watched her being betrayed from beginning to end.

In other words, I could have stopped it from the start.

But I chose not to.

Pain is necessary for enlightenment.

I wanted the pain Alice experienced today to aid in her growth moving forward.

As a result, my sister experienced a pain in her life that she could never forget, and through this, she was able to observe an aspect of herself that she had never known before, leading to her growth.

But you know what’s funny?

It’s the behavior this woman showed.

After the Second Princess revealed her true colors and spouted incomprehensible words at my sister, this woman did not hesitate to stab my sister in the stomach.

In a very clumsy manner at that.

Not deep enough to penetrate the intestines, nor aimed at any vital organs.

Just a stab that was neither here nor there.

Why do you think that is?

Remnants of affection for her former master?

If that were the case, she should have given her a painless end.

For a knight, hesitation is akin to sin.

If she had been in an unavoidable situation where she had to kill her master, who meant everything to her, it would have been right to do so without hesitation.

But she did not.

Not only did she make my sister feel the pain of betrayal with a clumsy strike, but she also attracted monsters, encouraging my sister to resist until the end.

Why? Was it in the hope that she might survive?

That’s ridiculous.

This woman just wanted to disappoint my sister from the start.

She intended to break my sister’s strong and resilient spirit in an instant, leaving her to die in despair and frustration, with no one to save her.

Had I not appeared at that moment, my sister would have indeed met such a lonely death.

Knowing this, how could I let this woman die comfortably?

-Thud!

With a smile whose origin I could not fathom, I plunged my sword into her shoulder.

“Kuhuk!”

Blood burst from her mouth along with a groan.

Yet, her prideful gaze remained steadfast.

“If you’re not going to ask, then hurry up and kill me…”

This is the problem with knights.

Caught up in their nonsensical knightly spirit, they spout such trivial words, failing to grasp the situation, asking to be killed.

They must be comforting themselves, thinking this is an honorable death for their lord.

An honorable death?

Those who have never died wouldn’t know if death is honorable.

Only by experiencing it can one know how miserable it truly is.

For now, she maintains her heavy, solid gaze like a rock, but it won’t last long.

I’m quite looking forward to the vulgar and wretched expression she’ll have when her breath finally stops.

(To be continued)