The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

-Crumple-

Kundel fiercely crumpled the letter in his hand, his eyes wide open in disbelief.

At this point, nothing surprised him, not even a flicker of doubt.

The mysterious figure who single-handedly killed the Devil Dragon that appeared in Axillium.

It was undoubtedly the daring boy who had left the Academy of his own accord a few days ago.

There was no evidence.

It was merely the intuition of an old man who had lived for decades, firmly convincing him that he was the perpetrator.

How could he have shown such an overwhelming presence just after leaving?

Kundel was in a state of great complexity.

-Slam-

Meanwhile, the door to the chancellor’s office was abruptly opened without a knock.

A man walked in as if he owned the place, not waiting for permission from the room’s owner.

Despite hiding his face with plain civilian clothes, Kundel frowned, already guessing his identity.

“What brings you here, Luinel?”

It was Luinel Severus, the first prince of the Ushif Empire.

“Don’t make such an obvious expression. Even if you are my grandfather, my current mental state is not stable enough to accept such displeasure.”

Luinel threw his cloak to one side and sat down in the chair in front of the desk.

“I didn’t come here because I wanted to. Since it’s been a long time, let’s have the conversation we couldn’t have at the imperial palace.”

Despite the prince’s presumptuous behavior, the chancellor sat down with a calm expression, not changing his demeanor.

“Did you come to the imperial palace to interrogate me?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know! Haven’t you already spilled everything I’ve done behind the scenes to my father?”

Was he aware that calling it “behind the scenes” implied it wasn’t something to be proud of?

Yet, the prince’s face showed no recognition of wrongdoing or remorse, only a baseless confidence.

“I know that from your perspective, grandfather, everything I’ve done may seem unethical and irrational. But this was not solely for my benefit! After all, you also want it, don’t you? If I ascend to the throne, the prestige of the Quisel family will also…….”

“I never told you to ascend to a throne stained with blood.”

Kundel sharply cut off Luinel’s passionate speech with a single sentence.

“It seems that even someone with experience can be foolishly naive…….”

It was a highly insulting remark, devoid of any respect.

“Do you truly believe, grandfather, that a peaceful succession to the throne is possible? Are you unaware of how my father ascended to the throne? The whereabouts of his siblings, whom I saw in my youth, are now unknown, without even a whisper of their existence!”

“……”

“Violet, Fabian, Nerobian, and even Arin, who is nothing but a shell! Can you confidently assure that they will never covet the throne? To say such naive words, knowing the dynamics within the imperial family, is beyond me!!”

Luinel’s voice was filled with resentment, screaming as if spilling his grievances.

Kundel looked at Luinel with a half-pitying gaze and said,

“Do you truly believe that someone who ascends the throne through such means can maintain peace across the continent?”

His voice was also rising.

“The emperor’s duty is to protect the state, not the throne! You exclude everyone just to protect your own interests; I doubt if you can maintain peace across the empire, let alone the continent. My doubt has turned into distrust!”

“The more stable the emperor’s position, the more peace will naturally follow in the empire and the continent! Who else but me can bear the weight of the throne? A worthless stone cannot become a gem just by polishing!”

Luinel retorted without backing down.

“That’s unknown. The value of a person can change anytime, anywhere. Just as a gem emitting multicolored lights might have been hidden under dust, appearing no different from a rock…….”

“Is that supposed to be an argument…!”

-Knock Knock-

In the midst of the heated conversation, a calm knocking sound came from the door.

“Come in.”

The chancellor immediately permitted entry.

-Creak-

A girl gently opened the door and entered, unlike Luinel.

Upon seeing her, Luinel immediately asked with a flared temper,

“What does this mean?”

“Don’t misunderstand. There was an appointment set before you arrived.”

The girl, seeing Luinel, showed a somewhat startled reaction.

However, it didn’t last long, and she soon bowed politely to the chancellor.

“Arin Severus, a third-year student at the Royal Academy. I’ve come for an appointment with the chancellor……”

It was Arin Severus, the fifth princess of the Ushif Empire, who had an appointment with the chancellor that day.

“Lord Luinel, what brings you to the academy without notice……”

“It’s none of your business. Leave. We are having a conversation far more important than your trivial appointment……”

Luinel dismissed Arin’s appointment lightly, arrogantly instructing her to leave.

“How can you aspire to be emperor without even adhering to basic etiquette? The one who should leave is not Arin, but you, Luinel. It seems there’s nothing more to say, so leave my room now…….”

-Bang!-

Luinel, finally exploding in anger, slammed the desk hard as he stood up.

Then, as if seeing Kundel as an enemy, he abruptly turned and strode towards Arin.

Arin maintained her composure, meeting his gaze head-on.

“You’ve grown a lot, Arin. To think you can now look me in the eyes…….”

“People are meant to grow. I can’t always show a pitiful sight, bowing my head in front of you…….”

Her bold response, not cowed by his presence, visibly shook Luinel.

“I know you don’t think highly of me. But as your sister, I refuse to be a mere shell that’s of no threat to you…….”

“What are you saying?”

“Sometimes, threats can be an important driving force for growth. Even if I’m insignificant and lacking, if I can become a small threat that makes my brother tense, what could be more meaningful than that? It would be the biggest proof that you’ve acknowledged me,”

It was a bold statement that left both Luinel and the silently listening Kundel open-mouthed.

“Ha!”

After repeating a disbelieving laugh several times, Luinel bent down to meet Arin’s eyes.

“Alright. Then as your brother, I must give you a very important piece of advice you shouldn’t forget.”

He grabbed her shoulders and slowly leaned in,

And then whispered in her ear,

“Do you want to die?”

Arin flinched at the chilling threat that made her blood run cold.

“You’ve become so full of yourself just because our father has been taking care of you. This is why those of inferior lineage are problematic. Given a little, they think they’re something, acting all high and mighty…….”

Luinel’s eyes were filled with a murderous rage beyond anger.

“Don’t be mistaken. I’m in a position where I could strangle you to death right here, right now. No one will protect you. You, a meaningless shell that benefits no one by being by their side…….”

“I will protect myself!”

Arin retorted with a sincere and fierce look in her eyes.

“I do not wish for anyone to protect me. I am a princess of the empire! If a princess cannot even protect herself, there could be nothing more foolish than that. Being a proud member of the imperial family, not ashamed before anyone, that is the path I wish to take as a princess.”

Calm yet bold.

To the extent that it made one wonder if she was truly herself, Arin conveyed her firm resolution to Luinel without missing a single detail.

Overwhelmed by her intensity, Luinel could no longer say anything.

As the power struggle between two members of the imperial future continued,

-Knock, knock

A clear knocking sound came from beyond the door again.

Everyone’s gaze turned towards the door.

“May I come in?”

A gentle voice was heard that immediately calmed the somewhat chaotic mood. It was an enchanting tenor that once heard, could never be forgotten, and coincidentally, all three knew the owner of the voice.

Caught off guard by the unexpected visit, Kundel was speechless, and after a moment, the door to the office gently opened, and a blond man entered.

“It’s been a while, Dean Kundel.”

How could anyone harbor anger upon facing that smile?

As if an emissary of peace had arrived, the atmosphere in the room, which seemed ready to ignite at any moment, became calm in an instant.

Arin’s gaze, too, could not leave the man.

“Eh, Aschel?”

The eldest son of the Vert family and, until recently, Arin’s brother-in-law to be.

Aschel Vert had visited the dean’s office.

“You, what brings you here as well?”

“I have something important to say. I’ve come here with the prince.”

“Something important?”

“Yes. It’s fortunate that Princess Arin is also here. I was actually about to fetch you.”

“Me, you mean me?”

The fact that he was looking for her, of all people, left Arin completely dumbfounded.

“I promise you, under the light of Lumendel, that what I am about to say to you all will not contain the slightest falsehood.”

The situation was already bewildering with his sudden appearance, and now, he was taking an oath to a deity.

However, his refreshing smile, like the morning sunshine, soon turned as cold as the frost of dawn, and the atmosphere in the room changed along with it.

“What are you going to talk about?”

Kundel finally managed to ask, expressing his confusion,

“It’s about my brother, Cyan…”

Aschel answered with a strange expression mixed with both joy and sorrow.

* * *

Sighing heavily, Chairman Regens struggled to catch his breath. How long had it been since he, a sage of great wisdom, found himself sweating and struggling like this? And all due to his own granddaughter, no less.

“Couldn’t you have used that strength for the academy?” he asked, his voice heavy with complex emotions, but received no response.

Luna, head bowed as if absorbing the dew of dawn, remained silent, her breaths the only sound echoing faintly in the room. With his goal achieved, there seemed no need to prolong this situation. Regens deactivated the barrier he had created and left the room.

Shortly after, a panicked voice called from outside, “Miss Luna!”

Ramela and other academy members rushed in, their concern palpable. “Miss Luna, please wake up!” Judging by the mere sound of her breathing, she seemed to have fainted.

“To do something like this to his own granddaughter…” The situation was clear. Chairman Regens had cast a spell of Mental Breakdown on her, a high-level psychic magic designed to wear down the victim’s mental defenses and induce confession. If the spell’s intensity was too high, it could permanently cripple the victim’s mind. The necessity of such extreme measures against his own flesh and blood was questionable, even for an academy chairman prioritizing public duty.

Just as Ramela was about to cast a healing spell, Luna stopped her, “It’s okay, Ramela…”

“Are you conscious, Miss Luna?” asked Ramela, worried.

“I wouldn’t be talking if I weren’t. Please, stop yelling; my ears are ringing,” Luna responded, her voice weak but firm.

Relief washed over Ramela, but it was soon replaced by a flood of admonitions. “What were you thinking, engaging in such reckless behavior? The chairman wouldn’t have used such force without good reason. This could have ended in disaster!”

“I’ll listen to your scolding later. For now, please, just help me with one thing,” Luna interjected.

“A request…?” Confused, Ramela tilted her head.

“Yes. You’re the only one I can ask,” Luna replied, revealing a vulnerability Ramela had never seen. It was a surprising, yet deeply human side of her that drew Ramela’s sympathies.

“Tell me, Miss Luna…”

(To be continued)