The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

Outside Aer’s subspace is Luwen.

Luwen is at the southernmost tip of the Empire’s territory,

And the place I am heading to, Pruina, is at the northernmost tip of the continent.

My employer told me to travel between these places in just two weeks.

No matter how I think about it, it seems like he’s trying to screw me over.

Of course, it’s not that there’s no way at all.

This place is Luwen, the city of harmony.

It’s a gathering place for not only talented nobility but also renowned prodigies and scholars from across the continent, along with various research facilities for them.

Among them, there are also secret facilities not officially registered with the Royal Academy.

That’s where I’m targeting.

At a time when everyone should have been asleep, I climbed up to an observatory where I could see all of Luwen below.

There are still many facilities with lights on.

It was incredible how many humans were awake due to their fervent passion for learning.

Didn’t this speak to a bright future for Luwen?

Of course, it was none of my business.

As I recalled memories from my previous life, I scrutinized each building with its lights on.

Before long, one building caught my eye.

A very ordinary-looking two-story house.

“That’s the place.”

Having found my target, I immediately jumped down from the observatory.

Kaeram asked me.

[Why? What’s there?]

“A warp gate.”

[What’s that?]

“It’s a door that shortens the distance between two distant spaces, allowing for quick travel. It’s one of the large artifacts made by humans using magic.”

[Who made that?]

“People obsessed with magic.”

I passed through the dark streets and finally arrived at my destination.

There seemed to be no guards protecting the building.

I pulled out a black mask and put it on, then knocked on the door.

“……”

No response.

Though the lights were definitely on.

Just as I was about to knock again,

“Who is it?”

A voice called out to me.

Not from inside, but from behind.

“What are you doing in front of someone’s house?”

Five humans wrapped in blue robes appeared.

Given my suspicious appearance, they instinctively took a defensive stance.

Clearly, they were magicians belonging to that side…

With a mixture of doubt and curiosity, I casually threw out a term to test the waters.

“Warp gate.”

At that, all five pairs of eyes wavered simultaneously.

I had come to the right place.

I immediately kicked the door open and infiltrated inside.

“Catch him!”

They swiftly followed behind me.

There was nothing of interest in this two-story building that met the eye.

What I needed to focus on was below.

A suspicious, musty smell emanated from the basement.

“Dark Art II: Spatial Transference.”

Black mist erupted from my body, enveloping me and drawing me down through the floor.

Contrary to my expectations of dozens of people, the space I transferred to was eerily desolate.

I quickly adapted my vision to the darkness and surveyed the surroundings.

The space beneath the two-story building was unnaturally large.

It seemed empty at first glance, but that wasn’t the case.

Tense breathing reached my ears.

-Flash!

Suddenly, light appeared above my head, and the surroundings lit up in a second.

Dozens of humans, wearing the same robes as those I had encountered earlier, rushed out and surrounded me.

“Which faction are you from?”

I countered their question.

“And you are?”

One of them, taken aback, asked again.

“Ah, are you from the academy?”

They were completely off the mark.

Ignoring them, I continued to survey the area.

“If not the academy, are you affiliated with the Royal Academy?”

They were persistent in their assumptions.

Asking them directly wouldn’t yield any straightforward answers.

I quietly closed my eyes and sensed where the most magical energy was converging in this underground space.

That’s where my target was most likely to be.

After about three seconds of meditation,

I opened my eyes and found the point where magical energy was most densely concentrated nearby.

The problem was,

It was right in front of me.

Then another voice spoke.

“That attire… Are you from Mist?”

Bingo.

When I opened my eyes again, the familiar five figures appeared before me.

* * *

The blue-robed magicians were members of the Garam Academy’s Luwen branch.

They were outsiders not officially registered with the Royal Academy in Luwen, and the research conducted here had never been reported to the Academy.

In essence, this place was a secret institution, its existence not meant to be disclosed.

Having infiltrated alone and mentioned the warp gate, Cyan had unavoidably become a significant threat to them.

Among them, the only member who called Cyan a “Mist” stepped forward.

It was ‘Mireia,’ the acting head of this institution.

Although there was an official leader, they were currently absent, and so Mireia was exercising actual authority.

Mireia scrutinized Cyan’s appearance closely.

Black mask, black cloak, and a dagger held in one hand; he was unmistakably an assassin.

“What business does an assassin of the Mist have with us?”

Cyan responded by shrugging his shoulders, implying there was no need to answer.

At that moment, a member approached and whispered to Mireia.

“Mireia, what should we do? If this disturbance escalates, we risk being exposed!”

As a secret facility, the members did not want the situation to escalate.

Mireia responded with a grave expression.

“I will handle this assassin myself. The rest of you, guard the door.”

“Alone against a Mist assassin?”

“Do not make me repeat myself.”

With her sharp command, the members moved swiftly and left the scene.

Cyan silently waited until everyone but Mireia had left.

Once the members had departed, Mireia immediately manifested her magical power.

She was facing a member of that infamous assassination group.

Even a moment’s distraction could result in her throat being slit.

Moreover, given the location, using area of effect magic was impractical.

Not only was there the risk of revealing their location, but any mishap could also damage the fruits of the Academy’s labor, leading to an even greater tragedy.

Ultimately, quietly handling the situation with minimal damage was the solution.

Mireia focused her magical energy onto her fingertips, then stabbed her own temple with her finger.

“Mental Breakdown…”

Facing the opponent, Mireia attempted a high-level mental magic that devours the mind with mana, forcibly subduing the person. This spell, which only a few within the Garam Academy could fully wield due to its complexity, had been initiated.

“…….”

Feeling her mana penetrate his mind, Cyan furrowed his brow.

Confirming that the magic had taken effect, Mireia smiled.

Now it was time to make the infiltrated mana explode and shatter his psyche.

Slowly twisting her finger pressed against her temple, Mireia prepared for the next step.

However, briefly,

“Hm?”

Her twirling finger suddenly stopped,

“……Aaaaah!”

Unexpectedly, Mireia screamed, collapsing to the ground.

Scooting backwards on her hands and buttocks, she was a pitiful sight to behold.

“It’s impossible! How can such a mind exist?”

Mental breakdown magic works when the caster’s mental strength surpasses that of the target.

Starting from the bottom and dedicating 15 years to studying magic at the Garam Academy, Mireia had confidence. The mental fortitude she had honed should have been more than enough to shatter the mind of this unknown assassin.

Yet, Cyan’s mind, upon examination through her mana, not only far exceeded Mireia’s expectations but had also overwhelmed and broken hers in return.

Could that truly be the mind of a human?

The young man, who looked to have only lived a decade or so, bore the unmistakable marks of death’s shadow cast over him hundreds, if not thousands of times.

How could one survive through such horrific trials and still be alive?

With her will to fight completely broken, Mireia continued to scoot away, trying to escape from the being who no longer seemed human.

Finally stepping forward, Cyan approached her.

It took three seconds for him to close the distance between them.

Cyan crouched down in front of the seated Mireia.

“Is there a warp gate here?”

Stunned, Mireia nodded reflexively.

Hearing Mireia’s scream, the rest of the academy members rushed over.

“Mireia?”

None of them could comprehend the scene before them.

Ignoring them, Cyan continued,

“I don’t want anything else. So, if you don’t want any trouble…”

During Cyan’s words, Mireia thought to herself.

Regardless of life or death, to get rid of this terrifying and uncomfortable presence,

“Just guide me quietly.”

She would just have to quietly follow his words.

Mireia nodded again.

* * *

Meanwhile, after Cyan had caused havoc at the Garam Academy’s Luwen branch, the branch manager, who had momentarily left his post the day before to manage the aftermath, returned.

“Oh, you’ve returned, Branch Manager!”

“Mireia?”

“Well, she says she’s not in a condition to meet you right now…”

“It’s okay, have her come.”

The academy members didn’t question further and immediately brought Mireia.

Having her face half-destroyed overnight, Mireia flinched at the sight of the branch manager and quickly bowed.

“I- I am honored, Branch Manager!”

“Lift your head, Mireia.”

Reluctantly, Mireia raised her head.

The branch manager inspected her by holding her chin and moving it side to side.

“Did you suffer a backlash from using mental breakdown magic? I seem to recall warning you that using it clumsily could cripple you.”

“I’m- I’m sorry! I take full responsibility…”

“That’s enough, just answer my questions.”

Trouble never comes alone.

Just when she thought she had escaped the object of her terror, another figure just as formidable appeared.

There were only two people who could invoke such fear

The chairman of the academy, who would use even his own family as subjects for magical experiments, and his granddaughter, Luna Rainriver, whose thirst for academic madness was no less than the chairman’s.

Her eyes sparkled with madness as she interrogated Mireia.

“Did a Mist assassin really infiltrate our branch?”

(To be continued)