The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

Under the massive shadow cast above her, Hastia turned her head.

‘…!’

Dazzling golden armor and clear silver pupils.

The majestic figure holding a gigantic spear invoked a sense of tension in anyone who saw it.

Hastia had seen this giant before through a prophecy.

A tremendous being performing a divine mission.

‘Nephilim?’

As the Nephilim’s gaze shifted from Cyan to Hastia, the giant moved his massive arm, aiming the spear tip right at Hastia below.

Frozen by the giant’s imposing presence, Hastia could only stare blankly at the scene.

Just as the enormous glaive was about to strike Hastia,

-Clang!!

A sword engulfed in black mist deflected the spear.

The aftermath of the sword’s force caused the giant to stagger.

Seizing the moment, Cyan leapt above the giant, launching a sword strike.

-Bang! Bang! Boom!

The strikes precisely hit both arms and the solar plexus of the giant.

However, as if unbothered, the giant’s massive body rose again.

Cyan, watching this, smirked with a murderous intent.

At that moment, no one else entered his sight except for the minions of Lumendel who had humiliated him three years ago.

While the giant was rising, Cyan loosened his body, preparing for a real battle.

“Dark Art No. 9: Manifestation of the Demon Sword.”

A fog rose from the tip of Kaeram’s sword, enveloping Cyan’s body.

The giant, repelled by the dense aura of the mist, roared and swung his spear again.

Cyan did not dodge and took the spear strike head-on.

-Kukkung!

Like lightning splitting the dark sky, a dazzling flash and vibration occurred.

After the vibration, a giant whirlwind spread around, even causing the frozen leaves of the sacred tree to fall.

‘Cyan- Lord Cyan?’

That a mere human could fight on par with a divine emissary was beyond belief.

Overwhelmed by Cyan’s power, Hastia watched the battle, unaware of the disturbance in the barrier.

-Crackling!

Meanwhile, cracks continued to form in the sacred tree’s barrier.

-Swoosh

At that moment, Nephrodite sneakily approached and covered Hastia’s mouth.

“Let’s leave this place now.”

Hastia struggled but couldn’t escape.

‘Cyan- Cyan!’

Despite her fervent cries, they were in vain unless physically connected.

Cyan had already devoted all his attention to the fight with the giant.

Nephrodite sneered at the scene.

“Well, since it’s the location of the sacred tree, it’s not a bad place to rest.”

The saint and the prophet left Cyan and the giant behind, departing from the altar of the sacred tree.

* * *

“Have you arrived, Holy Lady?”

As the saint emerged from the cave, the Knight of Light, Mihan, immediately greeted her.

Nephrodite handed over Hastia, whom she had been dragging by the hand, directly to Mihan.

“Indeed, you are the Holy Lady! You’ve resolved the difficulties with wisdom.”

Mihan took out prepared ropes and a gag to restrain Hastia.

Even as she was being tied up, Hastia struggled and kept looking back towards the cave.

“Things have taken an unexpected turn. Now that we have secured the prophet, let’s leave this frozen land.”

“Yes, Holy Lady! However, there has been a slight problem.”

It was then that Nephrodite noticed Mihan’s condition.

A clear cut was visible on one side of his face.

Considering that Mihan, one of the most skilled in martial arts among the Knights of Light, had sustained such a wound, it was no ordinary matter.

Moreover, no other knights were in sight besides Mihan.

“Did the elves attack again so soon?”

“Coincidentally, it wasn’t ‘they’ but just one. We never anticipated encountering a being that even we would struggle against.”

“Just one?”

-Boom! Boom! Boom!

At that moment, a tremendous explosion occurred in the opposite direction of the cave.

The explosion sent snow and ice that had accumulated in the gorge soaring into the sky, and the screams of knights could also be heard.

Nephrodite bit her lip and shouted.

“Bring that elf and follow!”

She then ran towards the direction of the explosion.

Mihan, still struggling with Hastia, who was thrashing about, followed the saint over his shoulder.

They soon arrived at a part of the gorge.

There, the Knights of Light were exhausted and standing off against an enemy.

Although there were no casualties, all faces were visibly worn out.

It seemed as though they had been fighting a battle against hundreds, if not thousands, of soldiers, but that was not the case.

They were facing just one enemy.

Nephrodite fixed herself in place, only moving her eyes to survey the surroundings.

Broken pieces of ice and snowballs were scattered everywhere, covered by a blizzard.

It was a miracle no avalanche had occurred.

However, now was not the time to be concerned about the natural environment.

-Koong! Koong!

A towering elf approached the saint, stepping barefoot on the bitterly cold snowfield.

His long, bushy hair hung down to his thighs, and his burly forearms alone emitted an aura of a formidable being.

Hastia, dragged along by Mihan, also sensed a familiar presence and looked ahead.

‘…!’

Recognizing her reaction, Nephrodite immediately took her hand and asked.

“Could it be him?”

Hastia did not respond.

She couldn’t be certain.

Even she didn’t know that this familiarly massive elf would be here.

With her silence confirming it, Nephrodite let go of her hand without hesitation.

Mihan approached and asked.

“Holy Lady, do you know who this elf is?”

“His name is Garnian. He is called the greatest warrior of the White Elf tribe. I heard he was training in the depths of the frostlands, but I didn’t expect him to appear here.”

Mihan thought that this epithet wasn’t just given lightly.

Although not quite as esteemed as the knights serving under Duke Vert at the Vellias front,

being able to single-handedly confront the elite forces of the empire, granted the title of Knights of Light, was almost unheard of among humans.

Moreover, this elf had not wielded a sword or spear,

nor had he used any grand magical powers.

Garnian had faced the Knights of Light solely with his brute strength.

It was less like facing an elf and more like confronting a giant magical beast in the form of an elf.

The knights were experiencing an overwhelming force unlike anything they had encountered before, solely focused on defense while waiting for the saint.

“Is it you…?”

Garnian had already approached within earshot and was glaring fiercely at Nephrodite.

Nephrodite maintained her smile and introduced herself politely.

“Pleased to meet you, Garnian. I am the one who conveys the voice of…”

“There’s no need to hear the name of a human who will soon die.”

Garnian interrupted her, advancing towards the saint without hesitation.

Nephrodite, unfazed, continued speaking.

“You speak frightening words. But, considering we have already crossed the point of no return, I understand your perspective…”

At that moment, Mihan drew his sword and aimed it at Hastia, and Nephrodite continued.

“If we die, this prophet will also die. Are you okay with that?”

Garnian’s steps halted immediately.

His eyes did not waver, but his clenched fists began to tremble.

“Do not provoke me further, humans. The more you do, the greater your suffering will be.”

“Since we are going to die anyway, what does it matter how much we suffer? There’s a human adage that goes, ‘If I can’t have it, neither can anyone else’…”

A vein throbbed on Garnian’s forehead.

“If you cannot grant us passage, we have no intention of releasing this prophet either. Even if you are the mightiest warrior of your tribe with incredible strength, the sword of my knight here is quicker than your fists.”

Mihan pressed his sword even closer to Hastia’s throat.

With just the Saint’s command, she showed no mercy.

Hastia looked at the standing Garnian with desperate eyes, signaling him.

It meant not to worry about her.

In the end, Garnian’s face gruesomely twisted as he shook his head.

Nephrodite, growing even more arrogant, raised her chin and asked.

“How about it? Are you ready to compromise now?”

“……”

“There’s no need to make it difficult. Just step aside. We’ll just take the prophet and quietly leave this land.”

-Whoosh!

The blizzard that had momentarily subsided began to whirl up again.

For the White Elves, the power of foresight was akin to a heritage of their tribe.

Losing that heritage to another race meant crumbling the honor of their tribe and further, the reputation of their ancestors.

This was absolutely unacceptable.

Even if it meant destroying that power with their own hands.

The Garnian, lifting his head again, did not hesitate and charged towards the Saint.

“The prophet will be taken as a corpse!”

Nephrodite narrowed her brows and bit her lip.

“Such a stubborn race.”

The Light Knights, having finished preparing, blocked in front of the Saint, each wielding their magic-imbued swords and chanting spells.

“May the holy light’s grace protect us!”

The light attribute defense magic, ‘Wall of Resistance’.

Knights with a magic rank of seven stars or higher combined their powers to form a defense barrier, so strong that even a horde of demonic beasts couldn’t break through.

-Bang!

However, Garnian, undeterred by the blocked path, threw his fist towards the wall.

-Bang! Crash! Bang Bang Bang!

The deadly resonance caused some of the knights to falter.

It was only a matter of time before they could no longer hold out.

Mihan, having sheathed his sword, took Hastia under his arm and led the Saint.

“Leave it to the knights here, and let’s get you out first, my lady. We’ll find another way.”

“That would be best. May Lord Lumendel’s blessing be with you all.”

After a brief prayer for the knights, Nephrodite turned away without hesitation.

It was as if it was only natural.

Thus, under Mihan’s escort, Nephrodite returned to the cave entrance where the carriage was parked.

Just as she hurried to board the carriage,

‘Wait!’

Hastia, who had been dragged along, suddenly grabbed her hand.

‘Are you really going to leave like this? Garnian will kill your knights!’

Nephrodite scoffed.

“Do you think it’s appropriate to worry about my knights in this situation? My knights killed your people.”

True to her words, Hastia should have been worried about herself, not others.

Yet, Hastia glared at Nephrodite with an intensity of anger previously unseen.

‘Is sacrificing the greater for the lesser your way?’

“The opposite. It’s sacrificing the lesser to gain the greater.”

‘There’s nothing in this world greater than the life of a being! Whether it’s an elf or a human! The value of a life surpasses everything!’

Tears filled with emotion welled up in the eyes of Hastia, who was gagged.

Nephrodite sighed but then her expression suddenly turned cold.

“This is why I cannot give up the power of foresight. I can’t stand to watch a foolish being like you possess it so blatantly!”

Feeling no further value in continuing the conversation, Nephrodite cruelly let go of Hastia’s hand.

-Click!

However, Hastia, undeterred, grabbed her hand again with the other.

‘I can see it. Your future.’

Her voice, conveying the prophecy, was more solemn than ever.

‘Nephrodite Iris. You will never leave the frozen land alive.’

“……!”

‘And soon you will find rest.’

Hastia’s eyes flickered mystically.

It was neither a threat nor a warning.

It was a prophecy.

In this desperate moment, Hastia conveyed the clear future she saw for Nephrodite without any filters.

Nephrodite moved her lips wordlessly in response.

Mihan, unable to watch any longer, interjected.

“There’s no time, Saintess! Let’s leave this place first……”

Nephrodite ignored even that.

Instead,

“I intended to take you in a clean state until the ritual, but it seems that won’t work.”

As if deciding to end everything right there, she grasped Hastia’s throat.

“It seems you need to become more subdued, Hastia.”

Then, naturally, she drew a dagger from Mihan’s waist.

-Swish

Yet Hastia, undaunted, continued to meet Nephrodite’s eyes squarely.

Nephrodite spoke to her.

“As a messenger delivering the voice of the gods, let me tell you. Hastia, today you to me…”

-Thud

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps caused Nephrodite to halt her words.

Her eyes stealthily turned towards the cave of the sacred tree from which she had emerged just minutes before.

Hastia and Mihan’s gazes followed hers.

The appearance of the cave had changed from before.

Unlike when they had left, a deep darkness now enveloped the cave, and slowly someone began to emerge.

As the footsteps drew nearer, for some reason, Nephrodite’s heart churned and nausea surged.

Who could it be? Who was coming out?

Realistically, there was only one person it could be.

However, the likelihood of that one person appearing was incredibly slim.

His appearance would mean that the divine envoy she had summoned had been defeated.

The owner of the footsteps finally revealed themselves, and Hastia was the first to cry out in shock.

‘Cyan, Lord Cyan!?’

Her cry was accurate.

The one who emerged from the cave was none other than Cyan.

Cyan, with a mix of annoyance and relief on his face, looked up at the sky and exhaled.

“Phew…”

Nephrodite, with an expression of disbelief, shouted.

“You! You didn’t actually defeat the Nephilim, did you?”

“Nephilim?”

Cyan scoffed as if the idea was preposterous.

Then, he casually tossed a massive helmet he had been dragging towards the carriage.

The helmet slightly missed the carriage and collided with the ice cliff behind it.

It was unmistakably the helmet of the giant Nephrodite had summoned.

“What pointless games are you playing…”

Seeing the murderous look in Cyan’s eyes, Nephrodite remembered the prophecy Hastia had just made about her.

(To be continued in the next episode)