The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

Translator: FenrirTL

Editor: KYSOIWDI

Editor: Mob

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While I was bickering with the greatest warrior of the White Elves, the remaining forces of the Knights of Light had vanished.

Garnian prioritized the recapture of Hastia, stating that he had rushed here as soon as they broke through the wall of resistance set up by the knights.

The tribe’s prophet had safely escaped,

the Knights of Light were on the brink of annihilation,

and even the saintess had fainted.

The situation had reversed.

Of course, they had retreated for now, but those who had lost the saintess wouldn’t just return to the empire without a care.

There was nothing good about staying around here.

Thus, Hastia suggested that I accompany her to Pruina.

Having no particular destination, I easily accepted her proposal.

“At the top of that snow-covered mountain range is an ice statue of Demites, the great prophet of the White Elves! It has been perfectly preserved in its beauty for hundreds of years! I’ll take you there when I get a chance!”

I’m not interested.

“The stream below in that valley is the Ser River. It flows steadily without ever freezing, even in harsh winter weather. Isn’t that amazing?”

I don’t care.

For two hours now, Hastia had not let go of my hand once, busily chattering about the snowy and icy scenery around us.

This ordeal was truly draining.

Before we left, she had prayed for the souls of the elves who bravely fought and died against the knights of light, crying her eyes out,

but now, I was too exhausted to entertain her overt attempts to seem alright.

[I really have to acknowledge my master’s skills, huh? Even coming this far and still managing to charm women?]

Kaeram, never one to quietly watch, was teasing from within.

“Be quiet.”

‘What?’

An unfortunate elf responded in hervstead.

I paused for a moment and stared blankly at Hastia, who was still holding my hand.

‘… Lord Cyan?’

“About that elf Garnian, it seemed like you didn’t need to hold hands to communicate with him?”

‘Ah! Some, including Lord Garnian, have a special way of communicating with me… Perhaps, is it uncomfortable for you to hold hands with me?’

Uh.

I swallowed the words I was about to say.

“Just curious.”

‘I see! Lord Garnian is blessed with the gift of foresight, allowing him to communicate through mental empathy without holding hands!’

“Blessing?”

‘I’ll explain later!’

Hastia fumbled her words and took my hand again, leading me forward.

I subtly shifted my gaze to look behind us.

Garnian, carrying the fainted saint on his back, was following us at a suitable distance.

His expressionless eyes seemed devoid of emotion, but I could see everything.

He was clearly uncomfortable with the situation of me being so close to this innocent elf.

Whether Hastia was aware of the atmosphere or not, she continued forward with a smile, holding my hand in one hand and clutching the cloak I had covered her with in the other.

How much further did we go?

Passing through a snow-covered forest, we soon saw a group blocking the path ahead.

Upon seeing them, Hastia quietly released my hand.

Her previously cheerful expression instantly turned serious.

Garnian, following behind us, quickly overtook us and started a conversation with the group in front.

Shortly after,

An elderly elf with a long beard approached us from among the group.

“I am Elphyris, an elder leading the White Elf tribe. Please, come with us.”

With that introduction, he spoke no more and led me towards Pruina.

As soon as we entered Pruina, other elves took the saintess away.

As soon as I entered Pruina, I was led directly to the elder’s house along with Hastia and Garnian. We had barely settled by the hearth when the elder bowed to me.

“Apologies for the delayed gratitude. You, who have come from afar, have protected our tribe’s prophet. On behalf of our tribe, I thank you.”

I doubted whether I had really protected anyone, but I decided to let it pass.

“The long journey through the severe cold must have tired you. We will provide a space for you to rest; please feel free to relax.”

The elder then called another elf to guide me. It seemed odd to be dismissed after just greetings—why had he asked us to come here in the first place?

Hastia and Garnian, still seated, seemed disinclined to intervene, merely staring at their own knees.

Hiding my annoyance, I followed the guide to a secluded house near the elder’s home.

As soon as the guide left, Kaeram appeared.

[Their words and actions don’t match, do they? It seems like they all view you negatively.]

“That’s unavoidable.”

I drew back the curtains and looked out the window.

The elves who had been watching me quickly turned away their heads as they saw me looking. Contempt was evident in some of their eyes.

It was to be expected.

A reclusive tribe that had lived amongst themselves for hundreds of years wouldn’t warmly welcome an outsider with hidden intentions.

Honestly, I had expected them to interrogate me upon arrival—why I was protecting Hastia, what my relationship was with the humans who tried to abduct her.

Whether they lacked interest or were planning to probe these matters later, I couldn’t tell.

But what exactly had that foolish god intended by sending me here?

Watching the elves, a memory suddenly came to mind.

“Impressive.”

[What is?]

“My sister.”

Someone who could approach such a closed-off tribe without hesitation and initiate conversation—the level of sociability she possessed.

I hadn’t asked about my sister’s recent circumstances from the clan leader, but now I found myself curious about what she might be doing.

* * *

The Blessing of Foresight.

This special magic, which only prophets with the power of foresight can bestow upon others, allowed the blessed to communicate with the prophet through mental empathy without physical contact.

Elder Elphyris and warrior Garnian had been blessed by previous generations of prophets, enabling them to communicate freely with Hastia without any direct contact.

After Cyan left, Elder Elphyris, having heard the full story from the two, sighed deeply.

“The barrier of the Divine Tree will naturally restore itself over time. The deceased elves would also have returned safely to nature with its energy. The real concern is…”

The three elves simultaneously looked out the window towards the remote house on the highland where Cyan was staying.

“Is that man really a successor to the god of the black mist?”

Hastia nodded affirmatively.

“What was his reason for coming to the frozen lands?”

‘I haven’t heard that yet. But what’s important is that Lord Cyan was not in any of the futures I saw.’

Before the arrival of the saint and the Knights of Light, Hastia had foreseen two futures:

Being captured by humans before Garnian arrived,

Or taking her own life before the humans could reach her.

Thus, Hastia had chosen the latter option.

In either scenario, tragedy was inevitable,

So by taking her own life and carrying the power of foresight into the afterlife, she believed the humans, having lost their purpose, would despair and return home.

It was Cyan who had broken this cycle of tragedy.

“So, this Cyan prevented your suicide, buying time until Garnian arrived?”

Hastia nodded once more.

“I don’t know how he came to be in contact with you, but there’s no good in staying too long with someone whose purpose is unknown. Especially if he’s linked to the black mist… No place in this world would warmly welcome such a presence.”

Garnian, who had been silent, joined the conversation.

“One thing is clear, he didn’t come targeting the prophet. From what I’ve heard, he was completely unaware of the prophet’s existence.”

“Anyway, we’ll find out if we ask him directly. If we ask, he might be guarded, so tomorrow morning, you, Hastia, should inquire.”

Hastia smiled slyly and nodded vigorously.

“Come to think of it…”

Garnian spoke up.

“Humans attach ‘surnames’ to their names to denote lineage and familial ties, right? Was that human’s name Cyan Vert?”

‘Yes, that’s right!’

“It felt familiar from the first time I saw him…”

Hastia blinked, not understanding.

“Wasn’t there a human who came alone to Pruina a few years ago wanting to get closer to us? I remember her name also had ‘Vert’ in it.”

Hastia and Elphyris finally gasped in realization.

‘Lady Alice Vert!’

* * *

I heard that the sun in the polar regions is extreme compared to inland areas. Depending on the time, the sun might stay up all day, making it continuously bright, or it might not appear at all, making it continuously dark.

It felt like it had been two days since I arrived in the frozen land, but staring at the unchanged sky, I still couldn’t adapt.

Then, a familiar elf entered with a bright smile as a knock sounded. It was Hastia.

She hurried over and grabbed my hand, still in her cloak.

‘Did you sleep well, Lord Cyan?’

I obviously hadn’t slept a wink.

I nodded vaguely.

‘I couldn’t show you around the village yesterday because things were so hectic! Let’s go together!’

Before I could even utter my reluctance, Hastia pulled me outside.

The villagers likely wouldn’t appreciate a stranger wandering around with their important seer.

I didn’t want to deliberately draw uncomfortable stares.

However, contrary to my worries, the elves’ gazes today were not the same as yesterday.

I don’t know why, but many looked at me not just warmly but with curiosity.

Can the atmosphere change so much overnight?

The more I see, the less I understand this race.

Regardless, Hastia, who had promised to show me around the village, kept pulling me towards a steep hill.

From the hill, the entire view of the elf village and Pruina was visible.

Still holding my hand tightly, Hastia gazed intently at the scenery.

It was obvious she had something to say.

‘It was the first time.’

“What was?”

‘The first time the power of foresight showed me a future that went wrong. It happened very rarely even to the previous seers, but this was my first time. You are the only one who has ever deviated from my prophecy.’

“I’m sorry, but I still don’t believe in prophecy.”

Hastia momentarily lost her words.

‘You might feel that way! But the future I saw for you, Lord Cyan, hasn’t changed yet!’

“That I’m going to die?”

‘Yes…’

Curious to hear more, I kept silent.

Hastia fidgeted with her hands several times as if struggling to continue.

‘In a desolate space untouched by anyone’s gaze, surrounded by golden giants, dying alone without hoping for salvation… That is the future I saw for you, Lord Cyan.’

Ridiculous as it sounded, it wasn’t entirely unbelievable.

If one day, failing to achieve my purpose, I fell into the abyss of despair, perhaps that was indeed how I would die.

‘And after Lord Cyan’s death, the world will soon walk the path of doom. The repercussions of this disaster will also affect Pruina.’

This part sounded more far-fetched.

“How does my death relate to the world falling into ruin?”

Lumendel and his followers would probably rejoice at a world without me, the absolute evil, thinking they could manipulate it to their liking.

As if reading my thoughts, Hastia shook her head.

‘Light and darkness may seem contradictory, but they coexist. There can’t be darkness without light, and there can’t be light without darkness. The black mist you possess symbolizes the remaining darkness in your world. If that darkness disappears, only the harshness of the light will remain, and the world will soon become barren.’

I felt as if I had been hit in the head with a blunt object, it felt like I had been made aware of a truth I didn’t know of before.

Hastia continued with her explanation.

‘A White Elf seer has the duty to foresee the future through prophecies and adjust events to avert those tragic outcomes. In a way, I prophesy to change the future. And, Lord Cyan, you hold the key to that change.’

“Why is that?”

‘Cyan must be well, for the world to maintain its balance.’

There wasn’t a trace of deceit or fabrication in Hastia’s eyes.

I asked again.

“Do you mean the world can only exist if I am here?”

Hastia nodded her head.

I naturally turned my head and shifted my gaze to the landscape below the hill.

It’s a strange feeling.

I, who was denied by the gods as an unnecessary, should-not-exist being, am in fact an indispensable existence.

Of course, I don’t fully believe this girl’s words yet.

However, having come to this point, I somewhat understand the intention of that foolish god who sent me here.

“So? What do you want me to do?”

‘Gather allies.’

Hastia answered without hesitation.

‘Cyan cannot do anything alone. You need to gather special allies who believe in you and can sincerely help you!’

“Special allies?”

‘Yes! Like you, Cyan, people who can handle the power of the gods are needed!’

Such beings aren’t something one can easily find wandering the streets like stray dogs, are they?

Allies.

For someone like me, accustomed to solitude through past and present lives, this is not particularly welcome.

Handling this cursed magic sword is already enough of a headache…

“Hastia!!!”

In the midst of my thoughts, an elf ran up from behind, shouting.

“We need to evacuate now! Humans are coming again!”

Hastia’s hand, holding mine, trembled once more.

(To be continued)