The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

The Lambusta Cage.

First off, setting aside what it actually is, what comes to mind when you hear that name?

Most likely, nine out of ten wouldn’t think it’s a good place.

Generally, it might conjure up images of a cage where human slaves are kept en masse.

However, surprisingly, this place is a luxury accommodation used by numerous people every day.

A VIP room costs a whopping 50 gold coins to enter.

The facility itself was as luxurious as the royal suite.

It was truly a contrast to the dreary outside.

This gave a rough idea of what kind of clientele frequented this place.

Of course, I didn’t come here to enjoy a comfortable hotel vacation.

Glancing outside the window, I saw ruffians who had been roaming the streets earlier, as well as well-dressed magnates, flocking to this place one by one.

However, they didn’t enter through the entrance but seemed to be turning somewhere else.

Following this, I too turned my head and immediately went out of the room.

-Creak

“……”

As soon as I opened the door, quite a few gazes were directed at me.

On the corridor floor lay a luxuriously ironed red carpet, with three rooms on each side, totaling six rooms.

Guards were stationed at three of the rooms, excluding mine, all looking at me with disapproval.

Judging by their attire and aura, they didn’t seem to belong to this building.

They were probably bodyguards brought by the owners of each room.

For now, I decided not to pay them any mind and slowly walked down the corridor.

-Swish

The smell of perfume and familiar cosmetics stung my nose.

It was so strong that it was headache-inducing.

For me, it was a rather familiar smell.

In my past life, this scent had emanated from many of the nobles I had personally killed.

Intoxicated by the scent, I descended the stairs and soon found myself on the first floor.

A total of five floors.

As you go down, the space gradually expands, a pyramid structure.

That means, the first floor where I am now should be the widest area, but that’s not quite the case.

Beneath the glossy wooden floor of the first-floor corridor, there was a vast underground space, presumably more than twice the size.

For starters, I headed towards the lobby near the building’s entrance.

Next to the lobby, there was a space where you could eat and drink like in a normal inn.

Unlike when I first entered, when there were quite a few people, now it looked as deserted as a closed shop, not a single mouse in sight.

The only thing visible was the brown-haired female employee who had scolded me a little while ago.

“I’m Lisa, an employee of the Lambusta Cage! How may I assist you?”

The insincere smile on her face was so exaggerated, it could almost be considered masked, eliciting an involuntary scoff from me.

I wondered whether to admire her professional spirit or to be astounded by her sheer audacity.

Nevertheless, I proceeded without fuss.

“I’d like to use the cage?”

“The- the cage, you say?”

Her lips twitched slightly.

“I’m really sorry, but as for using the cage, we’re currently only accepting our existing customers for the time being, making it difficult for new customers to use.”

I thought to myself.

They’re really trying to sell this.

They’d give a VIP room to a 13-year-old if they had the money, but they’re making exceptions for using the cage?

“If that’s the case, you shouldn’t have offered the room in the first place, right?”

A bead of sweat trickled down her cheek.

“That- that’s because lodging and cage use are considered separate services… What can I do? I’m just following orders from above…”

Do they think I came here without any prior information?

In this city, where law comes second to fists, and fists come second to money, it’s unlikely they’d impose such restrictive rules.

This woman is lying to me without cause.

That means, there’s something she’s hiding.

-Swish

My hand naturally reached into my pocket.

“……?”

My action meant nothing else.

I was simply planning to pull out some money and hand it to her.

But then I saw it.

The moment my hand went into the side pocket,

I noticed her hands twitch and move…

It wasn’t particularly suspicious behavior.

Humans, though not as quick as animals, are also very sensitive to perceived threats, so she might have instinctively felt guarded because my hand moved out of sight.

But that wasn’t the issue.

It wasn’t just a startled twitch; she seemed to be preparing for some follow-up action.

Her fingers, still wandering, kept eyeing the underside of the desk.

As if she was hiding something there.

For about 5 seconds, time seemed to stand still as I didn’t make any move while my hand was in my pocket.

At first glance, I thought she was just another run-of-the-mill employee like Emily, but now it didn’t seem that way at all.

And then it struck me, wasn’t it odd?

She was alone, guarding this vast lobby.

Normally, there should be several guards stationed around,

Especially in a city like this.

You never know when troublemakers might enter and cause chaos.

However, around here, there was neither a guard in sight nor any sign of life other than her and me.

There could be one of two reasons for this.

Either some problem had arisen, drawing all the guards elsewhere, or this employee alone was deemed sufficient without the need for additional guards.

I was about to find out.

-Crack

Though I had no such intention initially, my hand subtly gripped the hilt of Kaeram hidden within my clothing.

It wasn’t just a simple grip.

By holding the sword, I let the accompanying killing intent spread without trying to suppress it.

“……!”

Whether she sensed my killing intent or not, her pupils visibly shook this time.

About 10 seconds may have passed?

The moment my right hand finally emerged from within,

-Ting

A loud snapping sound rang out, jarring my eardrums.

“……!?”

The employee, with a stunned expression, was holding a sharp dagger in her hand.

Unlike her, my hand was empty.

Not that I had come out empty-handed.

Nor had I drawn the Kaeram.

What I had pulled from my pocket was a single gleaming gold coin.

Unlike me, who was utterly indifferent, she couldn’t close her mouth, looking completely flustered as if she had been caught doing something wrong.

-Roll

The coin I tossed hit her dagger and spun off the desk like a top.

After a clattering halt, she chuckled as if bewildered.

“What- what did you just do……?”

“I was just trying to take out some money.”

No lie there.

As I said before, my intention was initially just to take out some money.

She quickly sheathed her dagger and waved her hands frantically.

“Oh, please don’t misunderstand! This was just for self-defense! Given the number of unruly troublemakers in this city, this was just for my own protection…….”

“…….”

I glared at her with a look of disbelief.

“I can formally complain about this, right? The lobby employee just pulled a knife on a guest. I’m quite displeased right now?”

Of course, I wasn’t actually saying that was the case.

However, she was already flustered, deeply pondering how to handle the situation.

“Per- perhaps what you want is…….”

“Cage entry.”

My purpose was clear.

She sighed deeply as if conceding.

“So you’re the hot topic hero, right? A boy no one had seen before showed up on Lambusta Street, trampled some thugs, and warned not to mess with him. I never thought you’d come our way.”

Muttering to herself, she soon handed me a stamped badge.

It appeared to be some sort of admission ticket.

“Let me give you some unsolicited advice. If you’re not planning to stay long, I’d recommend keeping a low profile. Unless you have more than one life, that is.”

The guest’s safety is also a concern, and the staff is genuinely kind.

She stood up and then opened a small door at the back of the lobby.

Beyond the door was a deep staircase leading downstairs.

Lights were installed here and there, so it wasn’t too dark.

“It looks like it’s for employees?”

“It doesn’t matter since we end up in the same place anyway. Why bother going around to the back when there’s a way here?”

Well, that’s true.

There’s no reason to refuse such kindness.

Without any hesitation, I stepped through the door I was guided to.

Despite my suspicions about the staff, I decided to set them aside for now.

The staircase was longer than I thought.

It was at least three stories deep, and I could even feel the suffocating air that is only present underground.

[Why does this walk seem familiar? Have I been here before?]

Kaeram, who had been quiet, suddenly popped out in the middle of the staircase and asked.

“I have been here, though not during such a bustling time.”

In my previous life, it was almost like a haunted house when I visited.

As I descended the stairs, I could hear indistinct shouts from below.

At least dozens, if not hundreds of people.

Listening to the sounds and continuing down, I soon found myself in front of an old door.

Without any hesitation, I opened the door and went out.

“What’s with the match-up today? Did you think I came here to watch such a boring fight?”

As soon as I opened the door, I was greeted with harsh swearing.

“If you’re not going to watch, then get lost! There are plenty of others who will!”

A group of tough-looking thugs was creating quite an over-the-top atmosphere.

[I’ll ask, but what is this place?]

“Nothing much. Just a fighting ring where people bet money.”

It’s said that the most entertaining spectacle is a fight, and more entertaining than that is betting on a fight.

This place serves as the perfect venue to satisfy such primal human desires.

Humans who fancy themselves as fighters gather to battle it out, and the spectators thrill at the brutality, becoming enthusiastic.

And those caught up in the excitement bet money on new matches, making this city’s famous Lambusta Cage necessary.

At first glance, the main clientele might seem like unruly hooligans who enjoy fights, however, they are merely a small, insignificant portion of the audience.

Besides the Lambusta Cage, there are many similar arenas across the continent, and their core clientele are all nobles.

It’s even called one of the most successful businesses on the continent.

The VIP room I had was actually just an auxiliary facility for these nobles.

For now, I headed towards the betting area.

(To be continued)