The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

True to its name as a neutral city, Lambusta did not have a lord.

However, the absence of a lord did not mean it was without an owner.

Especially in a place like Lambusta, where strife was frequent, the ruler of the territory would change almost daily. The factions and forces vying for control were as numerous as they were varied, making the city akin to a small-scale battlefield.

“Sigh…”

A man with hair redder than blood sat on stone steps, smoking a cigarette.

His name was Gunther Rictus.

He was one of the rulers of Lambusta, managing the waste disposal area in the western sector of the city.

In front of him was a subordinate, there to report on a series of events that had just occurred in the eastern sector.

“A young boy?”

“Yes, that’s right. He appeared at the entrance to the city, in the entertainment district, trampling over the members of that district and leaving a warning.”

“What did he say?”

The man repeated the warning the boy had given, and Gunther burst into laughter upon hearing it.

“Kekeke! Really? He said messing with him would cripple someone? What’s wrong with his head?”

It seemed more insane than laughable.

Gunther didn’t seem to take the arrogant boy’s warning too seriously.

“So, what are the guys in that district doing about it? Delkia wouldn’t just sit still, would she?”

“Of course, they started looking for the boy’s whereabouts right away. Surprisingly, they found him quite easily.”

“Oh? Where is he?”

“He’s in the Lambusta Cage.”

Gunther’s brow furrowed slightly.

“The Lambusta Cage?”

“Yes. And he’s taken the most expensive room, the VIP room, all by himself.”

Upon this, Gunther’s face subtly changed.

“Is he a noble?”

“I’m not sure about that. However, I’ve heard that he didn’t use his name when booking the room.”

“Didn’t you see his face? Was there nothing special about it?”

“That’s where there’s another strange point…”

The man seemed hesitant to continue, as if he himself wasn’t sure.

“Everyone present couldn’t remember the boy’s face.”

“They couldn’t remember?”

Gunther immediately questioned back.

“Yes. They clearly remember his hairstyle, clothes, voice, and the way he walked, but they just couldn’t recall his face at all, except that he had black hair and sharp eyes.”

“Does that make any sense? It’s not like they have face blindness, and if he was beaten up, why can’t they remember?”

There was no answer to be given, especially not by someone who wasn’t directly involved.

At this, Gunther’s expression briefly hardened, but it didn’t last long.

“Anyway, this boy is now in the Lambusta Cage, right? He trampled over the street thugs and even issued a warning, he wouldn’t have gone there just to look, right?”

“That, well, I suppose not?”

A peculiar smile appeared on his lips.

Soon after, he threw away the cigarette he had been smoking and stood up.

-Crackle-

Merely standing up, a threatening sound of bones crackling emanated from his body.

“It’s been a long time. It’s interesting enough to make me move personally. More than interesting, I’m actually looking forward to it.”

The place he headed towards was undoubtedly the Lambusta Cage.

* * *

People naturally attract a lot of attention when they find themselves in places where they don’t belong.

That’s exactly my situation right now.

Though I’m not consciously aware of it, it’s safe to say that I’m receiving attention from everyone around me.

“Wow, Lambusta Cage has really changed, huh? Even brats like that one are getting in?”

“Is he a servant who’s lost his master and is wandering around lost? Otherwise, he has no business being here, right?”

“How about we go and trip him up?”

If they tried, it would likely be their own legs getting broken, so I hope they don’t actually go through with it.

[Are you planning to kill all these people here after work or what?]

I was taken aback by the unexpectedly murderous comment and asked.

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

[Well, if not, you’re just too confident, aren’t you? No matter how far away, is it really okay to show your face so openly?]

“……”

I stared into her eyes for a moment.

[Why are you looking at me like that?]

“It’s just… you’re worrying in a way that’s unlike you, so I wondered what’s up.”

[Is this tiny thing trying to get itself killed?!]

Having been on the receiving end before, it’s inevitable to feel suspicious about everything.

Well, her point wasn’t wrong.

For an assassin to show their face usually means they’re very intent on killing their target.

Even though I’m far from the academy, the altercation with the thugs earlier would have already spread stories about me all over the city.

So, it would only be a matter of time before my face and personal details spread too.

But why would I reveal my face so carelessly if I was going to be sloppy about it?

I have my own methods of insurance for doing so.

“It’ll be fine. After all, the people in this city won’t remember my face anyway.”

She looked like she was about to retort but then stared intently at my face.

[…You did something to your face, didn’t you?]

I didn’t change my face.

I just made it so that others can’t remember it.

My face isn’t visible right now but is covered in a thin veil of black mist.

This is a modification of one of the secrets of the mist, “Dark Mist Technique 1: Camouflage,” which I’ve used to induce a cognitive impairment in those who see my face, making it impossible for them to remember it.

In other words, anyone who sees my face effectively suffers from face blindness.

So, no matter what chaos I cause here, my identity won’t be exposed.

[As always, who but that fool would teach such shallow tricks?]

“……”

[What? You want to say something else?]

“It’s nothing.”

I wanted to retort that she too must have inherited the power of that foolish god, but this time I decided to hold back.

With a composed face, I stood in front of the betting area.

At this, a middle-aged man who seemed to be a guide looked at me with an ambiguous gaze.

“Uh, so, are you here to place a bet…?”

Before answering, I checked the matchups for today laid out on the table.

Just in case, but as expected, the name I was looking for wasn’t there.

“Is it okay to just watch without betting?”

“It is, but could you please show me your badge?”

The only thing that could be considered a badge on me was what the attendant had handed me a moment ago.

“V- VIP?!”

The guide couldn’t close his mouth after checking the badge.

“I’m sorry for not recognizing you! I’ll escort you to the VIP seats right away! What are you waiting for!”

With a shout, the waiting guards rushed out immediately.

It seemed I hadn’t checked because it was bothersome, but it turned out to be a rather convenient ticket.

Still, it didn’t seem like the attendant had played any tricks.

“What? These days, even chicks like this get VIP tickets?”

Just when I thought things were going smoothly, sure enough, a rough voice came from behind.

“What are you doing?”

The owner of the voice eventually snatched my badge from the guide.

I didn’t want to describe the appearance.

A typical big bruiser who can’t judge situations, nothing more, nothing less.

“Doesn’t seem fake, so does that mean this kid actually paid for a VIP room?”

“What are you doing?! Protect the guest!”

“Why are you acting like this? I just want to watch, not like I’m going to eat someone.”

It seemed even the guards were hesitant to intervene with this annoying character.

“So, having money means even little kids can get VIP badges? Must be a noble’s child then.”

I just stared at him silently with piercing eyes.

“Whoa! Such fierce eyes! Ah? Perhaps you’re the hot topic of the moment? ‘If you want to live, don’t mess with me,’ was it? So, am I in big trouble now?”

With a bizarre laugh that was hard to tell if it was a joke or sarcasm, he boldly placed his hand on my shoulder.

Right.

Even knowing my warning, he dared to mess with me?

-Swish

Naturally, I grabbed his beard,

“……?”

Without giving him a chance to realize, I struck down hard.

-Bang!

A loud noise echoed, but I didn’t care.

It would echo three more times.

-Bang! Bang! Bang!

After exactly three echoes, the surroundings fell silent as a mouse.

“Cough, cough…”

He somehow didn’t faint.

I indifferently tossed aside his face, now a bloody mess.

“Where should I go?”

“The guards will guide you!”

The process that followed was expedited.

* * *

“Match over! The winner is Albert!”

“Wow!”

During the five matches that took place, there was only one emotion I felt.

Boredom.

Despite sitting in what was supposedly the best seat, the VIP seat, I almost fell asleep from the sheer tedium of the games.

[Why do you guys pay money to watch this?]

Kaeram felt the same way.

The fun of watching a fight is guaranteed only when those stronger than oneself clash.

The moment you think ‘I could do better than that,’ the fun is over.

I had intended to watch the matches to get a lay of the land, but it seemed there was nothing to gain.

I took out the mission order that the clan leader had given me.

You might ask why it’s so brief, but that’s all there is to it.

Just one sentence ordering me to kill the owner of this facility, without any specific names or detailed charges.

For the recipient, it’s enough to make one tear their hair out.

However, if there’s one silver lining, it’s that I know who this quirky facility’s owner is.

Rinze Nihalov.

The owner of the Lambusta Cage and one of the de facto rulers of this city.

But what I know about him is pretty much just his name.

What he looks like, his gender, his age, what he lives for, etc., nothing about his personal details is known, and that was the case in my past life as well.

Since he runs an arena, it’s assumed he’s wealthy, and in my previous life, he had contacts in many places.

This included Prince Luinel of the Empire.

Luinel, who later became Emperor, once approached him for military funds to unify the continent but was repeatedly rejected.

After unifying the continent, the Emperor sent troops to Lambusta in an attempt to annex it as a neutral city, but by then, the city had already become a ghost town, and Rinze Nihalov’s whereabouts were nowhere to be found.

I was one of the knights who had marched to conquer Lambusta around that time.

The result was that I came back having only smelled dust.

So, it seems I need to start by figuring out who this Rinze Nihalov is.

Instead of looking for him, I need to make him come looking for me.

I stood up and headed back to the betting area.

“What can I do for you?”

The guide, now with a much more tense expression than before, hurriedly asked me.

“I’d like to sign up as a contestant.”

(To be continued)