The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

A structure that, with its intertwined rusty steel frames, reminds one of a giant birdcage.

At first glance, the word ‘cage’ seemed fitting for its appearance.

Currently, this place was in a state of considerable turmoil due to an unusual buzzing of activity.

Although all the scheduled matches for today had ended, the news that the organizers were holding a new match had spread.

It was known as a debut match.

However, instead of positive reactions, mostly negative responses such as distrust and swearing continued.

“Wow, now they’re even putting a kid in as a player?”

“It seems Lambusta Cage has gone downhill. Or is it that there are no players left?”

From the VIPs seated in the expensive seats to the general audience, none could hide their indifferent reactions.

Whether he knew it or not, the boy inside the cage just stood there with his arms crossed, doing nothing more.

“Isn’t that the kid who caused a commotion at the betting arena earlier?”

“Seems like it? The brat who beat that thug to a pulp, right? Could he be the main character of those rumors?”

“The bold one who said he’d cripple anyone who messes with him? Oh dear. The Delkia gang is already causing a commotion looking for that little guy. Of all people, to have messed with an employee of Delkia…”

“Well, if he didn’t want to die, he should have left here already. Otherwise, the moment he’s caught, every hole in his body would be plugged. Hehe.”

Despite the high-level mockery and ridicule, the boy showed not a hint of being shaken.

He was just silently waiting for the match to start soon.

After a while, a bulky man appeared in front of the boy.

“What? It’s not a debut match but an event match?”

“Ha. Looks like we’ll see some intense action after a long time!”

The reaction of the audience, which had been lukewarm, changed 180 degrees with the appearance of one player.

The player’s name was Zelbird.

He was like the boss of this place, possessing overwhelming force and cruelty.

“Wow, the organizers are really cruel. At this rate, isn’t the kid to be pitied?”

“Who arranged this? To match him against Zelbird as his first opponent. That kid’s got no chance of getting out alive today.”

Some even showed sympathy.

Betting was overwhelmingly in favor of Zelbird, and the audience was already eagerly anticipating just how badly the boy would be beaten, regardless of who won.

-Booooo

The loud sound of a horn signaled the start of the match.

Zelbird, with a vile smile, immediately rushed towards the boy.

“Crush him, Zelbird!”

“Stomp that brat into the ground!”

-Thud!

A dull thud silenced the audience instantly.

According to the audience’s expectations, a series of satisfying beating sounds should have followed, but there was nothing after the first hit.

-Thump!

Instead, the sound of something massive falling was heard.

The audience’s eyes widened, and their mouths hung open, unable to close them.

It was the bigger one who had fallen.

Not the boy, but Zelbird.

And with just a single blow at that.

* * *

“What… what is this?”

An unbelievable situation unfolded in just 1 second.

Gunter, who was watching the match, doubted his eyes.

After evading the opponent’s punch with minimal movement, he naturally continued into a turning motion with a step.

The moment the opponent, who lost balance, wavered, he didn’t miss the gap and swung his right foot, and Zelbird, struck in the face, fell down without even a squeak.

It was a succinct yet perfect motion.

For someone like Gunter, whose confidence in his fists was at its peak, it was a scene that could not help but stir his blood.

This was not a movement that could be shown by someone who had simply learned to fight somewhere.

It was the movement of someone perfected through years of training and hardship, achievable only through a long period of practice and asceticism.

“Was it to this extent?”

Gunter could tell.

It was indeed a perfect motion, but it didn’t mean that it showed the full extent of his skills.

What kind of fighting style the boy would use if he threw punches, what kind of swordsmanship he would show if he wielded a sword, or what kind of magic and attributes he would use.

His mind was completely taken over by thoughts of what abilities the boy might possess.

Then, he hurriedly got up and ran somewhere – it was to the betting arena.

“Gu- Gunter?!”

The attendant was startled upon seeing his face.

Beyond simply recognizing him, there was a look of great apprehension.

For him, today could not be anything but an eventful day.

“What’s his name?”

“Excuse me?!”

“What’s the name of that boy in the cage right now!”

The flustered attendant hastily searched through the papers on the desk and checked the document containing the boy’s personal information.

“It’s- it’s Cyon! His name is Cyon!”

* * *

After all the scheduled matches had ended, night fell on the cage.

Normally, this would be the time when the spectators who finished watching would disperse to other places, making it a very quiet time.

However, today was different.

A large crowd had gathered in front of the usually quiet building and soon forcefully opened the main entrance.

“Welcome, please come in…”

Lisa, the employee guarding the lobby, had her face stiffen up.

As if she had encountered someone she didn’t want to see.

Then, a woman lavishly adorned with dangling ornaments approached her haughtily.

Behind her were several men with androgynous appearances, as if they were wearing makeup.

“What brings you here?”

Lisa asked in a stiff tone.

“I don’t want to stay long, so I’ll just get straight to the point. You had a young chick among your guests, right? Bring him out here! Right now!”

Despite the threatening shout, Lisa did not give in.

Instead, she let out a disbelieving laugh.

“Ha! You come here unannounced and demand this? Asking us to call out our guest without any reason, have you no sense of propriety?”

“Propriety? You dare talk about propriety in front of me? Enough! If you don’t want to see a mess here, call him out now!”

An explosive situation developed out of nowhere.

Although guards from the cage arrived in droves upon hearing of the situation, their presence only seemed to intensify the already deadly atmosphere.

“Is this because of what happened during the day? If so, that’s quite shameful. All this fuss over a mere junior employee, aren’t you embarrassed?”

“Why don’t you say one more word? Then I might just start with ripping your mouth apart?”

Neither woman showed any signs of backing down.

“Last warning! If you don’t bring that brat out in front of me within a count of three, you’ll wish you had gone to sleep for good tonight!”

“Ha! Go ahead. I won’t stop someone intent on self-destruction!”

The woman spread her fingers carelessly, paying no heed.

Lisa glared back with eyes ablaze with defiance.

“One…!”

“Looking for me?”

“…?”

Before she could even count to three, let alone finish.

The gaze of both women immediately shifted to one place.

A boy standing with a calm face among the tense crowd.

He had been there for who knows how long, leisurely sitting on a chair, savoring his tea.

“What- what? How did he appear out of nowhere?”

No one in the lobby had noticed the boy’s arrival.

It seems a rather interesting event was unfolding, and it turns out, I was the cause of it all.

Now that they’ve found me, I decided to show up, but everyone’s suddenly gone silent like they’ve eaten honey.

Since I had nothing in particular to say, I decided to wait for someone else to speak first.

“Gu- guest? How did you appear out of nowhere?”

“Probably from the moment you started mentioning the last warning?”

I looked at the woman by the door with a bland expression and said.

“Yo- you! Your name is…”

Someone by her side whispered something into her ear.

It seems like they told her my name.

“Cyon… is that correct?”

I just nodded silently without saying anything.

[Really, what’s with that naming sense…]

It was a throwaway alias anyway, what more could I expect?

I had to write down some name, even a fake one, to participate as a contestant, so I hastily made one up.

However, the way this woman is looking at me is not normal.

Just a moment ago, she seemed furious, as if she was desperate to catch someone, but now, she’s looking at me with a deep, mesmerizing gaze as if she’s been enchanted.

“Guest! You don’t need to engage with her! What are you doing! Let’s quickly escort you to your room…!”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Cyon.”

Her demeanor changed in an instant.

“It’s my first time seeing you in person. I must say, I’m quite surprised by your appearance, that is more handsome than I expected.”

She placed a hand over her heart and bowed respectfully.

“Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Delkia Bridget, running a small entertainment business in Lambusta.”

That doesn’t seem like the kind of introduction she should be giving me?

One thing’s for sure, this woman is not normal.

And that’s because the look she gave me was filled with an inexplicable obsession.

“You were looking for me?”

I asked in the same tone.

“Yes, that’s right! Actually, one of our junior employees was trampled by a baseless young boy, and we’ve been looking for him. Then we heard he was staying at this facility and came to look for him.”

“I don’t know if he was one of your people, but it’s true that I trampled on someone on my way here. I hope there’s no misunderstanding. They were the ones who started the trouble.”

“Yes, I am aware! I fully acknowledge that it was our fault.”

Then why did you come looking for me?

It couldn’t possibly be to apologize, and judging by the atmosphere from before, it was clear she came with the intention of retaliation, but now, it seems like that purpose has completely disappeared.

“Please visit us when you have time. There are many things on our side that could pique Mr. Cyon’s interest. If you have any questions, I’ll answer anything!”

With a suggestive smile, she handed me a business card.

Seeing the business card, I thought:

Is she insane?

Even though I might be an adult who’s seen it all, giving a business card to a kid who’s barely grown any fuzz?

It seemed I wasn’t the only one who thought this was crazy.

“Delkia, have you lost your mind? What are you giving to the guest? You’ve targeted the wrong audience!”

“It’s not business! I’m formally inviting him!”

She growled at the employee, but then turned back to me with a wide smile.

“If you decide to come, just bring yourself! No money needed!”

The phrase “just bring yourself” sent an inexplicable chill down my spine.

“Then, I look forward to seeing you soon. Have a good night, Mr. Cyon~!”

All I could do was smile awkwardly.

After her gang had left, the bewildered employee approached me, still looking at the business card.

“I’m so so sorry, guest! You must have been very uncomfortable?”

It wasn’t so much discomfort as disbelief.

“Just to let you know, please don’t even think about going near the entertainment district! It could really end up being a big trouble!”

Of course, I had no intention of going now, but this employee seemed to be wary of more than just the entertainment district itself; there was something about that woman.

“Why shouldn’t I go?”

“Well, you might not understand because you’re still young… Ah, anyway, there’s that! That woman has a very… strange taste.”

(PR: shotacon?)

“Why don’t you just tell me straight?”

Finally, as if giving up, she blurted out.

“…?!”

What did I just hear?

(To be continued)