The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

In an unreal subspace created by the power of the gods.

Silica, the head of the Mist, was sitting alone in a vast empty square, continuing her mental training.

Her eyes, calmly closed, betrayed no awareness of anything, showing restrained emotions.

A handful of black mist slowly approached her.

[You’ve assigned Cyan an interesting task?]

Her closed eyes snapped open in an instant.

“What do you mean?”

[The one mentioned in the directive. He is not one of the targets you had decided for the purification, is he?]

Silica could not immediately reply.

“…I won’t deny it.”

[I have no particular complaints. It was just unexpected that you sent that child for your personal matters, so I asked.]

She stood up and replied with composure.

“From the moment Cyan first met me, he was a child who had everything perfectly in place. So much so that I wondered why such a child exists in this world. Probably, Aer knows the reason.”

[……]

Aer smiled an invisible smile.

“I have no intention of interrogating you about it now or in the future. However, Cyan needs to realize.”

[What do you mean?]

“What he can and cannot do with the power he possesses. It’s true that my personal feelings are involved in this mission. However, through this mission, Cyan must realize. That way, he can use his power in the future without regrets.”

A faint smile bloomed on her lips like a budding sprout.

* * *

As I mentioned before, I’ve used the secret techniques of Mist to cast a spell on my face so others can’t recognize me.

Yet, amidst this, a guy I’ve never seen before recognized me just by looking at my face?

This was not something to simply overlook.

I asked without showing any signs of surprise.

“Do you know me?”

“Of course, I do! I was a bit uncertain about the face, but seeing your punch, I knew right away! Wasn’t it the same agile movement you showed earlier?”

It seemed like he was someone who had seen my match during the day.

But to recognize me just by my movements?

He might be a bit dim-witted, but his senses seemed sharp enough to acknowledge.

“Gunther, sir?”

The thugs lying around were visibly startled at the sight of him.

Of course, the name Gunther was also unfamiliar to me.

“Let me introduce myself. My name is Gunther Rictus. I’m one of the overseers managing the western waste yards of this city.”

An overseer of the city?

So, he was someone with authority.

Putting him aside, the faces of the ones lying on the ground were quite a sight.

Despite having broken arms and legs from my doing, they were seized with a tremendous fear of the man called Gunther, not me.

“I’ll say this, for now, I’m a fan of yours. I was truly moved by your splendid technique! It was like seeing my younger self!”

“You’re out of your mind.”

It was laughably absurd.

“Don’t get me wrong! I meant it in a good way! That’s why I ran straight to the head of the cage right after the match. I asked to be matched up with you!”

My brows furrowed involuntarily.

“The head?”

I had inadvertently heard something I couldn’t just ignore.

“Ah, you might not know? Considering she’s a mysterious woman who keeps to herself. Don’t worry about it. You don’t need to know……”

Without responding, I calmly walked towards him.

This might be easier than expected.

“Wow? The mood’s gotten weird? Seems like something I said struck a chord?”

Exactly two steps away.

A distance where a punch or a kick could reach in less than a second.

Within that distance, I asked with a calm face.

“The owner of the Lambusta Cage… do you know who it is?”

He smirked and said.

“Of course, I know! I’m one of the few in this city who knows her face. That Rinze Nihalov you’re talking about is……”

-Whoosh

The moment he mentioned the name I was looking for, my body moved without hesitation.

-Thump!

My right foot, swinging in a half-circle, aimed for his head.

A dull sound of impact followed, but he didn’t budge.

He had raised his arm to block it.

“Ha! What are you trying to do now?”

The search is over, and my task is decided.

I will make him open his mouth right here and now.

About that Rinze Nihalov.

As if responding to my fighting spirit, he too clenched his fist and struck down with all his might.

-Bang!

I rotated my body and dodged it effortlessly.

It was incredible brute strength that seemed to split the ground.

For a moment, the ground trembled under his force.

“You’re quite fiery, aren’t you, unlike how you look? Did you also want to fight me?”

I didn’t bother replying.

“Yeah, there’s no need to wait until the day of the match! If you want it and I want it, there’s no problem with fighting right here and now! Hahaha!”

It seemed necessary to shut that babbling mouth first.

After adjusting my stance and gathering strength in my fist, the moment I dashed towards him again,

“Stop, Gunther!”

A familiar voice from somewhere automatically turned my gaze.

-Swish

The aura from a short dagger split the space between us.

Fluttering brown hair and a neatly dressed uniform.

It was the enigmatic employee of the cage.

Behind her, burly guards were on standby in abundance.

“Are you alright, sir?”

“Uh?”

I was slightly taken aback by the unexpected question.

“Gunther, what is this madness! How dare you touch our guest outside? Do you want your annoying face to be buried in a dung pile to rot?”

A rather high-level remark made me involuntarily snicker.

This employee also seemed to be not quite normal.

“What are you on about? He attacked me first!”

“I won’t listen to you! What are you doing? Protect the guest already!”

At her command, the guards quickly started moving.

Soon, a defensive circle was formed around me.

What’s with this excessive protection?

“Treating someone who’s not a VIP as if they’re royalty. Can’t you relax your guards a bit? Do you take everyone for a thug who doesn’t know right from wrong?”

I might not understand, but looking at the employee’s face, it seemed she thought exactly that.

“Speak, Gunther! What’s your reason for attacking our guest at such a late hour?”

“This is driving me crazy. I told you, he attacked me first! And you seem to be mistaken, but this is clearly my territory. What does it matter to you if I want to fight in my own area?”

Territory, indeed.

Recalling it now, the man named Gunther did introduce himself as one of the city’s overseers.

Are they playing some sort of territorial game among themselves?

Then, how did this employee find me?

Unintentionally, I was excluded while a subtle tension flowed between them.

They maintained fierce glares, like predators encountering another predator.

“That’s enough! What’s there to see by fighting you?”

Surprisingly, the thug was the first to back down.

“If you really don’t want to see a mess, just arrange a match properly with this guy. You know what I mean?”

He took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and then looked directly at me, saying,

“Then I’ll be looking forward to the day of our clash, Cyon!”

With that resonant farewell, Gunther disappeared into the alley.

-Gulp-

“Are you alright, sir?”

For a moment, I wasn’t sure how to respond.

“Why are you here?”

“Well, that… I was chasing that thug, I mean, Gunther, and happened to find you… Anyway, it’s a relief! I was able to protect you from his threat.”

“But I was the one who attacked first?”

“What?”

A peculiar silence fell around us for a moment.

“Ah! That, that’s right! Maybe Gunther provoked you first or something…”

“Not at all. I was the one who attacked first unprovoked.”

She seemed lost for words in response to my adamant answer.

“What? Then why on earth did you…?”

“Well… because of this little friend, maybe?”

I pointed at a young boy sitting on the ground.

Startled, the boy tried to hide inside an empty basket, showing a rather cute appearance.

There was indeed a real reason, but there was no need to elaborate.

“Ahem…”

Perhaps thinking she had gotten herself into a troublesome situation, she gripped her head in frustration.

“By the way, I heard something strange from that man, Gunther?”

“What, what did he say?”

“He went to find the boss of this facility because he wanted to fight with me.”

“Ah… So he did talk.”

She looked down as if she had accepted her fate.

“I won’t deny it. It’s true. He came to us out of nowhere, demanding we arrange a match with you.”

“For what reason?”

“Because he wants to fight with you. That guy was originally from here, from the cage. He was a pretty successful fighter but was permanently expelled a few years ago for killing someone during a match. And now, he’s asking for a match with you, which is quite a headache for me.”

Could it be that he was also originally from here?

But from the atmosphere a moment ago and somehow, it seemed like this employee also had some connection with him.

It’s none of my business, and there’s no need for me to pry, but there’s definitely one thing that needs to be clarified.

“So, you’re saying you arranged the match without my consent. I’m not even affiliated with you guys though?”

As if she saw it coming, she swallowed hard before speaking.

“Ah, it’s not confirmed yet, but not only Gunther but our manager also wants that match. So, we were planning to ask for your consent.”

“The manager?”

I couldn’t help but react to that word.

“Why, what about it?”

“Are you talking about the owner of the Lambusta Cage when you say manager?”

“Yes, that’s right. Our owner, Rinze Nihalov, but…”

I already knew Rinze Nihalov was the owner of the cage, which wasn’t particularly important.

The problem was this woman.

From her previous words, she talked as if she had received direct orders from her owner.

Keeping my true feelings hidden, I spoke nonchalantly.

“Huh?”

She tilted her head, thinking she might have heard me wrong.

“Arrange the match. Even tomorrow is fine. The sooner, the better.”

“Uh… Are you serious?”

She was taken aback by my unexpected quick agreement.

“But I have one condition.”

“Sa, say it! I’ll listen to almost anything!”

My gaze then drifted towards the cigarette-selling kid, who seemed lost in this situation.

“Let him work at your facility.”

* * *

Just a week after rumors spread of a meteoric newcomer appearing in the cage, it was filled with the largest crowd in its short history.

“Can you believe it? Gunther from the waste yards has returned. What on earth brought him back?”

“I heard that Gunther himself requested the match. Seems like he really wanted to fight that audacious kid.”

“Keke! The cage sure has long-term entertainment value. Who would have thought we’d see the day when such a trivial kid would dominate the cage?”

A week.

That’s how long it took for a boy named Cyon to conquer the cage.

Purely in terms of match time, it was less than 5 minutes, and he never went beyond two rounds.

While it was certainly astonishing enough to drop jaws, truthfully, the matches themselves weren’t exactly great.

After all, people always seek thrill.

Now, someone capable of satisfying the audience’s thirst for excitement had finally appeared in the cage.

“Ladies and gentlemen who love the Lambusta Cage, thank you for waiting! The highly anticipated match of today begins now!”

A man wearing sunglasses, presumably the announcer, appeared in the center to announce the start.

The crowd buzzed in response.

Without delay, the competitors entered from both sides.

Gunther and Cyon.

Unlike the somewhat beaming Gunther, Cyon maintained his usual stoicism.

“Now, it wouldn’t be polite to enjoy such a fiery match with just standard rules. So, starting from this moment, a special rule is added to this match!”

The audience started murmuring.

“A special rule? Surely they’re not giving that boy a handicap?”

“Could be. Even if the kid’s somewhat good, his opponent is Gunther. Maybe there’s a clause that they shouldn’t kill each other? Keke!”

“Hope it’s not some weird restriction…”

In reality, most of the audience anticipated Gunther’s victory.

Though Cyon’s feats were impressive, the vile acts Gunther had shown over time lingered more prominently in the audience’s minds.

As if anticipating the audience’s psychology, the announcer spoke with an easy smile.

“No rules match! Today’s game will proceed as a no rules match!”

A moment of silence passed through the stands.

“A match without any rules! Not only fists but weapons, magic, even tricks are allowed! You just need to overpower your opponent by any means necessary!”

The silence was instantly replaced by cheers.

(To be continued)