The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

It had already been a fortnight since Cyan left the academy.

As always, after her midday journey to the land of dreams, Nana stretched and got up.

“Ugh~ I slept well!”

Despite her rapid growth and her body noticeably getting bigger, her love for sleep remained unchanged.

As she made her way out of the room with a pleasant yawn, she saw Emily, who was nervously biting her nails by the window.

Her body was trembling and her eyes were filled with anxiety.

Something was evidently troubling her, making her look extremely anxious.

“Emily, you don’t look well. Are you sick?”

Despite the innocence in her question, Emily responded seriously.

“Do I look unwell? How could I not?”

Nana was puzzled.

“The young master has been away for two weeks now! And not alone, but with some woman named Kaeram, whose face we don’t even know! Not a single letter, nor any message, how could I not worry?”

Even though Emily hadn’t worried a bit when Cyan had fallen off a cliff before, this time was different.

She had always prided herself on knowing Cyan better than anyone else.

The thought of him vacationing somewhere unknown with a woman she didn’t even know felt absurdly out of place.

It was more frustration than worry.

“Hey! Papa once said that the most useless thing in the world is worrying about him! Instead of worrying, you should spend that time sleeping more. Just wait a little longer, he’ll come back!”

Her pure smile could even make those soaked in anger smile.

However, Emily’s face only twisted further upon seeing it.

“Ha, how did the young master end up with such a foolish child…”

Emily had no idea what Cyan actually thought of her.

-Creak

Just then, the sound of the door opening was heard, and someone entered through the front door.

Assuming it could only be Brian at this hour, Emily didn’t even bother to look back.

“Really, meeting the wrong woman can ruin a man’s life, what was he doing with which woman and where…”

“What about meeting a woman can ruin a man’s life?”

“Aaaah!”

A high-pitched scream filled the room.

Emily turned her head in shock.

“Young master!?”

Cyan, who had been gone for fifteen days, was standing right in front of her.

“Papa!”

Unlike the startled Emily, Nana ran towards him with a joyful shout.

Cyan calmly stroked Nana, who had jumped into his arms.

“When did you arrive?”

“Obviously just now. Didn’t you hear the door open?”

“I did hear it, but I thought it was Brian…”

At that moment, the sound of the door was heard again, and Brian followed in.

From the looks of it, they had arrived together.

“Welcome back… Ah, that’s not it. Young Master, who is Kaeram?!”

Surpassing mere confusion to sheer alarm, Emily quickly became confrontational, demanding answers from Cyan.

“Hm? Oh, you didn’t know?”

Cyan’s response was, as always, unfazed.

“You never mentioned her! Who is she that she’s been with you all this time…”

[Have you been looking for me?]

“Aaaah!”

Startled by a chilling voice from behind, Emily screamed once more.

A strange woman with enchanting eyes and beautiful black hair that seemed to capture the starlight of the night sky smiled peculiarly at her, her nobility unlike any aristocratic lady Emily had ever seen.

[It’s our first formal greeting, isn’t it? Pleased to meet you~!]

Emily was completely dumbfounded.

“Who- who are you?”

[That’s disappointing. Aren’t I someone who’s been at the front lines with your master for a year?]

“What are you talking about…”

Apart from being a stranger, there was something profoundly unsettling yet fascinating about the woman’s presence.

“You’re beautiful…”

[Hm?]

“I mean, you’re really beautiful! The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen!”

In her confusion, Emily blurted out what was in her heart.

At that, Kaeram’s face lit up in a rarely seen bright smile.

[Oh my! Unlike your master, you have an eye for beauty, don’t you?]

“……”

Cyan, seemingly amused by the situation, just shook his head.

“Papa! Did you bring me a gift?”

“Oh right. Just a moment.”

Cyan took out a small cubic box from his pocket.

With a flick of his finger, a small dimensional door opened, and a large basket appeared from within.

The basket was filled with snacks that would delight any child.

“Don’t eat it all at once. You have to eat them little by little, okay?”

“Yeah! Thank you, Papa!”

As she hugged the basket with a beaming smile of happiness, a satisfied smile also formed on Cyan’s face.

Brian, observing this, had a peculiar look in his eyes.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“It’s just… Your gaze seems different than usual…”

At that, Cyan chuckled.

“You sound just like the clan leader.”

“Excuse me?”

“Never mind. The sun hasn’t set yet, let’s go for some exercise. You didn’t skip your training while I was gone, did you?”

“Of- of course not! I’ll get ready right away!”

As Brian hurried to prepare, Cyan watched with a content smile.

“Good, someone has to look after them when I’m not here.”

Brian, busy with his preparations, didn’t hear those words.

* * *

With the start of the semester only a week away, Royal Academy was unusually quiet, unlike the bustling return of students from their domains during the vacation period.

The students had not yet returned.

Some of them decided to wait and see how things unfold before returning, while others outright refused to attend classes.

This was an unprecedented situation since the academy’s inception.

“About one-tenth of the total student body has expressed intentions to defer their return. It’s not just the students, some of the instructors are considering taking a leave of absence as well. If this continues, it could significantly disrupt the operations of this semester…”

Despite Silica’s report, Chancellor Kundel maintained a calm demeanor. However, she knew that unseen worries were heavily laden on his face.

“The situation in the Nigriti territory isn’t looking good, is it? No need to be cautious. If you wish to take a leave, feel free.”

“That would be inappropriate. Regardless of the circumstances, personal and professional lives should be kept separate.”

Silica’s response was immediate and without hesitation.

Kundel chuckled lightly.

“Even though it was a political engagement, it’s quite calm of you, considering your fiancé has died. But then again, considering your temperament, I suppose it’s not too surprising…”

She carefully avoided his gaze, turning her eyes away.

It had been a month since the so-called Blood Banquet incident occurred at the Ushif Empire’s imperial palace.

Although the incident was resolved, it had sent significant shockwaves across the continent, including the empire, and its aftermath was too substantial to ignore.

Social gatherings that should have been bustling among the students were all canceled, and most nobles didn’t step foot outside their estates or domains.

However, before the effects of the incident had fully subsided, another incident erupted at the academy.

The kidnapping of Luna Rainriver.

It had happened just two weeks ago when outsiders, who had disguised their identities, infiltrated the academy and abducted a female student who was alone in the cafeteria.

The incident was prevented from escalating by the efforts of the Garam Academy faction and didn’t become widely publicized.

Yet, the fact that a noble’s child was kidnapped in broad daylight raised considerable doubts about the academy’s security, marking a deeply shameful incident.

In truth, it wasn’t an overstatement to say that this kidnapping incident, more than the previous banquet incident, was the reason most students delayed their return.

“Given the current situation, all we can do is enhance the academy’s security further. Tell the remaining instructors not to worry and to focus on preparing for their classes.”

“Understood.”

With her head bowed, Silica noticed the multitude of letters on the Chancellor’s desk.

Seeing the Quisel family’s seal on all of them, it was clear they were sent from the family.

“Are you concerned about the situation in the capital?”

“If I said I wasn’t, it would be a lie.”

A hint of bitterness tinged Kundel’s words.

“After all, am I not a citizen of the empire? I was once the emperor’s father-in-law. Although, now, the academy takes precedence over the imperial family for me, I should at least be informed about what’s happening in the capital.”

Silica inadvertently saw the name “Luinel” written on one of the letters but did not show any reaction.

Kundel then gathered the letters and pushed them aside.

“By the way, we’ve decided to bring in a new instructor this semester.”

“A new instructor?”

“We need to fill the vacancy left by Instructor Nella, who went missing after the kidnapping incident. Coincidentally, our family has directly sent a replacement.”

“Is it someone from the Quisel family?”

“No, not exactly. He has a surname I’ve never heard of before. Have you ever heard of L’Hellem?”

“No, I haven’t heard of it…”

It was a surname even she was unfamiliar with.

“He doesn’t seem to be a commoner without any background, seems like quite an extraordinary individual. Despite being only in his twenties, his magic grade is an impressive 8 stars.”

“Eight stars?”

Her official grade was 7 stars, which was lower than this, and just below the Chancellor’s 9 stars, which is akin to that of a great sage.

Considering that most humans, even after a lifetime of dedication, might not achieve a magic power level in the late 8-star range, this was an exceptionally high grade, high enough not just for a teaching position but for a senior role within a magical academy.

-Knock knock

“He seems to have arrived.”

“……!”

It was just a simple knock on the door, but Silica found herself internally panicking.

‘I didn’t sense any presence at all?’

The sensitivity of an assassin is such that they can detect the sound of a leaf falling a hundred steps away.

Although she was not as vigilant in her role as an instructor as she was as a clan leader, until the knock, she hadn’t felt any presence or energy at all.

It was as if a soul without a body had materialized at the door.

Silica felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

-Creak

Eventually, the door opened, and a man of small stature entered.

“Welcome. You must have had a long journey.”

The Chancellor greeted him warmly, and the man responded with a subtle smile, bowing his head.

“Pleased to meet you. My name is Boris L’Hellem…”

(To be continued)