The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

————

Chapter 52: My People (2)

The sky, where the bright full moon and dark night clouds coexist, signals the time for our little friends to journey into dreamland.

Nana is peacefully curled up in bed, deeply asleep.

In her dreams, she seems to be sucking on her fingers as if they were candies.

Usually, I would have gone out for nightly chores as usual, but today, it wasn’t possible.

There’s no nanny to watch over this sleeping little one.

That’s right.

Brian is nowhere to be found in this dormitory.

Every day, it was routine for him to go out for Nana’s snacks and return around dusk.

However, today, he hasn’t returned even as the sun sets and the moon rises.

Could he have been abducted by some strange fellows?

[Why are you like this, like an amateur?]

As if reading my thoughts, Kaeram appears by Nana’s side.

[You’ve been dealing with those crows around lately, haven’t you? If something happened to that kid, it’s likely their doing, right?]

Kaeram seems quite amused and intrigued by the current situation.

Those crows… Or, more accurately, the watchers.

From the day Brian and I arrived in Luwen and unpacked, unfamiliar watchers attached themselves to me.

While it might have taken them some time to tail us, their presence immediately after our arrival indicated premeditation.

In other words, it wasn’t the work of the Duchess, who had ordered my death.

Rather, the Duchess has surprisingly shown no reaction so far.

Perhaps because of her nature, the moment she realized that she had done something wrong, she started spending her days worrying and not knowing when she would be found out.

Well, actually, the culprit was already predictable from the moment I knew there was a watcher.

So, without wasting time on guessing, I caught them and killed them that day.

Although she had a very strong mental education and her mouth was quite heavy, she could not withstand the cruel temptation of torture.

Feeling the pain of having their fingers cut off one after another, they eventually confessed everything.

But it’s strange.

“Kellen Diego!”

The name, which was more familiar than welcoming, appeared unexpectedly. Kellen Diego.

Officially, he’s listed as a knight under Velias, but he wouldn’t actually be serving in the knight’s corps.

He’d most likely be sticking close to that guy in the mansion, taking care of all sorts of dirty work.

However, in the current circumstances, there’s still been no contact between us.

That means it wasn’t Kellen’s unilateral decision to send watchers after me.

Ultimately, it was the whim of some shadowy figure above him.

So, my job was simple: kill anyone who came, one by one.

No news is good news?

For them, every scrap of information is valuable. Lack of information only amplifies their anxiety.

When the flow of information ceases, eventually the one who’s got himself into trouble will come knocking.

That’s why I made sure to identify and kill all the additional watchers who came each night, effectively cutting off the flow of information to Velias.

In the end, Kellen himself would come looking for me.

That’s what I want too.

But this is a bit strange.

Kellen is not the type to take uncertain gambles under the suspicion of some shadowy figure.

He is not the type of person who would commit such a harsh act as ambushing the people around me just because the information that should be sent about me continues to be cut off.

This was especially inevitable at the Academy, where eyes were everywhere.

[You know, right? In addition to the original ones, one more side has joined recently. Anyway, isn’t our owner really great too? How could someone be so popular that they can die in my name?]

Is this sword like a die-hard fan?

With a scoffing laugh, my gaze shifts towards Nana, who’s peacefully sleeping.

“…..”

She seems deeply asleep, so she probably won’t wake up anytime soon.

Still, it would be troublesome if she woke up without a guardian, so I need to hurry back as soon as possible.

After tucking Kaeram into my arms, I immediately head outside.

The area around the royal palace is heavily guarded by knights from various countries, not just the academy.

So, even if they’re exceptional watchers, residing in this area would be unrealistic.

I decided to move away from the vicinity of the dormitory.

*Squeak*

In the quiet surroundings, the chirping of birds is faintly heard.

But there’s not even a hint of surveillance.

Usually, by the time we leave the academy, crows would gather, but today there’s no sign of them.

I continue to move forward as my feet lead me.

Eventually, I reached the shopping district in front of the academy.

While there might be places with lights on, none of the doors are open.

The usual bustle seems to have intensified with loneliness.

But it’s strange, isn’t it?

Although there’s not a single human scent… Why is the smell of blood so vivid?

My body naturally gravitated towards where the familiar smell emanates from.

Finally, I reached a dead-end alley.

There seems to be no need to search for the source of the smell.

Spread around in a gruesome pattern are fresh bloodstains, as if spilled just now.

“…Ah…”

I involuntarily let out a deep sigh.

[Do we really need to speculate on the situation? Isn’t the answer quite obvious?]

Kaeram’s gaze isn’t on the bloodstains but on something else around them.

Candies, bread, chocolates, and snacks that the kid would like, scattered messily on the rough ground, abandoned without an owner.

What could this be?

The situation fits too perfectly, leaving no room for speculation.

These items, without a doubt, were bought by Brian.

So, whose blood is this?

It’s undoubtedly Brian’s blood.

The problem is, why were his snacks found in such a remote place?

Brian wasn’t dragged here by someone.

He came here voluntarily.

He probably sensed it too—the recent increase in unusual crows around me.

So, he lured them here.

Whether he wanted to kill them himself or wanted to use some secret weapon, I don’t know… but it’s quite interesting.

Seems like even he, with his appearance, has some sense of danger or something like a crisis of consciousness?

There’s a threat to me?

It’s so absurd, I’m speechless.

[You got really good seeds, right? He literally gave his all. Isn’t it difficult to find such seeds somewhere?]

It might sound sarcastic, but Kaeram seemed quite impressed.

To her, I quietly asked, “Do you know, Kaeram?”

[Hmm?]

“I’ve never kept a seed, in this life or the previous. That means, I’ve never seen someone live for me.”

What I thought I had to protect was only him.

“So, I thought about it. A life committed to me. Then wouldn’t it be good to have people made for me too? Having my own seed, who can give everything for me. I thought it was quite nice.”

[Why are you suddenly confessing?]

Kaeram raised an eyebrow, seemingly taken aback.

“Although he may lack abilities and qualities, Brian is undoubtedly my first seed and my person. But seeing him in crisis because of some ordinary people… How do you think that makes me feel?”

To this question of mine, Kaeram replied with a wry smile.

[If you ask me with those eyes, I guess there’s only one answer I can give, right?]

My eyes? Honestly, I don’t know what kind of eyes I have right now.

This kind of emotion is actually new to me.

It’s the first time someone who vowed to give everything for me is in trouble.

It’s really… very frustrating to put into words.

[Are you going to kill them? And in a very painful way…?]

The sinister soul of the demonic sword smiled coldly at me.

Even if you touch me, it won’t be any good, so how dare you touch my people, whom I have harvested with my own hands?

Uncontrollable rage rose from within me.

* * *

-Whack!

With a violent sound of impact, the groans of those bastards echoed throughout the space.

“What kind of crazy lunatic hides his vocal cords under a rock…?”

Despite the merciless beating, Brian merely shook around like a limp doll.

To be honest, he felt like saying something, but after being hit randomly and then directly in the throat, no words came out.

They continued to threaten and assault him, oblivious to that fact, so for Brian, it was like being crazy inside and out.

His entire body was already battered from the consecutive beatings.

As a result of the repeated beatings, the bones in his entire body have already been broken apart for a long time now.

Even if his voice returned now, it would be uncertain if he could speak due to the intense pain.

‘I should have just informed the master without being arrogant…’

During the beatings, he must have thought this hundreds of times.

Honestly, this is almost as good as being openly lured, isn’t it?

Couldn’t they have at least had a conversation?

He had made demands for them to speak up, but who would have known they would rush in without any room for dialogue?

“This fellow is impossible! Absolutely uncooperative!”

The torturer declared defeat.

A man who had been sitting quietly in a chair approached Brian.

“Huff… Huff…”

Brian could barely manage heavy breaths.

“They said you were the only guardian knight. I thought you’d be someone impressive, but you’ve brought along someone who can’t even hold a conversation?”

The voice wasn’t that of a burly adult but rather of a thin, youthful boy.

Brian slowly lifted his head to look at the owner of the voice.

With deep crimson hair and flawless, unblemished skin, the boy looked to be the same age as Cyan.

He smirked menacingly at Brian and asked, “Do you know why you’re in this state right now?”

What friction could there have been between strangers?

Naturally, Cyan and trouble seemed to be intertwined.

“When one encounters an incompetent master, those beneath often suffer. Isn’t that a fitting description? Oh, by the way, you probably don’t even know what your master did, do you?”

The boy spoke with a sunny smile.

“You see, I hate being preached to or looked down upon. Every time I feel that way, I want to destroy everything around me! When I lose control, no one can stop me. Not even my father…”

The boy’s tone gradually became more deranged.

“But your master touched me, didn’t he? Cyan Vert. He looked at Barrett Louisemill with eyes of disdain! Him, with the fifth princess of the worthless empire! It was the most overwhelming sense of humiliation I’ve ever felt! Do you think he can get away with doing that to me? Absolutely not!”

His eyes, tainted with madness, suddenly grew cold.

Soon, he made a face that I couldn’t tell if he was smiling or crying and whispered quietly.

“Do you want me to tell you what I will do with you? First, we will cut off your entire body from head to toe and wrap it carefully, like a surprise gift! Then I’ll send it straight to your owner! So what kind of expression will he make when he receives my gift? He would be worried because he wouldn’t know why something like this was sent? He will live each day trembling, consumed by fear and dread! Then I will enjoy watching it! And when the moment comes when that fear reaches its peak, he and the princess will be killed!”

Brian recalled Cyan’s words from time to time.

Truly despicable.

Beyond despicable, even pitiable.

Honestly, he didn’t know what humiliation Cyan had inflicted on him, but he knew better than anyone else what would happen if he touched Cyan wrongly.

Who did what to whom?

One thing was certain: even if he died here today, they would likely experience greater agony than him.

With a sense of resignation, Brian closed his eyes.

Perhaps his life had already ended near the vicinity of Velias, so he could accept his death here rather calmly.

Just a bit disappointing, that’s all.

He had thought he would serve his lord for a lifetime; wouldn’t it have been better if he had been a bit more helpful?

That was particularly regrettable.

But what could he do?

After all, they would soon knock on death’s door together…

“Kwaaaak!”

Cruel cries of agony echoed in his ears.

The screams didn’t stop; they continued to burst out one after another.

“Hey!”

It felt strangely familiar.

The moment Brian opened his eyes again and slowly raised his head, a familiar man in front of him asked him softly.

“What are you doing?”

———