The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

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Chapter 11: Lemea Valley (1)

The sun is on the eastern horizon, but the sky is very reddish.

The sunset glow reminds me of a dull evening sky, but surprisingly, it is morning now.

A stark contrast to the azure sky of the verdant continent.

Dry winds blow over the steep cliffs.

Below was a panoramic view of the Lemea Valley, overflowing with the energy of life.

[Well, well~ This scent of blood! I feel the freshest I’ve been since waking up!]

Kaeram was already getting drunk on the energy, her body swaying with excitement.

[Hey, Master! When are we going to hunt the monsters? Let’s go already! I can’t wait any longer!]

She suddenly pressed her face against mine and even engaged in some strange affection.

Sweat dripped down my face, and my fists clenched involuntarily.

Ah, I really feel like squeezing her right now…

“How do you feel being on the front lines, Cyan?”

“It’s, uh, surprisingly quiet! Is Lemea Valley always like this?”

“Right now, it may seem that way. However, this place is a dangerous one where you never know when or where you might encounter the shadow of death. So, we must always remain vigilant. Also…”

Although the duke is explaining various things, none of it is registering.

All that’s in my head is intense deliberation on how to deal with this perverted demonic dagger.

[Why do you look so grim? It’s not because of me, is it?]

Of course, it’s because of you!

This perverted demonic dagger, knowing what it is, is behaving like this.

There are now dozens of guardian knights, including the duke, beside me.

Despite over a hundred pairs of eyes gathered, only I can see her.

Knowing I can’t act recklessly, she’s releasing pent-up desires(?).

I’ve been restraining myself from flicking her with my finger with lots of effort.

“…So, even in the face of danger, don’t rely on anyone else for help. You must take care of your own life. I’ll do the same.”

“Y-Yes, Father, I’ll keep that in mind!”

That statement is a lie.

If a battle with monsters were to begin, my father would likely be the first to protect me.

Though I’ve come to the front lines as I wished, there are still many eyes watching.

In other words, it meant that my range of movement was very limited.

But this was entirely expected.

A skilled assassin must move discreetly and magnificently to avoid detection by anyone.

Especially in my current situation…

After finishing the reconnaissance with the duke, I headed to the dedicated camp he had arranged.

Given the urgent nature of not knowing when things might erupt, there were no luxurious mansions.

There was a safe house used by high-ranking visitors, but I didn’t want that.

Still, I received a single-person isolated barracks with some consideration from my father.

Of course, I’m not living alone, but…

As I pulled back the tent, I saw a woman sitting on the bed, wrapped snugly in a blanket.

It was my only personal maid, Emily.

“Oh, my lord, you’ve returned?”

As she confirmed my arrival, she raised her head.

[Why did you bring her here?]

Kaeram, who followed me in, asked bluntly.

Ignoring her words, I approached Emily.
“Why did you turn the blanket upside down when you’re not even sick?”

“My lord, you’re really fearless! But this is the frontline! We never know when or where demons might appear to devour us!”

She buried her face deeper into the bed, wrapping herself up.

It’s both amusing and pitiful.

[What’s up with her? Can she even serve as a maid with this attitude? Or did you bring her here for some other purpose?]

“At least it’s not the purpose you’re thinking of…”

[What do you mean? How would you know what I was thinking?]

Kaeram laughs and pats my back.

Actually, Emily didn’t come here of her own will.

Regular soldiers can handle these kinds of tasks.

If it’s for me, the duke can assign twenty people if needed.

She was purely a companion I asked the duke to bring along.

“What did you say, my lord?”

“Oh, nothing. Are you going to keep sulking like that?”

“I might not for a while. Even though I’m your indispensable maid, I’m not sure if I can serve you well here…”

Certainly, I didn’t bring her here for some third-rate novel-like purpose like ‘you’re my only servant!’

There was a clear purpose for bringing her along.

“Do you want to go back now?”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Seems like I was just thinking about myself and brought you here. You’re not a child, but I made you go through unnecessary trouble…”

“You’re right, my lord…”

I released my momentarily clenched fist with a forgiving heart.

“Anyway, if you want, I’ll talk to the knights and send you back right away. It’s just some errands, I can handle them alone.”

As the atmosphere seemed to suggest that I would really send her back, Emily seemed to be contemplating.

[What’s going on? If you were going to do that, why did you bring her here in the first place?]

Kaeram asks as if she can’t understand, but it’s okay.

As long as I’ve said this, she’ll never go back.

“I, I came here because it was your will, my lord?”

“Of course.”

With a response without a second of hesitation, her rigid face began to soften little by little.

“Well, it seems like you can’t do without me, my lord. It’s scary, but I’ll endure it and stay by your side.”

“Are you sure? You don’t have to push yourself.”

“Instead, if the demons attack, you’ll protect me, right? You understand, don’t you?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

She is telling a kid who is much younger than her to protect her.

Even though she’s clueless, mischievous, and her cooking skills are bottom-tier, she’s a strangely unique maid who never crosses my mind as unpleasant.

I gently placed my hand on her head, which was slightly tilted downwards.

“Don’t worry. The demons won’t even dare to come near here. As long as I’m here, you’ll be safe, Emily…”

Could it be that she felt moved by my somewhat masterly demeanor?

Emily was looking at me with a subdued gaze.

“Well, who knows? Maybe the knight guardians like Sir Eulken would be scarier than you, my lord?”

“……”

Should I just chase her away?

* * *

– Clang! Clang! Clang!

A deep, resounding bell echoed throughout the entire camp, signalling the arrival of an intermediate-level demon from the northwest sky. Instantly, all the knights nearby turned their attention in that direction.

“Kuwaah!”

Monstrous creatures wielding massive axes roared ferociously, their hands grabbing and devouring anything within reach.

These Ogre demons, known for their indiscriminate and voracious appetites, may seem dim-witted at first glance, but once caught in their grasp, bones are crushed instantly.

The reason for their incursion into the valley was simple: hunger.

Like any other living creature, they needed to eat to survive, and finding sustenance led them here.

However, they had unwittingly stumbled into a place teeming with the strongest knights of the human realm.

“Immediately establish defensive positions and initiate the extermination operation. Spare none!”

As soon as the duke’s orders were issued, the magic knights clad in white robes began to emit mana.

“May the judgement of light redeem the wicked…!”

-Whirr

In conjunction with the incantation, a pure white magic circle appeared beneath the feet of the Ogres.

Gradually, white chains emerged from below, pulling their bodies downward.

-Thud!

Several of the weaker Ogres couldn’t withstand the force and collapsed.

It was a high-level combat magic called ‘Restraint of Salvation’, accessible only to senior mages of 8th grade or higher who specialized in light magic.

Some Ogres were incapacitated immediately, unable to even open their eyes, and soon they fell like dominoes.

Taking advantage of this opening, the remaining knights soared into the sky.

-Swoosh!

From above, the dancing swords of the knights mercilessly slashed down upon the Ogres, leaving them defenseless.

Though their skin was tougher than most metals, they couldn’t withstand the strikes of the advanced knights’ blades.

-Thud

The last Ogre, which had stubbornly held on until the end, finally fell with its neck severed.

Confirming that everything had been annihilated, the duke issued another order.

“After checking for any remaining threats, incinerate everything. Then, quickly return to our original territory…”

The knights efficiently began to tidy up the situation without any signs of disorder.

As I observed all of this without any particular reaction, my eyes met with those of the duke as he turned back.

“…”

He gave me a faint smile.

I simply nodded my head without much response.

It had already been a month since I arrived on the front lines.

In the current situation, encounters like this were almost daily routine on the front lines.

There were battles with intermediate to low-level demons occurring about 3 to 4 times a day, and most of them were swiftly annihilated under the command of Duke Vert.

Although it might seem easy at first glance, there were well-established response manuals for each type of demon that appeared.

Naturally, I never directly participated in these battles.

Not only did I have no intention to join, but even if I dared to wield a sword, the knights would immediately stop me.

My position was always at the safest rear during battles.

It’s not like there’s a shortage of knights to fight, and it would be insane to send a ten-year-old boy out with a sword to fight.

Soon, the fire mages who had been waiting began to appear and started burning the corpses of the demons.

With the situation now resolved, the knights returned to their original positions as if nothing had happened.

I also returned to the barracks.

“Oh, you’re back, my lord?”

Emily, who was tidying up, greeted me warmly.

“What was it this time?”

“Ogres.”

“Ugh, do those pests really have food in their heads? They come looking for trouble like clockwork every single day!”

She used to tremble at the mere mention of the letter ‘D’ in ‘Demon’ but now she didn’t hesitate to curse the demons.

Although it was limited to the camp, she seemed to have adapted enough to feel free to express herself within its confines.

Before we knew it, the sun had set in the western sky, and soon, the dark night descended.

Just like the rest of the continent, the night on the front lines revealed a pitch-black sky.

That meant it was time for me to start my actual activities.

“Are you going out for your workout again today?”

Emily asked as she prepared something, eyeing me curiously.

“Of course. Consistency is key when it comes to exercise”.

“If the Duke knew, he’d be really impressed. But is there really a need to hide it like this?”

“Enough with the questions. Just do as you usually do. I’m going to pretend to be asleep now.”

On the bed lay several dummy bodies of roughly the same size as mine, all clustered together.

Despite the crude disguise, they looked convincing enough as long as you didn’t get too close.

After finishing my preparations, I quickly slipped out of the barracks.

Avoiding the gaze of patrolling knights, I soon darted into the forest behind the camp.

Passing through dense bushes, I soon encountered a sheer cliff where nothing could be seen beyond.

One wrong step could send me tumbling down the steep drop, so I proceeded with caution.

-Whooosh

A gust of eerie wind swept up from below, as if warning against jumping down.

Without hesitation, I threw myself off the edge below.

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