The Regressed Son of a Duke is an Assassin

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Chapter 185: Key (1)

Somewhere in Pruina where more snow fell than usual ten years ago.

Garnian rushed to Hastia’s side, humming a tune as he walked along the road.

“Hastia! What’s this?”

“Why Garnian?”

Hastia blinked her angelic eyes innocently.

Garnian, looking bewildered with his innocent face not matching his stature, quickly kneeled on the ground.

His gaze fell on Hastia’s delicate left leg.

On her small knee, red blood was clustered like dew.

“Oh! I think I got this while playing with friends earlier. It didn’t hurt much, so I left it alone…”

“I’ll heal it right away!”

Garnian immediately cast a spell to heal her wound.

“Wow, it healed so quickly? Thank you, Garnian!”

Hastia’s laughter sounded like soft feathers.

Garnian, despite sighing in relief, soon stiffened his face again.

“How many times have I told you? It’s fine to play, but please be a little more careful! Lady Hastia is our…”

“I know, I know! I’m a very precious being to White Elves! I’ve heard it so many times my ears are worn out!”

Hastia waved her arms as if telling him to stop nagging.

Though it was a very cute sight, like a newly hatched chick struggling to spread its wings, Garnian’s expression remained unchanged.

“I told you not to make that face, Garnian! I’m fine, you know? Is it because of the ceremony in a few days? What about living without words? After all, we can communicate with each other through telepathy!”

Hastia scolded Garnian, who looked worried, extending her face and shaking him off.

Garnian, without a hint of embarrassment, kneeled with a determined look in his eyes and swore to her.

“If there’s anything difficult, please tell me anytime! I, Garnian, will always be by Lady Hastia’s side! I’ll protect Lady Hastia from any danger!”

With an earnest yet naive appearance, Hastia nodded her head.

What on earth was she and everyone else making a fuss about Garnian for?

Even though receiving the ceremony didn’t change her existence significantly, it seemed uncomfortable that everyone was making unnecessary sacrifices.

Still, there was definitely a good side.

That was clearly visible in Garnian’s resolute, albeit somewhat awkward, face.

Having individuals one could truly rely on and trust was indeed a great happiness, wasn’t it?

As long as that relationship remained unchanged for a long time.

It was thought by Hastia to be as blessed a life as there could be.

However,

It was like that,

Garnian, who had always sworn to be by her side,

Why did he create such a situation?

“Lady Hastia!”

‘…?’

Startled by Roel’s sudden call, Hastia turned her head.

“I understand you’re confused! But you need to focus on the task at hand!”

‘Yes, I’m sorry….’

Hastia forcefully turned her head back, focusing on running again.

Although they managed to escape Gaul somehow, there was still a long and arduous journey ahead of them.

“We must avoid contact with others as much as possible! As you know, our combat abilities are not exceptional enough to face Garnian, so if necessary, I’ll use spatial teleportation magic to get only Lady Hastia out!”

‘Then, what about you all…?’

“You don’t need to worry about us. If you truly care about us, just think about returning safely to Pruina now!”

The two clan members following also nodded in agreement with Roel’s words.

But for Hastia, it was something she could never accept.

Due to her own ignorance and carelessness, the current situation had arisen, yet how could she alone return to the homeland?

But the situation was far from allowing such a pleasing outcome.

– Thud!

Suddenly, a huge wall shot up from the ground, blocking their path.

“…!”

Reflected in the transparent ice, Hastia’s face revealed emotions that wanted to deny the current situation.

Ice attribute magic, Ice Wall.

The familiar presence of magic emanated from the icy wall, which spewed a chilling cold as if warning them not to approach.

“What on earth is the reason?”

Roel, turning his head first, asked in a voice full of anger.

“Why are you doing such a thing, Garnian?”

Following Roel, Hastia also turned her head.

At the end of the dusty road, staring at them with heightened gazes were the clan members and the central figure among them, a White Elf of their tribe.

The aura of strength emanating from his entire body weighed heavily on the surrounding air.

‘Garnian….’

Desperately calling his name as he stood firm, but all that returned was indifferent silence.

He, who was revered as the guardian of the key to the gods and the greatest warrior of the tribe, is now threatening his own kin like this.

Hastia hoped desperately that the current situation was just a dream.

‘What’s the reason, Garnian?’

“….”

‘If there’s some unavoidable situation, please just tell me! I can understand. Garnian!’

Despite Hastia’s earnest plea, Garnian’s response was nowhere to be heard.

He simply continued to advance towards her with heavy footsteps, like a summoned being moving to carry out its orders.

Then, quietly gathering mana beside her, Alphonse chanted a spell and created a blue magical circle.

“May the wrath of the frost pierce your heart!”

– Whooong

In the resonating magical circle of cold, a transparent ice spear shimmered into existence.

– Swish!

In the blink of an eye, it flew forward.

The tip of the spear was aimed directly at Garnian’s heart.

– Thud!

With a sound akin to tearing eardrums, the brief silence around them shattered.

From Hastia’s group’s perspective, the ice spear launched by Alphonse was precisely lodged in Garnian’s heart as he approached head-on.

However, before his heart, there was something clearly visible:

Garnian’s right hand gripping the shaft of the spear.

“…!”

Alphonse’s face contorted in an instant.

He felt pitiful for thinking the attack had landed.

The counterattack, which was almost like giving it his all, was weakly blocked by Garnian’s right hand.

Glancing at the spear for a moment, Garnian tossed it aside.

“I will say nothing….”

Finally breaking his silence, Garnian, standing firm like a rock, spoke.

“You need not forgive me, nor understand. Even if you hate and resent me, I will accept it willingly.”

“What on earth is the reason? Surely, there must be a reason why you yourself are doing something so dishonorable, Garnian!”

Alphonse, inadvertently overwhelmed by emotion, shouted in anger.

Garnian spoke with the same unchanged gaze as before.

“It is to fulfill a long-cherished wish.”

“A long-cherished wish?”

“A task to unravel the long-standing wish of our tribe, which began who knows when and may continue indefinitely. You will soon understand as well.”

‘A long-standing wish?’

Hastia couldn’t understand.

A long-standing wish?

Was there something so pessimistic that it could be called a long-standing wish for our White Elf tribe?

Despite her persistent gaze mixed with doubt and suspicion,

“…”

Garnian stubbornly avoided meeting Hastia’s eyes.

“Lady Hastia!”

Beside her, Roel whispered softly, snapping her out of her trance.

“Perhaps it’s fortunate amidst the misfortune, but it seems we’ve averted the worst-case scenario. Garnian doesn’t seem to have any intention of harming us, after all.”

As he spoke, he quietly began gathering mana, except for withdrawing one hand backward.

“We still don’t know what their purpose is, but we won’t be too concerned anyway. As I mentioned earlier, I’ll use spatial teleportation magic to help Lady Hastia escape, so please flee safely!”

‘It’s unreasonable, Roel! How can I leave you all behind alone…!’

She vehemently protested, but Roel’s hand was already prepared to cast an advanced spell.

“We shall defy the logic of space to escape this impending crisis!”

With the incantation, a small magic circle formed beneath Hastia’s feet, and the light emanating from it gently enveloped her body.

“…!”

Garnian, sensing the movement of mana belatedly, swiftly leaped forward, but Hastia’s body was already fading into the light.

Thus, leaving everyone behind, just as the unwanted lonely escape was about to unfold,

– Thud!

Suddenly, a large sword appeared in the sky along with the magic circle.

The sword descended without delay, its sharp tip aimed at,

“Lady Hastia, dodge!”

Directly above Hastia’s head.

In the blink of an eye, it would strike.

In such a pressing moment, there was no room to evade.

She simply bowed her head deeply and tightly shut her eyes.

– Thud!

Exactly five seconds passed, neither more nor less.

As Hastia realized she was unharmed, she slowly opened her eyes that had been shut.

‘…?’

The moment she discovered herself standing alone, lonely, on the field where the mountain wind blew,

– Thump

Whether it was a moment of relief or not, she weakly sank down.

However, realizing it wasn’t time to relax, she immediately lifted her head.

The energy of the clan members was still distinctly felt not far away.

‘What should I do?’

Even if she couldn’t flee alone, there wouldn’t be much difference if she returned.

Though her heart was torn with anguish, Hastia repeated her dilemma while pacing back and forth, but she couldn’t come to a decision.

“You don’t need to agonize so much.”

At the strange sensation that woke her from her confusion, Hastia turned her head.

“There’s no need to be frustrated by the reality that you can’t do anything.”

A woman with long, silvery hair similar to Hastia’s smiled strangely at her.

Somehow feeling an oppressive aura, Hastia unconsciously stepped back.

Though she looked human on the surface, Hastia immediately realized the woman before her was of the same White Elf tribe as herself.

“No need to be on guard, no need to have doubts. Our meeting here and now was destined from a very distant past…”

Hastia couldn’t comprehend the meaning of the words.

To put it bluntly, wouldn’t it mean to just not think about anything?

As the unknown woman gently took steps towards her, amidst the confusion clouding her mind, she gently brushed away the frozen tear on Hastia’s cheek and whispered softly.

“It’s time to be freed from the long-standing wish that has lasted for 300 years. Let go of everything and close your eyes comfortably. Then everything will be over.”

As her sweet voice gently penetrated Hastia’s ears, her eyelids gradually began to droop, sleep pouring over her.

Towards the unknown abyss of space, not knowing when she would awaken,

“Sleep well, Hastia…”

Hastia fell into oblivion without a sound.

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