Reincarnated as son of powerful duchess

Night wasted

I slept peacefully in my carriage like a log. I have dreamed about my past life.

In my previous life as Carter, I read many books in which knowledge is unused. I haven't applied them in real life.

Becoming a conjurer is good luck and much like a payment for all the knowledge I didn't use properly. I hope from the bottom of my heart I will properly utilize my power well this life.

I was a romantic person in my previous life, romantic refers to the person who would value feels and gut instincts over logical things. I would accept the logical theory if it works but I normally prefer what I normally feel.

Being romantic doesn't mean love or clinging to a specific person, it means having a heart that is lovable to yourself.

Me being able to go this far I pretty much opposite of what I was in my previous life. I was a passive bookworm, how I became a lord is a massive change.

I suddenly awoke, my body tensing as the carriage halted suddenly. I hear grunts, shouts, and the sharp clang of metal outside, which shattered the peaceful silence of the night.

I blinked, disoriented, and glanced around outside, I can't make it this far. Chole and Charlie were both stirring, their eyes wide with confusion.

"What was that?" Charlie mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

Seraphina remained blissfully asleep, her face serene and untouched by the commotion. She was still tired after it.

Chole sniffed the air, her nose twitching like a rabbit's. "What's that smell?" she asked after smelling, her voice a mix of curiosity and concern. "It's a weird, salty smell. Like... something spilled?"

She can smell? "Ignore it?" I replied as a bead of sweat trickled down my forehead.

"As you wish my lord " Chole replied calmly and stoically with a serious face. "How you wish to proceed " Chole asked while pointing at those people. They have blocked our path, and they aren't settling their argument.

"Go and knock them out cold " I replied in irritation. These guys have disturbed my sleep time.

We exited the carriage, stepping into the cool night air. The moon cast long, shadows across the forest floor

Chole muttered, "Honestly, how can Seraphina sleep through this racket? She sleeps like a pig."

I remained silent, a knowing smirk tugging at my lips. I knew exactly why Seraphina was sleeping so soundly

We head towards the group. One group consists of an older woman with flowing silver hair that reaches her waist. Her face is etched with worry, her eyes darting between our group and the angry mob. A man wielding a wicked-looking lance stands in another group, his eyes narrowed. "Well, well, well," he sneers, "look what the tide dragged in. A rich kid and their bodyguard, out for a midnight stroll?"

"I don't care, just let us pass, and we will be fine," I reply, growing tired of the situation.

"Pay 100 gold coins, kid, and maybe we will, or you can compensate—" His eyes rake over Chole, a predatory glee in them. That is the last straw.

Before he can finish his taunting remark, I unleash a surge of water magic, conjuring a powerful [Waterform] to create a whip and slash it across him. The man is sent flying backward, his lance clattering to the ground as he lands in a heap. "I am not here to negotiate with scum like you. MOVE OUT."

"Anyone else feel like making fun of us?" I ask, my voice dripping with venom.

"He lost a-an e-eye," one of his teammates stammers, pointing at their leader's bloodied face.

One of the guards lunges at me, his rusty trident glinting in the moonlight. Don't they have money to purchase new weapons?

"Don't you dare touch my lord!" Chole roars, reacting instantly. Her hand is a blur as she grabs his wrist and twists it with a sickening crack. The guard yelps in pain, his weapon clattering to the ground.

I am so proud of you, Chole. You were raised as a good female knight. Your lord is proud of you. Fueled by a desire to be a hero and redeem his pride after his embarrassing moment in the test earlier, Charlie charges forward, his fists blazing with fire magic.

Charlie is an Augmentation mage with a strong fire element, A-rank. So he is a physically strong unit. Something about the attackers' tattered robes and the strange symbols etched into their weapons seems suspicious.

The older woman, seeing her daughter's attacker defeated, lets out a sob of relief. "Thank you," she whispers, her voice trembling. "You saved us."

"Saved you?" Chole scoffs, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Lady, do you have any idea how much our lord's time is worth? He is an important figure, not a charity worker."

Charlie nods in agreement. "Protecting damsels in distress sounds heroic, but it doesn't pay the bills."

"We'll need compensation for our services," Chole declares firmly. "One thousand gold pieces should suffice."

The older woman gasps, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief. "One thousand gold pieces? But we're just simple farmers! We don't have that kind of money."

Charlie shrugs. "Not our problem," he says dismissively. "Perhaps you should have thought of that before getting yourselves into trouble."

"Charlie and Chole, I am proud of you for having some brain cells. But stop for now." I interrupt, my voice surprisingly gentle. "I understand your situation. First of all, who are all these people? Perhaps you can explain."

The older woman hesitates, her eyes darting between me and her daughter. "Can... I trust you?" she asks, her voice laced with suspicion.

"Yes," I reply, my voice firm and steady, resisting the urge to make a promise to protect her daughter.

Chole is ready to skin this woman alive for doubting me. "Why, you—" she starts, furious.

The woman's eyes widen, and she exchanges a worried glance with her daughter before mustering up the courage. "There is something," she begins hesitantly, "but... it's dangerous. It involves..."

"My daughter," the younger woman interrupts, her voice trembling. "She's an Oracle. They... they tried to take her."

I can probably guess that some big lord tried to collect her. I can only imagine the lengths some power-hungry lord would go to acquire such a prize. But who were "they"?

"Who tried to take her?" I ask, curious about this big shot. Things are getting interesting.

The older woman hesitates, her eyes darting nervously around the clearing. "They call themselves the Naix," she finally whispers, her voice barely audible. "They wear dark robes with a symbol... a crescent moon, and they speak of sacrifices... chanting to some ancient god. They said... they said their 'Mother' would be pleased to have my daughter, and they... tried to take her from me."

Dark robes with a symbol... a crescent moon. I have heard of some kind of cult in some fictional books of Aquaria. To think they are real. Who is this 'Mother'? What is the cult's goal? Is it related to the Fire Elemental incident seven years ago? And what happened to her?

I reach into my pocket and pull out a small, worn photograph. It is a picture of Lyra, the young girl who disappeared after the accident. I hold it out to the women, once again asking.

I hold the photograph out to the woman, my voice thick with emotion. "Have you seen this girl? Her name is Lyra. She disappeared after the attack on Hightide Haven," I ask, expecting her to say, "I don't know."

The woman's eyes widen as she takes the photo, her hand trembling slightly. I raise my eyebrows, my drowsiness gone.

"Yes," she whispers, her voice barely audible. "I know this girl. She... she saved our village."

A wave of shock and confusion washes over me. "What do you mean?" I ask.