Reincarneted with summoning system

A carriage was moving along the mountain roads, even though it had no horses pulling it.

On its sides, lanterns with small flames inside flickered softly, seeming to fuel the vehicle itself.

How exactly it moved on its own, no one really knew. Maybe some magic engineer somewhere had the answer, but one thing was certain it was very expensive.

Inside, the seats were lined with deep red velvet, embroidered with delicate golden patterns. The seats were comfortable, wide enough to stretch out on, yet firm enough to keep one's back straight.

Ludelth sat to the side, resting his cheek on his palm as he watched the scenery pass by.

His mother sat directly across from him, her eyes fixed on him thoughtfully.

The atmosphere inside the cabin was quiet.

Anna was worried about her son. His sudden change had shaken her. Don't get it wrong she was happy that Ludelth had decided to change, but that didn't mean she wanted to see him get hurt.

Over the past few weeks, their relationship had become slightly strained. No matter how many times she told him to slow down or to take it easy, he continued to push himself harder and harder in his training.

Of course, she could understand why he did it. She herself had gone through a similar phase back when she was an adventurer, but that didn't mean she wanted her son to follow the same path.

She had even gone to ask the other wives of her husband for advice on how to handle this situation, but unfortunately, none of them could help her. Their children had never experienced something like this.

So, she did the only thing she thought might help him, she accepted it. Fighting against her son's resolve would only lead to arguments and distance between them.

But in exchange, she decided she would spend more time with him. For her, it was a fair price to pay for seeing her little boy coming home with injuries.

Still, it didn't stop her from wondering what exactly had triggered this change in her child.

"Ludelth,"

"Mmm?" he replied, without turning his head.

"You've been… busier lately."

"Yeah."

She looked at him for a moment, searching for something to hold onto. "It's nice to see you so… focused."

Ludelth gave a small nod, still watching the passing scenery.

"Do you like this new pace?" she asked, letting her fingers trace the edge of the seat.

"It's not bad," he replied, giving a small shrug.

"Then why the sudden change? Did something happen recently?"

"Not really, I just decided to change. Nothing important."

"Oh?" she said, her face remaining still. "Funny how a 'nothing important' can change a young prince's entire routine."

"Some things just change on their own."

"On their own?" she repeated, her tone light.

She observed him in silence for a moment. "You know," she continued, "when things change 'on their own', there's often someone pushing them along."

"What I meant is that the coming-of-age trial is approaching, and I want to survive it."

"You?" She raised an eyebrow. "What happened to the little boy who used to say he would get through it just fine even without training?"

Anna wasn't particularly worried about the ceremony itself. After all, she knew something that made the whole thing less frightening.

"He grew up, Mother. He realized things couldn't keep going the way they were."

"That's no good. I want my little boy back."

Was it really so wrong, she wondered, to want her son to stay small forever, to always be the little boy who ran to her for everything?

"You can't have him back anymore. He has to become an adult."

She waited a moment before speaking again. "You know, even an 'adult' doesn't have to do everything alone."

"I'm not doing everything alone."

"Oh." A brief smile crossed her lips. "So, there's someone helping you?"

She had suspected for a while that someone was training him. After all, it was unlikely that Ludelth was getting so many bruises on his own.

She just didn't know who it was. She had tried to find out, but her investigations had led nowhere.

She had checked the schedules of all the palace instructors during the times her son would disappear, and they were all accounted for. Which meant this mysterious teacher likely wasn't from the palace. 

At first, it had worried her greatly. She had tried to trace him with every means at her disposal, but nothing worked. It was as if this person appeared solely to train Ludelth, then vanished. Of course, she couldn't send someone to tail him any instructor capable of teleporting would notice immediately, and the last thing she wanted was to antagonize someone like that, which could put Ludelth in danger.

So, she had decided to trust her son's judgment. After all, he was wise enough to decide for himself whether or not someone was worth trusting.

The only thing she didn't know was whether she should be angry at this person or grateful. Deep down, she knew the world outside wasn't so kind.

Ludelth turned slightly, giving her a quick glance before looking back out the window. "In a way."

"I see." Anna smoothed a wrinkle in her dress. "I hope it's not dangerous."

He wetted his lips. "No."

"If it were dangerous, you'd tell me, wouldn't you?" Her voice was steady, but not harsh.

"It's nothing you need to worry about."

"You always say that," she replied, a faint smile on her lips as she tilted her head. "And it usually means there's something."

"Maybe sometimes I just don't want anyone to worry."

"And what if I want to worry anyway?"

The carriage slowed as it approached a small stone bridge.

"I wouldn't know what to say," Ludelth replied softly, without lifting his gaze.

She stayed silent, watching his hands gripping the edge of the seat.

"All right," she finally said with a sigh. "But if you ever want to tell me, I'm here."

"I know."

Anna nodded slowly. "Just remember that."

"Mother," Ludelth said after a moment.

"Yes, dear?"

"Where did… Father and Moron go?"

His mother's face tightened slightly, as if debating whether to tell him or not.

In the end, she sighed.

"There were some problems… in the south," she said softly.

"What kind of problems?"

She ran a hand through her hair, tucking back a strand that had fallen across her forehead. "Mana beasts."

The silence in the carriage grew heavier, the vehicle rolling on without a sound beyond its low hum.

"Mana… beasts?" the young prince repeated.

"That doesn't explain why Father had to leave. The army could have handled it."

"They're S-rank beasts," she said.

"That still isn't enough. They could've sent a battalion led by a general."

Anna sighed again.

"They did. But it was wiped out."

"They think that this time, a beast much stronger than usual has appeared."

Ludelth sat there, shocked, and she could understand why.

A battalion could fight off a dozen S-rank beasts, especially when led by the kingdom's strongest men. For them to be defeated could only mean two things: either too many high-ranked beasts had gathered, or worse, there was a creature stronger than even an S-rank.

Either option would spell disaster for the kingdom. So the King had decided to go himself, along with some of his strongest generals including Moron.

"Of course, this is just a theory. We still don't know exactly what happened."

"But don't worry," she added firmly, even if her eyes betrayed a hint of worry. "With your father there, I'm sure the situation is already under control. They're probably just staying to make sure everything is safe."

"You're right, Mother. I'm sure Father has everything under control."