Reincarneted with summoning system

It had been two weeks since Ludelth started training with Scáthach, and to him, they were the worst two weeks of his life.

Scáthach had made sure Ludelth learned the basics of combat perfectly and every time he made a mistake, he was struck.

They had gone from stances to attacks to footwork, and then to using all three together.

Even though the lessons only lasted an hour, for Ludelth, they felt like an eternity. His body couldn't move for at least half an hour after training ended.

And things had only gotten worse once Scáthach decided to start physical training. Ludelth had been forced to run as if his life depended on it because if he didn't, he would be hit by a boulder that Scáthach threw with terrifying speed, creating small craters wherever it landed.

Then came the lifting. Ludelth was forced to lift entire boulders for hours to build his strength. You might wonder how he could lift boulders for hours when the summoning only lasted an hour. Simple Scáthach knew.

Ludelth didn't know how, but if he didn't lift the boulder for at least an hour, she would know and she would beat him.

And every time he started to get used to the routine, she would increase the weight or change the exercise to something even harder, making Ludelth silently wish that this agony would end soon.

Of course, it wasn't like this training wasn't working. Whenever Ludelth checked the system, he couldn't help but smile.

[Name: Ludleth Ashenvale

Race: Human

Age: 12

Strength: 11

Agility: 12

Vitality: 14

Mana: 10/100

Aura: 250/250]

His body had been trained before, but many of his muscles had disappeared without consistent training. Now, however, it was a different story. His body was in the best shape it had ever been, with lean muscle built up, and he had even grown a few centimeters taller.

His strength had doubled, as had his agility and vitality. And even though these stats were just references and not a true "power-up" like in a video game, it still made him happy especially when he saw his Aura, which had grown by fifty points, almost half of what he had managed to accumulate over years of training.

His Aura had stopped growing a few years ago, and no matter how hard he trained, it just wouldn't increase. Today, he could only sigh and shake his head, realizing he hadn't been pushing himself hard enough before giving up.

But now, he wouldn't stop. He would push himself to his limits to become stronger to prove his worth to his father.

Of course, that was what he intended to do, but at the moment, he needed to get up from the ground. Ludelth had been lying there for over an hour, and he needed to return to the castle before it got too late.

Taking a deep breath, his hands covered in bits of dirt and pebbles, Ludelth tried to push himself upright, managing it with great effort. Then, with one last push, he got to his feet, leaning against a nearby tree for support.

After a few minutes, Ludelth began walking back home. On the way, he passed by a small lake in the forest. There was no way he could return to the palace in his current state he smelled of sweat so strongly it would be noticeable from a mile away. He decided to wash off the sweat and dirt here before taking another bath back at the palace.

It might have seemed stupid to wash himself in the lake only to bathe again at the palace, but he had a reputation to maintain. If he returned dirty, disheveled, smelly, and with torn clothes, people would start calling him the "hobo prince," and it would only alarm his mother unnecessarily.

The first time he came back in such a state, he had to come up with an excuse on the spot, and then he had to endure a two-hour clothes-changing session with his mother just to calm her down for worrying so much.

Yes, this was the most logical solution he could come up with for the day.

So, he took off his clothes planning to throw them away later and stepped into the lake.

The water was lukewarm. Not warm, but just enough to relax his aching muscles.

Ludelth entered the lake slowly, feeling the mud between his toes slip away as it washed off into the water.

The scent of the lake was a mixture of wet grass and algae, with that sweet note you could only smell in summer when the sun warmed the surface and the vapors rose gently. The breeze brushed against his face, carrying the scent of the trees surrounding the shore.

He stopped when the water reached his chest, took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a moment, and then let himself fall backward, allowing the water to cleanse his body.

Then, he resurfaced and floated on his back, letting the water support him.

The water gently caressed his ears. Occasionally, a cool droplet would slide from his chin to his lips, leaving the faint taste of the lake.

The clouds drifted slowly above him, white and fluffy like sheep's wool. Now and then, a bird flew high across the sky.

The sun, filtering through the clouds, made him squint with a small smile.

With his arms spread out, he felt the tiny ripples moving beneath him, holding him afloat, while a few strands of cold algae brushed against his wrist. His toes occasionally touched a slippery pebble below.

The sound of cicadas blended with the gentle noise of the water. Every so often, a branch would rustle, or a splash would echo in the distance perhaps a fish jumping.

Ludelth closed his eyes, letting the sun warm his face while his shoulders remained submerged in the cool water. A soft shiver ran down his spine as a cooler breeze passed by.

He exhaled slowly, enjoying this moment of peace.

He had always liked savoring the small, everyday moments, but recently, he found himself appreciating them even more.

Maybe it was because his life had become more hectic, or perhaps having memories from another life had made him more thoughtful. After all, from those memories, he knew that back on Earth, he always took time to look around and reflect on the small things.

Maybe that habit had carried over into this life, and now that he could remember his past one, it had only doubled.

Ludelth chuckled softly to himself at the thought.

——————

About ten minutes later, Ludelth was walking through the palace corridors, heading toward his favorite place the library. But he was stopped by a female voice calling out from a distance.

"Ludelth."

The boy turned around and saw his mother approaching.

"Mother, what a pleasure to see you," he said, putting on his best puppy-dog face.

"Don't even try that look, young man. You're in trouble," Anna said as she looked him over. "How many times do I have to tell you not to get yourself hurt during training?"

Ludelth could only stand there in silence, listening to his mother's worried voice.

It had all started when he began training with Scáthach. Ever since that day, she had seen him coming back bruised and battered and had started to worry. Fortunately, thanks to her royal duties, his mother couldn't follow him around all day, giving him time to continue his training.

"I've told you, there's no need for you to push yourself so hard," Anna said, her voice filled with the worry of a mother whose heart broke a little each time she saw her son return covered in bruises.

"I'm sorry, Mother, but I need to push myself to the limit if I want to improve."

Anna looked at him for a moment before letting out a sigh. "You're as stubborn as your father."

"Fine. Since you insist so much, you're going to accompany me into the city for shopping." She then grabbed his arm and began dragging him along.

"Mother, I think I'm feeling a bit tired. I don't know if I can go with you," Ludelth tried to escape.

At that, his mother stopped, placed a hand under her chin, and narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.

"You're right. I can't take you out looking like this."

Ludelth let out a small sigh, almost in disbelief that it had actually worked.

"That's why we're going to treat your wounds now, you'll get some rest, and tomorrow we'll go to the city together for the whole day."

The boy froze, and as he was about to say something, his mother shot him a glare that could kill.

"What is it? Don't you want to spend a day with your mother?"

At that point, Ludelth, completely defeated, could only nod in agreement, knowing he would have to skip training.

Meanwhile, Anna flashed a bright, satisfied smile. "Good. Then tomorrow will be a mother-son day."