I reincarnated as the Duke from the North.

Meanwhile at The Greystone Manor…

 

Joshua

 

“I am so booooored!!” I jumped backwards onto my bed. Feeling the soft linen on my back, I think of my mother again. Does she starve? Is the room cold? I stupidly worried, but as I rolled around on my comfortable bed, I didn't feel guilty. Despite being kept in the room, I felt free. Uncage by the oppressive eyes of the woman. I no longer had to follow her strict rules for succession. A life I didn't care for was not forced on to me any longer. I can do as I want with who I want. Within this room, that is…

“Perhaps, my lord you would like to play some cards with me?” I turned to the side with a bored, aloof expression at my substitute maid. “I ain't fun without him.”

“Unfortunate he-”

“Yes, yes, I know, June. Work.”

“Then maybe…” June began to unbutton her shirt.

“Cease, woman! I brought you from the Brothel because I need people, not for that. I’m a new man now.”

June buttoned her shirt again. “Sure, Milord.” She said with a smirk.

I turned onto my back, folding my arm under my head with his rough face still in my thoughts.

“What about a story? I missed hearing those with Lane.”

“A story, huh? Okay. This one is wholesome. There was a time I was to marry Lea.”

“The Trak daughter?”

I nodded. “Our parents brought us together for a little “date” when I was only ten.”

“So soon after your father died…”June said with a disgusted face.

“Mother was already working her machinations. We were having an awkward tea together. I had nothing in common with the obedient princess. But before I could finish my cup, something across the courtyard caught my attention. I saw a young boy close to my age carrying an elk on his shoulders. Lea’s voice was drowned out as I was mesmerised by his strength. A giant for his age, his eyes should have wisdom beyond his years.”

I sat up. My head was light with nostalgia; I tried to put down my smile. “I waved my hand at the boy. He saw and fucking ignored me.”

“Hehe yeah, sounds like him.”

“This little prick I was (and still am, to be honest) I ordered people to summon him.”

“What a dick.”

I point my finger a her. “Oi. Ahem. Anyway, servants brought him to his knees. Full of curiosity, I went close to him. No nervousness showed on his face. I wasn't used to that at all. Which made me more curious. I ordered him, ‘Teach me. Teach me to hunt as you.’ Although at first he was confused, he accepted and he invited me to the stablemen's shack.”

“What about Lea?”

“Oh yeah, I completely forgot about her, just like I did in this story, hahaha! I left her. Anyway, I followed him straight away to the chagrin of the servant and reached a wooden door emanating the strong smell of iron. The boy pushed the door and was shown a dirty world. Tools and blades covered in red, dead carcasses hung from hooks. The boy pointed to the dead elk. And said the only sentence I heard from him for almost a decade.”

I sighed. “‘Your dinner.’ My life was fundamentally changed that day. Servants were just a fact of life. Then it started clicking. The dirt and muck these people had work in so I could live in a pristine manor with freshly caught meat that magically appeared on how dinner table. So what do you think I did with revelation? I told my mother that’s what! HAHAHAHA.”

June came to sit next to me, knowing how I was when I talked about her. “As you can expect, beatings lasted an hour. How dare I talk with a commoner? How dare I learn such things? How could sympathise with lessers? Till the rod was red… I later learnt the same was done to the boy.”

“Lands above. Wait, ain't this supposed to be wholesome?”

"But I get to meet the boy every day now!”

June scratched her chin. “Since you ain't paying me for time anymore, I will finally say it. Your stories are very depressing.”

“I know.” I lay back down. Charles's face flickered in my mind. “I paid you well, right?”

She leaned on the bed with me. “What do you want me to do now?”

“Tell them I am sleeping nice and tight in my bed.”

You make me curious still, Charles.

In the black shade

Tarion

As my greatsword was thrust toward my head, I couldn't help finding death by my own blade was tragically funny. But I wasn’t going to let it happen today.

The frequencies of my mana matched the vines, and the spell around my neck fuzzed for just a moment.

It’s enough.

With a loud, passionate roar, I pulsed mana from every inch of my body, and the vines were apart and dissipated into nothing. I moved my head left, and my weapon marked the side of my head as it stabbed the wall behind me. My mana tether split into six, and it pressed my allocation buttons.

“WHA-!?”

50 points to strength.

My right hand grabbed my greatsword at its edge and pulled the shocked Vel to me and flash-stepped. My left fist rose from below and bent Vel's forearm. Hearing no scream, I uppercut again, knocking the greatsword hilt away from the mage's grip.

55 more points to strength.

My greatsword returned to me, and elation pulled the corners of my mouth. I gripped the blade end and swung with earth-shaking power onto Vel's head with the sword’s guard. There was a satisfying crunch as I hammered down, creating a vacuum with my strength. Bowing from my strike, Vel tried to move backwards, with multiple shields forming in front. I swung up, ripping through the air. The sword guard smashed into the blue mana and tore each hastily made shield like paper mache. Sword’s guard connected with Vel’s chin, crumbling it like an accordion, and into the air, Vel flew from my strike. I looked for Kurt as Vel twirled. He rushed for the puppeteer.

Smart man. He needs a raise. My dear Greatsword’s hilt flipped back to my hand, and 70 points were spilt into my senses. I will do my part. I jumped at the clay golem with a sword bursting with bright mana.

Kurt.

I ran at full speed at the mage, but with each step felt like I was walking in a swamp. His oppressive hue of nine that emanated from him weighed heavily on me. But I ran. Pounding the earth with my boots, I ran to the target with Umbra steps covering my presence. I stepped in for the thrust. The slim double-edged dagger, rippling rainbow mana as I stabbed at the unassuming blurred man. A shield stopped the dagger, then another and another. The invisible mage turned his head as he noticed his shields being poked through. And like a bug pestering him, he swiped his hand, and a beam of searing heat shot in my direction. I slipped away with Umbra-steps, water covered the dagger, and using his strange energy, I whipped at his shield, destroying a few more layers. Fireballs and lightning were thrown at me in quick succession and my water whip destroyed all that came close. I saw the blurred figure look back and forth between me and Master and I stepped in.

My duty. At all costs.

My senses saw spells forming above and ran at the enemy with a dagger ready.

The Duke.

Using the air as a foothold, my blade crashed into the clayman's side, its left shoulder, and then at its neck it dodged.

"Oh, Tarion, you surprised me there, but-” I flash-stepped on air, thrusting at Vel with no hesitation. A shield blocked my attack.

“Come on, you already tried this!”

From the tip of the greatsword, I mana repulsed. The shield shattered and sword plunged deep in the clay mans body.

“You seem weaker. Distracted?” I jeered at him as Vel’s puppet pushed a wave of mana at me.

“How!?! HOW DID YOU!?!” The puppet pulled himself off my blade and fled away with levitation.

“What a stupid question!” I soared with a gale carrying me in the air with the ceiling only a few meters above me and mana repulsion jetting me to the worrying Vel puppet. “You’re the researcher! Figure it the fuck out!” Beam after beam attacked from every direction, burning the air with the heat they shot.

From strength to agility, 35 points.

Like a sailfish, I swam in the air; my body contorted, turned, folded, and flipped out of the way of the lasers.

Faster.

55 points to strength, 30 to agility, and 20 to mana capacity.

My right boot stomped on an air-platform and I crouched sideways in the air. Fissures and cracks formed in the air as strained with gritted teeth to hold the air together. Holding the air together with my left, my right hand gripped tight on my precious weapon.

Go.

The skin of my face was tugged back as I was propelled forward, travelling beyond supersonic speed. The world stretched at all sides with my terrified target, creating an extra-thick mana shield. I heard spells explode on the ground. Light flashed and sparked like the Guy Fawkes night.

105 points to strength.

Kurt.

Fighting never came easy for me. But I persevered. From barely lifting a sword, I can pop the air with its speed with my swing. My footsteps were clunky, and my mana control was terrible. But I had a duty to fulfil. The umbra now praised me for breaking limits that haven’t been broken in generations. But I just trained.

A ninth-circle mage lit the ring with his spells; I do not fret. My training hasn't failed me yet.

I took a step. Mana split from me as I jumped the other way with a flash-step. Mana assumed my form, and spells fell upon the distraction as I made my run to my true objective: to free the duchess. I took a flash-step and jumped with the rainbow dagger. The shield around my master’s wife popped like a bubble. Her grace dropped, and I sped to her.

“NO!!!!!!”

A white-haired man appeared, guiding spells with his hands. “GET AWAY FROM HER!!!!”

An explosion singed my back. I took another flash-step, scooping her grace from the floor.

“MASTER!!!” I shouted as my shadow clone saved me from a flame spear. I faded into the background with Her Grace safe in my arms and my task complete.

THE DUKE

 

“MASTER!!!”

I swung.

The air shuddered as I held back no more.

 

I floated down watching chunks of clay drop to the ground. Landing close to the haggard mage, I looked down at the terrified and injured Vel with joy on my lips. Unclipping my cloak and returning it to my inventory, I rolled my bleeding shoulder.

“Finally. Just us.”