Mind Controling In Another World

As soon as Alphonse left Lilian's room, he leaned against the nearest wall, his breathing labored.

‘I’ve used too much mana. I’ve never cast that many spells in a row.’ Alphonse thought.

[You accumulated enough experience.]
[Your Mind Influence has reached LVL 2.]
[Your influence will be stronger.]
[Your journey has been… fun.]
[I’ll assign your first ‘Quests.’]

| New Quest: Obtain your first slave
| Obtain the proof of obedience from your first slave.
| Reward: [New Skill]

| New Quest: Covet what belongs to others
| Obtain someone else's woman
| Reward: [New Skill]

| New Quest: The Greatest Sin
| What is the greatest sin?
| Reward: [Level Up]

Alphonse looked at the fiery letters that formed in front of him. He knew that spells and his [Profession] could level up, increasing his power, but he didn’t expect such a rapid evolution.

‘I remember that Sophie took a few months to evolve her [Water Gun].’ Alphonse recalled. ‘Quests? It seems my Patron has clarified what he desires from me.’

Once he recovered, the boy returned to his room. His hunger remained, but at this moment, he needed to sleep and recover his mana.

“THUM! THUM! THUM!”

Alphonse awoke startled by the knocks. When he opened his eyes, it was already daytime—possibly late.

‘I should install a clock in this room.’ The boy thought as he walked to the door.

When he opened it, a soldier was waiting.

“Young master, the Baroness summons you to the meeting room,” the soldier said.

“Of course. Thank you very much,” Alphonse replied.

The boy quickly closed the door and got ready, changing clothes and washing his face in the bathroom.

‘What could my mother want, especially this early?’ Alphonse pondered. ‘Could the Baron already be returning? It would be unfortunate; he’s been at war for three weeks.’

Alphonse looked at himself in the mirror, noticing his hair was growing longer, but he preferred this look.

Finally ready, he headed to the meeting room, one of the largest rooms on the mansion's second floor.

As he approached the door, he saw his sister waiting to enter.

“Hi, Sophie!” Alphonse greeted.

“Ah!” The girl was slightly startled by her brother’s voice. “Al!” She gave him a light slap on the arm before turning back to look at the meeting room door.

“Did Mom call you too?” Sophie asked.

“Yes. Do you have any idea what it’s about?” Al questioned.

“Not yet,” Sophie replied.

As soon as they finished speaking, they heard shouting from inside the room.

“What do you mean, captain, that you still haven’t found them? Every day, your incompetence puts our people at risk. You will leave this room and focus on this situation. I don’t want to see your face until it’s solved. Understood?” Alphonse could hear his mother’s voice clearly, or rather, the voice of the Baroness.

There was a brief pause before they heard, “Yes, ma’am.”

Then the doors opened, and the Captain of the Guard came out, walking quickly, eager to distance himself from that room.

However, he wasn’t quick enough for Alphonse not to notice his face. The captain radiated both shame and fury.

‘Am I going to have to deal with him?’ The boy made a mental note to learn more about this issue.

With the door open, both siblings moved forward and entered the room. The meeting room was very similar to a dining hall, except there were piles and piles of papers scattered about. Also, sitting at the head of the table wasn’t the Baron, but the Baroness.

Alphonse could see the concern and stress on his mother’s face. However, her expression changed completely when she raised her eyes and saw her children. She looked like a mother; her eyes softened, and she smiled warmly at seeing her “children.”

Still, the boy sensed something different in her gaze. She seemed slightly embarrassed to look at him.

[Mind Connection]

Alphonse activated the connection he had established the previous day.

‘God, how can I be thinking such things when I look at my children,’ the Baroness thought, her face slightly flushed.

“How are you, Mom?” Sophie asked.

“I’m fine, dear. Just some problems with the crops, but nothing major.” Isabelle gave a faint smile. Alphonse didn’t need his powers to know it was fake.

“Is there anything we can help with?” Alphonse asked.

“No. You don’t need to worry about things like that,” Isabelle replied.

“Mother. Hopefully, in the distant future, I will inherit this domain. Perhaps it’s time to start helping, at least to understand how things work,” Alphonse argued.

The Baroness took a few seconds to think before responding.

“Alright, but today, the help you will provide is different,” she explained. “Both of you need to attend a ball. The Montefalco house is hosting an engagement party, and we’ve been invited.”

“But Mom, wouldn’t it make more sense for you to go?” Sophie asked.

“Yes, under normal circumstances, it would. However, with the Baron away, it’s important that I stay close to the territory,” Isabelle explained.

“We just need to attend?” Alphonse asked.

“Don’t cause any trouble, and you’ll be fine. The Montefalco house doesn’t have much influence within the Empire, but who knows, it might open commercial doors with the Lower Kingdoms,” the Baroness explained.

“Yes, ma’am,” Sophie responded.

After a bit more conversation, the Baroness asked them to leave so she could focus.

The two began preparing their outfits and requested the carriage, as they needed to leave immediately to arrive at the event in time.

Alphonse was impressed. Reaching Montefalco's territory was challenging, but they finally saw the city after crossing the last hill.

It was a small city sustained by maritime trade, with Mediterranean-style architecture that reminded Alphonse of his previous life.

“Impressive,” Alphonse commented.

Sophie’s eyes were also shining. They rarely had the chance to leave their territory and visit other noble houses.

“I’ve heard they have excellent fish and shellfish, and the feast will be filled with regional dishes,” Sophie shared the rumors.

“Do you know anything about their house?” Alphonse asked.

“Not much. They aren’t that large but have good commercial influence,” Sophie replied, pulling from her memory.

“We’ll have to learn on the spot then,” Alphonse said.

They would reach the mansion hosting the event in a few more minutes. Both were already dressed for the festivities, though they wouldn’t stay long, as they only represented the Hohenberg house.

Alphonse extended a hand to help Sophie down from the carriage. Around them, a group of four soldiers who had accompanied them since they left the mansion focused on protecting the two.

After dismounting from the carriage, they had a clearer view of the manor. It was a huge two-story mansion with small towers around it, resembling a small castle. Hundreds of mana-powered lamps illuminated its facade.

“Looks like someone wants to flaunt some gold coins,” Alphonse commented quietly to his sister.

“That must cost a fortune,” she replied.

They walked through the entrance, where hundreds of other nobles arrived. Several were familiar faces with whom they chatted amiably, but there were also many nobles from other kingdoms and even from across the sea attending the engagement.

Sophie tried not to appear nervous, but Alphonse could tell she was clenching her hands to calm herself.

As they passed through the mansion’s entrance arches, they saw the building’s full extent. It encircled an artificial lake built in the center, with a courtyard filled with small tents for the festivities.

Nearby, various musicians played local classical music, setting the tone for the moment.

After hundreds of other families had entered, the event was finally about to begin.

“Thum thum thum. Ahem ahem.”

Alphonse heard an amplified voice speaking from the center of the courtyard.

“Thank you to all the guests for attending this modest ceremony.” On stage, a horrendous man spoke into a magic microphone, amplifying each word for all to hear.

“Is that the Baron?” Sophie asked.

“Yes…” Alphonse replied, recognizing him from the picture his mother had shown.

Vittorio di Montefalco was one of the most infamous nobles in the empire. He had lost three wives in the last ten years, none of which left an heir, forcing him to seek yet another bride.

If it weren’t for his near-infinite wealth, he wouldn’t have had so many opportunities. Still, his notoriety was such that his bride had to come from across the sea.

Vittorio was bald, extremely obese, and tall. His face was old and wrinkled, and his skin was pale from a lack of sun. Meanwhile, his bride, like many girls from across the sea, had brown skin and brown eyes and was veiled in layers of cloth.

“If that’s the Baron… then she must be the bride?” Sophie asked, scandalized by the differences between the couple—physically and in age.

“Yes, she is the future Baroness, Amina di Montefalco,” Alphonse commented.

Amina couldn’t have been older than fourteen. Although nobles were usually already arranging engagements to strengthen family ties at this age, it was surreal to see her marry someone three times her age.

Sophie didn’t know what to say; she preferred to keep quiet to avoid offending any other nobles who might overhear. However, her face displayed her disgust for Vittorio and this arrangement.

“Sophie, I think we should start mingling with other groups. We just need to make a good impression with some nobles, and we can leave the party,” Alphonse explained, trying to calm her.

With a clear goal in mind, the two began mingling at the party, conversing with other nobles.

“Cousin!”

Alphonse heard someone shouting behind him.

‘Damn, no way,’ the boy sighed as he turned around.

“Don’t tell me, don’t tell me. Let me guess your [Profession]. Looking at you, maybe you got [Shit Cleaner]?” Lucius spoke loudly, trying to humiliate him in front of the surrounding nobles.

“Lucius, it’s equally good to see you at this party,” Alphonse replied, ignoring the insult.

“Ah! Don’t respond like that, cousin. I know your result must’ve been crap. But celebrate with me!” Lucius handed Alphonse a cup of wine. “I passed the Imperial Academy exam. Not everyone in our family is useless like you. Look on the bright side.”

“Lucius, Lucius. You should learn your place. Someday, I’ll have to beat that fat ass of yours to teach you not to cross the line,” Alphonse whispered, only for his cousin to hear.

“Fat! Fat! These are muscles, you idiot!” Lucius retorted.

“Lucius!”

“Damn it,” Lucius muttered as he heard his name being called. He quickly slipped away into the crowd of nobles and ran off.

Alphonse had a good idea of who it was. Behind him stood Madeleine.

“Hello, Madeleine. Looking for your fiancé?” Alphonse asked.

“Yes, trying to stop him from doing something stupid,” she replied, only between the two of them.

“That’s almost an impossible mission,” Alphonse smiled slightly.

“Tell me about it,” Madeleine sighed.

‘I think it’s time to complete my first mission,’ Alphonse thought.