Reborn As Noble

”Buddyyyyy! That was fun!” Javier laughed, patting Buddy’s neck enthusiastically. ”How about we hunt down the remaining bandits, huh? Ehehehe… We can loot them! They loot and kill others, so we’ll just return the favor. Yeah, it’s called justice.”

Buddy squawked in agreement, his beady eyes gleaming with excitement.

Javier smirked, leaning closer to Buddy’s ear. ”And I’ll treat you to some premium wyvern meat later. Sound good? Ehehehe, I’ve got a lot of it stored up in my magic storage! We’ll grill it, spice it up, and… slurp…”

Both Javier and Buddy drooled at the thought of a feast, their imaginations racing with the aroma of sizzling wyvern meat.

But before Javier could indulge his plans further, he felt a sudden sharp tug on his ear.

”Eeeeekkk!! That hurts!! Who dares—” He twisted around, freezing mid-sentence.

”Ahhhh… L-Liiiaaaa…nnnaaaa…” he stammered, sweat dripping down his face as he faced Liana’s calm yet terrifying gaze.

”Young master,” Liana said in a dangerously sweet tone, still holding his ear firmly, ”would you care to explain what exactly you’re doing out here?”

Javier gulped, forcing out a nervous chuckle. ”Just sightseeing, Liana. You know, fresh air and… uh… justice? Hehehe…”

Liana narrowed her eyes, gripping tighter. ”Sightseeing? With bandit corpses lying around while you drool over looting them?”

”W-well, technically, they were evil! And Buddy helped! Right, Buddy?” Javier turned to Buddy, who squawked and tilted his head innocently.

Liana sighed, letting go of his ear but stepping closer to glare at him. ”Young master, I told you not to leave the estate unsupervised. Do you know how dangerous this is? What if something happened to you?”

Javier pouted, rubbing his sore ear. ”C’mon, Liana. I’m not a kid anymore. I handled it just fine! Look!” He gestured dramatically at the defeated bandits. ”All cleaned up. No harm done.”

Liana crossed her arms, tapping her foot. ”’No harm done’? You’re the youngest son of Count Garius. Do you think your father would let this slide if he found out?”

Javier froze, the mention of his father draining the color from his face. ”U-uh… You wouldn’t tell him, right? Liana, my dearest, most loyal, and beautiful maid, surely you wouldn’t…”

Liana sighed again, pinching the bridge of her nose. ”Let’s head back before anyone else notices your little adventure.”

Javier slumped in defeat, muttering under his breath. ”Fine… But we’re still grilling that wyvern meat later.”

Buddy squawked in agreement, making Liana shake her head with an exasperated smile. ”Let’s go, young master.”

Javier sat atop Buddy, humming a cheerful tune as they strolled leisurely down the winding road, enjoying the serene countryside. The cool breeze rustled the leaves, and the sun cast a golden glow over the fields. It was peaceful—just the escape Javier needed.

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Behind him, Liana rode her silver-feathered Pekko, Pikko, her posture elegant and composed. While Javier savored the scenery, he couldn’t help but glance back over his shoulder occasionally.

Leaning down to whisper into Buddy’s ear, he muttered, ”Tch… I’m sure Pikko’s the one showing the way, huh? It’s like he has some magical radar for finding you no matter where we go.”

Buddy squawked softly in agreement, sharing Javier’s mild annoyance.

Javier smirked. ”Ehehehe… We need to step up our stealth game, Buddy. Next time, we’ll make a real escape! Maybe use some invisibility magic or a diversion—”

”Young master,” Liana’s calm voice cut through his plotting.

Javier froze, straightening up on Buddy’s back. He chuckled nervously, glancing back at her. ”Hehe… What’s up, Liana? Just enjoying the scenery, nothing suspicious here!”

Liana’s serene expression held a glint of amusement and exasperation. ”If you’re done conspiring with your Pekko, perhaps you’d like to inform me of our destination this time?”

Javier waved dismissively. ”Destination? Pfft, no destination! This is a freedom ride, Liana. No rules, no schedules, just me and Buddy—”

Pikko let out a soft chirp, almost mocking Javier’s statement, and Liana smiled knowingly. ”Hmm. A freedom ride, you say? Then why does Pikko always seem to find you, no matter where you and Buddy go?”

Javier groaned, throwing his hands up dramatically. ”See?! I knew it! Pikko’s got a sixth sense or something. Buddy and I are being tracked, Liana!”

Liana chuckled softly, stroking Pikko’s neck. ”Perhaps Pikko is just more responsible than a certain young master and his overly energetic Pekko.”

Javier huffed, slumping a bit on Buddy’s back. ”Responsible, huh? I call it nosy.”

Buddy squawked indignantly, seemingly agreeing with his rider, while Pikko chirped in smug satisfaction.

Liana shook her head, smiling gently. ”Young master, wherever you go, I’ll find you. Not just because of Pikko, but because I’m your maid.”

Javier blinked, caught off guard by her earnest tone, then quickly looked away with a slight blush. ”Y-yeah, yeah… Don’t get all sentimental on me, Liana. Let’s just keep riding, alright?”

Liana smiled knowingly but said nothing, guiding Pikko to match Buddy’s pace as they continued their peaceful ride.

Javier hummed happily on top of Buddy, jingling a pouch of gold coins as they walked down the quiet road. He couldn’t help but smile as he counted his treasure.

”One… five… uh, fourty? Ohhh, nice! Ehehehe!” he said, sounding very happy.

Behind him, Liana sighed a little, riding Pikko. ”Young master, stop with that drooling face. You look ridiculous.”

Javier quickly wiped his mouth and laughed awkwardly. ”Slurp… Ah, um… Eheheh. Here, this is for you!” He threw her five gold coins from his pouch with a quick flick of his hand.

Liana caught them easily and looked at the shiny coins in her hand. ”Haaaa… You keep giving me gold like this, young master. Do you even know how much this is? This is a year’s salary for a personal maid.”

Javier shrugged casually. ”So? You’re going to be my wife once I grow up. Think of it as… an investment! Yeah, something like that.”

Liana sighed again, but a small smile appeared on her face. ”Young master, we maids of the Armand household are already well taken care of. Clothes, rooms, food—it’s all provided. Most of us only use our salary for personal things, sending money to family, or saving it in the bank.”

Javier blinked, stopping his counting. ”Huh? We have a bank?”

Liana tilted her head, surprised by his question. ”Hmm? Of course, young master. The Armand household manages one of the largest banks in the region, you know?”

Javier almost fell off Buddy. ”EHHHHH!? WHAT?!”

Liana couldn’t help but laugh softly at his reaction. ”Honestly, young master. For someone so smart, you’re really clueless about some things.”

Javier rubbed his head shyly, mumbling. ”They really need to tell me these things… Ehehehe…”

Liana smiled knowingly as they continued their ride, the coins jingling softly in her hand. ”Maybe if you spent less time sneaking off with Buddy and more time learning about your family’s businesses, you’d already know.”

Javier groaned, leaning forward on Buddy. ”Boring lectures and politics? No way. I’d rather hunt bandits and enjoy the loot.”

Liana sighed again but didn’t argue, knowing it was pointless. As they rode on, she put the coins away, quietly amused by her young master’s antics.

Javier leaned back happily on Buddy, a playful grin on his face. ”Who needs a bank when I have magic storage, huh? Ehehehe... EVERYTHING fits in there! Weapons, armor, puppet knights, mana cannons, anti-air mana guns, gold, jewelry, wealth, food... oh, and meat! So much meat!”

Liana raised an eyebrow, not impressed. ”Young master, you can’t just hoard everything like a dragon.”

Javier smirked and wiggled his fingers dramatically. ”Hoard? Nah, it’s called efficient resource management. Besides, it’s not hoarding if I use it later. You’ll thank me when we’re knee-deep in battle and I whip out an anti-air mana gun to save the day!”

Liana sighed and shook her head. ”You’re hopeless.”

Javier didn’t let that bother him. ”And proud of it! You should see the wyvern meat I stashed last week. Premium grade! I’ll grill it later—Buddy and I already planned a feast.”

Buddy squawked in agreement, flapping his wings excitedly like he was dreaming of the tasty meal.

Liana pinched the bridge of her nose. ”You’re going to turn your magic storage into a traveling pantry at this rate.”

Javier laughed, clearly not worried. ”A pantry, an armory, and a treasury all in one. Pretty genius, right?”

Liana sighed again, but a small smile appeared on her lips. ”Just don’t forget there are more important things than hoarding meat and weapons, young master.”

Javier turned and grinned at her. ”Like you?”

Liana paused for a moment, her cheeks turning slightly pink. ”Stop teasing, young master.”

Javier just laughed, his mood as carefree as ever. ”Ehehehe! Admit it.”

Liana rolled her eyes but didn’t disagree, following him as he rode off humming another cheerful tune, his mind already planning his next ”resource management” adventure.

( End of Chapter )