Reborn As Noble

King Lioness let out a low, bitter chuckle.

So now even Veldrac… that old demon… has sent his own little sister, Princess Delya, to join that boy’s circle.

He shook his head with a smirk.

Heh. So you didn’t want to be left out either, Veldrac. You’ve always been the craftiest of us. And now, look at us…

His gaze wandered to the high window of the royal chamber, where sunlight poured in brilliantly.

Four of us… still standing, still sane. Me, Garius, Mylezra, Veldrac. We’ve kept our heads, upheld our oaths, and kept our kingdoms safe. While the other three…

Lioness’s smile faded.

Edmund, Gumarak, Gurdan… those fools.

His eyes darkened.

They reached for celestial power. They forgot the blood we spilled, the sacrifices we made just to seal those cursed things. And now—they’ve become vessels themselves—drunk on that power, corrupted beyond recognition.

A flash of memory crossed his mind. Seven young warriors standing before a shattered sky, bloodied but alive. Bound by oath. Fighting to save the world.

And now?

Three turned into monsters, and the remaining four… trying to clean up their mess.

He clenched his fist tightly.

We sealed those things for a reason.

Lioness exhaled slowly and looked toward the door Felicia had left through.

And yet… hope endures. In the form of a single boy. Javier.

He smirked once again.

Garius… you really might have raised the one who will finish what we started.

Inside the Armand estate, Count Garius sat at the end of the meeting table, arms folded, his expression calm yet unreadable. The room was quiet, save for the faint rustling of papers and the distant hum of distant activity.

”Alf,” Garius called softly.

”Yes, my lord,” Alf replied with a respectful bow.

”Report,” Garius said, his voice measured and steady.

Alf unfolded a detailed map and spread it before Garius, pointing to various locations.

”Our intelligence confirms that most of the Human Kingdom is accelerating their military preparations. Several regions are engaging in aggressive recruitment drives. More notably, they’re using high-tier mages to incubate wyvern eggs—likely aiming to rebuild their airborne divisions.”

”Wyverns again, huh…” Francesca muttered quietly, swirling her tea. ”They learned nothing from the last war.”

Garius remained silent for a moment, his gaze sharp and contemplative, before signaling to Hesbeirn.

”Go on,” Garius urged.

Hesbeirn stepped forward and pointed at different points on the map. ”Supply routes remain stable for now. However, smaller border towns are reporting an increase in sightings of magical beasts—probably due to shifting mana currents and disrupted natural flows.”

”And Javier?” Garius asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

”No direct communication from him, my lord,” Alf answered. ”But based on the last supply shipment confirmation and reports from our intelegence unit, the stronghold is still under his control. No reinforcement requests have come through.”

Erinnette added, ”We’ve stationed informants across the border towns. The Halfling Kingdom hasn’t issued any official statements, but their movement patterns suggest they’re aware something is amiss. Their armies… might have already disappeared.”

Francesca raised an eyebrow, frowning. ”Disappeared?”

”No signs of retreat. Scouts report empty routes, no halfling battalions in sight—almost as if they vanished in mid-march,” Alf said grimly.

Garius’s hands clenched into fists. He leaned back, resting a hand on his chin, deep in thought.

Javier… something has happened out there. His son’s silence, the missing armies—these are signals of a storm brewing.

”Hmph. He’s always like that,” Francesca said with a faint smile. ”Only reports when everything’s already over.”

Garius gave a faint, knowing nod. ”Keep watching. No contact could mean he’s either safe… or something far more dangerous is unfolding.”

Alf bowed again. ”Understood.”

Garius’ gaze drifted toward the window, his eyes lost in the distant sky and the endless possibilities hidden beyond.

’What are you doing out there, boy?’

Garius flipped open the black, leather-bound notebook—the one bearing his youngest son’s emblem etched in the corner. The atmosphere around the table grew heavy, thick with unspoken thoughts.

”Alf,” Garius said softly, a faint smirk lingering on his lips.

”Yes, my lord,” Alf responded promptly, eyes attentive.

Garius turned the page carefully, revealing a complex schematic — intricate runes, precise diagrams, and handwritten annotations filling the parchment. His finger tapped a particular section.

”Which of these inventions,” he inquired with a low, amused tone, ”do you think our little troublemaker hasn’t shown us yet?”

Alf leaned closer, adjusting his glasses and studying the plans.

”…That’s…” he blinked. ”This mechanism—it flies? Above the clouds?”

”Sky Eye,” Garius murmured. ”A surveillance drone powered by a mana crystal core. A floating eye in the sky… capable of tracking enemies without the need for scouts.”

Erinnette stepped beside Alf, squinting at the page.

”Here,” she pointed, ”This long cylindrical shape—what is it? Some kind of weapon?”

”’Mana missile,’” Garius read aloud. ”A high-impact projectile enchanted with multiple layers of destructive runes. Launchable from a rail-type array…”

He smirked again.

”Of course he designed it.”

His fingers flicked to the next page, revealing an even more impressive structure—an orb-like satellite orbiting high above, with rotating mana rings and a network of relay sigils.

”Satellite,” Alf read softly. ”A floating observation station. It records data and transmits it via mana frequency to ground receivers. For long-range mapping, weather control, and precise targeting…”

”Good grief.” Erinnette crossed her arms, eyes narrowing. ”Why does your son invent things meant to control an entire continent?”

”Because he’s bored,” Francesca said, tilting her head with a faint smile. ”And because no one’s stopping him.”

Across the table, Hesbeirn was munching on roast meat and waving his goblet with a wide grin, chuckling at some of the more ridiculous doodles in the notebook.

Erinnette’s expression darkened.

”Show some respect. We’re talking about technology that could level a nation.”

Hesbeirn held his hands up placatingly. ”Yes, ma’am…”

Garius finally shut the notebook with a soft snap, the air growing chilly once again.

”He hasn’t yet used the satellite,” Garius muttered, eyes still on the horizon. ”And the mana missiles… I doubt he’s deployed more than small prototypes.”

He exhaled slowly.

”But if he ever employs the full-scale versions…”

Francesca’s face darkened, a shadow across her features.

”Let’s pray he never has a reason to,” she whispered.

Garius nodded quietly.

”And let’s hope… none of our enemies ever discover what else my son is hiding.”

( End Of Chapter )