Reborn As Noble

Meanwhile, as the group pressed deeper into the capital’s busy avenues, Alf leaned his head slightly toward Garius, his tone calm and respectful.

”My lord... you know you could have sent me or erinette to deal with those... thieves.”

Garius’s lips curved into a faint smirk. His gaze never left the road ahead, yet his words carried the weight of calculation.

”I know, Alf. I know. I could send you, or Erinnette, or even Hesbeirn. Any of you would handle it swiftly, with the precision and discipline I expect. But tell me...” He rubbed his chin lightly, his eyes narrowing in quiet amusement.

”Wouldn’t it all be a little too professional? Too clean? Too boring?”

Alf exchanged a glance with Erinnette. She folded her arms, her stern expression softening into the faintest of smirks.

”There’s only one among us,” Garius continued, his voice dipping with amusement,

”Who can act in a way none of us would. Reckless, unpredictable, even foolish in the eyes of others. He does not need to follow rules or laws. And most importantly...” His gaze shifted just slightly over his shoulder toward where Javier had been.

”...He can take the blame without ever tarnishing the Armand name.”

Alf let out a low sigh, shaking his head. Erinnette exhaled sharply through her nose, though the corner of her lips betrayed a smile.

”You truly think of everything, my lord,” Alf said quietly.

”That’s, a must.” Garius replied. He straightened his posture, eyes glinting.

”Let’s just wait for the music to reach our ears. If those nobles come later with their petty complaints, I will scold Javier publicly, shake my head, and say...” He imitated a tone of feigned frustration.

”’He is not easy to control. What can I do? He is still too wild.’”

A small chuckle escaped him, low and dangerous.

”The only place he can enjoy being free from law is outside Armand,” Garius said with a smirk, his tone sharp with hidden amusement.

”So why not let him do as he pleases, as long as it does not trouble to the people? To me, those nobles are nothing but trash, parasites that must occasionally be reminded of their place.”

He turned his head slightly, his eyes narrowing on his eldest.

”Marcellus.”

”Yes, Esteem Father?”

”Tell me... if I sent you to handle those nobles, what would you do?”

Marcellus sighed, his tone measured but carrying the weight of duty.

”I would request an explanation. Then intimidate them with the authority of my title. If they persist, I would lecture them on their offense and demand they return what is not theirs, or face punishment under noble law. And if they still refused, if they commanded their troops or guards to raise arms against me... I would unleash my magic to end the matter swiftly. But such an escalation would only turn it into a personal skirmish, one that might spiral further than intended.”

Garius listened in silence, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, he let out a short, knowing chuckles.

”As expected from you, Marcellus. Correct. The proper noble way.” He leaned back slightly in his saddle, Giddie’s golden feathers shimmering in the sun as if echoing his authority.

”But also the most predictable way. Predictable to the point of uselessness for some.”

Marcellus stiffened, bowing his head. ”Esteem father...”

Garius raised a hand, silencing him. His voice carried, not only for Marcellus but for all his sons and attendants riding nearby.

”You see... the laws of nobility bind men of order. They are tools for structure. But when dealing with greedy parasites who twist those very laws to serve themselves, following the book achieves nothing. They will never admit fault, never yield simply because of your words. They will force your hand until blood is spilled... and in the end, they will scream that you were the aggressor.”

He let his words hang in the air before smirking.

”That is why I allow Javier his little freedoms beyond Armand. He plays the fool, the wild child. He does not wear the chains of law as tightly as we do. And when he strikes, no one blames the House of Armand. They blame the boy.”

Garius glanced back at his sons, his gaze sharp as steel.

”This is the lesson, sometimes law is a shield, sometimes a cage. You must know when to wield it, and when to let someone else soil their hands for the sake of the whole.”

Garius’s smirk lingered, but his tone softened into something weightier.

”And I know this much, if I demanded Marcellus, Cedric, Aelius, or even Heres to act as Javier does... you could. Each of you has the strength, the cunning, the will to stir chaos in your own way.” His gaze swept across them one by one.

”But it would be unnatural. A proper adult noble acting like a mischievous child? It is unbecoming, awkward, and it draws suspicion. You would look less like leaders and more like jesters who lost their dignity.”

He raised his chin slightly, his eyes narrowing.

”Javier, however... he wears that role naturally. He pretends to be reckless, selfish, lazy. The world accepts it from him because it fits the mask he has chosen. And so when he acts outside of noble law, people see not a lord’s hand but a boy’s folly. That difference shields Armand from scandal while still achieving what needs to be done.”

Garius’s eyes softened, though his voice stayed steady.

”So do not mistake my words. I do not raise Javier above you, nor do I mean for any of you to copy him. Each of you stands on your own feet, each with your own path. If you try to mimic another’s role just to seem important, you only cheapen yourself.”

He looked to Marcellus first. ”You, my eldest, carry the weight of knowledge and magic none in this kingdom can rival. That is your blade.”

His gaze shifted to Cedric. ”You, my second, have faith and strength that even the previous kings look toward when they speak of honor. That is your shield.”

Then Aelius. ”You, my third of Garcinia, hold the mind for coin, trade, and balance. You turn wealth into power and power into stability. That is your hand. Same goes to you, Athine.”

Then Heres. ”And you, of Phenelopie, walk quiet and careful. Yet it is often the quiet ones who endure, observe, and strike when others least expect. That is your step.”

Finally, he let the silence stretch before finishing.

”And Javier... his role is chaos itself, the mask of carelessness that hides what he truly builds. That is his stage.”

Garius leaned back slightly in his saddle, his voice carrying the weight of certainty.

”I value each of you for what you are. Never lessen yourself by pretending to be another. Strength comes not from imitation, but from embracing what is already yours.”

( End Of Chapter )