Reborn As Noble

Thilan’s eyes snapped wide. Around him, the soldiers scrambled from behind, grabbing what weapons and shields they had left.

Their equipment was worn and battered, armor patched with whatever scraps they could find. Repairs had become a luxury, and decent ore was almost impossible to get.

Even the archers on the wall above clutched old bows and reused arrows, weapons stretched thin ever since their late lord’s fall.

The two factions that had argued moments before scattered, running for cover, fleeing toward their homes or anywhere that might offer shelter from what was coming.

He heard the guards bellow orders at the gates.

”CLOSE THE GATE!”

”Archers, standby!!”

Thilan forced himself forward, planting his feet in the center of the square as he caught sight of the enemy through the swirling haze at the horizon.

Ragged wave of bandits and rogue mercenaries, estimated around five hundreds. They surged forward with wild savage energy, weapons gleaming, armor heavy and well-maintained. Their shouts and battle cries already filled the air, promising no mercy.

Thilan’s hand tightened around his sword hilt. His breath came hard, fear clawing at his gut. All the politics, the grudges, the debates, they vanished in an instant. Now there was only one that matter.

Survival.

Please... please, let Lord Garius send help to us.

The bandit leader stood tall in the saddle, his face twisted with cruel delight as he raised his sword high.

”Today we take this town!” he roared.

”Yes, leader! This’ll be our new base!” another man shouted, baring his teeth in a savage grin.

A chorus of voices answered him, weapons brandished overhead as their horses thundered forward, the ground trembling under the charge.

The archers among them drew back their bows, letting fly a volley of arrows that rained down over the battered battlements.

”Look at them! Weaklings, cowering behind broken walls!” a rider sneered, laughing loud and wild as he spurred his mount to the front.

From the rear, two mages pushed forward, arrogance plain on their faces. One lifted his staff, mana swirling in the air as he intoned a harsh chant.

”Spirits of flame, heed my call.

Devour my foes, reduce them all!

Inferno Surge!”

A swirling fireball erupted from his palm, hurling itself straight at the main gates.

The second mage raised his own staff, magic crackling with red aura.

”By the fury of crimson light.

Burn my enemies out of sight!

Blazing Orb!”

Twin fireballs streaked through the air ,glowing the battlefield in hellish shades of red.

The gate exploded under the impact, torn from its hinges in a shower of sparks and shattered wood.

”This is our chance! All move! Kill anyone who fights back! Ah~ better yet! Kill all of them and leave the women for us! Hahahaha!”

”Can’t wait to get them! We’ll eliminate all the men!”

The town’s last defenders gathered at the shattered gateway, shields locked tight, bracing themself in the ruins, clinging desperately to hope as the enemy approaching closer, full with dark tide of violence and greed.

Until...

A wild, maniacal laugh echoed through the chaos.

”Kikiki!!!”

From above, a huge shadow swooped in. With a thunderous impact, a massive Pekko bird landed squarely in front of the broken gate, feathers ruffled and talons gouging deep into the earth.

The bandit horses skidded to a halt, eyes rolling in panic as the enormous Pekko blocked their advance, tall, powerful, and absolutely unmovable.

Javier, perched high on Buddy’s back, swept his hair back with a cool, effortless motion, lips curving into a sharp, delighted grin.

”Ah~, today’s going to be fun!” he called, snapping his fingers once, sharp, casual, and full of confidence.

From every direction, puppet knights emerged. Silent and relentless, they moved into position, cutting off every escape route. Ten thousand new puppet knights appeared behind the bandit horde, rank upon rank, their formation stretching across the fields like a steel net.

Javier flashed a feral smile, his eyes glinting with mischief.

”Yummy~...” he murmured, leaping down from Buddy in a single, fluid motion. He landed with practiced grace, drawing his twin white ore swords from magic storage with a flourish.

He stretched, rolling his shoulders, voice low and eager.

”It’s been a while since I’ve had a goooood exercise...” he said, sweeping his gaze over the stunned bandit force, five hundred men, now trapped between the ruined town and the merciless wall of steel behind them.

With a flick of his wrist, he lifted his chin, one hand touching his forehead, the other leveling his sword in a theatrical, almost mocking gesture toward the bandit ranks.

”You are surrounded by the army of Javier De Armand!” he declared, voice echoing across the battlefield. ”There’s no way out! Surrender and be killed... or fight and be killed! Gyahahahahahah!!!”

From behind the ranks of bandits and mercenaries, the two bandit mages raised their staffs, voices twisting together in a harsh, chilling chant:

”Chains of frost, by ancient seal.

Bind the flesh, let cold reveal!

From silence deep and frozen gloom,

Shatter the will, entomb their doom!

Ice Prison!”

A glimmering blue magic circle spun beneath Javier’s feet, cold mist rising as mana surged and built, swirling around him like a miniature blizzard.

Javier blinked, glancing down at the circle, then let out a slow, lazy yawn, utterly unfazed.

The magic thickened, frost creeping up from the ground, ice crystals racing to snare his legs. But Javier simply touched the forming ice with his finger.

A burst of heat radiated out. The entire magic circle, ice, frost, and swirling mist, vanished in an instant, steam rising and dissipating into the air.

Javier yawned again, bored, as if the attack was nothing more than a chilly breeze.

Across the field, the two bandit mages froze in disbelief. Their Ice Prison, combined magic that had never failed, not even against powerful foes, had melted away like nothing. Only Marcellus De Armand had ever brushed off their magic so easily.

”How...?” one mage whispered, staring in shock.

The other gripped his staff tighter, panic flickering in his eyes. ”How did he do that...? Why is every Armand so strong?”

The ranks of bandits and mercenaries, seeing Javier’s casual dismissal, began to waver, their confidence shaken by a single, effortless gesture. And at the ruined gate, the defenders stared, hope flickering where there’d only been despair.

( End Of Chapter )