Reborn As Noble

The next day.

Dawn.

The Keeper stood by the wagon, watching as his wife climbed aboard, the last to settle among their packed belongings.

”Take care of yourself, honey,” he said softly.

”Mm... I will. You be careful out there too, husband.”

”Don’t worry. We’ll meet at the border. I’ll follow soon, right after these two wagons pass the main gate.”

”Mm... okay.” She offered a small, reassuring smile.

The Keeper moved to the side of the wagon, meeting the eyes of his third son. ”Handle the wagon carefully. Keep everyone calm, and make sure the weapons are within reach. Some of your sisters can use a bow, right?”

”Yes, Father,” the third son replied, glancing at his anxious sisters.

He then turned to his fourth son at the second wagon. ”Be alert, watch the road. Protect your mother and siblings at all costs.”

”Yes, Father.”

The Keeper looked over the group once more.

”Go on, now. We’ll meet up soon. Remember, if the gate guards ask, show them the travel document. Give them whatever excuse seems natural if they press about leaving this early, but I doubt they’ll question much. Not everyone knows I’ve stepped down yet. They all know you’re my family, so you should pass without trouble.”

”Yes, Father,” came the chorus of replies.

With one last lingering look, he watched as both wagons rolled out into the pale morning light.

The eldest and second sons were already suited up in full royal knight armor, swords at their waists, shields slung across their backs.

”Father... what now?” the eldest asked, eyes steady.

”Just wait. Act as usual. You’re both royal knights, no guard will dare question you.” The Keeper cast a look toward the three horses waiting outside the house.

”If only we had Pekko like they do in Armand... The journey would be faster and safer. With horses, the risk is always higher.”

The two sons exchanged a grin.

”Yeah, I agree... I saw how fast those Pekko moved last time. Especially the orange one.”

”No, the golden one, Lord Garius’s Pekko. That one’s the biggest. They say he’s the king of all Pekko, right?”

The Keeper let out a soft sigh, smiling as his eldest and second sons bickered over which Pekko was the best.

”All right, listen up, both of you.”

”Yes, Father?”

He looked up at the pale sky. ”We’ll be moving soon. Keep your composure. Act like this is just another official duty.”

The eldest nodded. ”You don’t need to worry about us. This is ’official business’, after all.”

The second son added with a smirk, ”Yeah. We’re just escorting the Keeper of Law to deliver a royal decree to the Lord of the Armand Region.”

The Keeper allowed himself a rare, proud smile.

Meanwhile, in Arjam Region.

Javier stirred, the first light of morning filtering through the window. He yawned, then glanced at Liana asleep beside him, Felicia curled up on the other side, her tail draped across his lap.

He grinned, gently tracing his fingers along the silvery tail.

Woo... nice tails. Ehehe... a real catgirl, he thought, watching Felicia’s ears twitch even in sleep.

Javier chuckled quietly.

None of the other girls had taken that next step yet, Liana still led the way, and Gloria was pouting about it every day.

He sighed. Let’s hope this all wraps up soon...

Out the window, the sounds of Arjam’s market drifted in. Louder than a week ago. With Armand merchants now supplying the stalls, the local economy was slowly coming back to life. More people out in the streets each day, trading, bargaining, rebuilding routines.

For the border wall, Pekko wagons rumbled along every hour, hauling heavy stone blocks from the local quarry, and locals were being hired for the rebuilding effort.

Javier made sure they were hired directly, given honest wages. Three meals provided daily: breakfast before the sun climbed, lunch at midday, and a filling supper before the workers went home at sunset.

The atmosphere had improved. Most locals seemed better, but some still kept their distance, holding onto old resentments.

Well... it’s not like you can control people’s hearts. Javier smirked, sitting up and stretching.

Let’s hope the wall rebuild is finished by next week. With puppet knights standing guard over every section under construction, and the real Armand troops patrolling the region, keeping watch over the towns, villages, and all the roads, security was now tighter.

The old mansion and estate left behind by the previous lord were abandoned, emptied out when the last of Arjam’s ex-officers fled. Kliatana flatly refused to set foot in that place.

Now she’s sharing a room with Heres, holed up in one of the temporary buildings we set up while the new estate is under construction.

Heh... wouldn’t be surprised if Heres finally became a man. Or maybe it’s already happened. Good for you, Kliatana...you finally found someone who treats you right.

Javier rubbed his chin, gaze turning out the window.

Once this new estate is finished, I’ll start making improvements to the lands nearby. Plenty of potential here. Better fields, new canals, maybe more shops... If Arjam’s to thrive, it needs more than just a wall and a roof.

And as for the chaos... All the rogue knights, mercenaries, and leftover Arjam officers have been driven out. No more splitting up the region, no more petty claims or backroom deals. Arjam is whole again. The only banners flying here now are Armand’s.

Javier yawned and carefully slipped out of bed, doing his best not to wake Liana or Felicia. He stretched, scratching at his mess of hair, eyes drifting across the dimly lit room.

Guess I should just hit the shower and clean up...

He was halfway to the bathroom when a sudden chill ran down his spine. He froze in place, every sense on edge.

Enemy?

He activated his tracking skill.

A sharp pulse of mana sweeping out from his body, instantly scanning for any hostile presence. The invisible web swept through Farkam Town, spilling into every alley, rooftop, and the forest beyond.

Nothing.

No sign of enemies. Not even a blip in the quiet dawn air.

Javier reached into his magic storage, flicking his wrist to pull out the glasses. He slipped them on, bringing up the Sky Eye’s live feed.

Every street, every roof, every field, every hidden alley appeared, checked and rechecked. His tracking skill stayed active, ensuring no flaw could be the reason some ’rats’ slips in.

Weird.

No enemy movement. Nothing unusual in town. No sign of infiltration.

There’s no way anyone could bypass the puppet knights, especially the new models I deployed... and the new battle mana drones are invisible and patrolling overhead, detection systems running full tilt. No assassin or enemy agent could slip through.

The new detection system’s tuned for even the best, thermal, heartbeat, magical residue, constant pinging from above.

Even the kingdom’s best assassins would get tagged. So there no way any enemy could slip in.

The only exception might be Alf’s own elite shadow unit, but those are on my side, serving under Father.

Besides, Alf’s units are built for counter-intel and elimination. If any assassin from the crown made it this far, the Shadow Unit would’ve already handled it. No question.

He frowned, rubbing his neck.

Still... why the hell did I just get a sudden shiver?

He let out a long, quiet sigh, glancing back at the two girls sleeping soundly.

I wonder if this is about that scariest problem I’ve been trying not to think about...

He shook his head, trying to brush away the tension.

( End Of Chapter )