Reborn As Noble

The captain straightened. ”Ah, young master... this royal officer was.”

But the royal officer cut in, voice haughty. ”I come with a decree from His Majesty King Kimar to govern the Armand Region, now that your lord has been stripped of rank and title!”

Javier’s eyes narrowed. ”May I see the decree?”

The captain’s eyes went wide. ”Young master!”

Javier simply raised a hand, silencing any protest.

With a sneer, the royal officer tossed the decree toward Javier and barked at the captain, ”Now open the gate!”

Javier caught the decree, not bothering to open it. He flicked his wrist, a small spark of fire magic swirling in his palm. In a flash, the decree went up in smoke, the ashes drifting away on the breeze. Javier let out a bored yawn.

”Alright, everything’s taken care of. Since there’s no decree anymore, if you would, please return to the royal capital. I see nothing here that concerns Armand.”

”How dare you burn an official decree from His Majesty King Kimar?!” the royal officer shrieked, face reddening with outrage. ”Do you realize what you’ve done? That’s a crime punishable by capture and beheading! You and your entire family!”

Javier shot him a cold, bored look. ”Hmm? Like I care. It’s not like that fool king can send anyone here to capture me, or my family. You’re lucky we even let you stand in front of this gate. If we weren’t feeling generous today, you’d be dead already.”

His voice dropped lower, a dangerous edge cutting through the air. ”And thanks to your idiot king, my freedom’s ruined!” Javier shouted the last words, the gravity around him intensifying. Every soldier and onlooker felt it, the air heavy, the tension palpable, Javier’s eyes burning as he stared down the royal officer.

”It’s because of that greedy bastard on the throne, who stripped my father of his title and rank, that I’ve lost my own peace and freedom. I’ll give you two minutes to scram, or I’ll order my knights to shoot you and your entire group, without mercy.”

He leaned forward, voice icy and final. ”And tell your so-called king he forgot the most important thing: Royals have no authority in Armand. Their laws are worthless here. In Armand, only Armand law is absolute.”

Javier tilted his head, voice dripping with disdain. ”Didn’t any of you bother to check with the Keeper of Law, or seek his advice before showing up here? Ah, that’s right... Your bastard king forced the Keeper of Royal and Noble Law to step down before he could even warn you. So none of you realized MY FATHER could declare independence at any moment the second he was stripped of his rank and title. How dumb can you be?”

He eyed the royal officer up and down, unimpressed. ”Don’t tell me... Did you just get promoted today? Hmm... that new outfit is a dead giveaway.”

Javier’s voice turned cold, every word ringing clear across the battlement. ”Anyway, scram now, or be killed. You know... Javier De Armand doesn’t say things twice.”

With a snap of his fingers, ten newly-equipped puppet knights materialized, mana rifles leveled at the royal officer’s group with unerring precision.

The Armand captain didn’t hesitate, barking out an order. ”Guards! Formation! The royal officer’s trying to harm our young master!”

In an instant, the border guards moved in unison, every eye fixed on the trembling royal party.

Javier glanced at Liana and the girls, signaling them to move inside the gate. He nudged Buddy forward, then cast one last look over his shoulder at the royal officer and his group.

”I’m not like my father. I don’t have his patience, or his mercy. If you value your life, turn around now. Go back to your capital and tell your idiot king: Armand is no longer a vessel. Armand is a nation now. The Kingdom of Armand.”

The royal officer, pale and trembling, could only stammer, ”Just you wait for this...!”

Javier gave a dismissive wave. ”Yeah, yeah. If you want to start a third war, go ahead. But listen well, there’ll be no mercy next time.”

He called back to the captain, ”Ignore them. Get everyone inside and close the gate. It’s not like they could ever open it.”

”As you command, young master.”

The guards filed in quickly. As the heavy gates began to close, Javier offered the royal officer one last smirk. ”Have a good day, gentlemen.”

He snapped his fingers, and his puppet knights vanished back into his dimensional storage.

”Close the gate and don’t open it for them. No exceptions.”

”As you command, young master,” the captain echoed, the gates thundering shut.

Once inside, Javier let out a sigh. ”Damn... what a mood killer.”

He nudged Buddy forward, glancing around the border town. Despite the closed gates, the streets were lively, merchants calling out, and families bustling about. Javier couldn’t help but smile.

”Hm... Looks like Father made sure the people here could keep living normally even after the border gates closed. Must be thanks to the Border Relief Mandate.” He nodded in satisfaction.

”Border Relief Mandate?” Liana asked, tilting her head as she rode up beside him.

”Yeah,” Javier explained. ”When a border closes suddenly, it can throw the whole local economy into chaos. Towns that depend on trade and travelers might end up in trouble. The Border Relief Mandate gives direct coin payments for essential goods to any Armand locals affected, towns and nearby villages get a monthly payout. That way, people can still buy what they need: food, clothes, anything. Merchants can keep selling, and nobody goes hungry, even with the border shut.”

He smiled again, gesturing at the happy crowd and the busy market. ”Since that money’s spent locally, it stops the whole area from collapsing. Bakers, farmers, blacksmiths, tavern owners, everyone still has customers. Merchants from other Armand towns keep coming too, since they know there’s still money flowing in these border towns. It’s the perfect buffer to keep things stable until the border opens again.”

Javier’s eyes followed the small, everyday joys around him, children running, vendors laughing, life moving forward without fear.

”So is this Lord Garius’s idea?” Liana asked, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.

Javier just smirked, tapping a finger to his temple. ”Sort of. Remember when I was eleven, scribbling those notes about all the weaknesses in the Human Kingdom’s system? I may have... added a bit of knowledge from elsewhere. Let’s just say, maybe it’s because I’m a genius? Ehehehe.”

Liana shook her head, smiling as Javier continued.

”I gave those notes to Father, and he and Alf improvised from there, perfected it for Armand’s local economy. Then Aelius and Athine jumped in. Those two are real geniuses with trade and finance, so they helped turn it into something that actually works for everyone.”

Javier grinned, proud of how his family built Armand into a land where no one had to worry about hunger, poverty, or collapse. Even with the world outside in chaos.

( End Of Chapter )