Reborn As Noble

Liana glared at him, tears welling in her eyes. Gloria’s worry was written all over her face. Felicia stayed silent, her tail swaying with unease. Mimi and Delya circled the mana-powered elevating work platform, examining every detail.

Javier just smiled and shook his head. ”Come, let me show you what I’ve been working on. Don’t worry, this thing is safe. I built it so I can reach high places. It’s called a mana-powered elevating work platform. Makes things easier when I need to work up high, repairs, building, anything.”

He walked to the panel and stepped on. ”Come. I’ll show you,” Javier said, waving Liana and the others over.

Liana hesitated, then followed, keeping close. Gloria took her place at his left side, the others joining in.

Javier pressed the button to lift, and the platform rose slowly.

”This is the mana-powered rocket I’ve been working on. It’s just the first prototype. I’ve installed multiple safety layers in case it can’t reach orbit or something goes wrong, since I don’t even know what’s really out there yet. But this is a real discovery for me, and I want to be the first to see space in this world.”

Liana asked, ”Space?”

Javier scratched his cheek, glancing up. ”Yeah... space. The vast, three-dimensional expanse that holds all the stars and moons. There’s nothing about it in the library, not in Armand or anywhere else. Nobody here knows about it yet. I just want to see it for myself. That’s all.”

Gloria frowned. ”Universe?”

Javier gave a sheepish grin. ”Yeah, something like that. Even if I explained it, I don’t think it would make sense yet. This is just something I want to pursue. Curiosity, really.”

He pointed to the top of the rocket. ”That thing up there is what I call a mana satellite.”

”Sate...what?” Liana tilted her head.

Javier laughed softly. ”Never mind. Even if I explained, it’d just sound strange now. I’m just curious where this will take me. Maybe it’ll help with some projects later. That’s all.”

He rested his hand on the railing, quiet for a moment as the sky stretched out above them.

”I wonder what the space here looks like... what the sun looks like from up there, or the stars, or how many planets exist.”

Liana and Gloria exchanged a glance, both shaking their heads. ”It’s young master with his unknown gibberish again,” Liana muttered.

Javier chuckled.

”I know it sounds like gibberish for now. I really can’t explain it to any of you since I don’t have the proper knowledge... or more like the knowledge I had before might not even be the same in this world.”

Liana sighed. ”I wonder why we ended up with a crazy future husband, Gloria... Felicia, Mimi, Delya.”

”Ara~ he’s been like this since he was a child, remember, Liana?” Gloria covered her lips with her palm, letting out a soft laugh.

”Yes, but he got even crazier the day he started crafting his first puppet knight.” Liana pinched the bridge of her nose, exhaling in mild frustration.

Javier placed both hands on his hips, smiling as he admired the view of his invention.

”I personally want to go up there myself and see how it is. But without proper data or information, I’m not risking my life. So this first mana rocket and mana satellite will be launched, and one of my puppet knights built for this expedition will be the one to gather everything.”

”Young master!” Liana said, her voice sharp. ”You already worried us enough when you flew those transport drones before, and now you’re thinking about flying on this big thing!?”

”Chill, Liana...” Javier replied with a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his head. ”I didn’t say I was going... I just... you know... thought about it?”

Both Liana and Gloria pinched him hard from either side. ”Don’t you dare fly this big thing!”

”Ouch! I don’t, I won’t! Eeek! Mercy! Mercy!”

”Good! Don’t even think about it, got it?” Gloria smiled sweetly , while Liana’s expression had turned completely serious.

”Alright, alright... sheesh... what fierce wives I...” Javier didn’t notice as he backed up and slipped off the railing.

”Young master!” Liana and Gloria shouted, ready to jump after him, but Buddy had already leapt forward. Javier landed squarely on Buddy’s back, then sat up with an innocent grin and a peace sign. ”See? I told you not to worry! Ehehe.”

Buddy landed easily on the ground and Javier glanced up, tapping the mana talkie in his ear and channeling a bit of mana.

He heard Gloria and Liana’s voices overlapping as they shouted, ”THAT’S WHY I SAID THIS THING IS DANGEROUS!”

”Yikes! Don’t shout on the mana talkie..I swear my ear’s about to blow. Chill, both of you.”

”Chill!? CHILL!? You just fell from that high and you’re lucky Buddy was there to catch you!”

”Sheesh... it’s not like I was really falling. I just wanted to see your reaction,” Javier mumbled under his breath.

”Excuse me?”

”Ah! I didn’t say anything! Really! I didn’t!” Javier glanced away, refusing to look up at Liana glaring down from the top of the mana-powered elevating work platform, the others right beside her radiating the same scary aura.

”Now, young master~ how do we get down from this elevating thing?” Liana’s voice came sweet and clear through the mana talkie.

”Ah... you see the up and down buttons? Up goes up, down goes down... ah...” Javier paused as he realized the platform was already descending.

That voice... that sweet voice... it’s always when Liana is mad.

Just then, Buddy gave a sudden shake, and Javier toppled off, landing flat on the ground.

”What was that for, Buddy!?”

”Cuquawked!?” Buddy tilted his head, then gave a smug, satisfied look before sprawling out on the grass, relaxing.

Javier stood up and brushed the dirt from his pants.

”Damn you, Buddy. I already fed you a ton of roast meat earlier!” he scolded, pointing at the bird who was still sprawled out on the ground.

”Tch. You’re lucky I don’t eat Pekko for dinner, you know!”

”Cuquawked!” Buddy squawked, narrowing his eyes, that same smug grin on his beak.

”Damn it, I’ll tell Giddie about you after this.”

”Cuquawked!” Buddy shot up straight, suddenly looking serious. He leaned down and rubbed his head against Javier’s shoulder, acting all sweet.

”Heh... acting pampered the moment I mention Giddie. Still scared of the king of Pekko, huh? Father Pekko’s got you trained.”

”Cuquawked?” Buddy tilted his head, pretending not to understand a word Javier said.

”Yeah, yeah... whatever.”

( End Of Chapter )