Reborn As Noble

After all his sons had left the room, the glow within Garius’s right eye dimmed and vanished.

Alf smiled faintly, his gaze never leaving the stack of documents in his hands.

”Your Majesty.”

”Ugh, Alf...” Garius sighed. ”I told you not to use that title. You can call me as usual.”

”No can do, Your Majesty,” Erinette said gently as she stepped closer, pouring another cup of tea. ”You are our ruler now. Our king. I won’t allow anyone to diminish your station after Armand’s independence.”

Garius chuckled and shook his head. ”You two are relentless. Fine. What is it, Alf?”

Alf finally looked up.

”Regarding Prince Javier’s proposal... I believe you should accept it. The authority is divided, and knowing him, he has already planned far beyond what he’s shown.”

”I know,” Garius replied quietly.

He raised his hand. A fragment of refined ore floated above his palm, rotating slowly, reflecting the light.

”I still cannot replicate his work,” Garius admitted. ”Nor fully comprehend it.”

The ore dissolved into motes of mana.

”And yet,” Alf said with a knowing smile, ”you still questioned him.”

Garius leaned back, eyes half-lidded.

”Ah... that was deliberate,” he said. ”I wanted to see how far my sons have grown. How deeply they think. How prepared they are for a future.”

Erinette smiled softly.

”They’ve grown well.”

”Yes,” Garius agreed, gazing toward the closed doors.

”They truly have.”

”Anyway, Your Majesty,” Erinette said gently, setting the teacup down, ”I believe you should stop working on this pile of paperwork and go rest.”

Garius blinked. ”Hm? Why?”

Alf answered calmly, ”Your Majesty. Your vow of marriage will be held in two days. After that comes the wedding with Queen Mylezra. Next week will be the weddings of all your sons... and then the special ceremony for Prince Aelius and Princess Athine.”

Garius paused.

”...Ah. Now that you mention it,” he murmured, rubbing his temple, ”this month will be a busy one.”

”Yes, Your Majesty,” Erinette said with a smile. ”Besides, are you truly not going to meet your old friends? I’m certain King Lioness and King Veldrac are already planning something before your wedding with Queen Mylezra.”

Garius let out a low chuckle and leaned back in his chair.

”What? Party?” he said dryly. ”Drinking until we’re all senseless again?”

Alf’s lips curved upward.

”If history is any indication... yes. Exactly that.”

”Hah...” Garius exhaled, amused. ”Those fools haven’t changed at all.”

He finally stood, pushing the chair back.

”Very well,” he said. ”I’ll leave the paperwork for tomorrow. If I don’t, you two wont stop nagging at me.”

Erinette smiled sweetly.

”Only because we care.”

Garius shook his head, still smiling as he moved toward the door.

”...A busy month indeed.”

Meanwhile, outside.

Javier walked with both hands tucked casually into his pockets, flanked by Marcellus and Cedric as they strolled through the quiet corridor.

A smirk curved Javier’s lips. ”I was honestly impressed by your explanation about barrier magic.”

”Hah?” Marcellus shot him a sideways glance, amused. ”That’s basic knowledge. Anyone who studies magic knows that. Don’t tell me you didn’t.”

Javier lifted a finger and wiggled it left and right. ”No, no, no~ I wasn’t impressed by the theory. Or by how you explained it.”

Cedric chuckled softly. ”Then what impressed you about our eldest here?”

Javier let out a low laugh. ”You explained it from the perspective of ordinary mages. Not from your own level.” He tilted his head slightly. ”More precisely... our level.”

Marcellus’s smirk deepened. ”Ah. You mean instant casting, absurd mana reserves, and converting natural mana instead of spending our own.”

”Yes~ that one.”

Cedric nodded, clearly amused. ”Only a handful of people are even born capable of that.”

Marcellus glanced at Javier, eyes sharp but warm.

”The Bearer of the Seven Gifts,” he said calmly. ”And one of them is you, little brother.”

Javier snorted. ”Heh. Don’t take me for an idiot. The Crown of Arcana.” he nodded toward Marcellus. ”and the Power of Sanctum,” he added, glancing at Cedric.

Cedric laughed quietly. ”Ah~ so you already knew?” He tilted his head. ”Hand of Creation.”

Marcellus immediately shook his head. ”No. Power of Destruction suits him better.”

”Oi!” Javier clicked his tongue. ”I bet Mother told you, didn’t she?”

Marcellus rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ”Yeah. About two years ago, I think.”

”EHHH!?” Javier’s eyes widened as he stared at both of them.

They stopped walking.

”What?” Marcellus and Cedric asked in unison, genuinely confused.

”Mother only told me recently!” Javier snapped, pointing at himself.

Cedric burst out laughing.

”Hah... so you were the last one to know?”

Marcellus sighed, shaking his head with a grin. ”Unbelievable. The one with the most dangerous gift, and he’s always the last to be informed.”

Javier looked away, grumbling. ”She definitely did that on purpose.”

The two brothers exchanged glances, then laughed together as they continued down the hall.

”By the way,” he asked casually, ”did you two ever have the same kind of fight with Father... like I did?”

Marcellus raised a brow. ”You mean the time he deployed his barrier dome?”

Cedric nodded. ”He locked your ability with the Eyes of Truth. Your dimensional storage, right?”

”Ehhh!?” Javier stopped short. ”You two were there!?”

”Hah!” Marcellus scoffed, turning his face away. ”Don’t take us for fools. Who would dare be nearby when Father decides to ’test’ someone?”

Cedric averted his eyes a little too obviously. ”We were... observing. From far away.”

Marcellus added dryly, ”Thanks to your mana binoculars.”

”...Damn it.”

Javier exhaled. ”Do you think... if we combined all our power, we could match Father?”

Marcellus smirk. ””Not in a million years.”

Cedric nodded in agreement.

”We grew up after Armand was already built,” Marcellus continued. ”We lived in comfort, with wealth, protection, and resources. But you know how Father started, don’t you?”

Javier’s expression softened. ”Yeah... I know.”

”He lost his entire family,” Marcellus said quietly. ”Because of the old Klimbert household.”

”According to Mother,” Cedric added, ”he survived on scraps for years after that. With only the Eyes of Truth. Fighting real battles. Real war. And he was still a child.”

Marcellus continued, voice steady. ”It took him five years to reclaim Armand from the Klimbert household. Five years of blood, dirt, and desperation.”

”He made do with whatever he had,” Javier said softly, a faint smile touching his lips. ”No luxury. No resources. Just willpower.”

Cedric nodded. ”Back then, he only had a hundred personal troops. With Alf, Erinette and Hesbeirn with him. And Rasdingen joined later.”

”The veteran special squad,” Javier said, smiling. ”Right?”

”Yeah,” Marcellus replied. ”They still answer only to Father, or directly to Alf or Erinette. No one else.”

”I’ve seen their equipment,” Javier added. ”Their weapons. Their gear. Everything about them feels... different.”

He chuckled lightly. ”Honestly? I don’t think I could even recreate what they’re wearing today.”

Marcellus smirked. ”That’s because it isn’t just equipment.”

Cedric glanced ahead. ”It’s history.”

( End Of Chapter )