Reborn As Noble

Before Tybalt could say anything.

A sudden commotion erupted from outside.

Someone rushed toward the room.

”My Lord!!! Emergency!!!” A soldier shoved the door open and saluted, breath ragged.

Tybalt glanced at him. ”What is it?”

”Our north border is under attack by Turka’s army, my lord!”

”What!!?” Tybalt’s eyes widened. ”What’s the situation!?”

”When I rushed here on our fastest horse, our troops were facing heavy fire. Explosions everywhere. The outer wall is already crumbling in sections. Our archers can’t hold the line; they’re being pushed back.”

”Do they have a mage unit with them?”

”No... no, my lord. They’re using something we don’t recognize. Like Armand’s cannons, but... different.”

”How is that possible? There’s no way they have Armand’s weapons.”

”No, my lord... the thing is different. It’s loud. Not the clean mana-blast we’ve heard about.”

Tybalt turned to his captain. ”From our north border to here on the fastest horse takes two days... which means...”

The soldier, still panting, looked up. ”Yes, my lord. But it took me a day to get here. I didn’t stop anywhere, just rode straight through.”

Tybalt looked from the map. ”That means the northern garrison has been under assault for over a day already,”

Tybalt’s jaw tightened. ”Send every available reserve north. Now.”

Kayra turned to the butler.

”Cliff!”

”Yes, my lady?”

”Assemble an escort for me. Then send our fastest rider to secure that fishing vessel, tell him we need his ship ready at once.”

”But, my lady...”

”Cliff, we don’t have time to argue.”

The butler bowed. ”As you command.”

”Kayra...” Tybalt began, but she cut him off.

She turned to the captain.

”Prepare our troops. Your priority is to hold them back as long as possible. If the northern wall falls, withdraw and set up a defensive line here and here.” She pointed decisively at the map. ”Evacuate civilians from the war zone. Move them to these villages farther south. Every soldier focuses on defense, not reckless charges.”

The captain saluted. ”Understood, my lady.”

But before they could move, another messenger burst into the room.

”MY LORD!”

Tybalt turned to see a second soldier stumbling inside, his uniform torn and face streaked with ash.

”Eastern border... eastern border, my lord...”

”Report! What happened?”

”Eastern border is collapsing, my lord! We’re facing heavy fire from explosive cannons and magic arrows. They have weapons we’ve never seen!”

”What!? Does this mean Armand is supplying them with weapons!?” Tybalt’s jaw tightened.

Kayra cut in sharply. ”Have you forgotten how much Garius despises Garka and Turka? Why do you think Armand seized Arjam in the first place? When has Garius ever armed his rivals or even given his own allies the kind of magic-tech they builds? Stop seeing shadows where there are none and wake up.”

She turned back to the panting soldier, handing him a waterskin. ”Tell us about the weapon.”

”It fires from far off. Loud, like thunder. A heavy iron ball strikes the wall... and moments later, it explodes.”

Kayra turned to the captain, her eyes on the map.

”Split our troops here and here from the northern border, and assign our forces here and here in the valley between these hills. That way they can’t fully deploy their new weapon. Plant traps to slow them down along the main road from the eastern border where they’ll advance, and garrison our defense line here and here.”

She tapped the map decisively. ”Hold one thousand in reserve around the capital as a last line of defense.”

”Understood, my lady.”

She turned back to Cliff. ”Assemble my escort. We leave now.”

”As you command.”

Finally, she faced her husband. ”Keep our children safe. Protect yourself. You must hold until I return.” Her gaze shifted to the captain. ”If the front collapses, evacuate my family to the coast. There’s a sheltered cove north of the fishing village, use it. Keep them out of reach until help arrives.”

”But Kayra... there’s no guarantee Armand will help us,” Tybalt murmured.

”I don’t need a guarantee. I’d rather try than watch our people suffer under those vultures.”

Meanwhile.

Human Kingdom. Capital City. Royal Palace.

Inside the king’s private chamber, Kimar sat on his gilded chair, a smug smirk on his face as he read through a recent trade report.

”Harban.”

”Yes, Your Majesty?”

”Have the new prototypes been deployed?”

”Indeed, Your Majesty.” Harban’s lips curled. ”Turka and Garka are fielding them as we speak. This serves as both a field test... and a generous source of funding for our next phase of research.”

”Good.” Kimar leaned back, satisfaction in his tone. ”Let them bleed their treasuries on my weapons. Their war funds our advancement.”

Harban smirked. ”We’ve already supplied your favorite lords with the test models for their invasion. This also helps fund our deeper research, thanks to the gunpowder supply from the Dwarven Nation. It was a brilliant move on your part, Your Majesty. Since the Dwarven Chieftain’s only daughter has fallen for your first son.”

”Heh. Gumarak had little choice in the matter. Not once his daughter took a liking to my son.” Kimar’s tone was cool, satisfied. ”We frame it as economic support, exclusive contracts, rebuilding their industry. And in return, we secure all the powder we need.”

”Precisely, Your Majesty. And the gold from those nobles purchasing the cannons, enchanted arrows, and rune-blades has accelerated production beyond projections.” Harban’s eyes glinted. ”We are now mass-producing weapon at a scale not seen in generations.”

”Soon,” Kimar murmured, a cold smirk touching his lips. ”We will have weapons that can stand against that bastard Garius. What is the status of the barrier belts for our wyvern units?”

”Already in production, Your Majesty. Once completed, our riders will be shielded from those... flying projectiles Armand uses. Our calculations suggest each belt can withstand one or two strikes, enough time for a wyvern to drop its payload and retreat.”

”Good... good. I cannot wait to level Armand to the ground. And I will personally kill Garius myself with these weapons.” He lifted his sword, its blade shimmering with seven embedded crystals. ”Thanks to the ’sacrifice’ of those fallen heroes... and your work extracting these from their divine weapons.”

Harban bowed low. ”Ah... it honors me that you acknowledge my work, Your Majesty.”

( End Of Chapter )