Reborn As Noble

Garius smiled.

”A unit he insisted we prepare, in case his knights ever run amok or get taken over by an enemy. Even though I already know those knights of his can only be controlled by him alone.”

Alf smiled. ”It’s a good precaution, Your Majesty. Better to be prepared for any possibility. And it strengthens our overall security.”

Francesca smiled. ”And yet you still accepted his suggestion and went along with it~”

Garius smiled. ”First, it’s because I know it’s a wise move, with my Eyes of Truth, it let me see the genuine intent behind it. Second, it’s because he rarely asks for anything. So... why not? He’s our youngest, and he’s never once asked for money... well, he has plenty stored in his dimensional storage anyway. Not to mention what he calls ’royalty’... how much is it, Alf?” Garius smirked and glanced at Alf.

”Prince Javier only asks for one percent, Your Majesty.” Alf nodded with a smile.

Garius shook his head. ”He could ask for five to even ten percent of the profit from cocoa, white sugar, chocolate, rice, the ore mines, and all the other ventures, and yet he only asks for one percent.”

Francesca laughed softly. ”It’s because our youngest son doesn’t care much about money, and you know it. All he wants is his freedom~ And just look at our youngest, he even shares his wealth with his brothers~”

Garius smirked. ”No, our eldest and second sons are always finding ways to ’borrow’ money or make it look like a ’reward’... despite having their own wealth.”

”Well, that’s how they are~” Francesca said, her tone warm with pride. ”You know that all the money Marcellus and Cedric have taken from our youngest has never been spent. They just display it as their ’trophies.’”

Garius glanced at the small building next to the main temporary building, where Javier was performing the surgery operation.

Francesca noticed Garius looking at the main door of the operation building and glanced up at him.

”Why? Worried about your youngest~?”

Garius smiled faintly. ”Mm... you could say that.”

”If you really care about him as a father, you should hang out with him sometimes, you know.”

Garius chuckled. ”And make him stiff and alert, constantly averting his eyes and sighing? He’d probably think I’m about to give him more work or take away his freedom.”

He looked at Francesca. ”You know how our youngest is. Better to let him enjoy the small freedom he has, especially with his focus and love for inventing, spending time with his girls, and of course, his Pekko, Muddy. If I suddenly said to him, ’Let’s hang out,’ he’d only think one thing: trouble or more responsibilities.”

Francesca let out a soft laugh. ”It’s Buddy, not Muddy.”

”I know. I just love calling that Pekko of his by that nickname.” He glanced at the door again. ”I’m sure he’s doing the surgery right now. And I’m sure he’ll succeed if he follows the advice I gave him earlier.”

Francesca leaned against his chest and hugged him. ”I’m sure he will.”

Garius caressed Francesca’s head before planting a kiss on top of it. ”Since we’re talking about Pekkos... where are Giddie and our youngest’s Pekko?”

”Hmm? Giddie is on the side of that building.” Francesca pointed with her lips toward the building next to the operation room.

Garius narrowed his eyes, and his Pekko, Giddie, peeked his large head lazily from behind the wall.

”Cuquawked?”

Garius shook his head and smiled. ”Nothing, Giddie. Just wondering where you’ve been.”

”Cuquawked!” Giddie puffed his chest before relaxing again.

”I wonder where Buddy is?” Garius glanced around, searching for Javier’s orange, huge Pekko.

Meanwhile.

Buddy was smugly walking around the estate, talons tapping lightly on the ground as he squawked in a cheerful melody.

”Cuquawked~ Cuquawked~ Cuquawked~”

He paused and looked into the distance, spotting two suspicious, massive dire wolves leaping over the estate wall, their bodies shrouded in a dark, swirling miasma.

”Cuquawked?” Buddy narrowed his eyes.

The dire wolves spotted Buddy from afar and immediately charged toward him, their movements swift and predatory, intent on tearing him apart. They moved with unnatural speed, dark energy crackling around them as they closed in.

Buddy smirked on his beak, standing smugly with his chest puffed out and his talons planted casually on the ground.

The moment the dire wolves leaped into the air, claws extended and jaws wide open to attack him, countless invisible wind blades erupted from Buddy’s body, slicing through the dire wolves in an instant. Their bodies were shredded into countless tiny pieces before scattering into the air like dust.

Buddy puffed his chest and continued walking smugly across the estate, resuming his cheerful squawking as if nothing had happened.

”Cuquawked~ Cuquawked~ Cuquawked~”

He glanced up while walking and saw Javier’s battle drones firing bursts of mana bullets into the forest, then shrugged.

”Cuquawked.”

He continued walking, passing by Javier’s puppet knights moving with mechanical precision. Buddy paid them no mind, strutting smugly past them until he spotted a large wine cellar.

”Cuquawked~”

He stopped in front of the huge door and casually walked toward it, his body effortlessly crushing the door as he brushed against it, then peered inside.

”Cuquawked?” He peeked his head in and noticed several girls in maid uniforms lying unconscious on the floor.

He exhaled. ”Cuquawked.”

Taking a step back, he used his wind skill to lift the girls into the air, their bodies floating gently behind him. He then turned and began walking back toward the building where Javier was, the unconscious maids floating along behind him as he continued his smug, unhurried stroll.

After a moment.

Francesca noticed Buddy from a distance.

”Ara~ Here comes our youngest son’s mischievous Pekko~ Looks like he brought some unconscious girls with him.”

Garius looked at the huge orange Pekko walking smugly in the distance. ”Yeah. Looks like he got bored and decided to stroll around the estate, huh?”

Alf adjusted his glove and smiled, while Erinette let out a soft exhale.

”This Pekko really takes it too easy. If something happens to him, I’m sure Prince Javier will be worried sick.”

Garius shook his head. ”This one is the same as his master, always restless, never stays put, always trying to find something to do or enjoy. Giddie?”

”Cuquawked?” Giddie peeked his head out before slowly standing and walking toward Garius.

The moment Buddy saw Giddie, he stiffened, averting his eyes and lowering his head, clearly intimidated by Giddie’s serious gaze and the golden glint in his feathers.

Garius glanced at Giddie. ”It’s time for you to have a word with your son.”

”Cuquawked!!”

( End Of Chapter )