Reborn As Noble

Athine smiled, her expression turning playful as she raised her palm to her lips in a mock whisper. ”Speaking of which... you didn’t inform Liana that your meeting was finished, hmm~?”

Javier casually slipped one hand into his pocket while holding the mana phone with the other. ”I already sent a message to all of them, duh~”

”Oho~? So Liana already knows?”

”Of course. Besides, there’s a reason I chose my personal workshop as the spot. It’s right next to my pekko pen, the view here is superb, the breeze is perfect, and it’s an ideal place for grilling.”

”He paused, then added with a grin. ”Alright, I’m handing this phone back to Aelius. Don’t chat too long. We’re going to enjoy our boys’ party here.”

”Okay~” Athine’s warm voice faded as Javier passed the phone back to Aelius.

Just as Aelius took the phone, a commotion drew everyone’s attention. Buddy had already snatched and devoured all the grilled meat. He was now using his huge beak to grab more raw meat from the tray and plop it onto the grill, squawking with excitement.

Javier’s eyes widened. ”Oi, Buddy! Why did you finish all the meat!?”

Buddy turned his head away with an exaggerated innocent look, letting out a low, smug squawk.

Marcellus and Cedric burst into laughter, their voices echoing through the evening air.

At the same time.

Vurghen Region.

Friedrich stood before the worn map, his remaining loyal officers gathered around him, their faces etched with exhaustion and grim determination. The mana light flicker, casting long shadows across the room.

Suddenly, the door slammed open. A soldier in tattered armor stumbled inside, panting heavily, his face pale and streaked with sweat and dirt.

”My lord!!”

Friedrich’s eyes widened. He rushed toward the soldier, grabbing a canteen of water and pressing it into his hands. ”What happened!?”

The soldier took a shaky gulp before lowering the canteen, his voice trembling. ”M-my lord... our defenses... they’ve fallen. Captain Romich... Captain Romich is dead.”

Friedrich’s face paled. He knelt, gripping the soldier’s shoulder. ”What? How!?”

The soldier’s voice wavered as he forced the words out. ”The enemy... they breached our outer defenses with their cannons. They have new units, fast ones. They ride in, fire their weapons, and retreat before our men can respond. Then a second wave comes. They move in cycles... we couldn’t hold the line. The acting commander ordered a pullback to defend this area now, my lord.”

The loyal officers exchanged grim glances before one stepped forward, his voice urgent. ”My lord! You must leave this place with the lady. Now! We will hold this last town while you retreat!”

He turned to the guards stationed by the door. ”Prepare a carriage for our lord! Move!”

Friedrich straightened, his eyes sweeping across the room. ”And if I leave, where would I go? This is our last town. There is nowhere left to retreat to.”

The officer turned to Friedrich, his voice firm and unwavering. ”My lord, you must retreat to the border and head straight for Armand, or to Arjam. That is your only hope now!”

He turned and shouted toward the other soldiers. ”Assemble a squad to escort our lord! Now!”

”Yes, sir!” The soldier saluted and rushed out, his boots pounding against the wooden floor.

Friedrich’s voice faltered. ”But... but the people here... I cannot abandon them...”

The officer stepped closer, his voice dropping into a low, urgent tone.

”No more ’buts,’ my lord! If you are still alive, Armand might help us. A living lord can plead his case, meet the Sovereign directly, and ask for aid. But if you die here, if the last heir of the Lurghen Household falls, then there will be no one left to plead our cause. The Sovereign of Armand will not negotiate with a corpse. He will only see a fallen region, a lost cause, and move on. Your death here means nothing but the end of your line and the suffering of your people. A living lord can still fight. A dead one cannot.”

He gripped Friedrich’s shoulders, shaking him firmly. ”Listen to me, my lord. Do not think about anything else. We must go now.” He turned to the other officers. ”You two are to escort our lord. Protect him with your lives.”

”Yes, sir!”

Several servants and maids rushed toward Friedrich’s younger sister. ”My lady, we must leave this place now. It is no longer safe here.”

Before Friedrich could protest further, another officer grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the door. ”No time to waste, my lord. Let us leave this place before the enemy catches up.”

They arrived outside, where a squad of soldiers was already mounted on their horses, their faces grim and ready. A single soldier sat atop the coachman’s seat, reins in hand, the carriage door held open and waiting.

Just as Friedrich’s sister was helped into the carriage, a distant scream pierced the air, followed by panicked shouts. Friedrich’s head snapped toward the sound.

A barrage of explosive arrows rained down from the sky, their tips glowing with faint, fiery light. The soldiers reacted instantly, some raising their shields to form a protective canopy, others aiming their flintlock muskets upward, firing into the descending rain of death.

”Protect the lord!”

Soldiers rushed forward, raising their shields in a desperate barrier above Friedrich and his sister. Some raised their flintlock muskets, firing into the sky in a frantic attempt to shoot down the arrows before they could land. Explosions bloomed around them, the concussive blasts rattling teeth and shaking the very ground beneath their feet.

The officer grabbed Friedrich’s collar, shoving him bodily toward the carriage door.

”Now, my lord! There is no more time!”

He turned and shouted toward the coachman. ”Leave this place now! Go!”

The coachman snapped the reins, and the horses lunged forward. Several mounted soldiers fell in behind the carriage, their horses galloping at full speed before fanning out to both sides, reloading their flintlock muskets in frantic, practiced motions.

Just as the carriage was about to reach the main street, another volley of explosive arrows streaked across the sky. A series of deafening explosions erupted around them. The carriage lurched violently, the rear axle shattered, sending it skidding and tilting before crashing onto its side. Horses screamed. Soldiers were thrown from their saddles.

The mounted soldiers who had been escorting them were thrown from their horses or cut down by the blasts. Some groaned, lying amidst the rubble. Others lay still.

Friedrich’s vision blurred. Pain radiated through his body. Blood trickled down the side of his face from a gash on his forehead. He tried to push himself up, his ears ringing with a deafening, high-pitched whine. Smoke and dust filled his lungs, choking him as he tried to breathe. His vision swam, colors bleeding into each other as he struggled to focus.

A faint, weak voice reached him through the haze.

”Brother...”

( End Of Chapter )