Reborn As Noble

”Cuquawked!”

Buddy, who had been walking with a smug stride, suddenly paused. He let out a sharp squawk, and all the other pekko stopped in their tracks, their eyes narrowing in unison.

”Hmm? Buddy?”

”Cuquawked~” (Monster~)

”Cuquawked!” (Yeah!)

”Cuquawked cuquawked!?” (So~ Who’s taking it!?)

”Cuquawked cuquawked!” (If you want~ I’d gladly fight it for my master Aelius~)

Javier narrowed his eyes at them while Buddy and the other pekko faced each other, all letting out confident smirks on their beaks. Javier let out a long, weary exhale.

”Little brother?”

”Hmm? What?” Javier glanced at Marcellus.

”You understand pekko talk?” Cedric crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes toward Javier.

Aelius also looked at him curiously. ”Yeah. It seems like you were focused when all our Pekko were talking to each other.”

”Ah... not really.”

Buddy squawked, his beak curling into a smug smirk. ”Cuquawked~” (Look at my master casually lying to his brothers~)

”Cuquawked?” (So your master understands what we’re talking about?)

”Cuquawked!” Buddy bobbed his head. (Yeah. This master of mine is special, I think~)

”Cuquawked~ Cuquawked!?” (So, little brother~ Who’s going to take the monster? They’re not that far~)

Marcellus, who was crossing his arms on top of his pekko, narrowed his eyes. ”Hmm?”

Everyone became alert. Cedric stretched his body while still mounted on his pekko, rolling his shoulders. Aelius calmly pulled on his gloves, adjusting them with practiced ease.

”Looks like it’s time for some exercise, huh?” Marcellus grinned, cracking his knuckles.

Cedric finished his stretch, a smirk spreading across his face. ”Looks like a group of monsters. Perfect timing.”

Aelius smiled before glancing at Javier. ”Little brother?”

”Hmm? What?” Javier glanced at them casually.

”Why didn’t your battle drone patrols take care of these monsters?”

Javier let out a weary exhale. ”If I set them to auto-kill every monster in the forest surrounding the Armand Estate, it would cause problems. Monster meat is a staple for everyone and sells at a good price. Hunting is also a source of income for adventurers and local hunters. If my drones killed everything, there would be nothing left for them to hunt.”

He paused, crossing his arms. ”I set my battle drones to use shockwaves or sound-based deterrents to chase monsters away from the perimeter, especially if they get too close to the estate or the main roads leading to town. But I still allow them to cross through the deeper parts of the forest. That way, the ecosystem stays balanced, and the local economy isn’t disrupted.”

Javier continued, his tone casual. ”The battle drones are set to kill only if the monster gets dangerously close to the Armand Estate or if it ignores the warning signals. Mostly demon-type monsters fall into that category. If the monster is too strong for the drones to handle, the Armand Pekko Forest Guard will be alerted, and the scout drones will send a warning to them.”

He reached over and patted Buddy’s neck.

”If the situation requires an immediate response, the Sky Eyes system will drop puppet knights to deal with the threat. But I doubt it will ever come to that, since we all know how fast Pekko are. Back when we used horse-drawn carriages, it took two to hours to reach the nearby town. Now, with a Pekko at full speed, it only takes a few minutes, depending on their level.”

”Right!?” Marcellus patted the long neck of his Pekko affectionately. ”This is why I’m starting to love my Pekko.”

”Yeah!” Cedric added with a grin. ”If we get bored and want to go to town, we just ride it and bam! A few minutes later, me and Marcellus are already at the town market.”

Aelius chuckled. ”No wonder our Pekko units are always on alert when two troublemakers slip out of the estate. You two have received a lot of complaints from them for not informing them early about going to town, so the Armand patrols, escorts, maids, and butlers can be ready to accompany you. And don’t say you don’t want an escort, brothers. You’re both princes of Armand, and it’s a matter of security and protocol.”

”Yeah, yeah~” Marcellus waved his hand with a confident smirk. ”So? How many monsters are there, Javier?”

”Why are you asking me?” Javier narrowed his eyes in annoyance at Marcellus. ”You’re also a master of magic and detection. Your range of detection is far greater than mine. You tell me.”

Marcellus rubbed his chin, glancing up at the sky. ”Hmm... well, it’s just a few of them. I could use an intimidation aura to chase them off, if you want.”

Cedric nodded. ”Yeah, that’s a good idea. There’s no point fighting a monster that’s not high-level anyway. Unless it’s a Hydra or a Zarinba, I don’t think I have the motivation to draw my sword.”

Javier glanced at them with narrowed eyes before noticing Aelius was about to remove his glove. A sly grin spread across his face. ”Opsie! Not so fast~”

Aelius tilted his head in confusion. ”What is it?”

Marcellus glanced at Javier before giving Cedric a suspicious smirk. The three brothers exchanged knowing looks, a silent plan forming between them.

”Right~ Since we don’t know how Aelius fights...” Cedric began, his smirk widening. ”It might not be so bad if we let Aelius handle those monsters. You know, for demonstration purposes.”

Aelius blinked, his eyes widening. ”W... what?”

Javier smirked, crossing his arms as he teased. ”Don’t tell me you’re scared of a few monsters, Brother Aelius~”

Marcellus grinned, wiggling his eyebrows at Aelius. ”Come on~ It’s just a few monsters. Even an Armand guard could handle them easily.”

Cedric nodded with a cheeky grin, crossing his arms. ”It’s not like we’ll leave you alone. We’ll stay on guard and make sure everything goes smoothly. Low risk, high reward. Besides, we wouldn’t want Athine to worry about something happening to her ’husband’~”

”Yeah! Don’t be a cheapskate~” Javier wiggled his eyebrows with a playful grin. ”It’s not like you’re going to lose, right~?”

Javier raised his palm, and a white ore mana gun materialized in his hand. He snapped his fingers, and a squad of Shironii materialized behind them, covering their rear. Marcellus raised his palm, blue fire flaring to life around his hand. Cedric swiped his hair back with a confident smirk, his light aura glowing brightly around him.

Aelius let out a long, weary exhale as he slowly climbed down from his pekko, shaking his head in annoyance. ”These three... so annoying.”

( End Of Chapter )