Reborn As Noble

Chapter 455: Towards Destiny ( 455 )

Javier gazed up at the stars and smiled again—but this time, it was a different kind of smile. A bit crooked. A bit mischievous.

”I really respect you, Father,” he muttered sincerely.

”But...”

He sat up slightly, staring into the fire.

”I donʼt want to inherit your title!!”

”No, no, no... the paperwork! The meetings! The reports!!”

He clutched his head dramatically.

”Thereʼs no way Iʼm spending my life buried under ten mountain-loads of documents and tax reforms!!”

Buddy gave him a slow side glance.

Javier flopped back against Buddyʼs side in despair.

”And yet... Marcellus, Cedric, Aelius, Athine, Heres—” He ticked their names off one finger at a time.

”ALL of them refused to inherit Armand too!!”

He slapped the ground lightly.

”Those selfish siblings!! Guh!!”

He buried his face in his hands, groaning dramatically into the dirt.

Then, after a long pause, his fingers spread and a grin curled across his face, a mischievous, plotting, diabolical grin.

”Kekekekeke~ Donʼt worry, Father. Mother. Alf, Erinnete, Hesbeirn... and all of Fatherʼs wives...”

He sat up, eyes glinting in the firelight like a villain mid-scheme.

”Iʼll find a way… to ensure all of you stay youthful~ forever~!”

He raised a fist toward the sky dramatically.

”That way, Father will rule Armand until I die!!”

”Ekekekekekekekeke~!”

Buddy just stared at him, unimpressed.

Javier stretched his arms out wide, grinning like a kid with the world in his pocket.

The stars above shone brighter, the fire crackled gently, and Buddy snuggled close like a giant warm feather pillow.

”We finish this job...” he muttered to himself, his voice full of determination.

”Crush those wicked people... those monsters... whoeverʼs behind all this...”

He clenched his fist lightly over his chest, feeling his mana pulse steady and strong.

”And then...” he smiled, a soft, almost boyish smile.

”Iʼll wait until I turn eighteen... and marry Liana and Gloria.”

He kicked his feet lightly against the grass, like he was floating.

”Woooooo~~!!”

Javier laughed, flipping his empty wine bottle into the air and catching it with lazy ease.

”Ahhh… canʼt wait. My dream coming true.”

He pictured it:

Waking up late under the sun.

Lianaʼs soft voice calling him for breakfast.

Gloria tidying the house with her calm, quiet smile.

Buddy stomping around the garden, chasing squirrels.

No courts.

No councils.

No nobles bowing and pretending loyalty.

No paperwork.

Just family.

Just peace.

Just happiness.

He turned his head toward Buddy, grinning like a fool.

”Enjoying life... no paperwork... only Liana, Gloria, and my best buddy here!”

Cuquawked!! Buddy chirped proudly, flaring his feathers wide as if to say, ”Of course! Count me in!”

Javier closed his eyes, letting the warmth of the fire, the softness of the night, and the dreams of a better tomorrow lull him into gentle sleep.

Tonight—

He could dream freely.

Because tomorrow—

The real journey would begin.

Javier sat up, popping his sore shoulders and looking around their camp with a sharp gaze.

The night air was peaceful, but he could feel it—faint, barely noticeable. A lingering dark mana residue floated through the woods like invisible mist.

He grinned.

”Alright, Buddy!”

He stood up, raising his right hand high toward the stars above.

Mana flared up from his body—pure, steady, and strong.

”White Light! Purify!!”

The air trembled.

A massive pillar of white light burst upward from Javierʼs hand, shooting high into the sky before exploding outward like a cleansing wave, flooding the surrounding land.

The ground shimmered.

The trees trembled.

The corrupted mana burned away like mist under the sun.

The entire sector was cleared.

The purification magic settled, leaving the clearing feeling warm, clean, and peaceful.

Javier grinned wide, hands on his hips like a conquering hero.

”Alright! This sectorʼs clear!”

He turned to Buddy, who was still chewing the last bite of roasted meat with glazed-over happy eyes.

”We rest and sleep now!!” Javier declared proudly.

His grin stretched into a familiar mischievous smirk.

Buddy let out a lazy, sleepy squawk in approval, plopping down into a massive fluffball beside the fire.

Javier laughed softly, threw another log onto the fire, and stretched out on the ground with a satisfied sigh.

Meanwhile, in the Armand Region, Garius stood silently on the high balcony. The cool night wind stirred his cloak, and beside him, Francesca stood close, her delicate hands resting gently over the stone railing.

She glanced at him, her serene face touched with a trace of concern.

”Dear?” Francesca asked softly. ”Are you worried about our youngest son?”

Gariusʼs sharp eyes remained on the horizon for a moment before he answered, his voice low and steady.

”A bit.”

He closed his eyes briefly and then smiled—a small, rare smile that only Francesca ever truly saw.

”Donʼt worry, dear. He knows how to use the special skill. Though... I still wonder how he managed to learn my skill so perfectly.”

Garius turned slightly toward her, the faint glow of his right eye intensifying—the Eye of Truth active, its swirling, ancient magic tracing faint patterns along his iris.

”His talent, Francesca...” Garius said, his voice full of quiet pride,

”is beyond anything we could have imagined. Knowledge, power, mana pool, creativity, strategy, mindset. And most importantly , his heart. Our son embodies all of them.”

Francesca smiled even more tenderly.

And in that moment, a soft radiance bloomed around her. A unique magic circle, intricate and shimmering, unfolded beneath her feet, visible only to Garius. From her back, wings of pure light stretched outward, ethereal and beautiful—not feathered but formed from pure mana itself.

The secret Francesca carried—her own blessing, her own rare gift—was the light that complemented Gariusʼs truth.

She stepped closer, her voice filled with grace and love that even magic could not imitate.

”Iʼm glad,” Francesca said, ”that our son thinks like you, dear.”

Their hands intertwined naturally, fingers lacing without a word.

Above them, the stars gleamed quietly.

Below them, the Armand estate slept peacefully.

And somewhere, far from them, their youngest son walked forward into destiny, carrying the dreams and pride of the house they had built.

Francesca stood close beside Garius, her light wings slowly fading back into her mana signature, leaving only the soft warmth of her presence. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and looked up at him, her voice gentle.

”By the way, dear?”

Garius tilted his head slightly.

”Hmm?”

Francesca smiled knowingly.

”Did Marcellus already meet you?”

Garius chuckled quietly, a deep sound that rumbled from his chest.

”Oh? You mean about Lithia and him?”

Francesca nodded, amusement twinkling in her eyes.

Garius turned back to the stars, his smile widening just slightly.

”Yes. The strongest mage in the human kingdom,” he said teasingly, ”coming to me with such a serious face... asking permission to marry Lithia.”

He shook his head fondly.

”I still remember how he used to mock Javier back then. Always teasing him for loving Liana and Gloria—calling it childish affection for personal maids.”

Francesca laughed softly, the sound like the chiming of a silver bell.

”And now,” she added warmly, ”Marcellus is also deeply in love with his own personal maid.”

Garius nodded slowly.

”Yes, dear. We already knew.”

His golden eyes gleamed slightly with amusement.

”We knew from the start. They tried to hide it, but their eyes gave them away every time they looked at each other.”

Francesca placed a hand lightly over her chest, her smile filled with motherly affection.

”Itʼs good to see our children finding their own paths. Their own happiness.”

Gariusʼs hand found hers again, strong and warm.

”It is.”

( End Of Chapter )