Reborn As Noble

Chapter 807: Steel, Mithril, and Words ( 807 )

Javier’s smirk deepened, his voice carrying like silk drawn over steel.

”Let me show you the difference... between your guards, and me~.”

With a snap of his fingers, a sudden shimmer filled the air. Twenty mithril puppet knights materialized in perfect formation beside him, polished armor gleaming under the sun, their presence pressing down like a stormfront.

The crowd gasped, whispers breaking out in shock as the metallic soldiers stood silent, unwavering, their swords at the ready.

Javier turned slightly, his gaze sliding back at the fat noble from the corner of his eye, a grin playing at his lips.

”Before dreaming of becoming a ruler, you should first learn the basics. One, know the emblems of the noble houses, their names, and the regions they command. Two, know your limits.”

His voice sharpened, every word deliberate. ”And three, learn how to speak. If you can’t master the simple art of communication, then stop dreaming about becoming an heir, much less a ruler.”

The puppet knights shifted their formation with a heavy metallic step, their glowing eyes fixed on the boy’s trembling guards

Javier tilted his head slightly, his smirk widening as he lifted a gloved hand to gesture lazily at the trembling line of steel-clad guards.

”You mock others, look down on them, and yet...” His tone dripped with derision. ”...you don’t even notice your guards are wearing nothing more than regular steel armor and weapons? Hmm?”

He spread his arms faintly, letting the sunlight catch on the flawless sheen of the puppet knights at his side.

”My knights are clad in pure mithril, armor and weapon alike. Every piece refined, flawless, untouchable by your common iron.”

Javier’s eyes narrowed, his voice turning sharp as he tapped the crest embroidered on his noble attire, then gestured toward the same emblem etched onto the mithril knights’ pauldrons.

”And looking at the emblem, here, on me, and on them. Surely you can figure out where I’m from?” He leaned in slightly.

”Or... are you too stupid to even know the basics, Viscount Klament’s first son?”

The woman’s composure finally cracked, her face paling as her eyes darted between the shining mithril knights and the emblem gleaming proudly on Javier’s attire. Her breath caught, and then she hissed sharply toward her son, voice trembling with urgency.

”That’s... that’s the Armand emblem!!!” She seized her son’s sleeve with desperate fingers.

”Do you have any idea what you’ve just done!? Apologize to him! Now!”

The boy froze, his earlier bravado draining from his face, replaced by wide-eyed panic. His sweat breaking out across his brow. Behind him, even the guards shifted uneasily, their weapons lowering, some casting their gazes to the ground in shame.

”I don’t want you to apologize to me,” Javier said calmly, his smile fading into something sharper.

In the blink of an eye, his figure blurred, vanishing with Liana beside him. Gasps rippled through the crowd.

A heartbeat later, Javier reappeared directly before the young noble, his fist already launched forward, stopping just a hair’s breadth from the boy’s face. The wind of the strike brushed his skin, forcing his eyes shut in terror.

At the same time, Liana’s form flickered into view behind the butler. Her blade touch precise across his throat, her stance steady, her gaze unflinching.

The guards stiffened, fear locking their limbs as they realized how close their death before they even had the chance to react.

Javier’s voice was low, calm, yet it cut through the silence like steel.

”Consider this... your first lesson. Next time, you won’t have the chance to breathe before the blow lands.”

Javier lowered his fist with deliberate calm, stepping back as if the threat had never existed. Behind him, Liana withdrew her blade in one smooth motion, letting it slide back to her side as she walked toward her young master, every step composed and silent.

Javier stopped mid-stride, his back straight, and then turned his head just enough to glance over his shoulder at the trembling boy. His words came measured, carrying the weight of a verdict.

”Learn the basics first, how to be a human... before you dare to call yourself a noble.” His eyes narrowed, voice hardening.

”And I don’t ever want to hear you raise your voice against your mother again. The one who bore the weight of your birth, endured pain, and cared for you long before you could even stand.”

The boy’s face went ashen, his earlier arrogance shriveling under the quiet authority in Javier’s tone. The woman pressed her lips tight, bowing her head slightly, though her trembling shoulders betrayed both relief and shame.

Javier snapped his fingers, and in an instant the twenty mithril puppet knights shimmered out of existence, vanishing neatly back into his magic storage. The street grew quiet again, save for the murmurs of the shaken crowd. Without a backward glance, Javier walked on slowly, Liana falling in step beside him.

His voice lowered to a mutter, just enough for her ears alone.

”No matter how big we become... never raise your voice against your parents. No matter how they treat you.”

He let out a sigh, eyes lifting to the wide sky above as they walked.

”You’ve noticed, haven’t you, Liana? How I always straighten, always stiffen whenever my father speaks?”

”Yes, Young Master,” Liana answered softly, her tone calm, respectful.

”The reason isn’t fear,” Javier continued, his gaze steady. ”It’s respect. He is wise. And above all... he is my father.”

For a moment, his smile faltered, his voice carrying a quieter weight.

”And there’s another reason. Do you remember when I was ten? In the main dining hall? I mocked the classes, knight, paladin, saint, even farmer... I used a mocking tone against them all. Do you remember how Father snapped?”

Liana’s eyes softened, her nod faint but firm. ”Yes, Young Master. I remember.”

”My mother... she looked angry then. But I saw it, she wasn’t angry. She was sad. And I don’t ever want to see her wear that sadness because of me again.”

His hand brushed at his side as if tightening an invisible resolve.

”I might raise my voice someday... if my father ever truly makes a mistake. But tell me, Liana...” He turned his head slightly, eyes meeting hers.

”...Have you ever seen my father, Lord Garius, wrong in any plan he’s made?”

Liana lowered her gaze, shaking her head lightly. ”No Young Master. I have never seen it.”

”And I don’t want to set a bad example by raising my voice against my parents,” Javier went on, his tone quiet but steady.

”As children, it’s normal for us to complain or talk behind their backs... but to be openly rude? To shame them in public? No. Never. Because one day, I’ll also be a parent, and I would never want my own child to treat me that way.”

A faint smile tugged at his lips as he glanced sideways at Liana, eyes glinting with curiosity.

”Liana... what would you do, if one day our child raised their voice at you, for something that wasn’t even your fault?”

Liana blinked once, then her lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile. Her eyes gleamed with a teasing, sharp edge.

”Hmm? Young Master... for me? A stick is far too small~”

( End Of Chapter )