Reborn As Noble

Chapter 1265: A Ship Under the Night Sky ( 1265 )

Night.

In a certain area of the sea, a large ship sailed steadily under the dim glow of the moon. The waves lapped gently against the hull, and the salty breeze carried a sense of calm across the deck.

A girl slowly walked toward a man standing at the front of the ship. He stood with both hands clasped behind his back, dual falcatas resting on either side of his waist, his gaze fixed on the night sky above.

”Sir Vane?”

Vane glanced up at the night sky, his expression thoughtful. ”Hmm? Yes, Fayna?”

Fayna stopped at a respectful distance, her posture attentive. ”Sir Vane, everyone is waiting in the meeting room for the briefing on our plan for the upcoming mission.”

”Mm.” Vane nodded, still focused on the night sky. ”Has everyone already eaten?”

”Yes, Sir Vane. Our team has already eaten.”

”Good.” Vane nodded again. ”You go ahead. I’ll be there within five minutes.”

Fayna glanced at Vane’s back, hesitating for a moment before clasping her hands in front of her and walking slowly to stand beside him.

”Is there something troubling you, Sir Vane?”

Vane glanced at her from the side and offered a faint smile.

”Not really. It’s just...” He paused, his gaze drifting back to the sea. ”Sometimes, even when you’re given a mission, you can’t help but feel like you’re being sent away rather than entrusted with something important.”

Fayna glanced at the calm night sea, her voice soft. ”Is this... about Sir Julius?”

Vane let out a quiet, sad chuckle, forcing a faint smile despite the heaviness in his eyes.

”Maybe... I don’t know, Fayna.”

He glanced at her before turning back to look up at the night sky.

”He was never like this before. We were so close back then. Before I was summoned to this world with him. Back in our world, we were best friends. We grew up together, faced everything together. When bullies picked on him for being too weak or too timid, I was always the one to step in and protect him. When he struggled with his studies, I stayed up late to help him. He was shy, kind, and always grateful. He used to look at me with trust, not suspicion.

He let out a long, weary exhale.

”But now... he’s changed too much. After becoming the main hero, after receiving talents and powers that no one else from our class had... he started to drift away. The more power he gained, the more distant he became. He stopped listening to me. He stopped valuing my opinions. Now, he treats me like just another subordinate, not his closest friend.”

Fayna remained silent, her eyes fixed on Vane as he shook his head slowly.

”I wonder...” Vane’s voice grew quieter. ”Seven years we’ve been in this world. And from day one until now, Julius has been changing. Day by day, he became more arrogant, more distant, more obsessed with power and recognition. The Julius I knew... the one who laughed with me, who trusted me... I feel like I’ve already lost him, buried somewhere beneath all that power and arrogance.”

Fayna wanted to say something, but the words caught in her throat. She couldn’t find the right words to comfort him, to ease the pain he carried.

If only I could say something to calm him, to comfort him... but what can I say?

He’s carrying so much weight on his shoulders, and I don’t know how to lighten it.

Vane let out another long exhale before turning and offering her a faint smile.

”Well... there’s no use thinking about it now. What’s done is done. I’ll just focus on the mission ahead.”

He began to walk slowly, then paused and glanced over his shoulder with a small smile.

”Let’s go, Fayna. We shouldn’t keep everyone waiting.”

”Mm~” Fayna nodded, a soft smile forming on her lips as she followed him from behind, her eyes lingering on his back with quiet affection.

After a moment.

Vane stood at the head of the table, his hands resting on the leather map spread before him. Fayna stood on his right side, while the other four girls, Rasya, Gulia, Deliza, and Erlaine, sat around the table, their eyes fixed on Vane with unwavering attention.

Vane pointed toward the leather map of the continent.

”Once we arrive at Amazarak, we should meet with Gorak and gather any information we can get from him. He should have prepared horses and supplies for our journey inland.”

He rubbed his chin, his eyes scanning the map.

”We should avoid using this route through the Halfling Nation. With the civil war happening there, it’s too dangerous and unpredictable. We don’t want to get caught in the middle of their conflict.”

Fayna pointed toward a road leading from Amazarak toward the Elven Nation.

”Sir Vane, what about this route? It passes near the Elven border. It might be safer than going through the Halfling territory.”

”Mm... but from the information we have, the Elven Nation is known to be highly reclusive and distrustful of outsiders. They rarely allow foreigners to pass through their lands, and they’re known to be hostile toward anyone who trespasses without permission. We might face more trouble going that way than we expect.”

Vane glanced at the map again, his expression thoughtful.

”Since we don’t know much about Armand, especially with the little information we have about their military, politics, and internal structure, it’s hard for us to decide which path is safest. We have detailed information on the Human Nation, Dwarven Nation, and Halfling Nation, but Armand remains a mystery.”

He pointed toward the two sides of the Beastkin Nation.

”If we’re able to pass through the Elven border, we could move to the Elven west border and travel through the Beastkin Nation toward their east border. From there, we could reach the Armand border without too much trouble.”

He looked at the map again, tracing another route with his finger.

”But we also have the option to go through here, the Dwarven-Beastkin border. The problem is, we’d have to cross through the Halfling Nation’s roads, which are currently in the middle of a civil war.”

He exhaled and pinched the bridge of his nose before checking the map once more.

”We could also use our ship to sail around and land on the first region of the Human Nation or the Dwarven coast. But that would draw too much suspicion, and it would take too much time.”

Vane exhaled in frustration.

”If only we had instant communication, like a phone or radio, we could contact our agents on the continent and have them prepare everything for us, documents, safe houses, and local guides. But without that, we’re essentially walking blind into unknown territory.”

( End Of Chapter )