Reborn As Noble

Chapter 370: The Day of the Summit ( 370 )

The royal palace of the Beastkin Kingdom was a marvel of strength and tradition. Towering stone walls adorned with ancient banners surrounded the grand hall where the leaders of the worldʼs greatest nations had gathered.

Javier, dressed in formal noble attire, stood in the lavish corridors outside the meeting chamber. As always, Liana and Gloria flanked him, their keen eyes scanning the surroundings for any potential danger.

Inside the meeting chamber, history was being made.

Seated at the grand table were the most powerful figures of the known world:

King Edmund of the Human Kingdom, sat with calm authority. Beside him were General Gilmon and two elite knights, standing as silent sentinels.

King Lioness, ruler of the Beastkin, radiated primal strength alongside his three formidable warriors, each a mountain of battle-hardened muscle.

Queen Mylezra of the Elven Kingdom exuded grace and wisdom, flanked by her three elite elven guards.

King Gurdan, the Halfling ruler, sat with a knowing smirk, three shadow operatives blending into the dim corners, unseen but present.

Chieftain Guramak of the Dwarves was as imposing as his reputation, accompanied by three elite warriors that resembled walking fortresses.

King Veldrac of the Demon Kingdom carried an aura of quiet menace, his three Shadow Demon warriors keeping watch with eerie, glowing eyes.

At the far end, King Sroku and Queen Eanzia of the Dragonkin Kingdom sat, their sheer presence overwhelming. Unlike the others, they had brought only two dragonkin warriors—but no one dared question if that was enough.

At the center of it all sat Lord Garius, unshaken and unreadable, flanked by Alf, Erinette, and Hesbeirn, the most dangerous individuals in the Armand Household.

The air was thick with tension. Each leader had brought their best. Every ruler and warrior sat stone-faced, their eyes sharp, their postures rigid, as if a single wrong word might spark a war.

However, the moment the massive doors of the meeting room slammed shut…

SIGH.

A collective, exaggerated exhale echoed through the chamber.

”Damn it, Garius! What the hell is all this about?!”

The menacing King Veldrac of the Demon Kingdom was now rubbing his temples, annoyed.

”Oi, oi, donʼt look at me like that,” Garius smirked, crossing his arms. ”I didnʼt ”force” you all to come.”

”Like hell you didnʼt!” King Lioness growled. ”You made it sound like a world-ending threat!”

Queen Mylezra gracefully removed her formal gloves and leaned back with a smirk. ”You mean it isnʼt? I even wore my ceremonial attire for this.”

King Gurdan of the Halflings scoffed, kicking his short legs up onto the table. ”You called me all the way here, so at least make this interesting.”

”Pfft—ʼinterestingʼ my ass!” Chieftain Guramak slammed his fist on the table. ”I had to listen to my council whine for three days about how ʼthis might be a trap!ʼ”

”Then whyʼd you bring three of your biggest brutes?” King Edmund quipped with a chuckle.

”Because I know this bastard Garius!” The dwarf huffed. ”Heʼs always up to something!”

The Dragon Queen, Eanzia, chuckled, her sharp eyes gleaming. ”And yet, here we all are. Again.”

The once-stiff atmosphere shattered. This wasnʼt a gathering of enemies; it was a reunion of old comrades.

Garius smirked. ”Well, well… looks like King Sroku still canʼt go anywhere without his dear Queen Eanzia, huh?”

The dragon king sighed dramatically, rubbing his forehead. ”Come on, Garius… You know how she is—”

”Too jealous.”

”Oof!” Sroku flinched as Queen Eanzia pinched his waist hard.

”Try saying that again, dear,” she smiled sweetly, her claws subtly tightening.

”Ahaha—ow, ow, ow! I was joking, love, joking!!” Sroku grimaced.

The room burst into laughter, even the usually serious King Veldrac smirking.

Garius leaned back, grinning. ”See? This is why I called everyone here.”

King Lioness snorted. ”To publicly humiliate Sroku?”

”Well, thatʼs a bonus,” Garius chuckled. ”But seriously, when was the last time we all sat together? No politics, no war talks—just dinner among friends?”

Everyone fell silent for a moment. Garius was right. It had been too long. With each kingdom busy protecting their own lands, old allies had become distant, communicating only through formal letters.

But here, in this room, they werenʼt just rulers; they were old comrades.

Queen Mylezra sighed, shaking her head with a soft smile. ”You and your ridiculous ideas, Garius…”

”But I suppose… dinner doesnʼt sound so bad.”

Chieftain Guramak scoffed. ”Fine. But if the food is bad, Iʼm leaving.”

”Pfft—like hell weʼd serve you bad food,” King Lioness grinned. ”Then letʼs eat first—then talk about business.”

”A toast, then?” King Edmund raised his goblet.

”A toast.”

Today, they would feast as friends.

Garius leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. ”I called you all here, to King Lionessʼs palace, because his territory is not only strategic but also secure.”

The rulers exchanged glances and nodded in agreement. It was true—among all their kingdoms, the Beastkin territory was perfectly positioned in the center, making it the safest meeting point.

”Besides,” Garius continued, ”I can send reinforcements here faster if things go south. And with King Edmundʼs preparations in place, weʼll be ready for anything.”

King Edmund nodded. ”Thatʼs right. My forces are on standby, fully supplied, and ready to move at a momentʼs notice.”

King Gurdan, the Halfling ruler, scratched his chin. ”Hmm… makes sense. But I assume this isnʼt just about safety, is it?”

Garius smirked. ”Of course not. Thereʼs a lot we need to discuss.”

The room grew silent again, but this time, there was no tension—just anticipation.

Something big was coming.

After the Meal.

The atmosphere in the room shifted immediately. The warmth of shared laughter and good food faded, replaced by a heavy silence.

Garius leaned forward, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room. ”Now, onto the main topic.” His tone left no room for small talk.

”I assume all of your escorts are trustworthy?”

King Edmund crossed his arms. ”Donʼt worry about that.”

King Lioness gave a firm nod. ”Same here.”

King Veldrac, ruler of the demons, smirked. ”You can trust my shadow demons as much as you trust me.”

Chieftain Guramak let out a gruff laugh. ”Bah! If I didnʼt trust them, they wouldnʼt be alive.”

Queen Mylezra, ruler of the elves, spoke calmly. ”My escorts are my most elite warriors. You need not doubt them.”

King Sroku of the dragonkin grunted in approval, while Queen Eanzia gave a small nod.

Garius took a deep breath, his usual smirk gone. ”Good.”

His voice dropped slightly, carrying a weight that made everyone lean in.

”Now, I want to tell you all something—something very, very important.”

He paused, letting the tension build.

”This might be our last dinner together… before everything comes to an end.”

The room fell dead silent.

Garius nodded grimly. ”That thing will be active soon.”

The air turned heavy. Every ruler present knew exactly what he meant—what it was.

He continued, ”I believe our friend here has managed to secure one. Iʼve also deployed extra precautions in that area.”

”The problem is…” Garius exhaled. ”The other six.”

A deep silence followed.

King Edmund folded his arms. ”So, itʼs time, huh?”

Chieftain Guramak let out a gruff chuckle, slamming his fist against the table. ”Bah! Donʼt worry about me. My son has trained hard—heʼs ready to inherit my legacy.”

Queen Mylezra smiled knowingly. ”Do not concern yourself with my kingdom either. The next queen will be chosen when I step down.”

King Lioness smirked. ”So, weʼre doing it like before, huh? Letʼs hope my eldest son is ready to inherit the throne.”

King Sroku sighed. ”So… it begins.”

Only King Veldrac remained silent, his fingers tapping against the table rhythmically, his gaze dark and thoughtful.

Finally, he muttered, ”Damn. Everyone has sons… and I only have daughters.”

The others gave him amused looks, but Garius reassured him, ”Well, Veldrac, your place is secure anyway.”

The demon king scoffed. ”Hmph. Letʼs just hope it stays that way.”

( End of Chapter )