Reborn As Noble

Chapter 400: Defensive Measures ( 400 )

Javier stood at the edge of the wall, arms crossed, his eyes scanning the landscape below as the Anti-Air Mana Gun locked into place.

”…Hmm. You know what?” he muttered aloud, as if recalling something exciting. ”Letʼs put thirty mana cannons on this wall.”

Liana blinked. ”Thirty?”

He turned to her with his familiar grin. ”Let them fight us in medieval style—swords, shields, pretty armor, and all that.”

He paused, then added with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, ”But when I say boom boom, they go boom boom.”

Gloria narrowed her gaze slightly. ”...Ara. A childish name for mass destruction, but effective.”

”Thanks,” Javier replied proudly.

The nearby Puppet Knights made no sound, but their glowing cores flickered faintly in acknowledgment, waiting for his next order.

He tapped the barrel of the mana gun again and continued, ”Just like the last war Armand fought… Remember that one?”

”The coalition of nobles,” Liana replied quietly, her eyes narrowing. ”The ones who supported the so-called Saint of the Three Gods.”

Gloria crossed her arms. ”They thought divine blessing would guarantee victory.”

Javier grinned wider. ”Yeah. And they lost. Not one of our soldiers fell.

”Even if they figure out where these are placed… it doesnʼt matter.”

He snapped his fingers, and one of the Puppet Knights stepped forward with eerie precision.

”Only these guys can use my weapons. No one else. Not nobles, not generals—only me, them, and you both.

”Which means even if the enemy tries, theyʼll still get blown sky-high before they figure it out.”

Liana exhaled softly. ”Youʼre more prepared than you let on.”

”I always am,” Javier replied with a shrug.

Liana and Gloria followed their young master in silence, step after step along the high stone wall. They didnʼt question him anymore, not because they werenʼt curious, but because they already knew the answer would be ridiculous... and somehow brilliant.

Meanwhile, Javier knelt near the next corner post and reached into thin air.

A shimmer of blue light flickered in front of him as he activated his magic storage. He pulled out a smooth, disk-shaped object, about the size of a shield, etched with strange glowing runes along its edge. Without a word, he began embedding it into the wallʼs interior housing, right next to a mounted cannon point.

Liana tilted her head. ”Young Master? What is that?”

”Hm?” Javier glanced over his shoulder. ”Oh, this?”

He patted the disk gently, almost like he was installing a prized centerpiece.

”Letʼs just say… itʼs a magic item that detects incoming enemies. Think of it like radar.”

”Radar?” Gloria echoed, raising an eyebrow.

”Yeah. When someone—say, a wyvern squad or a fast scout—enters its detection range, itʼll ping the system.”

He grinned, standing up and dusting off his gloves.

”Then the Anti-Air Guns, Mana Cannons, and my Puppet Knights will either launch a warning shot... or blast them out of the sky.”

”Automatically,” he added, his voice light.

”Youʼve built... an auto-targeting defense system?”

Javier gave her a finger-gun and winked. ”Bingo.”

Gloria adjusted her glasses slowly. ”Here I thought we were just going sightseeing.”

”Well, we still are sightseeing,” Javier replied cheerfully. ”Weʼre just sightseeing while installing a fortress-grade mana defense network.”

He stretched his arms overhead, completely unbothered. ”Alright. Next wall segment. Iʼve got three more sensors and a few fun little mana mines to place before sunset.”

Gloria sighed.

Liana just followed.

That was their Young Master: lazy on the surface, but terrifying underneath.

Gloria and Liana continued to follow Javier quietly as he installed another mana detector into the wall, his hands moving with practiced efficiency.

Liana finally broke the silence, her eyes narrowing slightly. ”Young Master… why are you creating all of this?”

Javier didnʼt answer immediately. Instead, he hummed a little, giving his usual lazy grin. ”Hmm? Nothing important,” he said casually.

Liana stepped forward, her gaze sharper now. ”Seriously, Young Master.”

For a moment, Javierʼs expression didnʼt change. Then he stood upright, turned halfway to glance at the horizon, and spoke quietly. ”…Letʼs just say…” he murmured, ”I donʼt want that incident to happen again.”

Liana blinked.

”That day…” Javierʼs voice was low, his grin fading. ”When the so-called ʼheroesʼ stabbed you two... right in front of me.”

The memory was still vivid: Lianaʼs lifeless body falling beside Gloriaʼs, the blood, the silence, the moment his world shattered.

”They thought it was a game. A joke. Just because they had blessings and titles.”

He turned back toward the wall, arms resting against the stone as he stared at the land beyond.

”Well…” he continued, softer now. ”If war does break out... if someone like them comes again…”

He smirked, but his eyes were cold.

”I want to make sure this time, theyʼre the ones who get crushed first.”

Behind Javier, the border captain stood silently with two of his lieutenants, watching from a respectful distance.

They had been assigned to escort the young master during his visit to the wall—standard protocol. But this? This was beyond anything they had expected.

One of the lieutenants leaned in and whispered, ”Captain… is that… another new weapon?”

The captain didnʼt respond right away. He watched as Javier installed the strange glowing disk, seamlessly embedding it into the wallʼs core array like it belonged there.

”…Thatʼs not just a weapon,” the captain finally muttered. ”Itʼs something else entirely.”

The soldiers exchanged uncertain glances. They were already using the mana talkie system—a region-wide communication network powered by relay towers, allowing every base and outpost in Armand to connect in real-time.

It had changed how they coordinated, how they moved, and how they defended.

And it had all started as a prototype from this very young master.

Their reinforced armor? His design.

The mana bomb launchers stationed at key fortifications? His idea.

Even the elite Pekko-mounted units—designed for rapid deployment and handling tough terrain—had come from his suggestions.

He never bragged or demanded recognition, but the truth was clear: the Armand Regionʼs strength today relied on the ideas that came from this boyʼs hands.

”How old is he again?” one guard whispered.

”Thirteen,” the captain replied quietly.

Javier, as usual, pretended not to hear a thing. He rolled his shoulders and glanced toward the next section of the wall.

”Alright,” he muttered to himself, ”next spot. Should be a good perch for another cannon mount and a blind spot scanner.”

With that, he moved forward—lazy in posture, but more prepared than anyone watching him could truly understand.

( End of Chapter )