Reborn As Noble

Chapter 557: The Sword of Mercy ( 557 )

“Leader… stop!! Please, don’t open the gate!!” one of the dwarven soldiers shouted, desperately grabbing at the elder’s arm.

Their leader hesitated, hand resting on the latch of the small gate, eyes sweeping across his weary men. Worn, bandaged, hollow-eyed from hunger and fatigue. The weight of their suffering pressed harder than any weapon.

“…Let go,” he said softly.

“But, leader! We don’t know what that masked human might do! If he harms you—!”

The leader turned slowly, offering a quiet, reassuring smile. “Do you honestly believe we can stand against his army?”

The soldier faltered, voice trembling.

“Did you see it? He crushed 120,000 halflings as if they were nothing. His army didn’t even move. It was just him and those weird flying magic things,” he added bitterly. “We’re not even in the same league.”

He looked back toward the battlefield. The masked commander stood tall, the eerie formation of puppet knights silent behind him, unmoving but oppressive. In the sky above, mana drones hovered quietly, like predators waiting for the right moment.

The leader sighed deeply. “Look at us. We’ve been holding this fortress for years…starving, bleeding, just trying to protect what remains of our people. Most of our rations are just hot water with dried scraps. Our best armor is patched with old cookware. We’re exhausted. We’ve lost too much already.”

He reached out slowly and pushed the gate open with a rusty creak, just enough for one man to step through.

“Maybe he’s a monster. Maybe he’ll kill me the moment I step out.”

“Then why?!” another soldier shouted, his voice cracking with emotion.

“Because, if there’s even a small chance he’ll show mercy… it’s worth risking everything.”

The soldiers fell silent.

He looked back one last time. “We’ve suffered enough. I’ve suffered enough. But if he shows mercy… that’s enough for me. I’ll take the risk.”

Then, without armor, without weapon, only a battered cloak over his shoulders—the dwarven leader stepped out.

He moved toward the masked man who had reduced an entire halfling army to ash.

Toward Javier De Armand.

And with each step, he prayed, not for himself, but for the people he left behind.

Javier stood tall, the wind softly tugging at the crimson edges of his samurai cape. His Pekko, Buddy, moved confidently, circling the formation of puppet knights, its head bobbing and pecking at the ground as if this battlefield was nothing more than a quiet stroll.

Then he saw a lone dwarf, weak and trembling, each unsteady step slow and deliberate. The dwarf carried a white cloth tied to a stick, raised in his hand like a fragile banner.

Javier tilted his head slightly, his oni mask concealing his expression.

The dwarf stepped forward, stopping at a distance, then dropped to one knee.

“My name is Dugartz,” he said hoarsely. “I’m the commander in charge of this stronghold.”

Javier was silent for a moment, then finally spoke in a low voice beneath the demon-shaped mask.

“Hmmm… what do you want?”

Dugartz lowered his head again, voice trembling.

“If… we surrender… can you promise me something?”

Javier’s gaze sharpened behind the mask. “What promise?”

“Please…” Dugartz’s voice cracked. “Spare my soldiers… my people. They’ve suffered enough. If someone must die… take me. Kill me. Just let them live.”

A heavy silence fell.

Javier turned his gaze toward the scorched battlefield, remnants of the once-proud halfling army now reduced to smoldering ruins, the proof of overwhelming power.

His voice was soft but clear.

“…Do you think I’m here to kill for fun?”

Dugartz looked up, uncertain.

“Do you think I take pleasure in war?” Javier continued. “That I ride across nations to burn and conquer just for cruelty?”

He stepped closer, gravel crunching under his boots.

“Do you really believe I came here… just to slaughter the innocent?”

He let the words hang in the air.

Behind him, the puppet knights stood perfectly still. Above, the drones hovered silently, waiting.

Then Javier exhaled slowly, calm and steady.

“If I wanted you dead, you wouldn’t even know it happened.”

“I don’t want your people’s blood. I want peace.”

Dugartz’s eyes widened slightly at his words.

“But peace,” Javier said, rising again, “isn’t easily gained. I’m here because others forced this war. I’m here to stop the madness.”

Finally, his tone firm.

“Raise your flag of surrender above your wall, Commander Dugartz. Tell your soldiers to stand down. If you do, I swear on Armand’s name… your people will be spared. No harm will come to them.”

Dugartz clenched his fists in the dirt, emotion filling his face.

“Thank you…” he whispered hoarsely.

Javier turned back toward Buddy, returning to his Pekko.

“Tell your people. The war is over.”

Javier’s voice remained steady and commanding as he faced Dugartz once more, the seriousness in his tone echoing with authority and resolve.

“Go,” he ordered. “Tell your soldiers, your troops…”

He gestured toward the stronghold behind the dwarf commander.

“If they surrender, they will be fed.”

Dugartz’s breath hitched, a flicker of relief and disbelief crossing his face.

“This stronghold… from this moment forward, belongs to me,” Javier continued, his voice darkening just enough to make his intent clear. “It will become my base—my responsibility to defend. And your people, your families, your comrades… will be under my protection.”

He stepped closer, voice rising slightly with a firm, unshakable tone.

“I came here with a mission.”

He paused, then added with conviction.

“If your troops choose to surrender, I will raise my banner and plant my flag here. This place will no longer be under siege.”

He cast a piercing glance back at the scorched battlefield, the remnants of the halfling army smoldering in silence.

“But listen carefully,” Javier’s tone sharpened. “If anyone among your ranks resists… if even one soldier raises a weapon against me or my knights…”

His eyes darkened behind the oni mask.

“…they will not be spared.”

The gentle breeze swept across the desolate ruins, lifting dust and ash into the air, as if sealing a solemn vow.

“Now go, Commander Dugartz,” Javier commanded finally. “Your people have a choice. Life… or death. Choose wisely.”

( End Of Chapter )

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