Reborn As Noble

From within the burning haze, a single, calm voice slipped out like steel cutting through silk.

”...Pathetic.”

The smoke parted, Garius stood exactly where he had been, his cloak fluttering gently, a single hand raised loosely before him. Not a scratch. Not a burn.

Even Giddie, behind him, remained seated, chest puffed proudly as if mocking the attack itself.

The ground around Garius was cracked and scorched in a perfect circle, yet his body, his presence, remained utterly untouched.

His voice was calm, carrying across the battlefield.

”If insects like those are all you can muster, you’re not even worth my time.”

The enemy’s grin split wider, eyes gleaming with mania.

He snapped his fingers, flames roared to life, engulfing Garius’s head in an inferno. The air shimmered from the heat, the blaze howling as though eager to consume everything.

”Kikikiki! Burn, weakling!”

But before the flames fully cleared, the enemy’s body flickered, vanishing from sight.

In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind Garius, palm already thrust forward. Dark power erupted from his hand like a cannon blast.

BOOOM!

The impact slammed into Garius’s back, detonating with a chain of fiery explosions that tore through the ground. Shockwaves blasted across the clearing, the sheer force hurling Garius forward into the haze of smoke and fire.

”Esteem Father!” Marcellus roared.

”Kikikikiki! Fly, crumble, die!!” the attacker cackled, snapping his wrist.

From beneath his sleeve, small orbs crackling with unstable energy scattered across the ground. They bounced once, then began to pulse violently, explosive talismans, each one primed to detonate.

They arced toward the sons.

Before panic could even set in, a blur of movement flashed.

Erinnette.

She appeared in front of the orbs, her maid’s dress swirling like a battle standard, one hand extended. With a flick of her wrist, dozens of mana threads shimmered outward, weaving into a barrier in the air.

The explosives struck.

BOOOOOM!

The blast rattled the earth, but none of the fire reached the sons. The barrier rippled once, like the surface of a lake catching a stone, then burst outward in a sharp counter-flare, hurling the fragmented energy harmlessly into the distance.

Erinnette’s voice was calm, but her eyes were sharp as blades.

”None shall touch the Young Lords while I still draw breath.”

Behind her, the sons steadied their pekko.

Javier’s fingers twitched, itching toward his storage magic. Cedric’s grip tightened on his sword, Marcellus raised a hand toward his mana, Aelius and Heres braced instinctively.

The enemy cackled madly, eyes darting through the haze where Garius had been blasted away.

”Gwahahahaha!! Weakling!! Your family is next! I’ll turn them into ash before your corpse cools!”

Javier’s teeth clenched, his mana flaring as he activate his magic storage.

But then he froze.

Because out of the drifting smoke, a shadow rose.

Slow. Calm. Unhurried.

Garius.

Hovering in the air as though the explosions had been no more than a gust of wind. His cloak drifted lazily behind him, his posture loose, hands still in his pockets. Not a single scratch marred him.

Javier let out a long breath, mana dispersing.

”...Esteem father.”

The enemy’s manic grin faltered, eyes widening as the impossible came into focus.

”I did say,” Garius’s voice was steady, carrying over the battlefield like iron, ”there was no need to use magic on a weakling like you.”

In the space of a heartbeat, he vanished.

When he reappeared, his hand was already clamped around the enemy’s skull. The attacker’s eyes bulged in shock, his hands clawing desperately at the iron grip.

”But when you dared to target my sons... my people...” Garius’s tone hardened, cold as the edge of a blade. His eyes narrowed.

”...then you’ve already signed your end.”

With a single motion, Garius twisted. The sound of bone snapping rang out sharp and final. The enemy’s body went limp, dangling helplessly from his grip.

Garius landed lightly on the dirt, his boots barely making a sound. Without looking down at the broken body at his feet, he swung his leg once.

The corpse flew upward like a ragdoll, spinning through the sky.

Garius’s eyes followed it only for a moment. His hand rose lazily, two fingers poised together.

”This is the way to use magic properly, without relying on cursed relics or crutches like those ancient artifacts.”

Snap!

A single sharp crack of his fingers.

The air above split. Mana rippled outward like a stone striking water.

The corpse burst mid-air.

The explosion shook the ground, flames and shards scattering before being instantly consumed by a second detonation that folded over it.

The sky lit up as the body split apart, torn in violent bursts of mana that shredded it until nothing but dust remained.

Garius lowered his hand slowly, letting the echo of the explosion fade into silence. The dust of the enemy still rained down like black snow, vanishing before it could touch the ground.

He stood tall in the center of the road, cloak fluttering in the wind, one hand slipping calmly back into his pocket. His other arm rested loosely behind his back, his chin lifted just slightly.

The perfect picture of calm authority.

”My lord! We will handle the remaining enemy!”

Alf’s voice rang clear, his twin blades flashing as he drew them in one smooth motion. Beside him, Erinnette spread her arms, her mana surging outward. Dozens of magic circles bloomed in the air around her like a storm of glowing sigils, ready to unleash devastation.

But Garius only smirked. His eyes, sharp and calm, never lost their composure. He adjusted his glove, brushing dust from it as if the earlier battle had been nothing more than a warm-up.

”What enemy?”

Alf froze mid-step. Erinnette’s circles flickered uncertainly as her brows furrowed.

From the distance, a scream split the air. It was raw, guttural, drenched in agony. Not a cry of battle, but the sound of men being torn apart.

The sound came again. And again. Dozens of them, overlapping, echoing across the barren fields around them.

Painful screams.

”We shouldn’t focus on weak enemies like that, Alf, Erinnette.”

Garius’s voice was calm, almost casual, as he stepped back toward Giddie. His cloak swayed lightly with the breeze, his smile faint but certain.

”Our time is far too valuable to waste on stragglers. Let the shadows deal with them.”

Alf lowered his blades reluctantly, bowing his head.

”As you command, my lord.”

Erinnette dispelled her circles, her expression unreadable.

( End Of Chapter )