Reborn As Noble

While inside Mathrias Manor.

”Mm...” Garius glanced at Rolland and Sylvia, who were bowing slightly in front of him, his expression stern and serious.

He looked over several of Mathrias’s officers and personnel standing at attention in full armor.

Garius’s right eye glowed faintly.

”So, Rolland?”

”Y... yes, Your Majesty?” Rolland stiffened in his bow.

”This one is your captain, the one who leads your current army?” Garius rubbed his chin while looking at one of the Mathrias personnel standing behind Rolland.

Rolland’s eyes widened.

How does Garius know without me even introducing them yet?

”Y... yes, Your Majesty.” Rolland said, gesturing for the captain of Mathrias to step forward.

The man stiffened and stepped forward, saluting Garius. ”Your Majesty. My name is Bhujar, Captain of the Mathrias Army.” He was about to kneel but paused, held in place by an unseen force.

Garius gave all of them a stern look.

”Don’t... kneel.”

His aura flared, making the surroundings feel heavy and oppressive. Everyone felt the pressure but remained standing, unable to move or drop to the floor.

He stopped his aura and glanced around. ”You are not prisoners, not my enemies, not criminals. There is no need to kneel. Kneeling is for those who have broken trust, or those who seek mercy. You have done neither. Stand with pride, as those who serve with honor.”

”Now. Bhujar, was it?” Garius clasped both hands behind his back and glanced at him.

”Y... yes, Your Majesty.” Bhujar bowed stiffly.

”Now, tell me the status of the current Mathrias Army, excluding the guards.”

Bhujar nodded. ”We currently have around...” He paused, glancing down at the floor. ”Around 2,000, Your Majesty.”

”Hmm?” Garius narrowed his eyes. He glanced at Rolland. ”Rolland?”

”Yes, Your Majesty?” Rolland stepped forward and bowed.

Garius looked down with a serious expression. ”Isn’t Mathrias supposed to have around 10,000 soldiers before? I find it strange that your current army is only 2,000. What happened?”

Rolland fell silent, unable to form any words.

Garius turned his gaze back to Bhujar.

”Do tell me.”

Bhujar swallowed hard. ”Mathrias did have around 12,000 soldiers before, led by General Mulkas. However, General Mulkas and his forces... no longer serve Lord Rolland. They broke away, forming their own faction and refusing to acknowledge Lord Rolland’s authority. The 2,000 soldiers we have now are the loyal ones who remained.”

Garius glanced at Alf, who was standing not too far yet not too close, and exhaled slowly.

Alf just nodded, one hand behind his back, the other clasped formally in front.

Garius turned and glanced at Erinette, who offered a faint, knowing smile.

Garius pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long exhale.

”Don’t tell me they’ve formed a faction controlling some of Mathrias’s regional territories.”

Bhujar stammered, his voice tense. ”The situation is worse than that, Your Majesty. More than half of Mathrias is now under General Mulkas’s control. They’ve forced the people in the conquered areas to pay taxes directly to him.”

Garius pinched his forehead and glanced at Alf and Erinette again before looking back at Bhujar.

”So the current soldiers are busy defending the remaining lands, their lord, and the borders that are still under Rolland’s control.”

Bhujar lowered his head, his expression grim. ”Yes, Your Majesty. We’ve been stretched thin, holding them off in the remaining areas while also facing threats from neighboring regions who see our weakness and try to take advantage.”

Bhujar continued. ”We are holding defensive lines at the River Elsin and the Timberland Pass, along with several key areas, but our forces are stretched to their limit. We have to split our troops just to ensure those areas aren’t conquered, leaving us vulnerable to sudden attacks.”

Garius rubbed his chin while Bhujar continued explaining.

”And what’s worst, we are facing a new type of weapon being used, cannons and muskets. We don’t know how long we’ll be able to hold our defenses. Our healers and mages are doing their best to minimize casualties, but if this continues... we may not be able to withstand another major assault.”

Garius glanced at Rolland with a sharp, intimidating glare.

”Not only did you not inform me about Gracelle’s condition, but now you hide this from me as well?”

Rolland fell even more silent, unable to speak. His body stiffened.

”Rolland... we are friends, and friends are supposed to support each other. But if you hide this from me, how can I help you when you’re in such dire trouble? Keeping me unaware only makes the situation worse for both of us.”

Garius let out a long, tired exhale.

”I was supposed to go back to Armand tomorrow, early morning, for my son and daughter’s wedding. And you and Sylvia were supposed to accompany me and attend my children’s wedding. But with this current situation...”

Garius clasped both hands behind his back.

”Because of your stubbornness in hiding problems and trouble from me, you’ve made things worse. A friend doesn’t keep secrets when their house is on fire.”

He glared hard at them. ”Now look. Not just one problem, but multiple crises that could have been prevented or managed better if you had been honest.”

”Since it’s not safe for Gracelle here yet, she will be transported to the Armand Healing Facility, with or without your consent.”

He glanced at Rolland. ”You’re lucky you took my advice to transfer your only son to a safe place. If not, who knows what would have happened to your noble line?”

He turned to Bhujar. ”Do any of your soldiers know about Armand’s arrival in Mathrias?”

”Not everyone, Your Majesty. Just the units I was with.”

”Good. This means the enemy doesn’t know Armand is here yet, for now.”

He glanced at Rolland, Sylvia, Bhujar, and all of Mathrias’s trusted personnel.

”All of you, gather in the war room inside the temporary building immediately. We are holding an emergency strategy meeting.”

Garius turned and paused, glancing over his shoulder with his usual stern and serious face.

”Now.”

( End Of Chapter )