Reborn As Noble

Garius smirked, his right eye still glowing faintly as a new mana began swirling around his hand. The energy pulsed and grew, spinning faster and faster until the air around them howled. The wind kicked up violently, whipping through the courtyard as the swirling mana expanded, bending the light around it. Leaves and dust spiraled upward, caught in the vortex of raw power.

With a casual toss, he threw the sword into the air. In an instant, thousands of identical swords materialized above him, stretching across the sky like a constellation of gleaming blades, each one humming with power.

Giddie walked with a regal stride, his golden feathers shimmering as a swirling ball of new mana formed in front of him. The energy pulsed and expanded, and in the next moment, thousands of beautiful, radiant light shields surrounded them, forming an impenetrable barrier of interlocking light.

Javier forced a grin, his eye twitching as he turned his head away.

Giihhhh!

I hate those eyes!

Father can easily learn how to use new mana with just one glance!

Not to mention Giddie! Giddie can do it in an instant!

Damn!

He forced another grin, watching his father and Giddie form a new combination skill with effortless grace. Giddie walked with his usual regal stride before everything vanished in an instant, the sky clearing as if nothing had happened.

Garius lowered his hand, his expression calm and thoughtful. ”Hmm... New mana is good. What do you think, Giddie?”

”Cuquawked.” (Not really sure, but it’s good to learn how to control a different type of mana. But if you want my honest opinion? Meh... just so-so.)

Giddie let out a low, dismissive squawk, his golden feathers ruffling slightly as he continued.

”Cuquawked~ Cuquawked.” (Even if someone reached master level or spent years trying to master this new mana, it has its flaws. The limitations are clear. It doesn’t work well with more advanced or ultimate skills. No matter how much time and effort they pour into it, they’ll never be able to use it for anything truly powerful. It’s useful for basic and intermediate techniques, but beyond that, it falls short.)

Garius nodded slowly, rubbing his chin. ”As expected from my partner. You always see through things quickly.”

Giddie puffed his chest out slightly, his beak curling into a smug smirk.

”Cuquawked.” (Of course~)

Garius rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his gaze drifting toward the horizon as he spoke to Giddie.

”This mana is from the people of the other continent. But it’s different from the two summoned heroes we currently have locked in prison. Gorak and Jaigar carry a different kind of mana and power entirely. Even though they’re both summoned heroes, their mana flows are completely distinct from each other.”

Giddie let out a low, thoughtful squawk, his golden feathers ruffling slightly.

”Cuquawked~ Cuquawked~” (Perhaps it’s because both of them are under different kinds of Abyss Spirits. Those lowly creatures dare to claim themselves as goddesses. They deceive mortals, granting them fragments of power while hiding their true nature. Each one twists the mana of their chosen heroes in their own image. That’s why their powers feel so different. Different sources, different corruption. But in the end, they’re all the same filth wearing different masks.)

Garius chuckled softly, watching his pekko exhale a puff of warm air from his beak. He turned his gaze toward Javier, his voice calm and measured.

”Javier?”

”Yes... Father?”

”After this, you’re going to train your seventh wife, right?”

Javier’s eyes widened slightly before he forced himself to calm down, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. ”Yes, Father.”

Garius nodded slowly. ”Train her to use the mana of this continent. At the same time, teach her how to control her current skills without relying on incantations. Their mana system is fundamentally flawed. It’s inefficient, rigid, and unsuitable for true high-level combat. It relies too much on fixed patterns and external control, rather than internal mastery and adaptability.”

”Understood, Father.”

”Mm...” Garius paused, his voice carrying a note of authority. ”Complete their training within three days. There will be an upcoming task that requires your presence.”

”Errr... new task, Father?”

Giddie stopped walking, turning to face both Javier and Buddy. Garius looked down at them, his expression calm but serious.

”Prepare yourself for a legal and diplomatic matter. The situation at Vurghen’s last town is going to require careful handling. I have a strong hunch that Lord Zurakan will soon file an official complaint regarding the conflict between his forces and the Lurghen heir. He’s a man of law and precedent, and he won’t let this slide quietly.”

Garius smirked, his eyes glinting with quiet amusement.

”That means Zurakan will seek a more powerful mediator. Someone whose authority cannot be questioned, someone who will actually listen and rule fairly.”

He paused, glancing at the horizon with a subtle, knowing smile.

”Knowing how these things go, I have a feeling an old friend of mine will be dragged into this mess as a mediator. And when that happens, things will become far more complicated... or perhaps... more interesting.”

Javier’s brow twitched, but he forced himself to smile and nodded. ”I will prepare for it, Father.”

”Good. Now, I’ll take my leave.” Garius paused, glancing over his shoulder. ”Oh, and Javier?”

”Yes, Father?”

”I’ll need your report on the two entities you fought, your upgrade plans, and all the data you’ve gathered. On my desk by this afternoon. Before lunch.”

Javier and Buddy watched Garius and Giddie walk away, waiting until they were completely out of sight before Javier narrowed his eyes and tilted his head down and to the side, making a funny, annoyed face toward Buddy, who turned his head with a smug smirk.

”Cuquawked?” (What?)

Javier wiggled his eyebrows, his voice dripping with playful mockery. ”Someone’s scared of his father. Didn’t even dare to squawk, heh~”

Buddy let out a dismissive squawk, puffing his chest out.

”Cuquawked~ Cuquawked~” (Oh please, Master~ You’re worse than me~)

Buddy suddenly stood rigid, his wings pressed tightly against his sides, his posture stiff and formal, mimicking Javier’s earlier behavior with exaggerated precision.

”Cuquawked!” (Yes, Father!)

He made his brow twitch, his beak curling into a smirk before he squawked again, his voice dripping with mock obedience.

”Cuquawked!” (I will prepare for it, Father. In an instant!)

”Oi! I didn’t say that!” Javier exhaled, his face flushing with embarrassment.

Buddy began walking with his usual smug, proud stride, his chest puffed out, his head held high, his feathers gleaming with self-satisfaction. Javier let out a long sigh before calling out.

”Buddy?”

”Cuquawked?” (What?)

”Do you think you can do what your father does before?”

”Cuquawked?” (You mean controlling the foreign girl’s mana like Father did?)

”Yeah.”

”Cuquawked. Cuquawked~” (I don’t know. But I can try. Now show me the crystal.)

Javier shrugged, his voice flat. ”Father took it, remember?”

”Cuquawked?” (You didn’t ask for it back?)

Javier narrowed his eyes at Buddy, his voice dropping into a deadpan tone. ”You want me to die early? Even Marcellus, Cedric, Aelius, and Heres wouldn’t dare ask what he’s taking, you know!”

Buddy tilted his head, his beak curling into a wide, teasing smirk as he let out a long, drawn-out squawk. His eyes gleamed with mischief as he bobbed his head.

”Cuquawked~ Cuquawked~?” (The mighty prince who still trembles when his father so much as glances at him~ Should I call you ’Sir Yes Father’~?)

Javier shot him a flat glare, his lips twitching as he tried to hold back a grin. ”Yeah? And what does that make you, huh? You went stiff as a board the second Giddie showed up. So if I’m ’Sir Yes Father’, then you’re ’Little Chick’. We’re the same, you oversized chicken.”

Buddy let out an indignant squawk, his feathers ruffling as he stomped one foot.

”Cuquawked~! Cuquawked~” (I am not a chicken! I am a majestic pekko! The fastest, the smartest, the most coolest pekko in all of Armand!)

Javier laughed, shaking his head as he raised both hands in mock surrender. ”Fine, fine. You’re the most coolest pekko, who has the most handsome, genius prince of Armand as his master. Happy?”

Buddy puffed his chest out, his beak curling into a smug smirk as he resumed walking with an extra bounce in his step.

”Cuquawked~ Cuquawked~” (That’s right~ Now, about breakfast~)

Javier rubbed his chin, glancing up toward the sky while his other hand raised palm-up. A soft glow emanated from his hand as a small ore floated out from his coat, hovering above his palm before dissolving into liquid. The liquid shifted and swirled, forming into a beautiful, intricate shape before solidifying into a small, gleaming trinket.

”Mmm... sure... But it’s still early morning if we want to grill meat, you know.”

Buddy’s eyes lit up, and he began bobbing his head left and right, tilting his body side to side with each bouncy step, his beak opening in a cheerful, rhythmic squawk.

”Cuquawked~ Cuquawked~ Cuquawked~” (Meat is the best~ Meat and meat~ All day, all night, all the time~ Meat~)

( End Of Chapter )