Reborn As Noble

Chapter 19 The Mischievous Hunter ( 19 )

”Ehehehe... this is a great catch,” Javier said to himself, standing in a forest clearing filled with monster bodies.

”There are a lot of monsters here. Soon, Iʼll have enough for that Pekko .”

The forest near the manor was full of beasts, perfect for Javier hunting trip. He wiped the sweat from his forehead. The air smelled strongly of blood and the earthy scent of the monsters he had defeated.

”Now... time to put these into my magic storage.” he laughed, moving his fingers as glowing symbols appeared in the air. With a wave, the first monster vanished into his magical storage.

”One!” he counted happily. ”Two! Huff... twenty-four! Haaah! Fifty-seven!”

As he reached for another monster, he noticed something strange. It was a unique creature with shiny fur and antlers that glowed softly with blue light. ”Oh? What kind of monster is this?” he wondered, crouching down to look closer.

He shrugged and put it into his storage. ”Never mind. Seventy-two, huh? Great catch!” he said, clapping his hands and stretching his arms.

Even with so many monsters stored away, Javier felt full of energy. His strong magic kept him from getting tired. ”Hmm... Iʼm not tired yet. Maybe... more hunting?” He smiled to himself, excited for more adventure.

As the wind blew through the leaves, Javier adjusted his dagger and looked at the trees. ”I canʼt wait to see the old manʼs face when I show him this catch. And soon... my own Pekko! Ehehehehe...”

With confidence, he walked deeper into the forest, ready for whatever came next.

Javier teased as he dodged a huge claw from the unknown monster that had lunged at him. He quickly jumped to the side and grinned. ”Here! Take this kick!”

Using his quick reflexes, Javier spun in the air and landed a sharp kick to the monsterʼs head. The creature let out a deep groan before collapsing.

”Eh? Defeated already?” Javier tilted his head, pretending to be disappointed. ”Come on, at least make it fun for me!”

He shrugged, dusted off his hands, and crouched next to the fallen monster. ”Well, whatever... ehehehehe. Time to loot!” With a wave of his hand, glowing symbols appeared, and the entire monster vanished into his storage space. ”Every part is valuable—meat, hide, claws, everything! No waste here!”

Javierʼs eyes sparkled as he looked around, spotting another corpse nearby. ”Another one! And thereʼs another! Ehehehe... jackpot!” He dashed between the bodies, storing them with ease.

When he reached the last one, a strange monster caught his eye. Its scales shimmered with rainbow colors, and its eyes still glowed faintly. ”Hmm, I wonder what this is?” he said, poking it curiously before deciding to store it too.

Standing in the now-empty clearing, Javier stretched and let out a satisfied sigh. ”Haaah... not bad, not bad at all.”

Then a thought hit him, and his grin grew wider. ”I better get back to the manor before someone notices Iʼm gone. Ehehehe... I donʼt want Liana dragging me back by my ear again.”

With one last laugh, Javier turned and made his way out of the forest, feeling pleased with his successful loot and excited about his plans for a Pekko.

Rustle, rustle...

”Huh? Is that a monster?” Javier whispered to himself, his amber eyes shining with excitement. ”Ehehehe... just one more loot for today!”

He crouched down, getting ready for battle, his grin growing wider as he imagined the treasures he might find. But when he leaped toward the noise, his smile disappeared, replaced by shock.

”Young master!!!”

”Ekkkk!! Liana!!” Javier froze mid-step, his face a funny mix of panic and guilt. ”Err... umm... good day?”

”Good day!?” Liana eyes flared with frustration as she crossed her arms. ”Youʼre not supposed to be here alone in the forest! What were you thinking?”

”Ehehehe...” Javier rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, trying to charm his way out of trouble.

”Donʼt ”ehehehehe” me!” Liana snapped, her voice sharp but filled with concern. Without another word, she marched over, grabbed his ear, and started dragging him out of the clearing.

”Ekkkk!! Not so rough, beautiful!! Iʼm sorry! Iʼm sorry!” Javier cried out, wincing.

”I donʼt care!” Liana replied, her grip firm as she continued to scold him. ”Do you have any idea how dangerous it is out here? What if something had happened to you? What would I tell your father?”

”But I was doing fine... really. I even got a lot of loot! Want to see?”

”Absolutely not!” Liana huffed, pulling him along with even more determination. ”Now weʼre going straight back to the manor before anyone notices youʼre gone!”

”Hehe, youʼre so cute when youʼre mad, Liana.”

Lianaʼs cheeks turned slightly red, but she refused to look at him. ”Keep talking, and Iʼll really give you something to cry about, young master.”

”Ehhh, no need for violence, my lovely future wife!” Javier teased.

Their playful banter filled the forest as they made their way back, Liana frustration battling against the faint smile she couldnʼt quite hide.

Javier tilted his head as he walked beside Liana, a mischievous grin on his face. ”Whatʼs with the bow?” he asked, pointing to the beautifully crafted weapon slung across her back.

Liana shot him a sharp look, clearly losing her patience. ”What do you think itʼs for, young master? What if you were attacked by a monster?”

”Ehehehe... I didnʼt know you could fight,” Javier teased, his amber eyes sparkling with curiosity.

”Huh!?” Liana stopped and faced him, hands on her hips. ”Of course I can fight! Do you think the Armand household hires random people off the street to serve the family?”

”Errr... maybe?” Javier replied, pretending to be innocent with a shrug. ”I mean, youʼre so gentle and graceful all the time. Itʼs hard to imagine you going all whoosh-whoosh with a weapon. Ehehehe!”

Liana sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose to suppress her growing frustration. ”Young master, every maid in the Armand household is trained in combat to ensure the safety of our charges. Weʼre not just here to clean and cook.”

”Ohhh!” Javier clapped his hands together as if heʼd just discovered a great secret. ”So, my lovely Liana is a battle maid too, huh? Thatʼs kinda cool.”

”ʼKindaʼ cool?” Liana echoed, narrowing her eyes.

Javier leaned closer, his grin widening. ”Does this mean youʼd protect me if a monster showed up? ”

Lianaʼs face turned slightly red, and she quickly looked away. ”If you stayed out of trouble, I wouldnʼt need to protect you in the first place!”

”But troubleʼs my middle name.” Javier quipped, earning an annoyed sigh from Liana as they continued their walk back to the manor.

Javier suddenly reached out and took Lianaʼs hand, holding it tightly as they walked through the forest. He swung their hands playfully, his signature grin plastered across his face.

”This is kinda like a date, huh?”

Liana immediately bristled, her cheeks tinting a faint pink. ”Date your ass! No one in their right mind would call wandering through a monster-filled forest a date!”

”Ehehehe,” Javier chuckled, undeterred by her scolding. ”Well, I think itʼs romantic. Just you, me, and a bunch of scary monsters. Who needs candlelit dinners?”

Liana glared at him, though the corner of her lips twitched as if she was fighting back a smile. ”If you have this much energy to joke around, you should use it to get us back to the manor safely!”

Javier gave her hand a playful squeeze. ”But you know, if this were a date, Iʼd totally win you over with my charm.”

”Ha!?” Liana scoffed, though her heart skipped a beat. ”Your so-called charm is the reason weʼre in this mess to begin with!”

Once they arrived at the hidden path leading to the manor, Liana raised her hand to signal Javier to stop. She cautiously stepped out first, scanning the surroundings for any signs of movement. After ensuring the coast was clear, she gestured for Javier to follow.

”Why do we have to sneak around like this? You know I can just use an invisibility skill on both of us, right?”

Liana froze for a moment, blinking in disbelief. ”Eh? You have that skill?” She sighed deeply, rubbing her temples. ”Why do I bother going through all this effort if you can just do that, young master?!”

”Eheheh,” Javier chuckled, his tone teasing.

”Ugh… letʼs just head to the study room before someone notices youʼre missing,” Liana grumbled, shaking her head.

”Alright, alright,” Javier replied, his grin not faltering. ”But you know, today was a great haul. Tons of monster bodies stuffed into my magic storage.”

Liana groaned quietly, lowering her voice as they walked. ”Young master, you need to stop casually mentioning those kinds of skills in front of others! Do you know how rare magic storage is? Thatʼs something only summoned heroes or exceptionally talented people—one in a million—can use.”

”Eh? Really?” Javier said, tilting his head, genuinely surprised.

”And those fast-casting abilities of yours,” Liana continued in a whisper, her tone stern. ”Donʼt talk about them openly, either. Itʼll only draw unnecessary attention.”

”Alright, alright, I get it,” Javier said, shrugging. Then, with his trademark smirk, he added cheekily, ”Okay, my wife. Iʼll keep it a secret for you.”

Lianaʼs eyes widened at his boldness, her cheeks tinging pink. For a moment, she was caught off guard, but she quickly turned her head to hide her reaction.

Inside her mind, she sighed. If only… if only you could make that dream come true, young master.

( End of Chapter )