Reborn As Noble

Chapter 1388: A Nation Not to Be Trifled With ( 1388 )

Night.

Other Continent.

Divinity Nation.

King Garreth sat in his private study, the warm glow of candlelight casting long shadows across the room. His three sons, Kaelen, Cecilio, and Arbalest, were seated before him, their postures attentive and respectful.

Garreth’s gaze settled on his eldest son, Kaelen.

“Kaelen?”

Kaelen rose from his seat, offering a slight bow. “Yes, Father.”

Garreth’s voice was low, measured. “How are our preparations progressing?”

Kaelen reached into his coat, pulling out a neatly folded report and stepping forward to hand it to his father. “Everything is on schedule, Father. Our forces are positioned, our supplies are secured, and our defenses are ready.”

Garreth unfolded the report, his eyes scanning the contents carefully. He nodded slowly, rubbing his chin in thought before looking up at his son.

“Good. But make sure none of our flying ships are borrowed or taken without my explicit permission. Even if King Thaddeus himself issues a decree, he does not have the authority to commandeer our vessels without meeting me first and securing my approval.”

Kaelen hesitated for a moment before speaking, his voice cautious. “Father… what if King Thaddeus is displeased by this? If he demands our ships for the invasion and we refuse outright, it could create tension between our nations.”

Garreth smirked, shaking his head slowly. He set the report down and crossed his arms, his gaze steady and unwavering.

“You should not worry about such things, my sons.” He leaned back in his chair. “King Thaddeus may be the Imperial King, but I am still the King of Divinity. Just because your stepmother shares blood with him does not mean he has any authority over my nation. We are not a vassal state. We are allies, bound by treaty, not subjugation.”

His eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of cold amusement in them.

“Unlike Celestia, which grovels at his feet despite being the second largest of the three, Divinity answers only to its own crown. Thaddeus may throw his weight around, but he will find no leverage here.”

Garreth smiled, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes as Kaelen nodded in understanding. He continued, his voice steady and deliberate.

“Orthosia and Celestia may boast a massive combined army, but with the upcoming invasion, I have a hunch that the summoned heroes will be needed far more than the nobles’ coalition forces. And knowing Thaddeus, cruel, opportunistic, and war-hungry as he is, he will likely throw his Imperial army into the coalition without hesitation.”

He paused, his gaze shifting to Cecilio, who commanded the naval fleet, and then to Arbalest, who led the ground forces.

“Cecilio, Arbalest. Ensure our royal army is ready at all times. Our forces are to remain within our borders unless I give the command. Do not allow any of our ships or soldiers to be drawn into their war without my explicit order.”

Cecilio rose, placing a fist over his chest. “Understood, Father. Our fleet will remain on standby, ready to defend our shores.”

Arbalest followed suit, his voice deep and resolute. “The ground forces will be positioned along our borders. No enemy will set foot on Divinity’s soil without our permission.”

Garreth nodded, his expression satisfied. “Good. Given Thaddeus’s nature, when he sees that only Divinity’s noble forces are sent to join the invasion, while our royal army remains stationed at home, he will grow suspicious. He may try to pressure us, or worse, attempt to take advantage of our perceived vulnerability.”

Kaelen’s brow furrowed. “Then what should we do, Father? If Thaddeus suspects we are holding back, he may turn his attention toward us before the invasion even begins.”

Garreth’s smile turned cold, his eyes glinting with quiet confidence.

“As I said before, you do not need to worry about that. Thaddeus may be suspicious, but he is also arrogant. He will assume that we are simply cautious, not defiant. And by the time he realizes otherwise, it will be far too late for him to do anything about it.”

He leaned forward, his voice firm. “Focus on strengthening our nation. Follow the plans I have already laid out for you, and do not deviate from them. Trust in my judgment, as you always have.”

The three sons rose in unison, placing their fists over their chests. “Understood, Father.”

Garreth leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting to the ceiling as he murmured softly. “I wonder if Celine has arrived at her destination safely.”

The room fell silent for a moment before Kaelen spoke, his voice gentle.

“I’m sure she has, Father. Celine is resourceful and clever. And she is being escorted by two of our best royal forces. She will be fine.”

Garreth smiled faintly, his eyes still fixed on the ceiling. “Once Celine arrives, I truly hope she will present all the documents to the ruler of Armand. It is crucial that Armand understands that Divinity is not their enemy, and that we have no desire for this invasion to happen.”

Arbalest’s brow furrowed as he asked, his voice cautious.

“Father… if you don’t mind me asking, why are you so insistent on not making Armand our enemy?”

Garreth chuckled softly, crossing his arms behind his head as he leaned back in his chair, a look of amusement flickering in his eyes.

“The summoned heroes’ entire team has the best chosen people from our nation to party up with them. They have access to our resources, our nobles’ support, and what they call the best intelligence-gathering network. They were able to collect detailed information about every nation on the other continent. The Human Kingdom, the Dwarven Nation, the Halfling Nation, even some information on the Beastkin Nation, the Elven Nation, and the Demon Nation itself.”

He paused, his smirk widening as he glanced at Kaelen.

“But they failed to gain anything crucial about Armand. Isn’t that right, Kaelen?”

Kaelen smirked, nodding slowly. “Correct, Father. Even our own royal intelligence units have only managed to collect scraps of information about Armand, mostly from merchant gossip and public hearsay. Nothing crucial. Nothing classified. The only things we know for certain are that Armand is the best place in the continent for trade and living, and that the people there are fiercely loyal to their ruler.”

He lifted his head, his voice taking on a more serious tone.

“And We know from old records from when Armand was still a noble region under the Human Kingdom, they survived and won two major wars against them, declared independence after the old king’s death, and that the current Sovereign, Garius de Armand, has gathered exceptional talents under his command.”

He paused, meeting his father’s gaze.

“Among them are the strongest assassin, holding the title ‘The Silent Man,’ a dual-wielding magic swordswoman known as the ‘Battle Maiden,’ and a man called ‘The Maniac Berserker’. These are the only names that surface. But as for their military strength, their true capabilities, their internal politics… all of it remains a mystery.”

Garreth’s smirk remained, his voice dropping into a low, knowing tone.

“A nation that can remain that secretive, despite being surrounded by potential threats, is not a nation to be trifled with. They either possess extraordinary defensive measures, or they are far stronger than they let on. Either way, making an enemy of them would be a grave mistake.”

( End Of Chapter )

Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know.