Reborn As Noble

As Garius and his command unit arrived at the border wall, the sight before them was awe-inspiring.

Lined up in perfect formation, the full might of Armand stood ready. Every soldier, every warrior, every unit was prepared.

Garius dismounted from Giddie, his eyes scanning the troops before turning to his most trusted general.

"Hesbeirn."

The seasoned warrior stepped forward, his posture firm.

"Yes, my lord?"

"Report."

Hesbeirn nodded, handing over a scroll.

"Our scouts and intelligence unit have confirmed—120,000 troops are marching toward the border. Possibly more."

Garius unrolled the report, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"…So this time, they won't split their forces anymore."

Hesbeirn sighed.

"It seems so, my lord. Not only that…"

His voice darkened.

"This time, their mage units and priests from the Saint of Three Gods are accompanying them."

Garius raised an eyebrow.

"Barrier magic?"

"Yes, my lord. Their priests are deploying defensive blessings, ensuring their frontline will be harder to break."

Garius closed the report, his mind racing.

"I can dispel it… but with 120,000 soldiers…"

His expression remained unreadable.

Hesbeirn continued.

"Additionally, our counter units are struggling to set up traps or plant magic bombs along the enemy's path."

"Oh?"

"Their counter-intelligence units have already been deployed. They're specifically working to prevent our usual surprise tactics."

Garius exhaled slowly, then smirked.

"That means… this time, we fight them head-on."

A heavy silence followed.

Then—

The entire border wall erupted into battle cries.

The Armand forces were ready.

Let them come.

Garius remained composed, his sharp eyes locked onto the vast horizon where the enemy would soon appear.

Then—he spoke with authority.

"Hesbeirn."

"Yes, my lord?"

"Close the gates. We'll fight with ranged attacks first once they arrive."

Hesbeirn saluted, immediately turning to relay the command.

The massive steel-reinforced gates of the Armand border wall creaked shut, locking into place.

Archers, magic bow units, and siege operators moved into position, awaiting the enemy's arrival.

A soft chuckle echoed behind Garius.

Eridith, her hair flowing in the wind, approached with a playful smirk.

"Dear~"

She tilted her head, her dragon-like golden pupils shimmering.

"I can just turn into my true form and burn them to ash. It'll cut down their numbers significantly."

She grinned, revealing a hint of her sharp fangs.

"At least let me roast part of them, hmm?" Enjoy new stories from My Virtual Library Empire

Garius exhaled, shaking his head.

"Not now, Eridith."

Her smirk faltered slightly.

"Oh?"

Garius glanced at her knowingly.

"You'll be deployed once they break our first defense."

Eridith pouted, crossing her arms.

"Hmph. Fine. I'll wait… but don't make me wait too long."

She licked her lips slightly, her excitement for destruction barely contained.

A gentle laugh followed.

Francesca, radiating her calm yet absolute presence, stepped beside Garius. Her soft eyes twinkled with amusement as she placed a delicate hand on his arm.

"I'll activate a barrier over our soldiers. It won't last forever… but at least it will protect them from—"

She paused, glancing at the advancing dust clouds in the distance.

The enemy was coming.

Garius smirked.

"That's fine."

His voice was steady. Confident.

"They think they're fighting a 'mere' Count's army."

He turned to the vast Armand forces standing behind him.

"Let's teach them how wrong they are."

Meanwhile, at the estate…

Pain.

A deep, throbbing ache filled Javier's entire body. His muscles ached, his mana pathways felt scorched, and his head pounded violently. Slowly—he opened his eyes.

The familiar sight of his room in the estate greeted him. But something felt… empty.

His heart clenched.

Then—he remembered.

Liana.

Gloria.

Their blood. Their lifeless bodies.

The screams. The betrayal. The agony.

His breath shuddered.

His chest tightened.

Before he realized it, tears streamed down his face.

A deep, uncontrollable sob escaped his throat.

Javier bit his lip hard, trying to suppress the cries, but the pain in his heart was too great.

Then—

"Young Master…"

A soft voice called out.

Javier lifted his gaze.

Standing nearby was Erisa—his mother's personal maid and a member of the elite battle maid unit. Her expression showed concern, but-

She didn't know why he was crying.

Erisa hesitated before speaking again.

"Young Master, Madam Francesca asked me to inform you that she and Lord Garius are at the border wall."

Javier remained silent.

His grief swallowed his voice.

But then—

Erisa continued.

"It seems our army will be facing 120,000 troops from the enemy coalition."

Javier's entire body froze.

His tear-filled eyes widened.

"What!?"

120,000...?

That was far more than the previous attacks. That was a full-scale war.

Before Erisa could say anything more—before she could tell him the truth about Liana and Gloria—

Javier moved.

He ignored the pain.

He ignored the weakness in his body.

He rushed out of the room—out of the estate—toward the Pekko pen.

Javier sprinted to his Pekko, his heart pounding violently.

"Buddy!"

The orange-feathered Pekko perked up, sensing his master's urgency.

Javier mounted him in one swift motion.

His eyes burned with fury.

His mana flared—unrestrained, wild, overwhelming.

Inside his mind—

"I already lost Liana and Gloria because of this stupid war."

"I WON'T lose my family too."

"I'll crush those bastards!!!"

"No more hiding. No more holding back."

He gritted his teeth, his rage drowning out all reason.

Then—

"Buddy, DASH!!!"

With a mighty squawk, Buddy launched forward at terrifying speed, kicking up dust as he shot toward the battlefield.

The coalition army had arrived.

A sea of 120,000 soldiers stretched across the battlefield, their banners fluttering in the wind, their armor gleaming under the sunlight.

From atop the great border wall, Garius stood tall, his eyes calm yet sharp.

This was it.

The true battle.

He exhaled, his voice steady.

"Hesbeirn."

The veteran general stood beside him, fists clenched.

"Yes, my lord?"

Garius glanced at him, his expression unreadable.

"I don't know if we can survive this."

Hesbeirn stiffened.

"Don't say that, my lord."

Garius didn't answer immediately. Instead, he pointed toward the sky.

Hesbeirn followed his gaze, and his eyes widened.

Above the enemy forces—

A wyvern unit.

Massive winged beasts soared through the sky, each one carrying elite enemy riders armed with spears and magic.

Garius exhaled slowly.

"Hesbeirn… do we have a unit that can counter that?"

A long silence followed.

Then—Hesbeirn's jaw clenched.

"No… my lord…"

Garius nodded.

"I see."

A light chuckle filled the air.

Eridith stepped forward, her eyes shimmering with amusement.

"How about I turn into my true form and kill them?"

She licked her lips, eager for battle.

But—

Garius raised a hand.

"Wait for it."

Eridith pouted slightly but obeyed.

Then—

A war horn echoed across the battlefield.

The enemy moved.

The ground trembled.

Thousands of armored soldiers began their march forward.

And above—

Wyvern units took flight, soaring toward the wall.

Garius opened his mouth to give the order—

But before he could—

A thunderous voice interrupted him.

( End of Chapter )