Reborn As Noble

As Buddy reveled in the excitement of chasing the new wild Pekko, he suddenly skidded to a stop upon spotting Giddie.Froze mid-stride, eyes wide. Then, in an instant—he turned tail and sprinted toward the Pekko pen, disappearing in a blur.

Just then, Garius emerged from the manor, accompanied by Alf and Erinnette.

"My lord," Alf observed with a grin, "it seems Giddie has brought more Pekko into his flock."

"Hmm… good job, Giddie," Garius acknowledged. "This means our elite Pekko unit will grow stronger for future conflicts."

Giddie, the gold-feathered leader of the Pekko flock, stood proudly at the center of the estate grounds, surrounded by newly recruited wild Pekko. Their feathers ruffled, eyes sharp, and stance disciplined—almost like soldiers awaiting orders.

Alf shook his head. "To think we'd reach a point where even our war mounts have their own military ranks…"

Erinnette chuckled. "Well, in Armand, even the pekko know discipline."

Garius strode forward, his keen eyes scanning the newly gathered flock. The wild Pekko, though still a bit rough around the edges, stood in orderly lines under Giddie's watchful gaze.

"Cuquawked!!" Giddie issued another sharp cry, and the wild Pekko straightened, their claws digging into the dirt in attention.

"Hah, would you look at that," Alf murmured, folding his arms. "That bird trains troops better than some of the fresh recruits in the barracks."

Erinnette smirked. "Unlike some soldiers, these Pekko understand hierarchy immediately."

Garius chuckled. "Well, I did ask Giddie to recruit more for our Elite Pekko Unit. Looks like he delivered. He deserves a feast of his favorite exotic fruits for this."

"Yes, my lord," Alf replied, nodding in agreement.

Garius turned to one of his elite escorts and a senior maid. "You two—go and summon Hesbeirn. Tell him to report here immediately."

"As you command, my lord." They bowed before swiftly departing toward the barracks.

Alf glanced at the sky, estimating the time. "Knowing Hesbeirn, he'll arrive within ten minutes—sooner if he brings his Pekko."

Garius smirked, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes. "Then let's not waste time. Alf, Erinnette—let's check out these new recruits."

With Giddie proudly leading the way, the three moved into the midst of the newly recruited wild Pekko, ready to inspect Armand's newest war mounts.

Meanwhile, Buddy, who had dashed off in a hurry, was now rushing toward his master, Javier.

Pikko and Peanut, who had been soaking up the sun, suddenly stood alert.

"Cuquawked! Cuquawked!"

Javier raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? Buddy? What's wrong?"

"Cuquawked!" Buddy dashed to him, but then abruptly stopped, shifting into a smug posture. He ambled over to his usual spot and began scratching at the ground, seemingly unfazed.

"What is wrong with this one?" Javier exclaimed, confusion written all over his face.

Javier tilted his head, watching Buddy's strange behavior. One moment, the Pekko was rushing toward him as if he had important news, and the next, he stopped suddenly and started scratching the ground like nothing had happened.

"What was that all about?" Javier muttered, crossing his arms.

Pikko and Peanut, who had been lounging in the warmth of the sun, instantly stood up when Buddy rushed over. Now, they looked at him with frustration.

"Cuquawked…" Pikko sighed, turning away as if she couldn't believe what she had just seen.

Peanut shook his head and flopped back onto the ground, stretching out lazily.

Javier pinched the bridge of his nose. "Buddy… What was that? Did you see something? Was it an enemy? A threat?"

Buddy paused his digging.

Then, as if he had completely forgotten his sudden entrance, he rolled onto his side and let out a happy coo, wiggling into the dirt like he was enjoying a sunbath.

"…"

Liana, who had been watching, giggled behind her hand. "Young Master, I think your Buddy just had a… moment."

Gloria adjusted her glasses, smirking. "More like he got excited about something and then decided it wasn't worth the trouble."

Javier stared blankly at Buddy.

Then he sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. "I swear… I don't know if I have the best mount in the world or the most annoying one."

Buddy, completely unconcerned about his master's frustration, kept basking in the sun, his earlier mission—whatever it had been—clearly forgotten.

Zania gritted her teeth, gripping the skewers tightly.

A princess. An Amazarak princess.

And now? She was grilling meat.

In a maid uniform.

For him.

Her eye twitched. This had to be a nightmare…

She was supposed to be a warrior, a proud noble of Amazarak. But here she was, dressed like a servant, flipping skewers over a grill like a common cook.

Suddenly, a shiver ran down her spine.

She slowly turned her head, feeling a piercing gaze fixed on her.

It was Liana.

The beautiful elf with silver hair watched her like a hawk.

"Don't you dare put poison in our young master's food."

Zania flinched.

Her grip on the tongs tightened. Does she think I'm foolish enough to do something like that?!

She glanced at Javier, who was happily chatting with Gloria, completely unaware of the silent conflict behind him.

No.

She wouldn't do anything.

Not because she was afraid of him—but because of the two watchful maids keeping an eye on her every move.

Zania nodded stiffly. "I won't."

Liana narrowed her eyes. "Good."

Then, without another word, she returned to Javier's side, smiling sweetly as if she hadn't just threatened her life.

Zania swallowed hard. I might not survive this place…

Meanwhile, at the border between the Armand region and the Beastkin Kingdom, the Armand border gate stood tall and imposing, a massive stone structure strengthened with enchanted steel. The guards stationed there were expressionless, standing firm with their weapons ready.

Before them knelt a desperate figure on the cold ground.

"Please! Let me pass!"

The woman's voice trembled, her hands pressed together in a pleading gesture. Her clothes were slightly tattered from travel, and her eyes were red from exhaustion and grief.

"I'm not a bad person. Please… I just want to see Princess Zania one last time."

She bowed her head, tears dripping onto the stone below her.

Beside her, a halfling escort stepped forward.

"I vouch for her," the halfling said, her tone respectful but urgent. "She's no threat. She only wants to see her princess. Just let her through."

The Armand guards remained unmoving.

One of them, a massive figure in enchanted black armor, crossed his arms.

"No."

The woman's breath hitched.

"Please…" she begged again, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want to be late…"

She clutched her chest, feeling her heart pound painfully.

"I don't want her to die thinking she was alone… Please…!"

The lead guard exhaled sharply.

"No can do."

The woman flinched.

"Just stay here," the guard said, his voice firm but not unkind. "You will be processed, inspected, and checked. Until then, you won't move one step past this gate."

He turned away, already reaching for his mana communication device.

"Main base," he spoke into it, his tone serious. "We have a situation. Requesting orders."

A brief crackle of static followed, then a reply came through:

"Go ahead, border base."

"We have an Amazarak woman here," he reported. "Claims to be a maid, not a warrior. She seeks passage to Gaze City."

There was a pause before a firm voice responded.

"Are her documents in order?"

The guard glanced at the halfling escort, who nodded quickly.

"Yes, her documents seem valid. The halfling has vouched for her."

"Understood. Hold her at the gate. We'll contact the main estate for final approval."

"Acknowledged."

The guard ended the transmission and crossed his arms. "You'll have to wait," he said plainly.

The halfling and the woman exchanged surprised looks.

"What… what was that just now?" the woman asked hesitantly.

The guard raised an eyebrow. "Huh? You've never seen a mana communication device?"

The halfling shook her head. "We've heard of them, but… to see it actually working—"

The guard smirked slightly.

"What? You thought we still used horses to carry messages?" he scoffed. "If we did, you'd be stuck here waiting for at least three to five days for someone to approve your passage."

The woman swallowed hard.

Three to five days… By then, Zania's execution would be over.

She tightened her fists and lowered her head.

The guard studied her reaction but said nothing. Instead, he turned slightly and resumed his watch, his stance firm.

"Stay put. We'll have an answer soon."

( End of Chapter )