Reborn As Noble

The grand marble hall of the royal court was filled with whispers as nobles entered, all wearing their finest robes and decorated armor. There was a tense atmosphere; everyone sensed something important had happened.

In the center sat King Edmund on his golden throne. His face was serious and collected.

When the murmurs quieted down, he stood slightly, hands clasped behind his back.

"Everyone."

His voice rang out clearly, steady and authoritative.

"There is a serious matter at hand."

The nobles leaned forward, focused on him.

"Duke Ibzles—my cousin and one of our highest-ranking nobles—is missing."

Gasps and whispers erupted in response.

"Missing?"

"Impossible—he would never disappear without word."

"Was it an abduction? A rebellion?"

Edmund raised his hand, and the room fell silent.

"I know this news is... difficult," he said, his voice somber. "But as of this morning, we received confirmation: his estate was found in disarray. There were signs of a violent magical attack. No sign of his body."

He took a measured breath, closing his eyes for just a moment.

"Duke Ibzles was not just family... he was a loyal servant to the kingdom. We will do everything in our power to find out what happened."

However, behind that calm facade, there was a dark truth.

There was no mystery.

No abduction.

King Edmund himself had killed Duke Ibzles, consuming the Second Celestial that had been sealed within him. No one had seen it happen. No one could. He had made sure of that.

One of the robed officials stepped forward from the side of the hall, holding a thin folder of sealed documents. The man's demeanor was calm, his voice steady.

"Your Majesty."

He bowed slightly.

"Here is the report regarding the investigation into Duke Ibzles' disappearance."

King Edmund turned towards him slowly, maintaining his composed expression.

"Very well. Hand it over."

He took the report with a steady hand and broke the seal with a flick of his fingers. He glanced at the parchment.

Then—

His brows furrowed.

"What…?"

He looked up sharply, holding the report high enough for the nobles to see, though they couldn't read it.

"This says..." He paused, his voice filling with anger. "Count Garius of the Armand Region—he was the one who sent people to kill Duke Ibzles?"

Gasps echoed through the court.

"Garius…?"

"A rebellion?!"

Edmund's expression darkened, showing his deep concern over the revelation.

"So that's why there were signs of magical combat at the Duke's estate. Garius's people must've used secret agents… maybe even his personal assassins."

He slowly lowered the report, scanning the crowd with intense eyes.

"If this is true… then it is no longer a matter of internal dispute."

He let the silence weigh heavily in the air.

"This... is treason."

The nobles began to argue among themselves—some were unsure, some were furious, and others were already demanding a formal investigation into Armand.

Just as King Edmund had planned.

As the court fell into an uneasy quiet, the advisor stepped forward again, bowing respectfully.

His tone was calm and deliberate, yet every word was meant to stir up suspicion.

"According to our investigation, Your Majesty..." he began, "Count Garius has been secretly preparing for rebellion."

Gasps echoed through the chamber as nobles shifted in their seats, exchanging worried glances.

"He has been recruiting new troops across his territory—thousands of them. Most have been trained in secret, outside the kingdom's official military records."

"And not only that—" the advisor continued, unfolding another document, "—he has fortified every inch of the Armand Region's border. His defenses rival those of a standing kingdom."

A murmur spread through the nobles.

"He's been doing this since the last Holy War—" the advisor continued, "ever since the defeat of the Saint of the Three Gods. He still carries resentment. And now, it seems he plans to take revenge on the noble houses that once supported the Saint."

Those nobles who had once backed the Saint shifted uncomfortably in their robes, exchanging nervous glances with one another.

King Edmund stood quietly at the center of it all, eyes lowered and hands folded.

"So…" he finally said, his voice low and thoughtful, "Garius has been waiting. Biding his time. Watching."

He raised his gaze, his expression serious, but behind those calm eyes, there was a faint glimmer of satisfaction.

He was lying through his teeth.

But it didn't matter.

The fear had already taken root.

"Waiting for the rest of the kingdom to weaken itself with war... so he can strike." Edmund's voice rang out strong and steady throughout the chamber.

"If this is true… then the Armand Region has become a threat to the entire realm."

He tightened his grip on the report, doing his best to hide the smirk curling at the corner of his lips.

The advisor bowed again, speaking clearly so everyone in the court could hear.

"According to our investigation, Your Majesty… there is one more detail."

Edmund raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

The advisor unfolded another sealed parchment, its edges slightly burned, as if it had been retrieved in a hurry.

"We intercepted a letter."

"A letter?" Edmund asked, his tone sharp yet controlled.

The advisor nodded solemnly.

"A letter that Count Garius allegedly sent to the Beastkin Kingdom, the Elven Kingdom, and the Demon Kingdom."

The nobles gasped, stirring with concern.

All three foreign powers?

"Here, my lord." The advisor stepped forward and handed the forged letter into Edmund's hand. "It was recovered near the southern border by our shadow scouts."

Edmund unfolded the document slowly, allowing the tension to build in the hall.

Then he pretended to read.

"...'In case of instability within the human realm, be prepared to mobilize. Coordinate troops along your eastern fronts. If I fall under suspicion, activate the contingency plan outlined in the Second Pact…'"

He lowered the parchment slightly, his eyes turning cold.

"How dare he."

His voice echoed across the marble floor.

"He not only fortifies his region and builds a secret army... but he dares to involve foreign kingdoms?"

Murmurs erupted into full-blown panic.

"Does he intend to betray the realm entirely?"

"He'll drag the whole kingdom into war!"

Edmund raised the letter for all to see.

"This is not diplomacy. This is military coordination. Treason."

He crumpled the forged letter in his hand and let it drop to the floor.

Behind his serious facade, his mind burned with satisfaction.

Step by step, he was painting Garius as the villain.

( End of Chapter )