Reborn As Noble

Chapter 1366: The Voice of the Sovereign ( 1366 )

"We... we didn’t... we weren’t..." Ashara stammered, her voice trembling.The female Armand officer exhaled slowly, opening the file and pulling a pen from her chest pocket, retrieved a small, sleek device, pressing a glowing rune panel on its surface before beginning to write.

"The person in the beggar disguise was the son of our Sovereign. The youngest prince of Armand, Prince Javier de Armand."

Ashara’s eyes widened in shock. "We... we didn’t know he was a prince!"

"R-right!" Jiowana stammered, her voice trembling with panic. "How were we supposed to know? He was in disguise! How could we possibly..."

The officer paused, looking up from her notes with a cold, piercing gaze.

"That may be true. You didn’t know who he was. But that does not excuse the way you attacked."

She leaned forward, her voice sharpening.

"You were in a crowded market, surrounded by innocent civilians, including children. You drew weapons, not just blades, but firearms, and opened fire without a moment’s hesitation. You could have captured an unarmed man who carried no visible weapon. You could have subdued him without endangering the lives of everyone around you. Instead, you chose to attack first and think later."

Ashara’s voice dropped to a soft, trembling whisper. "I’m sorry..."

She paused, her eyes lowering to the table.

"In our country... even someone who doesn’t carry a visible weapon could be hiding poison, a concealed blade, or a deadly artifact. We were trained to neutralize threats before they could strike. We acted on instinct, to protect our princess. We didn’t think about the surroundings... we only thought about her safety."

Jiowana’s voice trembled as she spoke, her eyes fixed on the table.

"Our princess... she’s been targeted multiple times. Assassins, poison, ambushes... there have been countless attempts on her life over the years."

Ashara nodded slowly, her voice low and heavy.

"The attempts have become more frequent recently, especially after the summoned heroes arrived. We both know who is behind it. It’s Julius. Since our princess rejected his proposal to become one of his ’conquest’, he did not take it well. And ever since then, the attempts on her life have increased."

She paused, her hands clenching into fists on the table.

"But we have no solid proof. Our king... he cannot act without solid evidence against the Supreme Goddess’s chosen hero. So we have to stay vigilant, protect her with everything we have. That’s why we acted the way we did. We saw a stranger approaching her, a suspicious figure in disguise, and we reacted. We couldn’t take the risk."

The small device on the table crackled to life, and a calm, commanding voice echoed through the room.

"Why did you not use binding magic?"

Both Ashara and Jiowana flinched violently, their eyes darting around in panic and fear as the voice resonated through the device. Their faces paled, their hands trembling against the table.

"There are several variations: mana chains to restrain movement, paralysis wards to disable physical action, or even gravity binding to pin a target to the ground. Any of these would have subdued the individual without endangering innocent lives."

Ashara’s voice came out as a broken whisper, her head hanging low in shame.

"I... I’m sorry... To be honest, both of us lack that kind of magic. Such skills are rare in our continent. Only the summoned heroes have access to that kind of magic. Even our royal magicians do not possess those abilities."

The room fell silent for a moment before the female officer, Falme, reached into her coat and pulled out a sleek monocle. She slipped off her glasses, replacing them with the monocle, and tapped its surface. A faint mana glow pulsed as she channeled her energy, her eyes scanning Ashara and then Jiowana.

After a moment, she lowered the monocle and began writing in her book.

"Your Majesty, what they have stated is true. My appraisal confirms that neither of them possesses the magical aptitude for binding spells. Their magical affinity is focused on enhancement and elemental combat. Binding magic is indeed absent from their skill set."

There was a brief, heavy silence from the device before Garius’s voice returned, calm but carrying an edge of cold authority.

"Even if they lack binding magic, the way they acted was reckless. They attacked without assessing the situation, without considering the innocent lives around them. And most importantly, they attacked my youngest son. A blood of my own blood."

His voice hardened.

"If my son were not as strong as he is, if he were a weaker man, he could have died. And according to Armand law, an assassination attempt on a royal family member is punishable by death."

Ashara and Jiowana’s faces went pale. Without a word, they slipped from their chairs, falling to their knees, their heads bowed low.

"Please... spare us!" Ashara’s voice trembled, tears streaming down her face. "We only acted to protect our princess! If we die, who will guard her? Who will keep her safe in a foreign land? Please... give us a second chance!"

Jiowana’s voice cracked as she added, "We beg you! We will accept any punishment, any penance, but please... let us live so we can continue to serve our princess!"

Another long pause, Garius let out a weary exhale.

"If it were up to me alone, I would punish you without hesitation. You endangered my family, and that is something I do not forgive lightly."

He paused, his tone shifting slightly.

"But... you came here as part of a diplomatic mission, under the banner of peace. And foolish as your methods were, your loyalty to your princess is commendable. Therefore, the final decision will be left to the one you attacked. Prince Javier de Armand himself will decide your fate."

After Garius finished speaking through the device, a soft knock echoed through the room before the door opened. Javier stepped in, his hair still damp from a fresh bath, a towel draped over his shoulder.

Falme immediately straightened, placing her palm over her left chest and bowing. "Your Highness."

Javier nodded with a smile before his eyes narrowed as he spotted the device on the table. He glanced at Falme, mouthing a silent question, his lips forming the words: "Is this linked to the command center?"

Falme gave a subtle nod.

Javier swallowed hard before speaking. "Esteemed Father."

"Mm. You’re there, Javier?"

"Yes, Esteemed Father."

"Good." Garius’s voice came through, calm and measured. "I trust Falme has already documented the details of the incident. Review her notes and assess the situation before deciding on their punishment. The final decision rests with you."

Javier leaned over, scanning Falme’s notes and the data from the appraisal monocle. His eyes flickered with a faint, ethereal glow as he activated his advanced appraisal skill, reading deeper into the information, their magical affinities, their combat capabilities, their emotional state, and the sincerity of their words.

After a long moment, he exhaled and spoke.

"I’ll think about it, Esteemed Father."

( End Of Chapter )