Reborn As Noble

Inside the Amazarak woman's mind, a desperate prayer echoed.

"Please... let me see her one last time..."

The halfling, finally steady after the wild ride, glanced at the guards. "We can still make it in time, right?"

One of the guards raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? For what?"

"The execution of the Amazarak princess, of course!"

The first guard blinked, then turned to his companion. "Huh? Wasn't that yesterday?"

The second guard shrugged. "Dunno, man. I'm not really interested."

The halfling's jaw nearly dropped. "For real?? You don't even know when an execution is happening in your own city?"

The first guard crossed his arms. "Of course not. Who wants to go watch someone get hanged or beheaded?"

The halfling was speechless. But the Amazarak woman felt a spark of confusion.

Why did they sound so casual about this? Something didn't feel right.

"So you're saying... the princess is already hanged?" The halfling hesitated.

The guard shrugged. "Maybe. Hey, don't ask us. We were off duty yesterday."

"Huh? Off duty?"

"What, you think we work all year without a break?" The guard smirked. "We get a day off once a week. Your people don't?"

The halfling was stunned. "That's not the point! We're talking about an execution!"

"Yeah, yeah. If she was executed, you can still see her body in a day or two. We have a morgue here."

"Huh?" The halfling's eyes widened.

The guard raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? Don't tell me your kingdom doesn't have one? It's ice storage for bodies."

The halfling and the Amazarak woman exchanged glances.

"Well, it's rarely used anyway. It was our young master Javier's invention."

The other guard chuckled. "Yeah... just like this special carriage. Built by him—designed specifically for Pekko birds. If it were a regular horse-drawn carriage moving at that speed..."

The first guard shook his head with a grin. "The whole thing would've fallen apart."

"Alright, we've reached Gaze City. We're stopping at the checkpoint—get your documents ready."

As soon as they cleared the inspection, the Amazarak woman rushed out, frantically scanning her surroundings.

"Where's the execution site? Please, tell me!"

The Gaze City guard furrowed his brows, confused. Why was she so eager to see the gallows?

Still, he pointed toward the designated area. "It's over there." Turning to the escorting guards, he added, "Hey, can you show her the way?"

"Haaa? Fine..." The guards sighed, motioning for them to follow. "You both, come with us."

As they walked through the city streets, the halfling and the Amazarak woman couldn't help but take in their surroundings.

The city was much more developed than they had expected—not overly advanced, but refined in a way that made their own lands feel lacking. Well-maintained roads, sturdy buildings, and a bustling market filled with activity. People moved about easily, chatting and laughing as if they had no worries. Children played freely, merchants shouted out their wares, and street food stalls had long lines of eager customers.

The most surprising part was the sheer number of foreign traders—especially from the Beastkin Kingdom.

But then, the air shifted.

Not from the Armand people.

A few beastkin merchants noticed them, their expressions darkening.

"What's an Amazarak doing here?" one muttered under his breath.

Another, a dwarven trader, narrowed his eyes. "Hmph. I didn't think they had the guts to walk around so openly."

The elves, while more subtle, kept their distance. A few whispered among themselves, their gazes sharp.

Though no one outright acted against them, it was clear—their presence here was not unnoticed.

The Amazarak woman swallowed hard. She had expected some hostility, but seeing it firsthand, feeling the weight of those stares...

It was different.

The halfling girl watched the Armand guards as they patrolled the area. They moved in small groups, chatting with townsfolk, some even eating peacefully—it was nothing like the rigid soldiers she had imagined.

Curious, she turned to one of the guards escorting them.

"Hey… isn't that armor heavy?"

The guard glanced down at her and then at his own gear. "Hmm? This one?" He tapped his chestplate. "Made by our military's special blacksmith—Mr. Rasdingen. He's a giant dwarf. You might not know him, but in human kingdoms, he's considered a genius. Super sturdy, yet light." He easily lifted his sword. "And this? Also light."

The halfling blinked. "Umm… you all carry more than just a sword, right?"

The guard smirked. "Of course. Magic crossbow—essential. Backup blade—also essential. And this?" He gestured to his sword and shield. "Main weapons."

She frowned. "Not heavy?"

"Haa…" The guard sighed, amused. "This girl keeps asking a lot of questions." He turned to his companion. "Oi, you feel heavy?"

The other guard snorted. "What? Nah."

The first guard grinned and unstrapped his sword, handing it to her. "Here. Try."

"Whoaaaa—!!" She nearly dropped it, her arms shaking. "Heavy!!"

The guards burst out laughing.

"Heavy? Really?" one of them smirked, resting his own sword casually on his shoulder.

The halfling girl gritted her teeth, clutching the hilt with both hands. "H-How do you swing this around like it's nothing?!"

The guard shrugged casually. "Training. Maybe try swinging it a few times—oh, wait, you can't even lift it properly."

The other guards laughed, and one patted her shoulder. "Don't feel bad, girl. This isn't just any ordinary human-made sword. That's Rasdingen's craft. The balance is perfect, the material top-tier, and it's designed for both close combat and magical reinforcement."

The halfling huffed, finally managing to lift the sword a few inches before nearly toppling forward. "W-Wait... if it's heavy for me, how do you carry all of this, plus a magic crossbow, backup blade, shield, and still move around easily?!"

The first guard smirked, tapping his armored chest. "Mana flow enhancement. This armor isn't just metal; it's integrated with magic. It feels weightless once worn properly, and it helps us move faster. Even the weapons have mana circuits to reduce strain on the body."

The halfling girl blinked. "That's... kinda unfair."

"Unfair?" The second guard grinned. "Nah. That's just Armand military standard."

The halfling girl's eyes darted between the guards, still thinking about the weight of their weapons.

"Well, girl… that's just how our guards are," the first guard said with a grin. "You haven't even seen the elites—the ones who fought in the Holy War."

She hesitated. "Are you sure you can tell me this? What if I'm a spy?"

The guard burst out laughing, slapping his knee. "Spy? Pffttt—let me tell you something, girl!" He jerked his chin toward a nearby food stall. "See that one over there?"

"That one's a spy. Well… if you can even call him that. Intel gatherer? More like a dumbass."

The halfling girl was stunned. "Wait, wait—so you're saying there are spies just… sitting out in the open?"

One of the guards smirked, leaning lazily against a stall. "That's right. But calling them 'spies' gives them too much credit. They're more like desperate intel gatherers."

The other guard chuckled, crossing his arms. "Look at that one." He nodded toward a man at a food stall, stuffing his mouth with bread while trying to scribble notes under the table. His companion sat beside him, acting casual but glancing around and whispering occasionally.

"That idiot's been sitting there for hours, trying to act natural. Pretty sure he's from one of the noble families outside Armand."

The halfling girl frowned. "If you know they're spies, why aren't you arresting them?"

The first guard snorted. "For what? Gathering public information? They're not breaking any laws."

The second guard added with a grin, "Yeah, if they were dumb enough to sneak into our bases or restricted areas, we'd deal with them. But standing around, watching us, taking notes? That's fine. They could just go to the public office and ask for basic maps or trade reports instead of lurking like idiots."

The halfling girl turned her gaze toward another group—three women pretending to have a deep conversation at a fruit stall. Every few minutes, one of them would glance toward a patrol route and murmur something.

The guards followed her gaze and laughed. "Those ones are even funnier. Probably from a merchant faction, trying to figure out trade routes and tax policies. Again, they could just ask at the registry office instead of playing spy games."

The halfling girl was baffled. "So you just… let them?"

"Of course," the first guard shrugged. "We're not like other regions that panic over every little rat sneaking around. If they want to watch, let 'em. If they try something stupid, well… they won't get far."

The second guard smirked. "Trust me, girl. If we wanted to shut them down, we could. But Armand doesn't waste energy on small fries. Real threats?" He tapped his sword hilt. "Those we deal with quickly."

( End Of Chapter )