Reborn As Noble Chapter 1227: Scorched Earth from the Sky ( 1227 )

Meanwhile.

Within the War Room.

Garius reclined in his seat, face grave and intense, his right eye shimmering softly as he observed the holographic projection.

Rolland, Captain Bhujar, along with the remaining Mathrias officers, remained in shocked quiet, their expressions blending disbelief, reverence, and dread.

Above the table, the holographic projection continued to flicker gently, displaying the results of the accurate attacks Garius had recently approved.

Rolland gulped nervously, hesitant to raise his head completely.

I still can’t believe what I just saw.

My own former soldiers... the rebel forces advancing with those advanced weapons toward River Elsin and Timberland Pass... got obliterated by multiple exact hits from an invisible source.

And their muffled cries reached my ears via the hologram even after the blasts.

Their armaments, their ranks... turned into debris and panicked escapees in mere seconds.

I... I’d better remain firmly in Garius’s favor. Forever.

"Rolland?"

Garius’s call yanked Rolland from his reverie.

"Y... yes, Your Majesty?"

Though Garius spoke calmly, his gaze pierced sharply. "I despise betrayal. What those former Mathrias soldiers did, turning against their lord, their people, their oath, is not just rebellion. It’s a betrayal of the trust placed in them as soldiers, as protectors. Loyalty is not a convenience. It is a foundation. When that foundation cracks, everything built upon it collapses. And those who abandon it..." He paused, eyes narrowing faintly. "...deserve no mercy."

Garius took the wine goblet freshly filled by Erinette, her actions smooth and noiseless. He raised it deliberately, the rich crimson liquid reflecting the hologram’s glow overhead. With his right eye glowing subtly, he stared at Rolland and the rest.

"What you just witnessed was the consequence of betrayal. Your former soldiers turned their blades on the people they swore to protect. They chose greed, ambition, and treachery over loyalty. I will not stand by and watch loyalty be trampled by opportunists and traitors."

After a measured sip, he placed the goblet down, the crystal’s tap on wood resounding in the heavy quiet. Arms folded, he sat straight, his presence cutting and resolute.

"I’m sure you know the history of Armand, Rolland. It was documented in the royal archives, though few understand its weight. My late father was a good man, a kind, just ruler. He never oppressed his people, and they loved him for it. But because of greed, his own soldiers betrayed him. Not once, but twice. In the end... my entire family was slaughtered by the Klimbert Household, all because of that second, unforgivable betrayal."

Deadly resolve filled Garius’s eyes, his aura surging with icy, oppressive force that dominated the chamber.

"That is why I will never forgive betrayal like this. There are no second chances when it comes to loyalty broken by greed. My family trusted, and they were repaid with blood. I will not make the same mistake."

Leaning in, his tone lowered, words precise and weighted.

"Call me cruel. Call me merciless. Call me whatever you wish. I don’t care. Because to me, loyalty is not just a virtue, it is the foundation of everything. It is the only currency I accept. And those who spend it frivolously... will pay in full."

He settled back, scanning them with an inscrutable look.

"This precision strike has already decimated a large portion of the enemy troops. And as the Sky Eyes live feed reveals, they carried weapons the Human Kingdom is now manufacturing, identical to those wielded by Garka and Turka during their assault on Tybalt. You may not have heard yet, Rolland, but Tybalt now falls under Armand’s safeguard. The identical strike annihilated the full ten-thousand-man Turka army, leaving only scattered survivors amid burning ruins."

He halted briefly, allowing his revelation to sink in before proceeding.

"This means your former soldiers are likely backed by nearby noble territories. Either High Baron Blaszen of Haghrab or Viscount Dasmen of Bardigas. They stand nearest, and both have long shown opportunistic tendencies. We do not yet know which, but we will. Soon."

His attention shifted to Bhujar, tone firm and authoritative.

"Hear me clearly. None of the former Mathrias soldiers are allowed to surrender or be forgiven. Not one will be taken back into the Mathrias army. Anyone captured will be punished publicly, executed by beheading in the town square, as a warning to all who would consider betrayal."

Bhujar gulped, voice tight.

"Y... yes, Your Majesty."

"Do not underestimate Armand’s capabilities," Garius pressed on, his right eye shimmering with a soft glow. "Our counter-intelligence, intelligence networks, and surveillance exceed anything you’ve ever seen. We’ll detect if even a single traitor gets pardoned or slips back into your ranks."

He paused for a moment, his intense glare shifting between Rolland and Bhujar.

"Should I find any such violation of trust... I’ll ensure your present army meets the same complete end. Don’t confuse my support with mercy. I’m aiding you to safeguard your territory, Rolland, but I won’t abide frailty in its protection or its choices."

Rolland nodded rigidly, his face drained of color.

"Y... yes... Your Majesty."

"Mm." Garius looked over Bhujar and every Mathrias officer present. "I demand a full list of names from your current Mathrias army. Don’t get it wrong—my intelligence team has already assembled records on every soldier who’s guarded your lands from these turncoats, including the fallen. Your list gets checked against ours."

He allowed those words to linger, his stare unyielding.

"You’re welcome to inspect the two zones hit by those precise strikes, if you choose. Take as many troops as you see fit. Let them witness firsthand the remnants of those who betrayed. Let them learn the repercussions, as a warning rather than a menace."

He settled back into his seat, fingers loosely intertwined before him.

"That way, your soldiers will comprehend the cost of disloyalty. And the price of shattering it."

Garius shook his head deliberately, a subtle, inscrutable look crossing his features.

"They’re fortunate I ordered the strike. Most former soldiers who escaped were granted mercy."

Leaning in, he rested his elbows on the table, clasped his hands, and pressed his lips to his knuckles while speaking.

"If my youngest son had led it... I’m sure the entire place would’ve burned to ash. He’d have granted no pity, left no survivors. Not one traitor would stand, just like Turka."

( End Of Chapter )