Reborn As Noble Chapter 1270: A Single Report in Hand ( 1270 )

"Why?"

Javier cast a downward glance at Hanarak, who weakly uttered the single word.

"Why what?"

Hanarak's body shuddered, his voice laced with desperation.

"Why is Armand attacking us? Why did Armand interfere in our affairs? We have never harmed or targeted Garius or his family! We never accepted a contract against Armand! So why?!"

"Ouuu~ Chi chi chi. You are mistaken." Javier's voice dripped with mockery. "You claim your House of Hanarak has never... what?"

He crouched once more before Hanarak, resting both arms on his knees, his golden eyes fixed on Hanarak's terrified gaze.

"Allow me to correct that information for you, asshole."

With a snap of his fingers, a thick, detailed report materialized beside him.

"Firstly, you stated you never aimed for or targeted Armand’s family?"

"You are wrong there, asshole. You might not have, but your subordinates certainly did."

He lifted the first document, holding it before Hanarak's face.

"Do you recall this?"

Hanarak’s eyes widened, and a silence fell upon him, his face turning pale.

"Oho~ Can't read it now, can you? Alright, alright..." He patted Hanarak’s shoulder mockingly before letting out a chuckle. "I'll help you read it. I know you enjoy a bedtime story, don't you~?"

"Shall we begin? Okay? Mister... err... who was it again?"

Javier smirked as he observed Hanarak remain silent, unable to utter a word.

"Ah... this initial report concerns a certain young boy, I believe he was about eleven years old, destined for a noble academy... well, forced into it, naturally." Javier's voice adopted a casual, storytelling cadence. "And this boy was accompanied by his beautiful elf maid. He was scheduled to attend the noble academy in the Royal Capital at that particular time."

He snapped his fingers, and a chair materialized nearby.

Javier grabbed Hanarak's collar and pulled him to the side of the chair before taking a seat himself.

"And this boy journeyed towards the noble academy in the Royal Capital. The path was fraught with ambushes and assassins. Fortunately for him, he was not weak nor foolish, and of course, his family possessed a superior counter-assassination team... well, even if the boy himself didn't require it. All those assassins were eliminated. I believe... ah, wait... not believe, but according to this report, they were indeed your subordinates. Hired by the Klimbert Household to eliminate this boy."

He glanced at Hanarak, who was now kneeling on the ground, his hands resting on his thighs, his gaze fixed on the floor in shame.

Javier lightly tapped Hanarak’s cheek.

"Oi, oi! Don't drift off to sleep just yet. That's merely the first report. Not even close to the seventh." He ran his hand over the thick stack of reports, emphasizing its considerable volume. "Aw~ Come on now. Don't be like that. You should be grateful I'm reading you a bedtime story~"

"B... but..." Hanarak mumbled softly, his voice trembling with guilt. "It... it was my subordinate... and I... I didn't order it... I didn't receive any contract for it... I wasn't aware..."

"Aw~ Man... damn. You've got a valid point there." Javier tilted his head, his tone implying mock surprise. "Well... even knowing the truth, I had assumed you were more clueless than this. Alright, alright."

Javier chuckled and snapped his fingers. All the reports vanished back into his dimensional storage, leaving only a single document in his hand.

"Very well, I concede this point. Thus, we can bypass all the 'boy' narratives, such as when he graduated from the noble academy in the same year and was about to return to Armand with... Erinette~"

Hanarak's eyes widened in terror at the mention of that name.

"Aw~ Don't make that face. You wish to defeat Alf, yet you tremble at merely hearing his wife's name~?"

Hanarak remained silent, his face ashen.

"Ah~ Okay, okay. Damn... I can sense you're on the verge of losing control. Ugh~ I'd rather not touch it if it's wet. Let's proceed with this report, shall we?"

Javier held the report paper up towards Hanarak's face, observing as his expression shifted from guilt to sheer terror.

"You know, mister? Within this single report, you bear responsibility for numerous crimes and transgressions."

He chuckled darkly before commencing his reading.

"Your first offense~ The application of dark magic poison upon a certain young girl. And what is more..." Javier's voice deepened, turning cold and grave. "You afflicted her with a curse parasite, subjecting her to years of suffering, slowly sapping her life force, leaving her bedridden and in perpetual agony."

He paused, allowing the gravity of his words to settle.

"But the most heinous crime you committed... is inflicting suffering upon her."

Javier's voice became sharp and chilling.

"You infiltrated Mathrias Manor, impersonating the butler and bringing your own operatives to replace the original staff. This implies that all the individuals who were employed there – the butler, the maids, the servants – met their demise. I do not know the location of their remains, but rest assured, I will uncover it soon."

He drew nearer, his voice descending into an imposing whisper.

"Given that I have deployed my tracking knights and..." He let the silence linger, then added, "...the Armand Shadow Unit, particularly the investigation division. You have encountered them before, haven't you~?"

Hanarak's voice quivered as he attempted to defend his actions.

"I... I was an assassin! It's our trade! We accept contracts and fulfill the client's demands! That is the modus operandi of the House of Hanarak! We do not question, we simply execute the mission!"

Javier's smirk persisted, but his gaze grew menacing, his aura erupting fiercely, causing the very ground to quake and tremble.

"An assassin... you claim?"

Hanarak experienced the oppressive aura bearing down on him, his frame shaking beneath the immense weight of Javier's sheer presence. The earth beneath him fractured, and the atmosphere became heavy and stifling.

"A genuine assassin is engaged for a singular purpose: termination. A clean, verifiable, absolute end. The target is an obstacle to be eradicated from existence. The exchange is straightforward. The task is completed. No lingering issues, no distress, no drawn-out suffering."

The ground convulsed violently, and Hanarak fought to keep his kneeling posture, his sole remaining hand clutching a chair leg for stability, his body trembling under the overwhelming force.

"But your method... incapacitating someone, afflicting them with a cursed parasite, subjecting them to years of agony... that is not assassination."

Javier's tone shifted, becoming as cold and sharp as a honed blade.

"That constitutes protracted torment. That is sadistic malevolence. It is a personal vendetta masquerading as a contract. And that... is something for which I will never grant forgiveness."

( End Of Chapter )