Reborn As Noble - Chapter 406

Chapter 406: The King’s Ambition ( 406 )
The court buzzed with heated murmurs as tension rose. Several nobles stood from their seats, their voices overlapping.

“Your Majesty—what is our plan?”

King Edmund remained seated, his expression serious yet composed.

He raised a hand to silence the crowd.

“We will send an official letter to Count Garius.” His voice was sharp and clear. “A formal demand for an explanation—he has three days to respond.”

One of the senior lords frowned. “How will the message be delivered?”

“Via royal wyvern,” Edmund answered. “Delivered directly to the Armand estate. The demand will be sealed with my royal sigil.”

The advisor stepped forward. “If Garius fails to answer within the given time…”

Edmund finished the thought, rising slowly from his throne.

“Then it will confirm his betrayal.”

A wave of unease washed over the court.

“What should we do if that happens, Your Majesty?” another noble asked.

Edmund’s gaze swept across the assembled nobles.

“If treason is confirmed, the Royal Forces will invoke emergency protocol. All regional noble armies will be absorbed into the kingdom’s central military command to ensure stability and national safety.”

Whispers turned into wide-eyed shock.

Control of every army… unified under the king.

Just as Edmund intended.

Then another noble raised a concern, “But what about trade? Food supply? The Armand Region is our largest source of exports—especially the white gold.”

“Indeed, Your Majesty,” another added quickly. “That sugar product is vital for nobles and cities alike. Only Armand can produce it,”

Edmund nodded but dismissed the worries with a wave.

“Do not worry.”

“The kingdom has stored enough supplies in reserve to last through the transition. I believe each region has already been instructed to double their local food and crop production—just in case.”

He smiled calmly.

“Even if we sever ties with Armand, the kingdom will endure.”

As the noble lords continued debating trade routes, food shortages, and military logistics, King Edmund sat quietly on his throne—expression unchanged, eyes half-lidded, perfectly composed.

But behind those calm eyes…

His mind was already elsewhere.

“Soon… every noble force will be absorbed by the Royal Army.”

“And once that happens… every single noble house in this region—one by one—will fall.”

“No more shared power. No more councils. No more titles getting in the way.”

“The entire human kingdom… will be mine.”

A silent smile threatened to rise on his lips, but he kept his face neutral—stoic, just as a king should appear.

The fools below kept talking.

They thought they were making decisions.

But he had already made the only one that mattered.

Then, a thought flickered in his mind—an unexpected realization.

“By the way… where is Klimbert?”

He subtly scanned the court.

Viscount Klimbert’s seat was empty.

“Hmph. That man usually shows up to stir the pot. But now, of all times?”

His eyes narrowed slightly.

Klimbert was a schemer—unreliable but useful. Ambitious, just like Edmund.

But unchecked ambition… could become a problem.

“I’ll have someone look into it,” Edmund decided, mentally noting it.

He returned his gaze to the nobles still discussing supply lines and defense budgets.

Let them talk.

None of it would matter in the end.

As the nobles continued arguing—discussing concerns over grain routes, taxation, and troop redeployment—the advisor quietly stepped up beside the throne.

He leaned in and whispered, low and discreet, so only the king could hear.

“Your Majesty…”

Edmund didn’t react, his eyes still scanning the room.

“We’ve confirmed it.”

The advisor’s voice was barely audible.

“Viscount Klimbert is one of the Celestial vessels.”

For a moment, Edmund was silent.

Then his fingers curled slightly against the gilded armrest.

“Oh?” he murmured softly, his voice filled with restrained delight. “That’s good to hear.”

He didn’t smile, but the glint in his eye sharpened.

“If I defeat him… and absorb his Celestial… that would make me even stronger.”

The thought thrilled him.

Another Celestial. Another source of power added to his own.

He had already consumed one—Duke Ibzles, his cousin.

No one had noticed. No one had suspected.

Now Klimbert was next.

And after that? Anyone who dared to hold the remaining fragments of divine power.

One by one, he would absorb them all.

Until only one Celestial remained in the world.

And that vessel would be him.

Forever.

“Your Majesty… there is more.”

Edmund didn’t turn to him but tilted his head slightly in acknowledgment.

The advisor continued, his tone carefully measured.

“We’ve begun research ways to use the Celestial power. Not just for you, but to extend its influence across the battlefield.”

Edmund’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Go on.”

“It’s the aura, Your Majesty,” the advisor whispered. “It radiates instinct. Raw emotion. It drives soldiers to rage. It strips fear away. They no longer hesitate. No longer cower.”

Edmund’s lips parted ever so slightly. “You’re saying… we can amplify morale?”

“Yes, but not just morale—” the advisor’s voice dropped even lower, “—raw aggression. We can turn ordinary men into relentless warriors. Tireless. Unquestioning. Violent.”

Edmund finally turned his head, a flicker of intrigue in his eyes.

“Interesting.”

He leaned back on the throne, his gaze now fixed on the nobles below, a new thought forming in his mind.

“So… not only will I consume every Celestial…”

His fingers tapped slowly on the armrest.

“I’ll make their power… fuel my army.”

King Edmund reclined slightly in his throne, his fingers drumming softly against the carved gold of the armrest.

“Good…” he murmured under his breath. “Can’t wait for it.”

The advisor gave a subtle nod, his voice low and composed.

“Yes, Your Majesty. The plan is proceeding smoothly.”

“Troops across the central regions are being repositioned under royal authority. The nobles haven’t realized they’re already being folded into a single command.”

Edmund chuckled quietly, his eyes glinting with cruel satisfaction.

“And soon… Klimbert will be killed by me.”

He exhaled slowly, savoring the thought.

“And his Celestial… will be mine.”

The advisor remained silent, watching his king sink deeper into ambition—saying nothing. That was his role.

Edmund stood slowly, his robes falling around him like a cloak of shadow and gold.

With one hand, he reached up and touched the center of his chest, where the celestial seal pulsed faintly beneath layers of cloth and magic.

One vessel down.

Another coming.

And soon… all of them.

( End of Chapter )