Reborn As Noble-Chapter 425: A Choice of Honor ( )

Zania took a step forward, her eyes sharp again.

"Now let me tell you all something."

"I wouldn't show you mercy… just because you beg for it."

A few heads jerked up.

"If not for Lord Garius's mercy…" she continued, her voice calm but firm,

"…I'd already be hanging in Gaze City. Public execution. No trial. No second chance."

The warriors went quiet again.

"But he spared me."

"And he told me—me—to decide your fate."

She let the words sink in.

"I'm not your princess anymore. I'm a prisoner."

Then she turned to Cedric, her expression suddenly soft, warm, and wildly lovestruck.

"A prisoner not just of Armand…

…but of my handsome prince~"

She smiled sweetly.

Cedric stared blankly.

Meira audibly gritted her teeth.

Zania stood tall, her voice steady and clear.

"Now—each of you will earn your freedom. I won't hand it to you."

"You have to decide for yourselves."

She pointed toward the gate behind the Armand knights.

"You can return to the Amazarak Kingdom right now. Lord Garius has already agreed to arrange proper escort, identification, and compensation for those who choose to leave."

A few warriors looked up, surprised.

"You'll be guided through the Beastkin Kingdom. I know they hate Amazarak citizens…

…but with Armand's seal, they won't touch you. You'll be safe."

She paused.

"Or…"

Her eyes scanned across the line of chained warriors.

"You can stay."

"Stay here, in the Armand Region."

"You'll be given new identities, a place to live, and work—farms, or wherever they'll accept you."

She turned toward Cedric, who gave her a calm nod of approval.

Then Zania's tone sharpened. Her expression turned cold again.

"But let me make this very clear."

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"If any of you betray their trust—"

She stepped closer, her voice cutting like steel.

"—betray the people who gave you shelter… who gave you a second chance…"

"Then don't expect me to cover for you."

"Don't expect me to cry for you."

Her gaze was unflinching.

"If you're beheaded or sent to the gallows…"

She shrugged.

"That's on you."

"If they hunt you down and kill you for betrayal…"

She crossed her arms.

"I won't stop them."

Zania lowered her gaze, her voice quiet but firm.

"Because I'm just a mere Amazarak princess… I have no power here.

No authority over the Armand region."

She paused as the Armand elite guards stepped forward, their movements precise and silent. One by one, they unlocked the enchanted chains from her former warriors.

The clinking of metal echoed across the courtyard.

But the thirty-five warriors remained kneeling.

Even freed—they didn't move.

"Princess…" one of them murmured.

Zania stared at them, then spoke softly.

"…We're not in the Amazarak Kingdom anymore."

She blinked once.

"So please… live your lives."

Her voice trembled as the words came out.

"Don't waste the second chance they gave us."

Tears welled in her eyes.

"Don't ever…"

Her voice cracked.

"…ever…"

She clenched her fists.

"…do the same mistake again."

The freed chains lay scattered on the courtyard stones,

but none of the Amazarak warriors stood.

Every single one of them—male and female alike—remained kneeling before Zania,

heads bowed, silent.

Zania looked at them, her voice soft but steady.

"Don't waste this second chance."

She paused, her hands trembling slightly.

"Live your lives."

She took a slow breath, composing herself.

"If any of you still wish to return to Amazarak… that choice is yours.

Armand will arrange it. Safe passage. A clean exit."

The group stayed still, listening.

"But know this."

Her voice dropped.

"Amazarak is at war now."

She looked up toward the sky, her eyes filled with pain.

"Because of Kenjirou."

She turned back to them.

"I won't stop you if you want to go back… but if you stay…"

Her gaze swept the line again.

"…then live with honor.

Earn your place.

And never forget the cost of blind loyalty."

"Princess!!"

The cry came from one of the warriors—then another.

One by one, the Amazarak soldiers lowered their heads further… and cried.

Some wept openly, while others bit their lips, holding back the guilt swelling inside them.

Zania didn't stop. Her tears fell freely now.

"We lost a lot of people…"

Her voice shook.

"…people we led to their deaths, charging into Armand."

She swallowed hard.

"We don't have the right to hate them.

It should be them who hate us."

She looked at them all—those who had followed her blindly.

"Other kingdoms never liked us. Elves, beastkin, even humans… they never welcomed Amazarak people."

She clenched her hands.

"But when I came here…"

"…not a single Armand citizen showed me hatred."

"I was following Lord Garius's youngest son—Javier—when I ended up here.

And even then… people smiled at me. Offered me food."

Her eyes trembled.

"At first, I thought it was because I was with their young master."

She shook her head slowly.

"But I was wrong.

That's just… how Armand people are."

"Even the Demon people visit here. Beastkin. Elves. Everyone comes and works, does business, eats together.

This is a land built on trust. On unity."

She turned to face the kneeling warriors again.

"So if you stay… then become part of that world."

Cedric rose to his feet, silent until now.

Meira followed closely behind, her expression unreadable.

He walked beside Zania, stopping just slightly ahead of her.

His gaze swept across the thirty-five kneeling Amazarak warriors—his presence calm yet commanding.

"Decide your own future."

His voice was quiet, but every word carried weight.

"Your princess has made her choice. She'll stay here.

If you want to stay, you're welcome in Armand."

He paused briefly, then added:

"If you want to return to Amazarak… no one will stop you.

No one will force you to do anything against your will."

He stepped back beside Zania, arms folding loosely behind him.

A few meters away, the Armand elite guards—still posted in formation—had relaxed slightly. Not out of negligence, but from a quiet understanding.

Their posture shifted just enough to indicate they no longer saw the Amazarak warriors as immediate threats.

Not far from them, a small group of Armand household maids approached. With careful steps, they brought baskets of drinks and snacks, setting them down on trays beside the guards.

One of the guards gave a nod of thanks. Another cracked a slight smile.

Before any of the kneeling Amazarak warriors could speak, a wave of pressure swept through the courtyard.

A heavy, suffocating aura.

Some of the former warriors gasped, while others instinctively dropped lower to the ground, their bodies tensing, sweat forming on their brows.

Even the surrounding maids and guards paused briefly, recognizing it immediately.

Only a few people stood unaffected:

Cedric, Meira, the elite Armand guards, and the elite battle maid unit standing further back.

Then—a voice cut through the pressure.

"Ohoho~ all the Amazarak people gathered here today?"

Javier's voice.

He strolled into the courtyard like he was walking into a garden, hands casually behind his head, a wide grin plastered on his face.

He flashed a teasing look at Cedric.

"Yo, Brother. You starting your own fan club?"

Cedric sighed but didn't reply.

The source of the pressure?

Liana and Gloria.

They followed behind Javier at a calm pace—but their expressions were completely blank.

And their aura?

Dominant. Cold. Untouchable.

Even the ground beneath them seemed to grow heavier with every step they took.

( End Of Chapter )