Reborn As Noble-Chapter 387: The Price of Greed ( )
Meanwhile…
Inside a lavishly decorated black carriage adorned with gold linings and the crest of House Ibzles, Duke Ibzles sat comfortably. Beside him was his loyal butler, always calm and composed. Opposite them sat a hooded man, cloaked in mystery. Outside, several elite guards rode in formation, creating an ironclad escort as the carriage made its way toward the outskirts of the capital.
The Duke leaned back, one leg crossed over the other, swirling wine in a goblet.
"Hmm? This is the Human Kingdom's capital, right?" he asked, a sly grin forming on his face. "Are you sure those things—those sealed remnants—aren't already beneath the Noble School?"
The hooded man gave a soft, measured chuckle.
"Do not worry, my lord," he said without a hint of hesitation.
"The ones sealed under the Noble School will be yours soon enough. But first, you must claim the power from the one we're heading to now."
"Oh? Clever!" Ibzles' eyes sparkled with greed. "So this first power is for me? Where is it? Where?"
The butler said nothing but watched the man quietly, a flicker of unease in his gaze.
"We'll soon reach the place," the mysterious man replied smoothly. "Once you take the power sealed there, my lord… the guardian protecting the other one beneath the Noble School will be no match for you. You'll crush them effortlessly."
Ibzles laughed, his voice echoing within the carriage.
"Ahhh! I can't wait! Power handed to me on a silver platter… And soon, this kingdom will be mine."
The mysterious man smiled from beneath his hood.
As the convoy finally rolled to a stop in front of a towering, ivy-covered mansion nestled at the edge of a forgotten estate, the carriage door swung open.
"My lord, we have arrived," the butler announced respectfully.
"OHHH!!" Duke Ibzles exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement. He jumped out of the carriage with the eagerness of a child in a toy store and stormed toward the grand front doors of the manor. His eyes sparkled, lips curling into a greedy grin.
"Where is it?! Where's the power?! Show me already!!" he demanded, his steps hurried and impatient.
The hooded man chuckled calmly, following behind.
"Patience, my lord. Power like this is not something you want to rush… but don't worry. We're almost there."
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"Ahhh, I can't wait! Come on, show me the way already!"
"Of course."
The man moved to the side of the hall and pulled open an old iron-bound door hidden behind a tapestry. It creaked loudly, revealing a dim stairwell descending into the earth.
"Here, my lord. The entrance to the basement," he said.
The first unit of elite guards stepped in, weapons drawn and senses alert. Then came the mysterious man, followed by Duke Ibzles and his butler. A second group of elite guards moved in behind them, sealing the group within the narrow staircase.
The air grew colder with each step.
"This is the way to the power?" Ibzles asked, his voice echoing through the dark corridor.
"Yes, my lord," the man replied smoothly. "The path is long, but once we reach the chamber... it will all be yours."
Ibzles grinned, licking his lips in anticipation.
"Why is it taking so long?!" Duke Ibzles barked, his boots stomping against the stone floor as they continued down the long, winding corridor beneath the mansion.
His voice echoed in the cold, damp air, filled with irritation and barely contained hunger.
The mysterious man remained calm, walking just a step ahead with his usual eerie composure.
"Please be patient, my lord," he said in a smooth, oily tone. "We brought the sealed artifact here for a reason. No one but you can claim this power. It's been prepared just for you. All of it—yours alone."
Ibzles gritted his teeth but forced a grin as anticipation burned in his eyes. "Damn right it's mine! And when I get that power…" He clenched his fist. "The first one I'll crush is Edmund. That smug bastard's reign will end beneath my boot!"
He burst into loud, manic laughter, echoing through the hallway like a storm brewing in the dark.
The mysterious man chuckled lowly beside him, his tone eerily matching Ibzles's manic energy. "Don't worry, my lord. The power you seek... it will soon be in your grasp. Then no one—not Edmund, not the royal family, not even the heavens—will be able to stand in your way."
The butler remained silent behind them, shifting uncomfortably at those words.
The guards didn't speak, but they all felt it. The air was getting heavier, and something—deep, ancient, and very much awake—was waiting at the end of the path.
After a long descent through the winding corridors and ancient stone halls, the group finally emerged into a vast underground chamber. The sheer scale of it made even the elite guards shift uncomfortably—it was immense, like a forgotten cathedral hidden beneath the earth.
The ceiling stretched high above, lost in darkness, and the air was thick with old magic and the scent of dried blood.
At the center of the chamber stood two seals carved into the stone floor—large, circular glyphs etched with runes long since lost to human knowledge. One seal was cracked and dark, its power already claimed; the other still glowed faintly, pulsing with a sinister golden-red light.
All around the seals, the ground was stained dark—dried blood, soaked into the stone, forming faded shapes of ancient rituals long past.
Duke Ibzles's eyes lit up with greedy excitement as he stepped forward, ignoring the ominous aura that clung to the place.
"Is that for me?" he asked, practically drooling as he pointed at the glowing seal.
The mysterious man gave a slight bow, his eyes glinting in the dim light. "Yes, my lord. That one is yours. Now go… claim the power you desire."
"Ahhh!! I can't wait!" Ibzles cried out, already storming forward, his cloak whipping behind him as he marched toward the glowing seal.
He reached the edge, pausing only briefly. "How do I claim it?"
"Just touch it, my lord," the man replied calmly.
Without hesitation, Duke Ibzles slammed his hand down onto the seal.
The moment his fingers made contact—
A blinding surge of golden-red light exploded from the seal. The entire chamber trembled, ancient runes across the walls flaring to life. Wind howled from nowhere, and a wave of heat pulsed outward, knocking dust and pebbles into the air.
Dark tendrils of magic erupted from the seal, wrapping around Ibzles's body, spiraling up his arms and seeping into his skin. His veins glowed beneath his flesh, his eyes widening in shock and ecstasy.
"AHHHH!! THIS IS IT!!" he screamed. "THIS IS MY POWER!!!"
His laughter echoed violently through the chamber, mingling with the groaning of the earth and the wild, pulsing energy that surrounded him.
The mysterious man simply watched, a knowing smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
Only he noticed that the first seal, the one cracked and cold, had faint traces of recent magic—already claimed by someone long before Ibzles ever arrived.
As the power surged fully into him, Duke Ibzles threw his head back and roared—a booming, guttural cry that echoed through the vast chamber.
"YEAH!! This is my—!"
His voice cut off abruptly.
Suddenly… he felt something.
His eyes snapped down to his chest.
A hand—an unfamiliar, cold hand—was piercing straight through his heart.
"Wha—!" Ibzles choked, his legs trembling.
He slowly turned his head to see who it was.
( End of Chapter )
