Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight.

"What kind of dish is this?!"

A hysterical, high-pitched scream rang out, followed by the clattering of cutlery. Several diners in the restaurant turned their attention to the noisy woman.

The woman's beauty was so striking that even "pretty" seemed insufficient; her beauty rivaled that of the kingdom's most beautiful princess, known as "Golden." Her anger only enhanced her allure. Moreover, despite her boisterousness, every movement she made was remarkably elegant, even exuding grace.

She was definitely a noblewoman from some country, and a high-ranking noblewoman at that. She impatiently tossed her long, curly hair and glared at the dish in front of her with dissatisfaction.

The table was almost completely filled with dishes. Baskets held several freshly baked, fluffy white breads, steaming slightly. Plates were filled with thick slices of lightly roasted, juicy red meat, accompanied by sweet corn and mashed potatoes with plenty of cream as side dishes.

The salad, made with fresh vegetables, retains its crispness and tenderness, and you can smell the refreshing citrus aroma from the dressing.

The dishes served at "Golden Glow Pavilion," the most luxurious inn in the walled city of Ye Lantier, are all prepared using ingredients kept fresh by "preservation" magic. Of course, the chefs are all top-notch and exclusive.

However, the woman showed obvious dissatisfaction with the artistic dishes in front of her.

"It doesn't taste good at all!"

The woman's next complaint, which was the least appropriate thing to say in this situation, left everyone present speechless.

However, among all of this, only the old butler who was serving behind the woman remained motionless and expressionless. Even when the woman turned around and glared at him with a stern look, the old butler remained unmoved.

"I simply can't stay in this run-down town any longer. I need to get going immediately!"

"But Miss, it's already evening—"

"Shut up! I said we're leaving, and that means we're leaving, do you understand?!"

Faced with the woman's childish tantrums, the butler finally changed his posture and lowered his head: "Yes, Miss. I will make preparations for departure immediately."

"Hmph! If you know that, you'd better get ready, Sebastian!"

The woman tossed her fork aside with a clatter. She then stood up and strode out of the main restaurant, her anger barely contained.

After the storm, a dignified voice rang out in the relieved and relaxed atmosphere: "I'm very sorry to have disturbed everyone."

The butler gently placed the chair, which the woman had nearly fallen over when she stood up, back in its place and slowly bowed his head in apology to the restaurant guests. Faced with the elegant old man's perfect apology, many looked at him with pity.

"—Shopkeeper."

"Yes."

The man who had been waiting quietly walked toward the butler.

"I'm so sorry to have disturbed everyone. Although it's not really an apology, I'll pay for all the meals for the guests present."

Upon hearing this, several people couldn't help but show delight. A meal at this top-class hotel would certainly not be cheap. If the other party was willing to help pay the bill, that should be enough to forgive the commotion the woman had caused.

On the other hand, the innkeeper showed no sign of wavering, simply bowing politely in response to the steward's suggestion. This natural response proved that the scene had likely been repeated many times since the master and servant had lodged at the "Golden Pavilion."

Sebastian glanced towards a corner of the restaurant, where he saw a poor-looking man wolfing down his food. Noticing the man's gaze, the man quickly stood up and strode towards Sebastian.

The man stood out starkly from the other guests, his appearance utterly lacking in "charm" and "prestige," making him completely out of place and radiating a strong sense of incongruity. Although his clothing was no less impressive than the other guests', it was as if the clothes were wearing him, like a clown in elaborate attire, even somewhat comical.

"Lord Sebastian."

"What is it, Mr. Zack?"

The other guests frowned at the affected, obsequious tone of the man named Zach. Given his fawning manner, it wouldn't be surprising if he were rubbing his hands together. Sebastian, however, remained unmoved.

"As an employee, I'm really not in a position to offer advice, but if we're going to embark on this path now, perhaps we should reconsider?"

"You mean you have difficulty driving a carriage at night?"

"That's one of the reasons, and... I also have some miscellaneous things to prepare."

Zach kept scratching his head. Although his hair looked clean, the way he scratched it made it seem like dandruff was about to fly out.

"However, Miss is unlikely to accept my suggestion. No, given Miss's personality, it's impossible for her to change her mind," Sebastian stated firmly with an iron-willed expression. "Therefore, we have no choice but to set off."

"But……"

Zach's eyes darted around, seemingly trying to find an excuse, but he seemed clueless, and his face scrunched up.

"Of course, we won't depart immediately. We'll need some time to load your luggage onto the carriage, Miss. In the meantime, please prepare for your departure."

Sebastian saw a cunning glint in the eyes of the shabby man who was still searching for an explanation, but he pretended to be nonchalant and ignored him. He was doing this to conceal the fact that everything he was doing was exactly what he wanted.

"So, when should we depart?"

"Well, how about we set off in two or three hours? Any later and the streets will be completely swallowed up by the night. That should be the bottom line, right?"

A pesky, calculating glint resurfaced in the man's eyes, but Sebastian tried to pretend he didn't see it. Zack licked his lips a few times and said, "Heh heh, maybe this will be alright."

"That's wonderful. May I ask you to begin preparations immediately?"

After watching Zack's departing figure, Sebastian waved his hand, as if trying to shake off the air clinging to him. Frankly, Sebastian simply couldn't stand such a despicable character. While he agreed with his creator's view that "one shouldn't call oneself strong if one doesn't rescue the weak," and although he questioned his companions' ideas, encountering someone as despicable as Zack made him realize that Nazarick's basic principles might not be wrong.

"Oh dear, humans should be such superior beings..."

After knocking on the door several times and saying sorry for disturbing him, Sebastian bowed and entered the room.

"My apologies for my rudeness, Lord Sebastian."