Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight.

After class, Rune buried himself in his study.

This is Rune's daily, unwavering routine—thinking about future plans. Of course, he publicly claims he's reading to cultivate his aristocratic refinement.

The study was small, but impeccably organized. A narrow window faced the back garden, and the afternoon sun slanted in, leaving a bright mark on the oak table. The occasional chirping of birds outside the window made the room so quiet that you could hear your own breathing.

Rune sat down at the table and spread out a piece of paper.

Knowing the plot's direction, he had to devise a way to survive for himself and his family.

The pen tip touched the paper, making a scratching sound. Words that didn't belong to this world appeared, only to be quickly crossed out—the black ink marks intertwined and overlapped, like traces of some kind of struggle.

It's worth noting that these papers are made using first-tier magic. Any apprentice with a spellcasting level of 7 can easily learn how to make them. Even so, magical paper is a luxury for ordinary people, and no commoner would use it.

Commoners would buy paper directly from the workshops, while nobles would use it to display their wealth.

Finally, Rune stopped writing and held the scribbled-on paper up to the candlelight. The flames licked the edges of the paper, and the ink twisted and curled in the firelight before turning to ash and falling into the copper dish, where it crumbled at the slightest touch.

This information must absolutely not be leaked. Even a single translation spell could bring annihilation to the Rune and Eindora families.

He stared at the clump of ashes in silence for a moment, then leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling.

There was a thin crack in the ceiling, stretching from the edge of the carved plaster all the way to near the chandelier. He stared at the crack for a long time, as if he were looking at something very important.

"As expected, thinking of fighting Ainz Ooal Gown is pure wishful thinking."

Rune shook his head, a smile playing on his lips, a smile that seemed to be both self-mockery and resignation.

"I must have lost my mind. I actually got influenced by Cecilia-sensei and that chuunibyou sister."

The sunlight outside the window was still bright, casting a warm patch on the floor. Rune's gaze fell on that patch of light, and he vaguely recalled the scent of lilies in class, his sister's bright eyes, and Cecilia's words, "courage and kindness."

Rune withdrew his gaze.

"My mental age is already older than the two of them combined, so how can I still act impulsively like a young person?"

He paused, as if trying to find an excuse for himself.

"Is it because of hormones? It seems that hormone secretion in children really does affect a person's mind."

Rune's voice was very soft, so soft that it sounded like he was talking to himself.

"Kindness and courage... are indeed worthless."

After he said that, the room was silent for a few seconds.

A bird's chirp came from outside the window, crisp and short, and then disappeared.

Rune sat up straight and spread out another sheet of paper.

In fact, he already had a general plan, and his daily thinking was just about refining the details. But today, he went through Plan C again from the beginning, only to find that there was still no hope—it was like facing an invisible wall; no matter which angle you crashed into it, you would only end up with a bloody head.

Plan A is still the most reliable.

They joined forces with Ainz Ooal Gown.

He wrote these words on the paper, his handwriting much steadyer than before.

Although he transmigrated into a nobleman of a kingdom and lost the power that should have come with him, this was still a stroke of luck amidst misfortune. The Kingdom of Re-Estize was the first country that Ainz Ooal Gown came into contact with. As long as he pledged allegiance early on, like Carne Village in the original story, he wouldn't be treated as waste material. On the contrary, he could receive a lot of preferential treatment.

As the saying goes, those who are talented are the best.

By taking advantage of the Slane Theocracy's plans against the kingdom, one can quickly establish contact with Ainz Ooal Gown. Then, by demonstrating some of his talents to "Adventurer Feifei," the entire Eindora family and the people within the territory can land safely.

If that still doesn't work, then appropriately reveal your innate special abilities.

Given the rarity of this ability and Ainz's collecting habits, preserving the Eindora family should be no problem at all.

The price is that the fate of the rest of the kingdom, and of the Slane Theocracy, will most likely remain unchanged—or even worse.

Rune put down his pen and looked out the window at the sky.

The sky was very blue, with a few wisps of thin clouds, like cotton wool being gently brushed aside with someone's fingers.

"Slian Theocracy...Sirshana..."

He paused, his lips moved, but no sound came out. After a few seconds, he said softly:

"I'm sorry, Sirshana. Tomoya is sorry, it has nothing to do with me, Rune. If you want to scold someone, scold him."

Rune spoke softly, as if trying to distance himself from the situation.

This is the safest plan in Plan A, and also the one that Rune prefers the most.

The problem to be solved is that we need to return to our territory in advance to make deployments. However, returning abruptly might arouse Demiurge's suspicion.

Demiurge – Guardian of the seventh level of Nazarick, a level 100 highest-ranking demon, known as the "Creator of the Inferno," with a justice rating of -500 (extremely evil). While not skilled in combat, he is extremely cunning.

The Eindora family, as one of the kingdom's oldest noble families, has its own territory. However, successive heads of the family have chosen to reside in the capital, leaving the territory to be managed by stewards.

"This might be related to the weakness of the royal family," Rune muttered to himself, a slight smirk playing on his lips as if mocking something. "If it were the Bahars Empire, Dad would probably stay far away."

To break family tradition and return to the territory, one must find a plausible excuse.

He wrote the idea down on a piece of paper and then drew a question mark next to it.

Actually, there's an even more radical version of Plan A—pretending to be a friend of a member of the Ainz Ooal Gown guild.

This is a path unique to Rune. If he succeeds, it will be a meteoric rise to the top.

He held the pen, his fingertips applying slight pressure.

Ainz Ooal Gown's obsession with finding friends in the early stages is key to maintaining his "human" persona. By simply depicting the characteristics of characters like Touch Me, Peroroncino, and Bubble Teapot, and successfully impersonating their friends, Rune's status will surpass that of many other NPCs.

Rune could even picture the scene—the guardians of Nazarick bowing respectfully, Albedo lowering her proud head, and Demiurge flashing his signature smile…

and then?

Rune looked at the names on the paper; the handwriting was still neat, but his hand holding the pen hadn't loosened its grip.

Then, there is a fatal flaw.

[Memory Reading Magic].

Once Ainz discovers that Rune is toying with him, death will probably be the best outcome for Rune.

Based on my understanding of Ainz Ooal Gown's behavior in the original story, he probably wouldn't take action against someone who is suspected to be a friend of a guild member. However, there's a high probability that Demiurge would—unless the rune is impersonating a friend of Demiurge's creator, Ulbert.

Even without a direct attack, Demiurge's probing attacks will surely follow. Given Demiurge's intelligence, Rune might not be able to pass all of them.

After all, Rune didn't really know these people.

He had heard of the Ainz Ooal Gown guild in YGGDRASIL and had even tried to contact them. However, this group of players from different species were very hostile towards human players—Rune never imagined he would end up in this situation.

Regret.

Only Touch Me doesn't oppose humans. Perhaps Demiurge's probing might be even more intense, given that he could impersonate Touch Me's friend.

Moreover, there's the variable of Albedo.

Albedo – the chief guardian of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, commanding all guardians and second only to Ainz Ooal Gown. However, in private, she has formed a "Supreme Hunters" team.

If Rune were to impersonate her, Albedo could easily take him down with a single basic attack.

The sunlight outside the window had shifted sometime earlier, and the patch of light on the desk had disappeared. The study had darkened, leaving only a beam of light slanting in from the window, falling on the floor like a dividing line.

He had to abandon the radical version of the plan.

Rune put down his pen and held the paper, covered in writing, up to the candlelight again.

Flames licked at the edges of the paper, the writing twisting in the firelight—Tachi Mi, Peroroncino, Bubble Teapot, Ulbert… one name after another curled and blackened in the flames, finally turning to ashes.

He stared at the ash, watching the last spark die out.