Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight.

The moment the communication connected, Ainz's voice came from my mind, with his usual composure and majesty, a tone that Ainz deliberately maintained, belonging to the "Supreme Ruler".

"Sebastian, did you suddenly use [Messages] because of some emergency?"

"It's not an emergency, Lord Ainz," Sebastian's voice remained calm. "It's about the mission we're on, and a nobleman from the kingdom we met by chance."

Sebastian briefly recounted the situation: the cavalry encountered on the night road, the young nobleman named Rune Elbein Drew Eindora, and the "deal" and "reward" he proposed.

Sebastian's narrative is concise and objective, without adding any subjective judgment.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the communication.

The silence made Sebastian a little nervous. Had he done something wrong?

"So you've accepted Aindora's invitation?"

Ainz's voice carried a barely perceptible hint of hesitation.

"Yes, Lord Ainz. I believe that gathering intelligence within the kingdom and leveraging the power of the local nobles is a more advantageous option. The Eindora family has a long history and extensive network in the capital, and these resources can greatly shorten our intelligence gathering time."

Sebastian paused, then added, "Moreover, I believe Mr. Rune is trustworthy."

There was silence on the other end of the communication.

This time the silence was even longer.

Sebastian knew that Lord Ainz's vision was beyond his reach, and that he was surely pondering profound things that were beyond his comprehension.

But in reality, Ainz was in a very difficult situation at that moment.

What to do, what to do?

Sebastian has already determined that the nobleman is trustworthy.

Is it really a good idea to refute him now? Will Sebastian think that I, the "Supreme Ruler," am too cowardly to even accept a convenience that is offered to me?

But are the nobles of this world really that kind-hearted?

Suzuki Satoru recalled the situation in the previous world. The filth in reality goes without saying, but even in the game YGGDRASIL, there were many players who betrayed their teammates for equipment.

But if I reject his judgment now, Sebastian may not say it, but will he feel that I don't trust him enough?

As a leader, wouldn't it be better to give subordinates a certain degree of trust and autonomy in some matters?

"Lord Ainz?"

Sebastian's voice rang out again, pulling Ainz back from his chaotic thoughts.

"Lord Ainz, are you still there?"

"Ah...yes, Sebastian." Ainz cleared his throat, though he didn't actually have a throat to clear, but the act itself made him seem more like a good leader. "I heard your report just now."

"So, Lord Ainz, have you agreed to my proposal?"

A proposal? What proposal?

Ainz's thoughts faltered for a moment.

I was so preoccupied with all sorts of random thoughts that I didn't hear a thing after Sebastian said. Should I make him repeat himself now? No, that would damage my authority.

But thinking about it carefully, given Sebastian's personality, his so-called "proposal" was probably just something like using the Eindora family's connections to gather intelligence.

This kind of thing itself won't expose the large tomb, nor will it pose any risk.

Yes, that should be it.

"Yes, that's fine." Ainz made his voice sound calm and confident. "However—"

Anz paused, quickly organizing his thoughts in his mind.

A wise leader should affirm their subordinates while making corrections and additions, which demonstrates both trust and thoroughness of thought.

"However, we cannot be careless."

Ainz carefully chose his words, trying to make his tone sound like a well-thought-out addition rather than a last-minute remedy.

"Have Suo Liuxiang keep an eye on things and make sure there are no problems."

After saying this, Ainz silently breathed a sigh of relief. Perfect.

He neither refuted Sebastian nor failed to prepare a backup plan. Even if that nobleman was indeed problematic, Sebastian's strength was more than enough to handle him.

Moreover, with Suo Liuxiang secretly monitoring them, they can react promptly even if something goes wrong.

"Lord Ainz has given this matter considerable thought."

Sebastian's response was, as always, brief and respectful.

Ainz gave a few more instructions about the mission's progress before ending the communication.

He stood by the window, watching the city of Yelantil gradually awaken in the morning light.

The clouds on the horizon were tinged with a pale golden-red by the rising sun, as if someone had used an extremely fine brush to slowly draw along the horizon.

Ainz suddenly remembered something else.

I think I just received a message from Antema?

This shouldn't be as complicated as Sebastian's question; it's probably just a report on information regarding [Martial Arts].

A simple response will suffice.

[Message] After contacting Albedo, the first thing she said far exceeded my expectations.

"—Lord Ainz. Shalltear Bloodfallen has rebelled."

Unable to grasp the meaning of Albedo's words instantly, Ainz's reaction after finally getting them into his mind was incredibly foolish.

Ainz stood there, his mouth wide open. Without the restriction of his skin, his jaw opened much wider than usual.

That sentence was like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, creating ripples in his mind, but it took a long time to sink to the bottom.

"……ha?"

When Ainz uttered that syllable, he himself didn't know why he made that sound.

Something was violently trembling in his mind.

Shalltear.

rebel?

These two words collided repeatedly in his mind, like two hard stones that could never be pieced together.

Ainz even wondered if Albedo had used some rhetorical device he had never heard of before, or if the "rebellion" in this world actually had another meaning.

But there was no hint of joking in Albedo's voice.

Sebastian had just ended his communication with Ainz and was about to turn his attention back when that voice rang in his mind again.

"Sebastian".

This time, Ainz's voice was completely different from before, carrying a hint of coldness.

"Shalltear Bradford has rebelled."

Sebastian hadn't fully grasped the meaning of that statement yet.

"Lord Ainz?"

"There are some parts of the instructions that just came out that need to be adjusted."

Ainz paused for a moment.

"Regarding that nobleman, once we confirm that he is trustworthy, we can deepen our cooperation."

Sebastian paused for a moment.

"Lord Ainz means..."

"It is now important to investigate the relevant intelligence about Shalltear's rebellion, and we can rely more on his intelligence sources."

"Yes, I understand."

Even so, Sebastian was still a little confused, since this was exactly what he had just proposed.

Lord Ainz repeated it specifically, perhaps to remind him not to underestimate Mr. Rune's importance?

As expected of Lord Ainz.