Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight.

Inside Rune's private residence in the capital of the Kingdom of Riyestig.

The light of dusk slanted in through the study window, drawing a long strip of light across the floor.

Rune sat at his desk, his pen hovering in mid-air, the ink spreading into a small dot on the paper. He didn't move, his gaze fixed on the ink stain, but his thoughts had already drifted out of the room.

That piece of the true dragon king's shattered armor...

In theory,

The broken armor was placed far enough away from the battlefield that, in the original story, even if the platinum armored warrior arrived at the battle point first, he would only have one dragon and would have had a hard time spotting the broken armor.

For Nazarick, which has a large number of NPCs, a slight distance should not be enough to prevent them from discovering "clues".

But there are always unexpected events.

Rune put down his pen and leaned back in his chair. The last rays of sunlight were fading outside the window, turning the clouds on the horizon a grayish-purple.

He had no way of confirming whether Nazarick had found any "clues".

But someone can tell Rune.

The sun has completely set.

The light in the study suddenly dimmed, and Rune sat quietly in the shadows.

Then, there was a knock on the door.

"Lord Rune." Hill's voice came from outside the door, speaking a little faster than usual, "Mr. Sebastian has come to visit."

Rune's lips curved slightly.

They arrived as expected.

Sebastian came to the capital to gather intelligence, but he was also Rune's intelligence source.

As expected, Sebastian came here to inquire about information related to dragons.

Hehehehe, looks like the frame-up was successful.

Rune stood up, straightened his clothes, and walked towards the door like an actor making final preparations before going on stage.

Hill stood in the corridor, her blue ponytail hanging down her shoulders, her brown eyes half-open, giving off a slightly lazy feeling.

Walk through the corridor and you will arrive at the main gate of the mansion.

Sebastian stood in the doorway.

Sebastian was dressed in a black tuxedo, his gray hair was neatly combed, and his back was ramrod straight.

"Mr. Sebastian," Rune said with a slight bow, his tone carrying just the right amount of apology, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

"Mr. Rune, you're too kind." Sebastian nodded slightly, his voice steady and gentle. "I apologize for coming uninvited and disturbing you."

Rune waved his hand, a sincere smile appearing on his face, and invited Sebastian into the reception room.

"Mr. Sebastian, please come in."

As Rune spoke, he turned to look at Hill beside him, his tone casual, as if he were explaining something trivial.

"Hill, next time Mr. Sebastian comes, there's no need to announce your arrival. Just invite him in."

Hill's brow twitched slightly, and a hint of hesitation appeared on his expressionless face.

"But……"

"No need to worry." Rune raised his hand to interrupt her, his tone gentle but unquestionable. "Mr. Sebastian and I hit it off immediately, so let's skip the formalities."

Hill paused for a moment, then lowered his head slightly.

"Yes."

Rune turned to Sebastian, who seemed about to say something, probably wanting to decline the privilege of "no notification." But Rune didn't give him the chance.

"Mr. Sebastian," he said in a natural and gentle tone, as if greeting an old friend of many years, "what brings you here tonight?"

Sebastian looked at him, his light gray eyes appearing exceptionally deep.

To be honest...

The old man's voice was unhurried, like a calmly flowing river.

"I just heard that Mr. Rune is the number one expert among the kingdom's nobles, and his strength is comparable to that of the kingdom's warrior captain, Gerdev Storonov."

Rune paused for a moment.

This script is wrong; shouldn't they be asking about dragons?

Could something have really gone wrong? The broken armor wasn't discovered? Or did the Platinum Dragon King pick it up beforehand?

These thoughts only lingered in Rune's mind for a moment, and his face showed no unusual expression.

"These are just rumors spread by nobles." Rune waved his hand, a perfectly measured humility on his face, his smile gentle and frank. "My strength is far inferior to that of the Warrior Captain."

When Rune said this, his tone was so sincere that even he believed it.

"Mr. Rune is too modest." Sebastian's tone was calm, but there was a serious glint in his light gray eyes. "It is said that Mr. Rune knows a powerful martial art and once used it to kill a master orc."

Sebastian took half a step forward, his wrinkled face gentle, but his tone held a hint of imperceptible urgency. "I would like to witness Mr. Rune's powerful martial arts skills."

"So... Mr. Sebastian is interested in martial arts?"

Rune's tone remained enthusiastic, like that of a collector eager to share, "I've just come across some information on martial arts techniques. Would Mr. Sebastian need it?"

Rune collected these long ago to explore the possibilities of martial arts, but he didn't find anything useful. However, he can use them today to test Sebastian.

"If possible, I would be extremely grateful."

Rune looked at Sebastian.

The old man stood there, upright as a pine tree, his hands hanging naturally at his sides. But Rune could sense a hint of urgency in Sebastian's expression.

It was Ainz who sent Sebastian to inquire about martial arts techniques.

Rune made this judgment in his mind.

But then, an even bigger question arose in Rune's mind.

Why is Ainz not concerned about dragons, but instead interested in [martial arts]?

The Undead King who rules the Great Tomb of Nazarick should have his own logic in everything he does. But at this moment, Rune finds himself unable to comprehend that logic.

Does Ainz really think that [Martial Arts] can defeat Shalltear?

Rune stood up, walked to the bookshelf, and pulled out several neatly bound booklets from the third shelf.

This is a collection of martial arts materials he has gathered over the years. Some of them were purchased from the Adventurers' Guild, while others were recorded orally by soldiers in the army.

But its significance in being kept in this residence is negligible.

Therefore, Rune was handed over to Sebastian without any hesitation.

However, if the frame-up fails, the backup plan will have to be activated.

When Rune handed over the booklet, he noticed that Sebastian's fingers tightened slightly the moment they touched the cover.

Sebastian accepted the booklet but did not leave.

The old man stood there, his fingers gently stroking the cover of the booklet, as if weighing something.

Then, Sebastian spoke.

"Mr. Rune," Sebastian said gently, but there was a hint of expectation in his light gray eyes, "Martial arts techniques are hard to truly understand just by reading written records."

Rune looked at the old man but didn't reply.

"Only through actual combat exercises can one truly appreciate its subtleties."

Sebastian raised his head and met Rune's gaze. A faint smile appeared on his wrinkled face, like the warm sun in early winter.

"I humbly request that Mr. Rune spar with me."

A night breeze blew in through the window, and the living room fell silent for a moment.

Rune could hear his own heartbeat.

Is it true or false?

I?

Are you going to fight Sebastian?