Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

This level of determination is enough to demonstrate the extent of Sebastian's trust in the reincarnation of Taphimi.

The first phase of the compliance test was successful.

Then next

What would Sebastian do if his demands conflicted with Nazarick?

Rune is planning to be a little more aggressive.

Rune raised his head and looked at Sebastian.

Sebastian squatted down in front of Tapimi and whispered something.

The words were mostly words of reassurance and promise. Tapchimi listened and nodded, still holding Leno's body in his arms, no longer as swaying as before.

Perhaps Rune had been watching for too long, or perhaps Sebastian's perception was too acute.

The old butler paused for a moment, turned his head, and his gaze met Rune's.

“Lord Rune,” Sebastian turned slightly to the side, his tone respectful, “is there anything else?”

Rune was about to begin the second phase of the obedience test, but the words caught in his throat.

He blinked.

'grown ups'.

Sebastian had just addressed himself as "Lord Rune," but now he was saying "Lord Rune."

Rune's brain went blank for a moment.

He quickly reviewed the events that had just transpired in his mind, from promising Tapchimi the moon to now…

Rune suddenly understood.

So this is Sebastian's logic.

Touchmy calls himself "Lord Rune", so Sebastian also calls himself "Lord Rune".

What is this? Servants following their masters' wishes? Or does Sebastian's use of the title "Tachimi" carry such a high priority?

Looking into Sebastian's earnest eyes, which were waiting for an answer, Rune felt a strange sensation welling up inside him.

how to say.

This feeling is a bit like... I've somehow managed to "bully" Ainz?

Rune quickly tried to banish the dangerous thought from his mind, but the image was already firmly imprinted there and he couldn't shake it off.

He couldn't help but glance at Tapchimi's short, golden hair, and then at Sebastian's silver hair.

The yellow-haired dog in their own yard "stirred up" and stole the white-haired dog from someone else's yard.

It's probably that subtle sense of déjà vu.

Rune felt the corners of his mouth turning up uncontrollably. He quickly pursed his lips, cleared his throat, and forcefully suppressed the smile that was about to burst out.

Then, her brows furrowed slightly, her lips turned down, and she adopted a worried expression once again.

Chapter 102 Showdown

Dusk slowly descended over the camp, casting a dark orange-red hue over the tattered tents and the orc corpses lying on the ground.

The smell of blood that lingered in the air had not completely dissipated, mixed with the acrid smell of dirt and burnt canvas.

Rune looked away from Tapchimi.

His earlier expression of relief for Tapchimi had faded somewhat, replaced by a more complex and worried look.

His brows were slightly furrowed, and his lips were pressed into a thin line, as if he were making a difficult decision.

Sebastian noticed this subtle change.

"Lord Rune?" The old butler's voice held a hint of concern. "Is there anything else?"

Rune remained silent for a moment.

“Sebastian, regarding Touchimi’s move just now,” Rune didn’t answer directly, but instead asked Sebastian, “What’s your opinion?”

Sebastian was slightly taken aback.

His gaze unconsciously turned towards Tapimy, whose kneeling figure appeared particularly frail in the twilight.

Sebastian's gaze softened, his voice filled with barely concealed excitement.

“That strike…it truly cleaved through space.” Sebastian’s voice trembled slightly. “Such power could absolutely not be a [Martial Technique]. I’ve reviewed the [Martial Technique] encyclopedia that Lord Rune gave me, and there’s no record of anything similar.”

His voice lowered a little. Although he was almost certain, Sebastian still couldn't help but ask Rune for confirmation.

"That's... a natural ability, right?"

Rune did not answer immediately.

He lowered his eyes, as if he were thinking about something, or perhaps giving Sebastian time to process his emotions.

Then Rune spoke up, "Sebastian, there's something I need to make clear to you first."

Sebastian tilted his head slightly.

"please say."

"Don't call me 'sir' anymore," Rune said calmly. "Just call me 'Rune' as before."

Sebastian paused for a moment.

His brow twitched slightly, and he hesitated for a moment.

"But……"

Sebastian looked into Rune's calm eyes and still couldn't refute him.

“…I understand, Lord Rune.”

He eventually accepted it.

Rune nodded slightly, confirming the matter.

Then he continued the previous topic.

"Regarding Tapimit's move," Rune said seriously and confidently, "it's definitely not a [martial skill]. Based on my knowledge, it's undoubtedly a [natural ability]."

Sebastian's breathing quickened for a moment.

In his light gray eyes, the light shone like a flame that had been ignited.

Even though he had almost certain of the conclusion just now, the shock of receiving confirmation from Rune was still overwhelming.

“As expected…” Sebastian’s voice was filled with barely suppressed joy, “It really is a [natural ability]…”

He turned his head, his gaze falling on Tapimi again.

In the twilight, the boy's short golden hair was gently stirred by the evening breeze, and the girl in his arms lay quietly, like a sleeping statue.

Sebastian's gaze was so gentle it was almost pious.

"[Innate Abilities] Vary from person to person." Rune's voice came from beside him, without a trace of joy, but rather with a hint of sorrow.

"Some people discover their innate abilities quickly, while others may never realize it until their death. Touchmy must have awakened his innate ability today in a fit of extreme anger."

Sebastian, who usually pays great attention to intelligence gathering, is surprisingly indifferent to these "knowledge points" today.

He continued to gaze in the direction of Tapimi, his wrinkled face filled with an indescribable emotion.

Rune's gaze lingered on Sebastian's face for a moment.

Then Rune suddenly spoke, forcibly pulling Sebastian out of his reverie.

"Sebastian".

"You... aren't actually the steward of the Imperial Merchants, are you?"

The moment those words were spoken, the air seemed to freeze between the two of them for a split second.

Sebastian turned his head and met Rune's gaze.

His expression didn't change much, only a calm sense of relief that he had long expected this day to come.

Sebastian lowered his eyes, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke.

"...When did Lord Rune discover this?"

His voice was soft, carrying an honest "I knew I couldn't hide it" tone.

Rune did not shy away from the question.

“From the very beginning,” Rune said, “when we first met on the road, Sebastian, you weren’t familiar with aristocratic etiquette. Although you behaved well, some small details don’t lie.”

Sebastian lowered his brow slightly, as if recalling the events of that day.

“Furthermore,” Rune continued, “Sebas claims to be an Imperial merchant, yet he brings his mistress to the Kingdom to purchase magic scrolls and materials. The Empire values ​​magic far more than the Kingdom, and its magical resources are far more abundant. A true Imperial merchant has no reason to go to such lengths.”

Sebastian sighed softly.

“Then there’s Sebastian’s common sense.” Rune explained in his usual calm tone, “Sebastian seems to be unfamiliar with many things. Although he tries his best to hide it, you still often reveal a bit of unfamiliarity in some details.”

He paused, then added.

"Of course, the most obvious thing is Sebastian's military strength. An ordinary imperial merchant steward could not possibly have that level of power."

Sebastian remained silent for a long time.

Dusk deepened between them, the distant horizon had turned grayish-purple, and a few stars began to emerge against the deep blue sky.

"Lord Rune is indeed exceptionally wise," Sebastian said with a sincere admiration. "I have indeed made many mistakes."

Looking at his frank admission, Rune finally relaxed a little, a tension that had been building up inside him for so long.

After all, although the probability is extremely low, it cannot be completely ruled out that Sebastian would take action against him.

“Sebastian, I originally didn’t intend to expose this matter.” Rune’s tone became more serious.

“Everyone has their own secrets, but I can be sure of one thing: Sebastian, you are a good person. This is something I have confirmed with my own eyes through our interactions over this period of time.”

Sebastian's eyes flickered slightly.

“But,” Rune’s tone shifted, his voice turning somber, “I have to do this today for Tapchimi.”