Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

After he finished speaking, he patted the horse's neck, and the warhorse spurred its horse around the spot where Cerabray was standing.

Serabreu stood there, stunned for a moment, before coming to his senses. He turned around and called out to Rune's retreating figure, "Hey!"

Rune didn't turn around, he just raised his hand and waved it casually, as if he were dismissing a neighbor's kid who had come to cause trouble.

Cerabray's tuft of hair stood up even higher in anger, but he ultimately failed to catch up.

The cheers continued, and the welcoming crowd grew larger and larger, stretching from the city gates all the way to the main street inside the city.

A few days ago, the tragic state of the orc remnants was discovered by scouts from the Dragon Kingdom, and the news was relayed back to the capital at top speed.

The scout described with great excitement the orc corpses strewn across the field and the traces of the orc army's hasty retreat after its collapse.

All of this indicates that the Orcish Kingdom's military strength has suffered a devastating blow.

Deloris was sitting on the throne when she received the message.

She was wearing a light pink dress, her legs dangling in mid-air. The report was spread out on the table in front of her. She read it several times before she finally realized that she was not dreaming.

"This...this is true?" Her voice trembled with uncertainty as she looked up at the prime minister standing below the throne.

Chancellor Berman bowed slightly, his expression more relaxed than usual: "The scouts' loyalty and eyesight are guaranteed, and the battlefield is not far from the front line, and subsequent reconnaissance has confirmed the same result."

Dorothy's eyes lit up. She jumped down from her throne, walked a few steps to the table, and looked at the report again.

"So..." her big eyes sparkled with anticipation, "we don't have to be afraid anymore?"

The prime minister did not answer.

Deloron glanced again at the location of the orc remnants marked on the map, as well as the towns along the border occupied by orcs, and pursed her pink lips slightly.

"Bergmann, can we take this opportunity to send troops?" Her voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"The Orc Kingdom has lost so many troops. If we launch a counterattack now, we might be able to drive them out of the Dragon Kingdom in one fell swoop and reclaim the lost territory."

When she said the second half of her sentence, her tone carried a hint of exhilarating imagination, as if she could already see the people of the Dragon Kingdom living a peaceful and prosperous life again.

But after saying that, Derodile hesitated again.

Because she remembered what Aindora had repeatedly told her before she set off: "Never take the initiative to attack, just hold the line."

The excitement in Derodile's large eyes faded slightly, replaced by a hint of uncertainty and hesitation.

"Bergmann, what are you thinking?" she asked. "Are you also considering whether or not to send troops?"

The prime minister was standing by the window, his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the sunlight-lit air. After a moment, he slowly spoke.

"No, Your Majesty, I am thinking about something else."

"What is it?" Derodion tilted her head.

"How to hold a wedding for His Majesty and Lady Aindora."

Derodile's movements froze instantly.

She maintained the tilted head position, blinked her large eyes, and needed extra time to process the information her brain had just received.

Then Derodile's face gradually turned red, spreading from her ears to her cheeks, and finally even her neck was tinged with a light pink.

"What wedding?!" Her voice rose several decibels, and she jumped up from the throne. "What are you talking about?!"

The prime minister turned around, his gaze towards her still calm, as if discussing something perfectly natural.

“Your Majesty, although we do not know exactly what methods Lord Aindora used, the military strength of the Orcs has indeed suffered a near-devastating blow.”

"Even disregarding Lord Aindora's military prowess, His Majesty's offer of himself in return for resolving the threat posed by the Beastman Kingdom for the Dragon Kingdom is a perfectly reasonable consideration."

Derodile felt her cheeks burning, the heat more intense than the midday sun in summer.

"What...what are you saying..." Her voice involuntarily lowered, "I...I am, after all, the Queen of the Dragon Kingdom, how can I just do this so casually..."

"Of course it wasn't done casually," the Prime Minister said solemnly. "It was carefully considered. Lord Aindora is worthy of His Majesty's status in terms of background, appearance, and ability. Moreover, His Majesty is well aware of his dedication to the Dragon Kingdom, leading cavalry on expeditions every year."

Deloron opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but found that she couldn't find anything in the prime minister's words that could be directly refuted.

She simply sat back on her throne, crossed her arms, and turned her head away from the prime minister, as if expressing her protest through silence.

The prime minister looked at her and his gaze softened: "Your Majesty, I know you have concerns, but this is indeed the best arrangement."

Dorothy remained with her head turned away, and after a long while, she finally spoke in a muffled voice, "But... that guy is a lolicon. If I were..."

Her voice trailed off, until it was almost a soliloquy, "If I marry him, won't I have to live like this for the rest of my life..."

As she said this, her gaze unconsciously glanced down, and on the wide throne, her feet were still quite a distance from the ground.

The prime minister remained silent for a moment.

“Your Majesty, I have given this matter some thought. Lady Aindora… While there are indeed such comments in the rumors, they are not necessarily all true.”

Derodile turned to look at the prime minister, a hint of confusion in her large eyes.

The Prime Minister explained, "What I mean is, perhaps Lady Aindora favors His Majesty as a 'person,' rather than a particular physical form. His Majesty could try to transform into that form after the marriage."

"Don't mention that form, that's my true appearance!"

Derodile's eyes lit up, but she still instinctively refuted the prime minister's erroneous remarks.

"But what if he still prefers someone flat-chested?" she said, her ears turning even redder. "What should I do then?"

The prime minister made the final judgment.

"Then Your Majesty, for the sake of the Dragon Kingdom, please maintain its current form."

Derodile's lips twitched.

"Really...do we have to do this?"

The prime minister lowered his head slightly: "If Your Majesty does not wish for Lord Aindora's methods against the Orc Kingdom to be used against us... I think this is the safest course of action."

Derodile remained silent for a long while. Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a soft glow on her long, black hair. Her small head hung low, as if she were making a difficult decision.

Finally, she raised her head.

"……I see."

"That's good." The prime minister was about to end the topic when he suddenly remembered something. "By the way, Your Majesty. When Lord Aindora returns in triumph, please take the initiative. After all... judging from appearance alone, it's like an old man and a young woman."

A teacup flew from the direction of the throne, moving very fast and leaving a less-than-elegant trail.

The prime minister raised his hand and caught the teacup with a smooth, effortless motion.

He said without changing his expression, "Since Your Majesty is thirsty, I will go and pour you some water. How about black tea? I remember that Lord Aindora loves black tea the most, so Your Majesty can get used to it in advance."

After saying that, he turned and walked toward the door, leaving Draco Deloron alone on the throne.

The door closed gently.

Derodile sat alone in the empty hall, remaining in the same position for a while before slowly shrinking back.

She curled up on the wide throne, her hands wrapped around her knees, her chin resting on them, like a small animal curled up into a ball.

Then her body shape changed.

A moment later, the petite loli figure disappeared, replaced by a tall, slender figure.

Her long black hair still fell over her shoulders, but her face no longer had the features of a child.

Her features remained exquisite, but now possessed a fuller, more mature curve. Her figure was well-proportioned and upright, and as she sat on that wide throne, her feet were finally firmly planted on the ground.

She looked down at herself, hesitated for a moment, and then gently pinched herself.

"What's wrong with being big?"

Derodile's voice carried a subtle hint of grievance, as if she were speaking to herself.

"...Loli and all that...Does that guy really like lolis that much...?"

She muttered something, but remained in that mature, sophisticated form, not immediately changing back.

It seems that even she herself is not quite sure what she is really thinking at this moment.

The sound of Chancellor Bermang's footsteps had already faded into the distance.

But he didn't actually pour the tea.

He stopped at the corner of the corridor, where a young clerk was waiting, holding a stack of parchment. Upon seeing the prime minister, the clerk immediately bowed.

"My lord, this is what you ordered..."

The prime minister took the stack of parchment, quickly scanned its contents, and nodded slightly: "Have the messages been sent out?"

"Yes, as you instructed, the news has spread to every town. The news of Lord Aindora's great victory over the orc army has reached taverns, markets, and all the places that needed to be reached."

The prime minister handed the parchment back, his gaze calmly fixed on the window at the end of the corridor, where a clear blue sky stretched out before him.

Boosting national morale is only one aspect.

More importantly, he wanted everyone to know that the threat from the Orc Kingdom had been resolved by the young lord of the Aindora family.

At this point in time, a good reputation is the best foundation and can also reduce the obstacles when Eindora marries the Dragon Queen later.

He turned around and walked towards the other end of the corridor.

In the afternoon, the group finally crossed the city's main street and settled down in the western part of the city.

The cavalrymen dismounted one by one, began to remove their saddles, and then moved the carts covered with dark canvas.

Rune handed the reins to the approaching adjutant.

He was about to walk towards the camp when he suddenly stopped.

As the cheers subsided and the crowd dispersed, he saw someone he hadn't expected.

Chapter 106 Resurrection

The afternoon sun poured down through the gaps in the clouds, illuminating the streets of the border city of the Dragon Kingdom.

The air still carried the scent of dust raised by the departing crowd, mixed with the aroma of flowers and toast, like a pot of soup that had just boiled but was gradually calming down.

Rune suddenly stopped in his tracks; he saw silk.

The red and white leather armor stood out brightly in the sunlight, and her long golden hair was tied into a neat single ponytail, revealing the beautiful lines of her neck.

She stood at the edge of the crowd, looking this way, her hand still holding the hand of the petite figure beside her, who was wrapped in a red robe.

The moment Rune saw her, Silk's eyes lit up as well.