Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

Although Rune didn't turn his head, that burning gaze almost burned a hole in his back.

He could only forcefully suppress the guilt he felt at being admired by his sister.

On the surface, however, he maintained his righteous and indignant demeanor, nodding slightly to the prime minister.

“However…” Rune’s tone shifted, his gaze naturally falling on Sebastian beside him, “This time, the victory over the Orc Kingdom was mainly due to Sebastian’s efforts. If Sebastian hadn’t intervened, the cavalry of the Aindora territory alone would never have been able to achieve such results.”

Sebastian was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting Rune to bring up the topic of himself.

Rune continued, "So, if the Dragon Kingdom insists on making a gesture, why not give all the rewards to Sebastian?"

After he finished speaking, the reception room fell silent for a brief moment.

Si's gaze followed Rune's words and shifted to Sebastian, her expression returning to normal.

Chancellor Bergman, on the other hand, began to re-examine the elderly man in the black tailcoat before him with a completely new perspective.

With a kind face and fair skin, he looked like nothing more than an old butler.

In terms of physical strength, Bergman felt that his opponent might not be able to defeat him.

So how did this old man, who had no martial skills, manage to defeat the orc army through his wisdom?

The prime minister's mind raced through the various reports on the war situation that had been circulating over the past few days.

He had always thought that all of this was the result of Lord Aindora leading the cavalry in a direct battle, but he never expected that this old man was behind it all.

"I see……"

The prime minister murmured to himself, a hint of genuine admiration in his eyes. He bowed slightly to Sebastian, his tone much more solemn than before.

“Mr. Sebastian, please forgive me for my previous neglect. The Dragon Kingdom will never forget your contributions.”

He straightened up and looked at Sebastian with sincere eyes.

"I wonder what kind of reward Mr. Sebas would like? Gold, fiefdom, title, loli... the Dragon Kingdom can provide all of these."

Sebastian didn't answer immediately. He first turned his head and gave Rune a grateful look.

'Lord Rune declined the reward, yet still remembered to leave the opportunity for him.'

Rune nodded in response.

Sebastian turned his gaze back to Chancellor Bergman.

“I have no interest in money or titles.” His voice was steady, yet one could sense his seriousness. “However, I do have something I’m curious about.”

The prime minister listened intently, awaiting his next words.

“I am very curious about dragons. If the Dragon Kingdom is willing to share information about dragons, that would be the best reward.”

The air in the reception room seemed to freeze for a moment.

Chancellor Bergman's cloudy yet still sharp eyes stared fixedly at Sebastian, and only blinked again after several breaths.

He had thought the old man would make some more practical requests, since fiefdoms and titles were the real benefits in the eyes of the world.

But the other party refused all of that, just to satisfy a thirst for knowledge.

“Mr. Sebastian…you are indeed a learned and wise man.”

A genuine respect appeared on his wrinkled face.

"He remained unmoved by the temptation of a golden fiefdom, focusing solely on academic matters. Such character is rare in my life."

Sebastian looked at the other person calmly, without explaining anything.

The prime minister sighed a couple more times before turning to Derodile, who was standing in the center of the reception room.

"Your Majesty, look..."

His voice paused on the word "see".

Derodile was standing near the window, the edges of her light pink dress gilded with a soft gold by the sunlight.

Her eyes were gazing in a certain direction out the window, her gaze slightly unfocused, her eyelashes occasionally fluttering, but it didn't seem like she was looking at any specific scenery.

Her expression wasn't exactly sad, nor was it happy; it was a delicate state somewhere in between.

The prime minister looked at the queen's absent-minded appearance and felt a sense of confusion.

Logically, His Majesty should be happy.

Lady Aindora has made it clear that her aid to the Dragon Kingdom is purely for the sake of its people and will not be in exchange for marriage.

This means that Her Majesty will no longer have to marry in a loli form that she dislikes.

But His Majesty's expression at this moment clearly did not show any sign of relief.

"Your Majesty," the prime minister called again, his voice rising a few decibels.

Derodile's body trembled slightly, as if she had been pulled back from some distant thought.

She turned her head, a hint of disbelief still lingering in her large eyes.

"Ah... um? What's wrong?"

"Mr. Sebastian wishes to learn about dragons," the Chancellor said calmly. "What does Your Majesty think?"

Derodile blinked, as if just coming to her senses.

She tilted her head slightly, and her eyes regained some focus.

"Information about dragons..." Her voice was a few decibels lower than usual, "I don't actually know much about that. I wonder which aspect Mr. Sebastian would like to know about?"

"Your Majesty's willingness to answer is already a great favor. I only wish to learn about some legends and abilities of dragons."

Sebastian carefully chose his words, his gaze calmly fixed on Derodile.

"For example, the establishment of the Dragon Kingdom and its relationship with dragons, as well as records about dragons."

Chapter 115 Dragon's Intelligence

Sunlight streamed down from the high windows, and dust particles floated slowly in the beams of light, like fragments left behind after time itself had shattered.

A faint floral fragrance filled the air, mingling with the occasional birdsong from outside the window, making the living room exceptionally tranquil.

Derodile stood by the window, the edges of her light pink dress gilded with a soft gold by the sunlight. Her figure appeared even smaller in the backlight, like a flower forgotten in a corner.

Sebastian took a half step forward, the hem of his black tuxedo swaying gently with his movement.

"I would like to learn some things about dragons... legends and abilities."

Sebastian carefully considered his words, gazing at Derodion.

"For example, the establishment of the Dragon Kingdom and its relationship with dragons, as well as records about dragons."

Derodile's gaze fell into the void, as if she were rummaging through long-forgotten memories.

"The Dragon Kingdom was founded by my great-grandfather, the 'Seven-Colored Dragon King,' and I also possess the dragon bloodline that Mr. Sebas is interested in."

Her voice was a little softer than before, tinged with a hint of melancholy.

Sebastian silently memorized the title, Brightness Dragon Lord.

But what followed was another, even deeper confusion.

“Then, if Your Majesty possesses the blood of a dragon…” Sebastian hesitated, his gaze unconsciously falling on Droron.

Derodile caught his unfinished thought, and a self-deprecating smile appeared on her lips.

“I did not inherit my great-grandfather’s strength.”

Her voice betrayed a hint of resentment.

"If... I could inherit even half of my great-grandfather's power, the Dragon Kingdom wouldn't have been bullied by the Beastman Kingdom like this."

Sebastian lowered his eyes and silently memorized this information: the offspring of dragons and humans would have their strength greatly reduced.

“Your Majesty,” Sebas began cautiously, “then, facing the predicament of the Orc Kingdom… why didn’t your great-grandfather lend a helping hand?”

Derodile did not answer immediately.

Her long black hair was gently ruffled by the wind outside the window, and the sunlight fell on her shoulders, making her tender little face even more endearing.

After several breaths, she finally spoke.

"He doesn't care about the fate of the Dragon Kingdom."

Her voice was as soft as a feather falling on the water.

"If he were willing to take action, how could the Orc Kingdom dare to invade the Dragon Kingdom so recklessly?"

Sebastian frowned. This estrangement and indifference between grandfather and grandson was clearly beyond his understanding of blood ties.

"why?"

Derodile looked out the window at the distant blue sky.

"Because... dragons are powerful, have long lifespans, and their personalities are unpredictable."

"A few decades is but a blink of an eye for a dragon. Human kingdoms rise and fall, a generation is born and grows old... To a dragon, it's probably like watching ants build a nest and then it collapses."

She looked away and turned her gaze back to Sebastian.

"Dragons, who have no worries about survival, often do many things that are hard for humans to understand in order to while away their long lives."

"The Dragon Kingdom... may have just been an experiment by my great-grandfather in his spare time, or he may have simply built this country out of boredom."

A faint smile appeared on her lips, almost nonexistent.

"Even my own existence might just be part of an experiment."

Silence fell over the reception room.

Sebastian looked at the petite figure in front of him, his eyes swirling with complex emotions that were hard to describe.

“…I’m sorry,” he said softly.

Derodile shook her head.

"No need to apologize. I'm used to facing things alone. So is the Dragon Kingdom."

The Queen spoke calmly, but when she reached the last few words, her tone unconsciously carried a slight hint of bitterness.

Beneath that childlike, "cute" facade lies the true self that belongs exclusively to "Drodile".