Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

A terrifying thought instantly flashed through Sebastian's mind.

The souls of those vanished supreme beings may very well still exist in this world.

If the dragons discover them, they will also use the soul of the Supreme Being as a consumable for primordial magic...

Chapter 117 Request

Sebastian stood motionless, as if nailed to the floor by some invisible force.

Primal magic... consumes the soul.

These words struck him like a heavy hammer, hitting a sensitive spot deep within his consciousness.

Those vanished supreme beings.

Lord Peroroncino, Lord Bubble Teapot, Lord Ulbert... all left without warning one day and never returned.

Were their souls also used as fuel for primordial magic...?

Sebastian's expression tightened involuntarily, and even his breathing became heavier than before.

But then he remembered something that pulled him out of that heavy quagmire.

Lord Tapimit's soul was not consumed!

Before it was all too late, Lord Tapimy's reincarnation had already been found.

Sebastian silently repeated the name that was so important to him several times in his mind, confirming that this was an unshakable fact.

Fortunately, this kind of thing didn't happen to Lord Tapimy.

The moment this thought crossed his mind, Sebastian himself realized the selfishness in it.

If the souls of the other supreme beings were truly consumed by the dragon, it would be an irreparable tragedy. But at this moment, what welled up in his heart was a pure, almost narrow-minded sense of relief.

He was Nazarick's steward, and he should have been concerned about the safety of all the Supreme Beings.

But after finding Lord Tapimy, a layer of selfishness ultimately crept into that worry.

Rune stood a few steps away, taking in the full changes in Sebastian's expression.

Rune suppressed the corners of his mouth that were about to turn up, lowered his eyes, and hid the smile.

The information that Derodile revealed to Sebastian about the dragon's temperament and the limitations of primal magic was all true.

He did not add any false guidance, nor did he intend to distort Her Majesty's original intention.

But a deception pieced together from real fragments can sometimes be more effective than a complete lie.

When Sebastian reports these things to the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Ainz's hostility toward dragons will likely deepen even further.

Although from Ainz's perspective, he did not confirm the rumor of the reincarnation of a powerful soul.

However, the fact that other worlds can utilize souls indirectly increases the Great Tomb's trust in the rumors of soul reincarnation.

This is exactly the effect he needs.

Rune raised his head and looked at Sebastian again.

The old butler's expression had returned to its usual composure, though a trace of the emotions from just moments before still lingered between his brows.

“Mr. Sebastian?” Dorothy Dylon’s voice broke the delicate silence.

The Queen tilted her head, a hint of confusion in her large eyes. "Why are you suddenly..." she found the right word, "...so serious?"

Sebastian snapped out of his daze and suppressed his surging emotions once again.

A gentle smile appeared on his wrinkled face, and his tone returned to its usual calm.

"It's nothing, I was just a little lost in thought when I heard about Primal Magic."

He bowed slightly to Derodion, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for informing me of such important information. I will remember this gift."

Derodile blinked, as if she wanted to ask something, but Sebastian's obvious reluctance to talk about it made her swallow her words.

She waved her hand, her tone becoming light again: "It's nothing. I should thank Mr. Sebastian and Lord Rune for their help to the Dragon Kingdom. Without you, the Dragon Kingdom would probably no longer exist."

Just then, there was a knock on the door of the reception room.

Everyone's eyes turned towards the doorway at the same time.

The door was pushed open a crack, and a servant strode in, looking somewhat agitated, but still trying his best to maintain the proper decorum for an audience.

He stopped at the threshold and bowed deeply.

"Your Majesty!" The attendant's voice trembled slightly, clearly from overwhelming excitement, "An envoy from the Orc Kingdom has arrived, carrying a letter of surrender, and is requesting an audience outside the palace gates!"

The air in the reception room seemed to be gently stirred by something.

Derodile's eyes lit up with undisguised joy, unable to conceal even her feigned innocence.

Her lips curled up into a smile.

“Really?” She turned to look at Chancellor Bergman.

The silver-haired old man who had been standing at the edge of the reception room nodded slightly, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

"It seems the Orc King's efficiency is even faster than we expected." The prime minister's voice carried a hint of relief.

"Bergmann, then... what should I do?" Her Majesty asked the Prime Minister for his opinion, like a girl who didn't know where to begin.

"Summon them directly? Or let them wait and see? The Orcish Kingdom was so arrogant before, should I..."

"Your Majesty," the prime minister gently interrupted her, "this matter can be handled by this old minister."

Derodile looked at the prime minister's wrinkled yet remarkably calm face, and then nodded.

"...Okay. Then I'll leave it to you."

Chancellor Bergman turned and walked toward the door, the hem of his dark suit swaying gently with his movement.

He cast a grateful glance at Rune as he passed by.

"Lord Aindora, Mr. Sebastian, please wait here for a moment. I will discuss this further with you after I have finished dealing with the surrender matters."

The prime minister then stepped out of the reception room.

The door closed gently behind him, and the sound of his footsteps faded away down the corridor.

The reception room fell silent again.

Derodile took a deep breath, suppressing her surging excitement and nervousness, and once again put on the act of an innocent and romantic little girl.

“Um…” She turned to look at Rune, her voice slightly unsteady, “Lord Rune, Mr. Sebastian, and Miss Silk, would you like to stay for the banquet? I’ve had them prepare the best…”

Rune looked at her pretending to be a little girl and smiled to himself.

"Your Majesty, I have a request that I cannot make."

Derodile covered her chest with both hands, a sudden tension gripping her. 'Would Rune be planning to unleash his beastly desires while the Prime Minister is away?'

"Please speak, Lu Enqing."

Rune looked at her calmly, the ends of his golden hair gleaming softly in the light streaming in from the window.

"Now that the matter of the Dragon Kingdom has come to an end, I wish to..."

After hearing Rune's request, Derodion was slightly taken aback.

A moment later, she laughed, a laugh that carried a hint of "That's it?" ease, but also a subtle disappointment.

"Of course, Lu Enqing can have whatever she wants."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Rune nodded slightly.

Sebastian, however, seemed hesitant to speak.

Chapter 118 The Queen's Scheme

Derodile sat on her private chair in the side hall of the throne room, her legs dangling in mid-air, her light pink skirt spread out on the dark wooden chair.

She held the surrender document sent by the orc kingdom in her hand.

Chancellor Bergman stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze calmly fixed on the document in the Queen's hand.

“The first name on the surrender document is Mr. Sebastian.” Derodile’s voice was muffled, carrying a subtle emotion.

"The second is Lu Enqing, and the last is the Dragon Kingdom."

Her Majesty's large eyes held a look that was somewhere between aggrieved and amused.

"Bergmann, tell me... should I be angry?"

The prime minister raised his eyebrows, and a very faint smile appeared on his wrinkled face.

"If Your Majesty wishes to be angry, you may be. However, the territory returned by the Orc Kingdom and the human prisoners will keep Your Majesty busy for quite some time, so you probably won't have time to be angry."

Derodile's lips twitched slightly, but she did not refute.

The towns that had been occupied by the orc kingdom for many years were now back under the rule of the Dragon Kingdom. Just rebuilding order and settling the returning prisoners was enough to give her and her officials a lot of headaches.

The order of names on the surrender document is indeed a trivial matter.

She sighed, placed the roll of parchment on the low table beside her, and stared blankly ahead, clearly calculating something else.

The dinner was held that evening.

In the brightly lit hall, the long table was laden with the finest dishes the Dragon Kingdom could offer: a whole roasted suckling pig, golden brown and glistening with oil, stewed fish drizzled with thick sauce, a mountain of seasonal fruit, and several bottles of wine brought from the depths of the cellar.

Derodile sat in the main seat, her light pink dress replaced by a more formal pale purple gown, with a silver dragon-shaped brooch pinned to her neckline.

Holding a wine glass larger than her own hand, she toasted Rune and Sebastian with the most proper manners, saying some polite words of thanks, but her voice still had that childish tone.

Rune sat at the head of the guest table, raised his glass in return, and smiled gently and politely.

Sebastian, standing behind him, was also holding a wine glass, but his expression suggested he was more on a vigilant observation mission than attending a banquet.

The old butler's gaze frequently swept across the entrance and windows of the hall, keeping watch for any unexpected intruders.

Si sat a little behind Rune, her red and white leather armor replaced by a softer light blue dress, and her golden hair was braided into a loose braid that hung down her shoulder.

The dinner party drew to a close in a subtle calm.

The cups and plates were cleared away, the candlelight dimmed, and the guests took their leave one by one.