Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

“This is also valuable intelligence.” Demiurge held up a finger. “Knowing that the dragon is not nearby, we can be bolder in our subsequent actions without worrying about alerting it.”

"Of course I know that," Yau blinked. "But if the dragon ignores it, won't the Demon Kingdom just continue to exist and never be destroyed?"

The throne room fell silent for a moment.

Demiurge's lips curved upwards even further.

His eyes gleamed with an almost pleasant composure, as if this was exactly the question he had been hoping to be asked.

“Of course it will be destroyed,” he said.

"If the dragon continues to ignore the Demon Kingdom, it means it's indeed not nearby. In that case..."

He paused for a moment, as if savoring the build-up to this moment.

"Nazarick will then begin its expansion. Starting with the Demon Kingdom, it will advance into the surrounding areas, gradually establishing true dominance. At that time, the Demon Kingdom will be the first step in conquering the world."

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere among the guardians instantly ignited.

"Conquer the world...!" Yau exclaimed excitedly.

“So that’s how it was arranged…” Mare said softly, “…As expected of Lord Ainz.”

Cocytus nodded slowly, exhaling a breath of cold air: "Not bad."

Albedo murmured softly, her voice filled with undisguised adoration.

Ainz sat on his throne, looking down at the passionate Guardians below, his jaw opening silently.

A series of green lights flashed across his body, and his forced calmness seemed to malfunction, triggering repeatedly.

'Conquering the world... How come I didn't know there was this layer...'

He silently cried out in his heart, but still maintained that supreme and calm demeanor, as if all of this had been part of his plan from the very beginning.

Just then, Cocytus's voice rang out again, with his usual composure and caution.

“However,” he slightly turned the insect-shaped head, “a country built on force and terror is not conducive to long-term development.”

Upon hearing this, Demiurge's cunning face revealed a meaningful smile.

“Cocytus is right. So…” He pushed up his glasses.

"This is also part of the sabotage plan. The Demon Kingdom will first establish itself under the banner of revenge, and then, under the pretext of avenging the vampire Henpeccary, launch an invasion against the kingdom. When the kingdom is on the verge of destruction under the Demon Kingdom's offensive..."

Demiurge could not hide his excitement: "The adventurer Feifei will then lead the remaining kingdom forces to defeat the Demon Kingdom. In this way, Feifei will become the rightful leader and gain the trust and support of the kingdom's people. And the Demon Kingdom's mission as a pawn will be perfectly completed at this moment."

A hint of realization flashed in Cocytus's compound eyes: "So that's how it is. Fei Fei's reputation was established from this, and the existence of the Demon Kingdom was just a stepping stone to Fei Fei's success."

Aou's ears perked up, and she exclaimed in genuine surprise, "No wonder Demiurge said earlier that the Demon Kingdom was destined to be destroyed no matter what..."

Mare chimed in quietly, "It'll be useful no matter what... It's a perfect plan..."

After hearing the crowd's praise, Demiurge turned towards the throne.

He gave another German military salute, his face full of heartfelt admiration.

"This was all part of Lord Ainz's perfect plan; I was merely putting it into practice."

Ainz sat upright on the throne, his jaw still agape.

Looking down at the guardians below, who were excited by Demiurge's explanation, he felt his soul undergoing a certain kind of tremor.

'I have absolutely no idea...' he sighed silently to himself.

“…Not bad.” Although Ainz was confused, his body reacted first. “Demiurge, I’m glad you can fully understand the deeper meaning of my plan.”

Demiurge bowed deeply: "Lord Ainz, you flatter me. I am far from worthy of your praise."

Ainz knew he couldn't continue this topic; if he did, he might give himself away.

So he cleared his throat and steered the conversation in a relatively safe direction.

“However, the new kingdom is a foothold that Nazarick needs to carefully cultivate. It will be the stage for Nazarick to demonstrate its power in this world, therefore,” Ainz’s voice became more solemn, “this kingdom needs a better name.”

The atmosphere in the throne room subtly shifted with those words.

The casual and relaxed atmosphere we had just discussed when choosing the name of the abandoned kingdom has been replaced by a more serious attitude.

The guardians exchanged glances, clearly deep in thought about the question.

Demiurge was the first to speak.

"Since it is a kingdom established by Lord Ainz, then with Lord Ainz's extraordinary wisdom, how about calling it 'Land of Sages'?"

The moment the words left his mouth, a green light flashed across Ainz's body.

Forced calming triggered.

Ainz's skeletal face revealed no expression, but his heart was still churning with turmoil.

'The Land of Sages… what an embarrassing name.' He groaned silently to himself, 'If my companions actually heard that name… no, just imagining Ulbert's expression when he heard the words 'Land of Sages,' I already…'

But he didn't let any inner turmoil show on his face.

“The Land of Sages…” Ainz carefully chose his words, trying his best not to discourage Demiurge with his rejection. “This name… does reflect a sense of wisdom. However, perhaps we could consider some options that better convey a sense of power.”

Demiurge looked thoughtful: "Lord Ainz is right, it was my oversight."

Ainz breathed a sigh of relief and glanced in the direction of Yau.

He genuinely wanted to hear opinions from people with normal names. Although Yau's ideas were erratic, at least... they weren't too outrageous.

Yau interpreted Ainz's gaze as encouragement and expectation, so she immediately straightened her back.

Her heterochromatic eyes lit up, and she raised her right hand in a somewhat imperfect German military salute.

"Lord Ainz is incredibly powerful! No one can rival him!" Yau blurted out. "How about we call it 'Strong Nation'?"

An even more dazzling green light exploded on Ainz's body, and this forced calm was even more intense than before.

'A strong nation...' Ainz felt his skull was about to break under the pressure inside his brain, emitting a mournful cry as if it were about to shatter.

But looking into Yau's expectant eyes, he ultimately couldn't bring himself to reject the proposal outright.

“…Au’s suggestion,” Ainz said again, carefully rejecting it, “reflects the dimension of power. However, the name of a nation may also need to take into account some…more enduring qualities.”

Yau blinked, seemingly not fully understanding Ainz's tactful refusal, but still nodded and lowered his right hand from the salute.

Ainz's gaze fell on Mare. The dark elf boy sensed the gaze, his body stiffened slightly, and he lowered his head even further.

“…Mare,” Ainz said gently, “Do you have any thoughts as well?”

Mare shrugged, looked up, and his slightly uneasy eyes met Ainz's for a moment before quickly looking away.

“Lord Ainz…” His voice was very soft, “I think that since Lord Ainz is such a kind person, the country he established should be called… ‘Lord of Compassion’.”

The green light flashed again.

'Compassionate country...' Ainz truly hoped he could live up to that word.

But to put the word "compassion" directly in the country's name seems a bit too much...

“…I am very touched by Mare’s kindness.” Ainz tried his best to make his voice sound less strained. “However, perhaps the name of the country should also take into account some… more neutral characteristics.”

Ma Lei's face flushed slightly. He lowered his head and replied, "Yes."

Ainz sighed inwardly, his gaze sweeping over the guardians present.

Cocytes remained silent.

He stood quietly in the queue, his insect-shaped head slightly turned, as if he were thinking about something.

When Ainz's gaze fell upon him, Cocytus's compound eyes met Ainz's for a moment, and then he took half a step forward.

"Lord Ainz, I have a suggestion."

Ainz nodded: "Speak."

"The fate of this land will be guided by the great Lord Ainz Ooal Gown with the hand of magic. I think it would be better to call it 'The Sorcerer Kingdom'."

This time, Ainz finally didn't have to rely on forced calm to save the day.

The name "Magic Kingdom" was much better than he had expected; it didn't seem deliberate or ostentatious.

But Ainz felt something was missing. Although the Magic Kingdom was respectable, it was ultimately just an ordinary name.

If he wanted his companions to notice, if he wanted them to know that the one who founded this kingdom was someone they knew well...

Ainz touched his jawbone with his finger bones.

“…The Magic Kingdom.” He began, his voice much calmer than before, “While the name is not bad.”

He paused for a moment, then revealed his true thoughts.

“But,” his voice held a deeper meaning, “the name of this new nation also needs to convey a signal.”

"If... those companions who have already left happen to still exist in this world, I hope they will recognize this name when they hear it."

Chapter 126 Albedo is acting strangely

The throne room fell silent instantly, as if the air itself was listening.

Demiurge's face showed genuine admiration, and his jeweled eyes gleamed with fervent light.

“Lord Ainz…” Demiurge was filled with awe and reverence, “You actually thought of this…”

His posture was as respectful as that of a pilgrim.

"The establishment of a kingdom, on the surface, was to expand Nazarick's power, but on a deeper level, it was to test the dragons' movements, and at the very bottom... it was actually to contact those supreme beings scattered throughout the world."

Demiurge stared intently at Ainz.

"Lord Ainz's true goal, from the very beginning, transcended conquest itself. You wish to use this kingdom as a beacon, to illuminate the way home for the Supreme beings who may still be wandering."

Ainz listened blankly to Demeigos's praise, his lower jaw slightly separating from his upper jaw once again.

'No, it was just a spur-of-the-moment idea...'

But when his gaze fell upon the Guardians' eyes, filled with admiration and expectation, Ainz swallowed back the words he was about to say.

“...That’s right.” His voice was steady and firm. “The name of the new country should, of course, serve as a signal to connect with our partners.”

Demiurge bowed deeply.

"Lord Ainz's foresight is beyond my reach."