Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

His face, covered with old scars, now wore a smile that could be described as valiant.

The marks of time have deepened the furrows of those scars, but the light in those eyes has not aged at all.

"What demon king or what demon king!" His voice was so loud it almost shook the dust off the dome. "Last time you were driven back by Lord Fei Fei, and the time before that you were also driven back by Lord Fei Fei. And now you dare to come and ask for territory?"

He turned his head slightly toward Feifei, his gaze filled with an almost admiring certainty.

"With Lord Feifei here, what is there to be afraid of!"

Rune's eyebrows twitched slightly. Logically speaking, with the death of the eldest prince Balbro, Marquis Borolop should have no reason to advocate for war.

But listening to Marquis Borroloop's tone of praising Fei Fei, Rune gradually understood.

It seems that Feifei has gained the support of the aristocratic faction.

Thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. Feifei initially appeared in the capital under the guise of "working for the eldest prince Balubro," and Marquis Borolop was the eldest prince's father-in-law.

After Barrubolo's death, the Marquis of Borrolope lost an important political asset, and now he needs new forces to maintain his influence.

Feifei, at this very moment, remained in the capital as a "hero who avenged the eldest prince and protected the capital."

This cannot be a coincidence.

Rune silently marveled at the ingenuity of the layout.

Even after Balubro's death, Nazarick maintained a firm grip on the remaining political resources of the First Prince's faction through the identity of Feifei.

The words of the Marquis of Borrolope, the leader of the aristocratic faction, clearly had an effect.

His impassioned speech largely dispelled the subtle wait-and-see attitude of the aristocracy, and several nobles who had been exchanging glances nodded in agreement.

"The Marquis is right."

"With Lord Feifei here, there's nothing to be afraid of."

"Wasn't the Demon King Sagara also defeated and forced to flee last time?"

The sounds gradually merged into one.

Rune took in all these voices and silently assessed the situation in his mind.

Nazarick wants the kingdom to go to war, and he has already confirmed that.

The appearance of the Demon King Sagara, Fei Fei's performance in repeatedly defeating the Demon King, and this declaration that forces the kingdom to submit.

All of this was consciously guiding the kingdom toward war.

Rune's gaze swept over those excited faces, and he sighed softly in his heart.

But at the same time, he also felt a subtle sense of relief.

At least, Nazarick is still willing to maintain this set of "rules of the game".

Instead of directly sending the main force of the Great Tomb of Nazarick to overwhelm the kingdom, such as having Demiurge or an even more powerful being appear directly, they chose to advance their plans through the complex game of the Demon King Sagara and the adventurer Flyff.

This means that Nazarick is still wary of something.

Perhaps it was the "dragon" set up by Rune, or perhaps there is a power system in this world that they have not yet figured out.

As long as they are willing to act within the rules, Rune still has room to maneuver.

From the high platform, the voice of King Lambusa III rang out.

His gaze fell on Feifei, and his tone was a few degrees deeper than before, as if he were making a final confirmation.

"Your Excellency Feifei."

"exist."

Feifei bowed slightly, the joints of her black full-body armor emitting a faint metallic scraping sound.

The king spoke slowly and solemnly: "If the kingdom goes to war with the demon king Sagara, are you confident of victory?"

All eyes in the hall were focused on the black full-body armor.

Rune also turned his head slightly, his gaze falling on Feifei.

Although he had a general idea of ​​the answer, he still wanted to see Feifei's reaction with his own eyes.

After a moment of silence.

“If the opponent is Demon King Sagara, it will be a little tricky.” Fei Fei’s confident voice came from under his helmet, like a white-haired man split in two. “However, we will win.”

The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the reception room relaxed considerably.

The nobles nodded to each other, their faces showing an expression of "I knew it."

Marquis Brumlach straightened his back, a triumphant look on his face, as if Feifei's promise had already saved his territory.

The king nodded slightly, his brows seeming to relax a little.

Seeing this scene before him, Rune knew that Nazarick's plan would be difficult to stop, but he still wanted to give it a try.

"Your Majesty, please allow me to say something."

On the high platform, Lambusa III's gaze fell upon him.

"Lord Aindora, please speak."

Rune bowed slightly.

"In his declaration, Demon King Sagara mentioned Demon Emperor Yadabawo. Your Majesty should consider the strength of the other party. Moreover, the Death Knight who is acting as an envoy this time is not an ordinary monster that can be commanded."

Rune's gaze was calm.

"I believe that the enemy may be more powerful than we imagine. Your Majesty might as well consider this further before making a decision."

After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent for a moment.

The nobles exchanged glances; some nodded slightly, seemingly finding some merit in the argument. Others frowned, as if such caution appeared overly timid.

Rune noticed a detail.

As soon as he finished speaking, Feifei's gaze seemed to shift slightly in his direction for a moment.

The gaze lingered for only a short time, but Rune still managed to catch a subtle hint of meaning within it.

It's like...appreciating.

Another gaze came from the direction of Lei Wenhou.

Those slender blue eyes were looking over calmly, and there was no expression on that pale face, but Rune could sense that the other person was indeed listening to him attentively.

Immediately afterwards, Lei Wenhou also took half a step forward.

"Lord Aindora is right. The Demon King's mention of the Demon Emperor Adabawo is indeed something worth pondering. Your Majesty might as well consider it for a few more days before making a decision."

His tone remained calm and composed, revealing no particular inclination.

But Rune knew that Marquis Raven supported the second prince, Zanack. And Prince Zanack was also aware that Marquis Brumrashu had secretly betrayed the kingdom to the Empire.

The Demon King is currently demanding Marquis Brumrash's territory.

If the kingdom can exchange this for the peace of the capital, it's like trading a traitor's pawn for peace—a truly worthwhile deal.

Rune's gaze swept discreetly toward the direction of the second prince, Zanak.

His simple face showed no obvious change in expression, but his slight nod was noticed by Rune and was undoubtedly a silent agreement with Raven's words.

On the high platform, the king frowned again.

He remained silent for a moment, as if weighing something.

Rune knew what the king was hesitating about.

The death of the eldest prince, Baluburo, caused the old king to suffer the pain of losing a son.

If he were to show signs of backing down at this moment, not only would the aristocratic faction seize upon it, but he himself would likely find it difficult to overcome his own conscience.

Moreover, the Marquis of Brumlach is a key figure in the pro-royal faction. If he backs down now, he will not only lose the support of the pro-royal faction, but will also be seen as a sign of cowardice by the noble faction.

finally

"No." The king began to exude an undeniable aura. "I have made up my mind. The kingdom will never grant the Demon King Sagara's request."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, his voice now carrying the authority befitting a king.

"The kingdom will not bow to any threat."

The atmosphere in the reception room was instantly ignited.

Marquis Brumlach was the first to step forward and speak, his voice loud and clear, almost shouting: "Your Majesty is wise!"

Immediately, more nobles echoed this sentiment.

"Your Majesty is right!"

"We must not let the Demon King succeed!"

"We are willing to follow Your Majesty into battle!"

The sounds merged together, reverberating throughout the hall.

Rune stood amidst the rousing cheers, his gaze fixed on the ground, and said nothing more.

He knew he couldn't stop it.

Nazarick's frequent acts of letting the Demon Lord be repelled by Flying Fly are instilling blind faith in the kingdom.

Those nobles had witnessed Fei Fei's heroic feat of defeating the Demon King, and had long since developed an almost conditioned reflex of certainty that as long as Fei Fei was there, they would definitely win.

If we were to reveal now that Marquis Brumlashu is a traitor in order to agree to the Demon King's demands, that would also not work.

That would only be interpreted as the king trying to shirk responsibility and frame his subordinates to make excuses for his retreat. Given the old king's character, he himself would not agree to that.

Moreover, the hatred stemming from the death of the eldest prince had already taken root in the old man's heart.

Rune's gaze fell on the tired face on the high platform.

King Rambushe III stood up straight, and a rare sharp glint appeared in his cloudy eyes.

Like an old lion cornered, knowing that there may be an abyss ahead, it still chooses to show its claws.

Rune withdrew his gaze and sighed softly in his heart.

These are all superficial appearances.

What truly determines the fate of a kingdom is never these arguments and pronouncements.