Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

If Nazarick goes to war, then no matter what the kingdom chooses, it will not be able to truly escape.

Rather than letting the Great Tomb tear through all its pretenses and crush it with absolute power, it's better to let them continue playing within the rules.

At least, there is room for maneuver within the rules.

Chapter 131 Arrangement

Rune stopped listening to the arguments that followed in the latter half of the meeting.

The voices of the nobles echoed back and forth in the hall, like a flock of birds trapped in a cage, noisy but meaningless.

Some people gave passionate speeches and laughed along, while others exchanged glances and whispered secrets.

But to Rune, these words were nothing more than superficial bubbles, none of them truly touching on the core of the problem.

He knew very well that if Nazarick wanted to start a war, then a war was inevitable.

The military strength and defenses that the nobles fought over were no different from grains of sand in front of Ainz Ooal Gown; they crumbled at the slightest touch.

Even if the kingdom gives its all, the only thing that will change is the increase in casualties.

He lowered his eyes, glancing at the excited faces out of the corner of his eye.

Marquis Brumlach was still patting his chest, his voice booming as if he had already won the war, but as he patted his chest, his little finger curled slightly, a sign of his pain at the military funds that were about to be allocated. After all, it was for his own territory, and he had no reason to refuse.

Marquis Borrolope was turning his head to talk quietly with the nobleman beside him. The old scar on his face trembled slightly as he spoke, but his eyes kept glancing at Fei Fei.

Feifei's black armor remained standing tall, its expression hidden beneath the helmet.

Of course, if he were to imitate Ainz's appearance now, his expression would still be unrecognizable even without the helmet.

Rune let out a soft breath, shaking off the random thoughts that had popped into his head.

The outcome of this war was predetermined by Nazarick long ago.

He looked away, no longer glancing at those faces.

The meeting ended amidst a fervent atmosphere of fighting spirit.

The nobles filed out, their footsteps and conversations fading into the distance along the corridor, like diluted ink, slowly fading away.

Rune watched as those excited faces disappeared one by one into the light outside the door, until the last few figures turned the corner at the end of the corridor.

He stood in the gradually emptying hall, and Rune heard his own breathing sound exceptionally clear in this increasingly silent space, like the turning of a pendulum.

He counted for about ten breaths, making sure no more footsteps returned, before turning his gaze back from the doorway.

Rune turned his head to the side, glancing out of the corner of his eye in the direction of Raven.

The marquis, with his full head of blond hair and slightly pale face, was leisurely adjusting his cuffs, his slender blue eyes slightly lowered, not deliberately looking in Rune's direction.

After adjusting his cuffs, Lei Wenhou did not follow the crowd toward the door, but instead turned toward the side corridor.

Rune withdrew his gaze, waited a few moments in perfect unison, and then took a step.

After passing through two corridors and turning a corner with an old tapestry hanging on it, the door to the side hall was ajar.

Rune pushed open the door and went inside.

The room was small, and the light from the wall lamps was rather dim, casting a few warm yellow patches of light on the dark floor.

A long table was placed in the center.

But what Rune noticed first was the seating arrangement.

Prince Zanak sat on one side of the long table, his sturdy build evident as he calmly gazed over with his small eyes.

Lei Wenhou sat next to him, his tall and thin body leaning back slightly, his hands folded on his knees, his posture relaxed but showing no sign of slackness.

On the other side, Princess Lana sat slightly turned to the side, the hem of her skirt drooping over the edge of the chair, her long golden hair gleaming warmly in the light of the wall lamp.

A flawless, innocent smile graced her delicate face, her gaze fixed on the doorway, as if she had been waiting for him for a long time.

Rune suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He quickly glanced at the layout of the table. The long table wasn't large; there was just enough room for two people on the side where Prince Zanak and Lord Raven were sitting, and there was no space for a third chair.

Only Lana's side seemed to be deliberately left empty.

What made Rune even more uneasy was that the chair next to Lana was positioned at a more inward angle than the other chairs on the table, as if it had been moved earlier to allow the person sitting down to be closer to her.

Rune's brow twitched as he sensed the length of the table and the space occupied by Zanak's more robust physique than that of an average person.

If he insisted on squeezing onto the same side as Prince Zanak, he would probably be pressed against Lord Raven's body, causing the corner of the long table to stick up.

Rune sighed inwardly. He had no choice but to grit his teeth and walk toward Lana.

He sat down next to Lana. The chair was the perfect height, but the size of the table made him feel a little uncomfortable. He could even faintly smell the fragrance in Lana's hair.

Immediately, he heard a clear laugh beside him.

Lana's voice, with its unique feigned innocence, was like a flower petal blown by the wind in spring.

"Rune seems to enjoy sitting with me so much."

Lana's eyes curved into crescents, her lips curved slightly, and she exuded an aura of innocence and romance.

Rune's lips twitched slightly.

He silently made a mental note of this debt.

Last time in the royal city, he chose to sit next to Si, avoiding the seat she had deliberately left for him. This time, she regained the upper hand in this way. Taking into account the Second Prince's size, she deliberately chose this small table, leaving the only empty seat.

This woman is probably more cunning than all the nobles he has ever met combined.

“Sister.” Zanak’s voice came from the other end, diverting attention from Rune. “Let’s get down to business first.”

Lana blinked, her innocent expression softening slightly, but the smile on her lips remained. Clearly, she wasn't going to let Rune off so easily, but she sat up a little straighter, which slowed her down a bit.

Zanack turned to Ravenhou and nodded.

Raven then calmly recounted to Lana the events of the previous royal meeting.

From the declaration of the Death Knight's messenger to the Marquis of Brumrash's impassioned statement, to the Marquis of Bororob's echo, and finally the king's decision to go to war.

He spoke succinctly, without adding any subjective judgment.

Rune then remembered a detail.

To be fair, Lana should have been qualified to participate in the meeting just now, but only the second prince, Zanak, was present.

So was Lana's absence her own request, or was it arranged by the King?

Because the eldest prince died and there was an urgent need to establish an heir, the king only arranged for the second prince to attend, in order to show his attitude.

Rune wasn't sure either, but none of these things mattered much. Even though Lana had already sided with Nazarick, it wouldn't have much of an impact on Rune.

Lana listened quietly, her blue eyes slightly lowered, as if she was processing the information.

A moment later, she raised her eyes, but instead of responding directly to Raven, she turned her head to look at Rune beside her.

What does Rune think?

Rune was slightly taken aback.

He had already decided not to say anything more, but Lana's expectant gaze fell on him, and her "I'm waiting for your answer" attitude made it clear that she wouldn't let him off easily.

“…This battle is not that simple.” Rune chose to compromise.

Lana tilted her head, a hint of dissatisfaction flashing in her eyes.

“Rune’s description is too general.”

Her tone carried a hint of coquettish reproach, as if she were complaining that a dish was too bland.

The resentment in her eyes was almost overflowing, as if Rune had done something heinous to her.

The expressions of the second prince, Zanak, and Raven Marquis became increasingly strange.

Rune was completely defeated. He was afraid that if things continued like this, it would reach Si's ears and cause unnecessary misunderstandings.

"The Demon King Sagara is probably stronger than we thought."

Rune spoke slowly, as if he were organizing his thoughts as he spoke.

“Every time he came to attack the capital, he managed to escape. Rather than a defeat, it was more like a test. He was probably confirming the limits of the capital's defenses and testing Mr. Fei Fei's strength.”

A serious look began to appear in Zanak's eyes. Raven remained leaning back, but his long, narrow blue eyes were clearly more focused than before.

“Moreover,” Rune continued, “his probing has become increasingly frequent recently, and after each probing he announces the establishment of a nation, which shows that he is confident enough to know the strength of the opponent he is facing.”

This conclusion was drawn by Rune based on his understanding of Nazarick, concealing the "dragon" aspect, while he also subtly categorized Flyff as belonging to the Kingdom's faction.

Because Rune couldn't be sure whether the meeting was under Nazarick's surveillance.

He had already revealed so much information, which was the limit he estimated Nazarick could tolerate; he had done more than enough.

In this situation, if he were to point out Fei Fei as well, the bomb would probably kill him first.

Zanak was silent for a moment. He glanced at Raven, who was also bowing his head slightly, as if digesting Rune's words.

"...Lord Aindora," Zanak began, his voice a few decibels deeper than before, "so, the outcome of this battle for the kingdom... I'm afraid it won't be too optimistic?"

Rune did not avoid those small eyes. "The outcome of this battle will likely be defeat."

His tone was soft, yet it made the air in the side hall freeze for a moment.

The light from the wall lamp fell on the long table, making the surface appear somewhat white.

“Only then will the nobles and the king be able to recognize the difference,” Rune said, offering his advice. “I urge Your Highness to do your best to reduce the scale of military operations, minimize the kingdom’s losses, and preserve the kingdom’s future.”

In the original story, Nazarick wanted to establish a kingdom based on Yelantil and its surrounding areas.

The main reason is that Yerantir is a city close to Nazarick, making it easier for Nazarick to establish ground power.

Now, Nazarick has chosen a mineral-rich territory that is far from the Great Tomb of Nazarick, and it is called the "Demon Kingdom." This name does not reflect Ainz's virtues and even carries a hint of derogatory meaning.

In Rune's view, Nazarick's move might just be an attempt to plunder resources, with no intention of long-term operation.

However, since Nazarick intends to gather resources, it's highly unlikely that this time it will be a story of Flying defeating the Demon King.

The number of troops the second prince could reduce wouldn't be too much. If Nazarick really had been monitoring the meeting, then Rune's behavior wouldn't have been so intolerable to Nazarick.

On the contrary, this will help Rune establish an image of wisdom and sagacity in the eyes of the others in Nazarick, paving the way for his future actions.

If they hadn't been monitored, Rune's suggestion could at least be considered a good deed that saved the lives of these soldiers.