Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

Chapter 134 "A Chance Encounter"

After successfully arranging the Blue Rose squad, Rune casually ordered some bread and soup on the first floor of the inn.

He sat at the corner table, his fork poking at the edge of the last piece of bread on his plate, but his gaze was fixed on a point in the void.

So you've been so busy until now that you only have time to eat some bread?

The term "time management master" suddenly popped into Rune's mind, causing the corner of his mouth to twitch involuntarily.

On one hand, he had to coax his younger sister to seek refuge in the Kingdom of Theocracy, on the other hand, he had to deal with Lana, that monster princess, and later he also had to test Nazarick.

He's practically in a state where he has to be divided into several parts to make use of himself.

He swallowed the last piece of bread, then put down his fork, left a few copper coins on the table, and got up to leave.

Dusk had already crept in from the end of the street, turning the capital into a dark orange-gray.

The number of pedestrians on the street has decreased significantly, and several shops have lit their oil lamps, the dim yellow light forming a string in the gradually darkening sky.

Rune walked toward his residence in the capital, the evening breeze blowing from the alley, carrying the faint sounds of laughter from a distant tavern.

Looking at the peaceful capital, Rune's thoughts were focused on his upcoming probing of Nazarick, mentally preparing for the possible conversation.

But just as Rune was passing through a small alley, an unexpected, familiar loli voice came from the shadows to his side.

“Rune”.

Rune stopped in his tracks.

He turned his head and saw Iverie leaning against the wall, her iconic red robe almost blending into the brickwork in the shadows. Her mask concealed her expression, but she was clearly facing him.

Rune quickly looked around to make sure there was nothing unusual before he started walking in that direction again.

He stopped a few steps away from Iverie, a slightly surprised smile on his face.

"What a coincidence, Miss Iveria, to meet you here."

Are you an idiot?

Iver's voice came from under the mask, his tone flat, but his words were ruthless.

"It's obvious to everyone that I waited specifically for you."

Rune's smile froze for a moment.

He cursed the sharp-tongued little girl in his heart, but maintained a gentle expression on his face and nodded slightly to indicate that he understood.

"Miss Yves de Laura, is there something you need for me here?"

Iveria didn't speak immediately. She straightened up, stepped off the wall, and took two steps toward Rune, her gaze beneath the mask fixed on Rune's eyes.

The wind blowing in from the alleyway made the hem of her red robe sway slightly, like a dignified police officer interrogating a criminal.

Although her petite, loli-like figure and the mask that obscured her eyes made her appear completely intimidating.

"The Demon King is far more dangerous than you've described."

Rune was somewhat embarrassed. Was Iveria really that smart? In the original story, she was easily hooked after Ainz rescued her, so how did she become so perceptive now?

He quickly recalled the conversation in the inn, the assessment of the Demon King Sagara's strength, and the fact that the kingdom's chances of winning were slim.

But no matter how you interpret those words, you can only conclude that it is "dangerous but not invincible".

Rune could only laugh it off and say, "We don't know exactly how strong the Demon King is, so we need to seek help from the Theocracy. It's always a good thing to have more helpers."

Iverie didn't reply. She turned her body slightly to signal Rune to look over. The twilight at the alley entrance deepened, making her figure, wrapped in a long robe, appear even smaller.

"I'm all alone here; there's no one else from the Blue Rose."

Rune paused for a moment before realizing that Iveria hadn't been showing off her flat figure.

He subconsciously glanced at both ends of the alley, and it was indeed empty, except for a figure in the distance walking away with his back to them.

Rune withdrew his gaze from the distance and looked back at Iverie, his shoulders unconsciously relaxing a little.

"...How did Miss Iverie figure that out?"

Iveriai said something that seemed like a non-answer: "You're a siscon."

Rune's lips twitched. He instinctively wanted to retort, but Iveria's "I saw through it all along" attitude made him too embarrassed to utter the arguments he had prepared.

"I'm just a good brother who cares about his sister..." Rune said somewhat hesitantly.

“Then I’ll go tell the team leader right now,” Iver said, making a gesture as if to turn and leave, “You sent her to the Church Kingdom to protect her.”

"No, Lord Iveria!"

Rune's voice came out, and he spoke more than twice as fast as before.

He even took half a step forward. Although reason told him that Iverai would never actually tattle, the panic in that moment was honestly written in his actions.

Iveria stopped, turned around, and her gaze, cast from behind the slits of her mask, fell on his face. She remained silent for a moment.

"Don't worry, I won't tell."

Her voice seemed to have a hint of laughter in it, but it was still very calm.

"If the Demon King is really that strong, then it's understandable that he's preserving his strength. If I wanted to stop him, I would have done so back at the inn."

Rune looked at Iveria with a hint of resentment. They were perfectly compatible teammates in front of Silk, but when they were alone, she teased him like this.

A brief silence spread through the alley.

“What about you,” Iveria began slowly, but it seemed that this was her true intention, “would you leave too?”

Rune paused slightly. He looked at the figure wrapped in a red robe, and it took him a moment to realize that Iveriai was asking him about his plans.

She asked if he would also find an excuse to stay away from the war, just like he did with Si.

“As a nobleman of the kingdom,” Rune replied calmly, “I naturally have to face these things.”

Iverai gave a soft "tsk," as if expressing dissatisfaction. The sound was very soft, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet alley.

“Aristocrats like you are the odd ones out.” There was a subtle implication in her tone.

Rune smiled but did not answer.

Iverai didn't seem to be waiting for Rune's response.

She started walking towards the alley entrance, the hem of her long robe fluttering gently in the evening breeze.

"I'll help stall the leader and make her return to the kingdom a little later." Her voice drifted over from ahead, seemingly just a casual remark, yet carrying a subtle warmth.

Lu En was about to say thank you.

As Iverie passed by him, he suddenly paused.

Then her voice trailed off, even lower than before, as if forced out at the last minute: "Don't die."

Rune stared at the figure and remained silent for a moment.

“My life is worth a lot,” Rune said, with a hint of relief that he himself wasn’t entirely sure was genuine. “Nothing will happen to me here.”

Iverie didn't respond. She took a step and walked out of the alley. The red figure turned the corner and quickly disappeared into the twilight.

Rune stood alone in the alley, and it took him a while to look away.

He looked up at the sky; the stars were beginning to appear against the deep blue backdrop.

Rune took a deep breath, suppressing his turbulent thoughts, and then strode off in the direction he had chosen, his steps becoming even more resolute.

He wasn't lying. As someone who valued life, Rune had originally planned to go to Sebastian first to sound him out.

Rune believed that if Nazarick really wanted to take drastic measures, he could do so with his friendship with Sebastian and the influence of Taphimi.

Sebastian would definitely stop him, and if he didn't, then at least Rune himself would be safe.

Rune walked through several streets and stopped in front of a familiar door.

The dark wooden door, with its gleaming brass handle, was the mansion he had lent to Sebastian and Solitude.

He raised his hand and knocked on the door, his knuckles tapping rhythmically on the wooden board three times.

Footsteps came from inside the door, followed by the faint sound of the door hinges turning.

The door was pulled open, and Sebastian's figure appeared behind it.

The old butler's face appeared exceptionally gentle in the dim light of the porch lamp.

He was wearing a black tuxedo, and the moment he saw Rune, a smile appeared in his light gray eyes.

“Lord Rune.” Sebastian stepped aside slightly to make way for him. “Please come in.”

Rune returned the smile and stepped into the house.

Sebastian closed the door behind him, the movement so quiet it was almost silent.

"Is there something urgent that you're here so late?" Sebastian asked, leading Rune toward the living room.

“It’s nothing urgent,” Rune said in a calm tone, as if he really was just stopping by on his way. “I just wanted to chat with you, Sebastian, for a bit.”

The wall lamps on both sides of the corridor emitted a soft, warm light, casting the shadows of the two people onto the dark wooden floor.

Rune followed behind Sebastian, his gaze sweeping over the familiar furnishings, while his mind raced, trying to figure out how to start the conversation.

But the moment Rune stepped into the living room, he was suddenly startled.

The living room layout was exactly as he remembered: a sofa against the wall, a low table in the center, and a warm fire burning in the fireplace.

But at this moment, besides Sebastian and Soliloquy, there were two other figures in the living room.

Feifei sat on one side of the sofa, his black full-body armor gleaming with a dull metallic sheen in the firelight of the fireplace, his scarlet cloak draped over the back of the sofa, his posture so composed that it seemed as if this were the stronghold of Nazarick.

Nabe sat beside him, her dark eyes calmly looking at him.

Suo Liuxiang sat opposite him, a noble smile on his exquisite face.

Rune stood at the living room doorway, feeling as if he had stumbled into an inappropriate place.

He quickly assessed the scene before him in his mind: Pandora, Narberal, and Solusham, three beings with negative justice values, each lower than the last, were all staring at him.

Rune felt his good days were over.

The only good news was that Sebastian was standing right beside him. The figure in the black tuxedo was just half a step to his side, like some kind of invisible anchor.

Rune used all his acting skills to put on a proper smile.

“It seems I’ve come at the wrong time,” he said in a calm tone, even with a hint of apology. “Mr. Feifei and Ms. Nabe are here too. I hope I haven’t disturbed you.”