Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

Rune turned to Sebastian, his voice tinged with apology: "Sebastian, I'm sorry to have disturbed you tonight. You should get some rest too."

He nodded slightly in Fei Fei's direction, and then nodded to Naberal and So Liuxiang, showing no sign of impoliteness.

Then Rune turned around, quickened his pace, and his steps revealed a sense of relief, as if he had really been unable to bear Feifei's enthusiasm and had hastily taken his leave.

Rune himself was very satisfied with the performance.

The door closed gently behind him, shutting out the firelight in the living room and the gaze that was still watching him.

Rune walked briskly down the corridor toward the door, and only when the night breeze hit his face did he truly breathe a sigh of relief.

The streets of the royal capital were unusually quiet at night, and the moonlight soothed Rune's tormented soul.

He took a deep breath and strode toward his mansion.

After Rune left, the atmosphere in the living room subtly changed, and the slightly relaxed atmosphere from before had largely dissipated.

Naberal and Solilo rose from the sofa, resuming their proper posture as battle maids. They took a half step back and stood beside Sebastian and Feifei.

Sebastian then turned his gaze to Feifei, his light gray eyes swirling with complex and indescribable emotions.

"...Lady Pandora," Sebastian's voice grew heavier, "Do you really... want to do this?"

Feifei calmly met Sebastian's gaze. His tone was even, yet it carried an undeniable certainty.

"This is Lord Ainz's plan."

"This is also to confirm the dragon's existence. Only through a sufficiently large-scale operation can we determine whether the dragon controlling Shalltear has truly left this place. If it is still nearby, it will inevitably react."

"The safety of Nazarick is the top priority."

Sebastian remained silent.

His gaze fell on the burning firewood in the fireplace, the firelight dancing in his pupils, but unable to penetrate the deep, conflicted look in his eyes.

Feifei sensed the weight of that silence, turned his head slightly, and softened his tone.

"Don't worry. Demiurge has already instructed the Greedy Demon Generals that high-value targets will not endanger their lives."

“Runaindora is among them, so Sebastian doesn’t need to worry about Nazarick losing such talent.”

When Feifei spoke of the word "talent," she spoke with genuine appreciation, as if she were truly lamenting the loss of a precious gem that had not yet been acquired.

He had even begun to imagine what it would be like for Rune to join Nazarick.

At that time, he would be able to discuss the art of saluting with Rune as a colleague or even a superior, and perhaps even learn more subtle gestures from him.

Sebastian wasn't worried about this already confirmed fact; his thoughts drifted in another direction.

Lord Taqimi.

If Lord Touchme were here, would that lord truly approve of Nazarick sacrificing innocent lives as the price for his test?

He understood, of course, that Lord Ainz was concerned for the safety of Nazarick. That dragon had already harmed Shalltear, and leaving it unchecked would only bring greater threats.

But despite his understanding, Sebastian still did not condone this behavior.

At this moment, Sebastian was caught in a dilemma.

Feifei seemed to see through his hesitation, and his voice rang out again.

"Lord Ainz knows that you, Sebastian, do not like this kind of scene."

"Therefore, I specifically instructed you to stay in the capital for the time being. If the dragon really appears, then you can use teleportation to rush to Riblomrashur."

Sebastian paused for a moment, then relaxed his shoulders slightly.

This arrangement eliminated the possibility of him taking action, thus sparing him from a difficult choice.

Chapter 137 Pre-Battle Deployment

Sebastian nodded slightly to Fei Fei: "...Thank you for your consideration, Lord Ainz."

After a moment's hesitation, Sebastian made one last attempt: "However, I still hope to minimize the number of humans killed and complete the probe without causing too many casualties..."

He tentatively made a request that might cross the line.

Pandora nodded almost without hesitation and said affirmatively, "Sebastian, we're on the same page."

It's as if this direction was part of Pandora's plan from the very beginning.

Sebastian looked at him, a hint of relief in his eyes.

As a guardian created by Ainz himself, Lord Pandora also inherited Ainz's benevolence, which gave him a sense of peace.

However, beneath this gesture that Sebastian interprets as "benevolent," Pandora's true intentions are almost entirely different from what Sebastian believes.

He was silently planning in his mind that he would tell the Greedy Demon General and Demiurge later: to show leniency to the soldiers of Aindora's territory and not to kill them all.

The reason is simple: those soldiers are skilled at using that exquisite salute gesture, which is the second most impressive gesture he has seen since coming to this world, second only to the one created by Lord Ainz.

It would be such a pity if they were all wiped out.

He had even begun to envision the future: once Nazarick incorporated Aindora's territory, he could legitimately form them into a guard of honor.

Just thinking about it sent a ripple of pleasure through the depths of Pandora's soul.

Of course, these thoughts were carefully concealed under the full-face helmet. In Sebastian's eyes, Lord Pandora at this moment was still a trustworthy and reliable figure who had inherited Lord Ainz's benevolent nature.

A month of preparation time has passed, and the weather has become a bit cold.

The city of Ribloom Rashull, however, was unusually quiet.

The city streets were covered with messy footprints, and the alleys were crowded with makeshift tents and simple weapon racks. The air was filled with the smell of sweat and rust mixed together.

On the open ground inside the city walls, tens of thousands of soldiers are undergoing training.

Wooden targets were lined up in neat rows. Soldiers, wearing worn-out leather armor and gripping rusty spears, clumsily thrust their spears at the bullseye. Their movements were stiff and disorganized, and shouts rose and fell, but few of them were truly motivated to fight.

Many others simply leaned against the wall or sat on the ground with their knees drawn up to their chests, staring blankly at the sky as if counting the days.

The older soldiers were even more demoralized; some simply lay on the stone ground, covering their faces with tattered cloths, ignoring the noise from the outside world.

They were forced into the ranks like ducks on a shelf, and received no decent reward. For them, this battle was nothing more than a forced death game.

Most people have never seen a demon in their lives, let alone know how this war will turn out.

They only knew that the lord's orders could not be disobeyed.

On the main road in the city, horse-drawn carts frequently traveled back and forth, fully loaded with grain, fodder and bundles of firewood.

The entrance to the granary was completely blocked. The soldiers stared at the huge grain carts with numb and fearful eyes, as if they were staring at giant beasts that were about to devour them.

The large-scale transport of supplies meant that the real war was just days away.

Rune stood in front of a window on the second floor of Marquis Brumrashu’s mansion, his gaze falling on the bustling streets of the city. After watching for a while, he let out a soft breath and turned to walk downstairs.

The reception room on the first floor of the mansion was temporarily requisitioned as a war conference hall.

This meeting requires the use of maps for discussion, and since it's not in the palace, there's no need to stand all the time.

The kingdom's six noble families, the lords of various territories, and several representatives dressed in the uniforms of the Adventurers' Guild sat on either side of the long table.

Feifei sat in the middle of the long table, his full black armor gleaming with a cold metallic luster under the wall lamp. Naberal stood half a step behind him, her posture upright.

The meeting began in a relaxed atmosphere.

Lei Wenhou sat at the top of the long table, his slender blue eyes sweeping over everyone, and he spoke first.

Or rather, he was always the first to speak.

People call him a bat, but no one insults his intelligence. He's the master of ceremonies in these unaffiliated discussions, and he's always the quickest to make decisions.

"Gentlemen, the deadline for the Demon King Sagara is in ten days."

His voice was like a calmly flowing river.

"The battle will then take place on the plains between Riblom Rashull and the Angelicica Mountains."

He unfolded a map on the table and pointed to the area in the center marked "Pre-selected Battlefield".

Although attacking a kingdom, the presence or absence of city walls has no impact on Nazarick.

But the kingdom's confident choice of open field battle still made Rune silently complain.

On the high platform, King Lambusa III sat in a large chair.

He was thinner than he had been six months ago, and the king's robes looked somewhat loose on him.

But his back remained straight, his hands gripping the armrests of the chair, his gaze calmly fixed on the crowd below.

"Regarding the formation," Lord Raven continued, "the Marquis of Brumlach has volunteered to have his troops take the lead in the central main formation."

Marquis Brumlach rose from his seat and bowed slightly toward the platform.

He adjusted his collar, straightened his chest, and a strikingly contrasting heroic expression appeared on his face, which had been shrewd for years.

"Your Majesty, it is my duty to defend the kingdom's territory."

King Lambusa III nodded slightly, a complex light flashing in his cloudy eyes. He raised his hand, gesturing for Marquis Brumlach to sit down.

Lei Wenhou continued to assign positions to the various troops.

"The right wing is under the command of the Marquis of Borolope's troops."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the faces of several nobles who had volunteered, before saying, “The left wing will be under the command of the Marquis of Pespaia’s troops.”

The nobles vied for positions close to the center, as if the closer they were to the battlefield, the more merit they would gain, completely disregarding the lives of their people.

A count spoke first: "Your Majesty! My knights have been training for many years and are willing to be stationed in the central-left position!"

"Ha, how many battles has your knightly order ever seen?" another count scoffed. "Your Majesty, my troops just wiped out a band of bandits entrenched on the border last year. They have rich combat experience and should rightfully be in charge of the central command."

"Are bandit suppression and demon fighting the same thing?"

"It's better than never having seen blood!"

The sounds rose and fell, colliding back and forth in the reception room.

Rune sat at the end of the long table, his gaze sweeping over the excited faces one by one, but his heart was filled with sorrow.

For these nobles, sacrificing the lives of some commoners in exchange for merit and prestige was a worthwhile trade. After all, commoners were like leeks; as long as they didn't all die, they would immediately start growing again.

Rune waited until the noise subsided before slowly speaking.