Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

"I'll grill everything tonight, so the brothers can have a good meal."

"Yes, sir!" the adjutant replied loudly, then turned and ran off to relay the order.

The atmosphere in the camp suddenly became lively.

The soldiers gathered around the campfire, turning the mutton skewers on sticks, the fat dripping into the fire and sizzling.

Some people have already started boasting about their past achievements, while others are whispering about the upcoming battle.

Rune did not join them.

He turned and walked towards his tent, lifted the curtain, and went inside.

Chapter 44 Operation Plan

The next morning, as soon as it was light, the camp was already bustling with activity.

When Rune stepped out of the tent, the air was filled with the smell of embers from the campfire and the aroma of lingering fat from roasted mutton.

Last night's treat had put the soldiers in much better spirits, and even the patrolling sentries showed no signs of fatigue.

Sebastian was already waiting outside the tent.

“Lord Rune,” Sebastian bowed slightly, “the carriage is ready.”

"Thank you for your hard work, Sebastian. But let's leave this kind of thing to someone else."

Rune wasn't so arrogant as to think that it was only right for a level 100 dragonman to serve him.

“It’s alright, Lord Rune. You’ve done so much for me, all I can do is a small thing.”

Sebastian wanted to do as much as possible to repay Lord Rune, but he found that he could never repay Rune's kindness.

The carriage was sent by the Dragon Kingdom yesterday and wasn't particularly luxurious.

Sebastian thoughtfully laid soft cushions inside the carriage, making it fairly comfortable to sit in.

The wheels rolled rhythmically over the stone pavement, and the morning breeze slipped in through the cracks in the windows, carrying the unique freshness of the morning.

Lu En leaned against the carriage wall, closing his eyes to rest.

Sebastian's gaze fell on the slowly receding street scene outside the car window, whether he was admiring the scenery or on guard, it was unclear.

The carriage passed through the streets of the outer city and entered the royal city. The guards along the way recognized the markings on the carriage and stood at attention to salute.

People were already waiting in the palace's conference room.

When Rune and Sebastian entered the room, all members of Crystal Tears were already there.

Serabray sat on one side of the long table, wearing a set of silver-white armor today, with the team emblem of "Crystal Tears" engraved on his chest. A longsword rested against the side of the chair, the gem on the scabbard gleaming with a ghostly blue light.

Three teammates stood behind him.

A burly man with arms thicker than an average person's thighs, and a huge steel shield hanging from his waist, was the shield warrior of [Crystal Tears]. His name seemed to be Malcolm. Rune had seen him in previous years, but not often, so he couldn't quite remember.

A middle-aged man in a dark robe, with a thin face, held a thick spellbook in his hands. The spellcaster was Gladstone...?

There was also a slender elven woman with long hair hanging down her shoulders, two short swords hanging at her waist, and a blank look in her eyes, as if she hadn't woken up yet.

The Ranger, Ada Alicia, although she uses dual swords, Rune noticed that her dominant hand is her left hand, and she likes cute little animals like kittens.

Queen Dorothy Derrick sat at the head of the long table.

Today she changed into a dark blue dress, the hem of which was much longer than the pink one she wore yesterday, almost covering her ankles.

Her long black hair was braided and hung down in front of her chest, making her look much more dignified.

But those big eyes still deliberately feigned a sense of nervousness.

Chancellor Bergman stood a step behind the Queen, his hands behind his back, with a polite smile on his face.

Rune sat down on the other side of the long table, while Sebastian did not sit but stood behind Rune like a true butler.

Derodile's gaze swept over Rune, then quickly glanced at Sebastian.

'As expected.' she thought to herself, 'That old man must be a wise man who isn't skilled in martial arts. After all, he looks like a steward and is quite old, so he must be experienced, but his strength is probably not that great. Lu Enqing brought him along, so he's probably here to offer advice.'

The Queen was quite satisfied with her reasoning.

“Now that everyone is here,” Chancellor Bergman stepped forward, his gaze sweeping across both sides of the long table. “Then, the war council shall now begin.”

He took a map from his pocket and spread it on the table.

The map was huge, almost filling the entire long table.

The map above is marked with different colored ink marks indicating the orc army's advance route, the Dragon Kingdom's frontline defensive positions, lost towns, and the current standoff between the two sides.

The red arrows stretched densely westward from the direction of the Orc Kingdom, almost tearing a large hole in the Dragon Kingdom's territory.

“According to the intelligence sent back from the front yesterday,” the prime minister said, his finger moving across the map, his tone calm to the point of being cold, “the main force of the orcs is currently concentrated here, about three days’ march from the capital.”

He tapped a location marked with a red cross on the map.

"The Orc King is very likely in this main force. But his exact location is still unclear."

Cerabray's eyes were fixed on the red cross on the map.

“So,” he said in a low voice, as if suppressing a fighting impulse, “our mission is to infiltrate behind enemy lines, find the Orc King, and kill him.”

"That's right." The prime minister nodded slightly.

There was silence for a moment.

“I have some ideas about the specific tactical deployment,” Rune broke the silence, and everyone turned to look at him.

Cerabray's brow furrowed slightly, and the tuft of hair on his head stood up and swayed, as if he were on guard against something.

"Lord Lu Enqing, please speak freely." The Queen tried her best to act like a child pretending to be an adult.

Rune's finger landed on the location of the main orc force.

“I plan to lead the cavalry of Aindora to bypass the main orc force from the flank and attack the orc kingdom from the rear. If the orc king senses instability in the rear, he will likely mobilize his reserves.” His finger moved slowly across the map. “At that time, his command post will be weakened.”

Serabreu's eyes narrowed.

"You mean, you're in charge of the entire operation all by yourself?"

“No.” Rune shook his head. “My cavalry and Sebastian will also come with me.”

Rune paused for a moment, as if he had just thought of something, and added, "Of course, the Crystal Tear is also crucial. You need to hold the line and prevent the orcs from breaking through. Leave the task of killing the orc king to me."

"boom!"

Serabreu slammed his fist on the table.

"What!" His voice rose several decibels, his tuft of hair almost standing on end. "You're planning to let [Crystal Tear] handle the defense?"

He stared at Rune, his expression shifting from wariness to disbelief.

"You're planning to go it alone for such an important mission as killing the enemy leader?"

Serabrough's voice wasn't quiet; it echoed throughout the drawing room.

Malcolm glanced at his captain, his thick arm twitching slightly as if trying to pull him, but ultimately gave up because of his large size and the inconvenience.

Gladstone quietly opened the magic book, revealing only half his face, looking engrossed in reading, clearly not wanting to get involved.

Alicia, however, remained in a daze.

Chapter 45 Revenge

Rune stared at the map before him, his expression unchanged.

“That’s right.” He seemed completely unconcerned by Cerrabre’s excited remarks. “You just need to defend well.”

"Why!" Serabreu's voice grew louder, his hands gripping the table, his whole body like a fully drawn bow.

"More people means more strength. Even if you're very strong, against an opponent like the Orc King, having more people to support you is always helpful."

“Because my cavalry excels in mobility,” Rune interrupted him. “Bringing infantry along would only slow them down. The elite of Crystal Tears are better suited to stay on the front lines for defense.”

He looked calmly at Serabreu.

"The orcs' attack this time is different from previous years, and the pressure on the front line will be greater than ever before. If Crystal Tear follows me deep behind enemy lines, once the front is breached, the capital will be directly exposed to the orcs' onslaught."

Rune provided a reasoned and well-founded analysis, leaving Serabreu, who wanted to refute him, with no flaws.

"Therefore, staying on the front line is the most sensible choice for you."

Serabreu couldn't find the right words; his eyes flickered with alternating resentment and a hint of anger at being looked down upon.

The atmosphere was starting to get out of control.

The prime minister gave Derodile a wink, and Derodile sighed helplessly.

She wasn't good at planning wars, but she came to the war council for this very moment.

"Mr. Serrabrough."

A soft, sweet voice broke the silence.

Derodile's voice trembled slightly, as if she had been frightened by something.

Serabreu turned his head sharply.

The Queen's eyes were slightly red, her eyelashes fluttered gently, and her fingers gripped the hem of her skirt as she sat on the large chair, appearing exceptionally petite.

"You...you're too loud..."

Her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.

Serabreu's expression froze instantly, as if he had been subjected to a time-traveling spell.

The tuft of hair visibly drooped down, hanging over his forehead, and his shoulders slumped; the imposing aura he had just exuded vanished completely.

"Your Majesty..." His voice stammered, "I didn't... I wasn't yelling at you... I just..."

Derodile lowered her head, her black braids slipping from her shoulders and obscuring her profile.

"I know..."

She looked very aggrieved.

"But...but Mr. Serrabrew's voice...is indeed a bit loud..."