Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

The Greedy Demon General's attacks grew increasingly fierce, a stark contrast to his previous show of holding back.

Rune and Gazef were overwhelmed and could hardly breathe; even making a block required all their strength.

"Damn it..." Gerdov gritted his teeth, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "This guy really didn't use his full strength just now."

Rune did not reply.

He understood the ins and outs of this better than Gerdov did.

The reason why the Greedy Demon General suddenly became so strong was obviously because he received new instructions, which led him to reduce the extent of the flood.

Just as their defenses were about to be completely breached, a dull thud came from not far away.

Rune caught that scene out of the corner of his eye.

Feifei emerged from the smoke and dust, while the Demon Emperor Yadabawo, who should have been confronting him, flew backwards in a rather graceful manner, gliding a distance on the scorched earth before regaining his footing.

Demiurge got up from the ground, dusted off the dirt on his dark suit, and moved with such elegance that it was as if he had just tripped and fallen in the garden.

His gaze, hidden beneath his mask, fell upon Feifei, his voice carrying a hint of seriousness.

"As expected of the powerful adventurer Feifei, even I, the Demon Emperor Yadabavo, am no match for her."

Feifei stood still, her two large, black swords pointing diagonally at the ground, her posture upright.

“No, Demon Emperor Adabavo, you are indeed very powerful.” Pandora began her mutual flattery with Demiurge, “If it weren’t for the powerful magic that just defeated the kingdom’s army, which consumed a lot of your magic power, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be your match.”

He slightly raised his sword, the tip pointing in Demiurge's direction.

"But now, you will pay the price for killing so many of the kingdom's soldiers!"

The moment the words left her lips, Fei Fei leaned forward, her boots leaving two dents in the ground, and she shot towards Demiurge like an arrow released from a bow.

Demiurge raised his hand.

"Wait a moment."

Feifei stopped in her tracks.

A soft chuckle came from beneath Demiurge's mask. His gaze shifted from Fei Fei to the two panting humans not far away.

“I am indeed no match for you now, but,” he said with considerable certainty, as if he had the key to victory, “you may not be able to kill me either. On the contrary, the Demon King Sagara and I will find an opportunity to kill these two humans.”

He raised his hand and pointed precisely in the direction of Rune and Gazef.

Rune muttered to himself, exasperated: "He actually acted pretty convincingly."

But the expression on his face quickly switched to a wary and serious mode, as if he was genuinely worried that he would become the Demon Emperor's target.

Gerdav gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, lowered his body slightly, and assumed a defensive stance.

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

Demiurge continued, "Adventurer Feifei, you are strong, but you are alone. And once my magic power recovers a bit, you may not be able to protect both of these humans at the same time."

He paused, then his voice took on a seductive tone: "How about this, we each take a step back and withdraw our troops. I can promise not to attack them."

Feifei didn't speak; he seemed to be genuinely considering the feasibility of the proposal.

Rune stood aside and watched all of this.

He had completely figured out what Nazarick wanted to do.

Demiurge's goal in this play is clear: to have him and Gerdov witness firsthand how Fei Fei, in a situation of "advantage," chose to compromise in order to protect his comrades.

The kingdom lost, but Feifei did not.

Once the news spreads, Feifei will not only gain the gratitude of the warrior captain and himself, but also the dual recognition of the nobles of the king's faction to which he belongs, and the commoner class represented by the warrior captain.

Furthermore, with Feifei having inherited the political legacy of the eldest prince Balubro, Nazarick will gain the support of almost everyone in this land.

Using this cost-free rescue to win people's hearts is just the same as when he rescued Gerdev knowing there was no danger.

Rune cursed inwardly.

'Demiurge's heart is truly filthy.'

Chapter 140 Brainstorming

Feifei finished thinking, as if she already had the answer.

But just as he was about to reply to Demiurge

"Your Excellency Feifei."

A rough and firm voice came from the side, interrupting Fei Fei's words.

Soldier Captain Gezhev stood to one side, his back ramrod straight, his gaze fixed firmly on Feifei.

"Your Excellency Feifei, please do not worry about my safety."

Feifei paused slightly, and the full-face helmet turned towards Gazef.

Gerdoff took half a step forward, his voice filled with determination.

"I am prepared to die. So, even if there is only the slightest possibility, I still ask Lord Feifei to kill the Demon Emperor Yadabawo."

The sergeant's lips curled into a smile, a smile that conveyed both sincerity and relief.

"If my sacrifice can bring peace to the kingdom, then this is the most worthwhile way for me to die in my life."

Feifei didn't say anything.

But as Rune watched this scene, he felt a throbbing sensation in his temples.

"No way, dude, do you really have to be this honest?" he silently cried out in his heart.

'Someone like Gerdrey, in my previous life, would probably be the type who donates his entire salary to charity and then lives on steamed buns for a month.'

But despite the criticism, Gerdov had already made his point, and he couldn't pretend he hadn't heard it.

Rune had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Lord Feifei, the warrior captain is right. I have long since disregarded life and death."

He tried to make his tone sound sincere, "If Lord Feifei is confident in eliminating the Demon Emperor, then there is no need to worry about us."

'Knowing Pandora as I do, he wouldn't really let us die, would he?'

In the Pandora's lore, intelligence is among the best in Nazarick.

He should have been well aware that if he and Gazef died here, his future reputation would be greatly diminished. And the identity of Flyff, as the window to the "good side" of Nazarick, needed reputation as nourishment.

As expected, things unfolded exactly as Rune had predicted.

"...No need to say anything more."

Feifei's voice came from under the helmet.

He turned towards Demiurge, the two great black swords slowly hanging down in his hands.

"Demon Emperor Yadabawo, I agree to your terms."

Demiurge's laughter came from beneath his mask, declaring without restraint that he had won the negotiations.

"Lord Feifei!"

The sergeant's voice carried an barely suppressed urgency, and his eyes were filled with struggle.

You don't have to give up this opportunity for me.

"Sir, Commander."

Feifei didn't turn around. He raised his right hand and waved it behind him with an unwavering determination.

"Please stop talking."

Gerdoff's voice caught in his throat.

He looked at Feifei's black figure and ultimately chose to trust Feifei's decision.

Rune was completely relieved and breathed a sigh of relief.

But on the surface, Rune didn't show any extra reaction.

He lowered his head slightly, as if he were ashamed of his weakness. Rune's posture was not deliberate, but it was enough for onlookers to read the heaviness and resentment in it.

"So... an agreement is reached."

Demiurge's voice echoed across the battlefield.

Then the suit-wearing demon flew backward, with the greedy demon following closely behind. The two figures rose into the sky together and quickly disappeared into the outline of the Angelicca Mountains in the distance.

The sky darkened slightly as clouds rolled in from the west, obscuring the last rays of sunlight.

Feifei put down the two greatswords, their tips digging into the scorched earth with a dull thud.

His shoulders were no longer tense, and his whole body relaxed from the intense state of preparation he had just been in.

The center of the battlefield fell completely silent.

The air still retained the scorching heat from the meteorite's fall, mixed with the smell of scorched earth and rust, slowly settling into the twilight.

On the distant mountain ridge, the figures of Demiurge and the Greedy Demon General had completely disappeared, leaving only a wisp of dark red cloud on the horizon, like an unhealed wound.

Feifei turned around, his gaze sweeping over Rune and Gazef beneath his helmet.

It seemed as if they were checking whether the two people's injuries required immediate treatment.

The sergeant commander, however, paid no attention to his injuries.

"Lord Feifei." He looked somewhat tired, but the seriousness in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest due to fatigue. "I still don't understand."

Feifei nodded, signaling him to continue.

"You clearly had the chance to kill the Demon Emperor Adabawo, why..."

Feifei remained silent for a moment, as if considering her words.

He spoke after a moment, his voice revealing his sincerity.

“Commander, both the Demon Emperor Yadabawo and the Demon King Sagara can fly. With my current strength, although I can contend with them on the ground, once they take to the air, it will be very difficult for me to completely eliminate them.”

He paused, then added somewhat abruptly, "Moreover, before fighting alongside you, I had already battled the Demon King Sagara for quite some time. The physical exertion... was far greater than it appeared. The negotiations just now were nothing more than a show of bravado."

Gerdov silently accepted Fei Fei's explanation and lowered his head slightly.

“…I see.” His voice sounded somewhat bitter. “I was rash and did not consider Lord Feifei’s condition.”