Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

Feifei's "trial" was just an excuse, a pretext for Feifei to legitimately escape the kingdom's attention.

Without Feifei, the obvious hero, the kingdom will likely face an even greater crisis.

Rune kept these thoughts to himself, revealing nothing, and left the tent with the others.

Chapter 142 Response

News of the defeat hung over the capital like a layer of gray fog.

When Lambusa III led the remaining nobles and army back to the capital, the city was left with only an uneasy calm.

The peace treaty was signed during the withdrawal of troops.

The Kingdom acknowledges the Demon Kingdom's rule over Ribloomrashur and its surrounding villages, and promises not to engage in conflict with the Demon Kingdom.

The parchment, ostensibly a peace treaty but actually a surrender treaty, was taken back to the direction of the Angelicica Mountains by the Demon King's messenger.

Feifei did not stay in the capital for long after returning.

On the morning of the third day, he took Nabe and rode on the giant hamster known as the Forest Wise King, setting off from the capital and leaving the kingdom.

A few days later, the Imperial Council convened again.

Lambusa III sat on the throne, his appearance somewhat recovered, at least no longer as dejected as when he returned from the battlefield.

"Gentlemen, Ribrumrushur has been ceded, and the Kingdom has temporarily reached a truce with the Demon Kingdom. How the Kingdom should proceed with the situation is a matter for your consideration."

The king's voice echoed in the hall, calm yet carrying a weighty tone.

Marquis Borrolope immediately declared, "Since Lord Feifei has promised to participate in the trial, he will naturally return in a stronger form a year later. At that time, reclaiming Riblomlash will be a piece of cake."

“Indeed.” Marquis Brumrashu followed closely. “I have witnessed Lord Fei Fei’s bravery on the battlefield. As long as he is here, the kingdom has hope of defeating the Demon Emperor.”

More nobles chimed in.

Some people mentioned Fei Fei's achievements in defeating the Demon King Sagara several times, while others lamented that if Fei Fei hadn't covered the rear on the battlefield that day, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

An invisible current seemed to gather on the long table, carrying those words toward the high platform.

The second prince, Zanak, who was not participating in the battle, sat quietly below the king.

His simple and honest face showed little change in expression, but a hidden worry had already settled in his eyes.

The king's faction of nobles, and the noble faction of nobles.

At this moment, everyone unanimously expressed the attitude that "Lord Feifei is indeed trustworthy".

Zanak's brow twitched almost imperceptibly; the adventurer Feifei's cry was a bit too loud, wasn't it?

He turned his head slightly and winked at the end of the long table.

A minor nobleman sitting in that position caught the signal, hesitated for a moment, and then stood up.

He asked hesitantly, "Your Majesty, I'm wondering, what if... the adventurer Feifei isn't actually going to participate in some death trial, but is just using this as an excuse to escape?"

The hall fell silent for a brief moment.

Zanak's fingers curled slightly on his knees; this was a test he had arranged.

He needed to ascertain just how much "Adventurer Feifei" held in the hearts of the nobles.

After a brief silence, the sergeant's voice rang out.

He took half a step forward from the ranks, his armor making a slight metallic scraping sound with the movement: "Your Majesty, please allow me to say a word."

"please say."

The king's voice came from above.

“Mr. Feifei is not a member of the kingdom, yet he has saved the capital from danger several times. He also personally covered the rear when facing the Demon Emperor Yadabawo on the battlefield, and saved me and Lord Rune. If he wanted to escape, he could have left when the army was defeated. Why wait so long?”

His gaze was fixed on the minor nobleman: "I have witnessed Lord Feifei's courage and sense of responsibility firsthand, and there is no exaggeration in it."

The young nobleman's lips moved, but he didn't have time to refute.

“The warrior captain is right,” Marquis Brumrashu continued. “With Lord Feifei’s strength, if he really wanted to escape alone, who could stop him? Besides, he didn’t even accept His Majesty the King’s reward. How could such a selfless person choose to run away?”

Marquis Borrolope nodded in agreement: "Lord Feifei certainly doesn't seem like the kind of person who would desert in the face of battle."

More nobles followed suit, eventually reaching a consensus.

A look of affirmation flashed in Lambusa III's cloudy eyes: "Your courage and sense of responsibility are beyond dispute. Let's leave this topic here."

The minor nobleman remained silent and returned to his original seat.

Zanak lowered his eyes; in that brief moment, he had gleaned enough information.

Marquis Borrolope echoed this sentiment, Marquis Brumlach was eager, and even the old nobles who always advocated caution showed their reluctance to see Fei Fei being questioned.

Feifei's reputation has grown even deeper than he had anticipated.

Marquis Borrolap was a nobleman who had always been indifferent to warrior captains of commoner origins, but when that minor nobleman questioned Feifei just now, he did not take the opportunity to refute the warrior captain, but instead acknowledged the effectiveness of that defense.

Zanak's worries deepened.

He paused for a moment, then subtly touched his chin.

Another minor nobleman received the signal and stood up.

He was more stocky than the minor nobleman from before, and wore a well-tailored blue suit. He had a dignified appearance but was not particularly noticeable among the nobles.

He bowed respectfully towards the high platform and spoke in a calm tone.

"Your Majesty, Lord Feifei's courage and determination are indeed beyond question. However..."

He first expressed his agreement with Feifei, then changed the subject.

"I'm wondering, what if... Your Excellency Feifei fails to pass that trial of death? What will the kingdom do then?"

This time, the silence in the hall was even longer than before.

The fervor that had been building up in defense of Feifei hadn't completely dissipated when these words gently opened a crack in the air.

Queen Rambusha III remained silent for a moment, her brows furrowing slightly.

He had been so moved by Fei Fei's righteous promise that he almost placed all the kingdom's hopes on the adventurer.

However, the possibility of Feifei failing is an unavoidable reality.

Marquis Borolope's tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction: "Since Lord Feifei dares to go, he must be confident. We should trust Lord Feifei."

But this time, there were noticeably fewer responses than before.

Several faces showed hesitation, their eyes darting across the table, as if weighing something.

Zanack took in these reactions.

While the nobles were willing to believe that Fei Fei would not fail, their trust was inevitably shattered when the assumption was put on the table.

That's not too bad. At least they haven't completely lost their ability to judge risk.

After a moment of silence, Marquis Brumlach spoke again.

His tone became more urgent, and his gaze swept across the long table.

"Your Majesty, I believe... it's never a bad thing to have an alternative. If something happens to Lady Feifei, the kingdom won't be completely helpless."

He bowed slightly towards the king: "Now that the war with the Demon Kingdom has come to a temporary end, why not take advantage of this lull to try to contact the surrounding human nations? The kingdom is certainly not strong enough to deal with the Demon Emperor alone, but if we unite with other human nations, we may not be without a chance of victory."

Before the war, the kingdom believed it had victory in its grasp, so it did not seek help from any other country. Now, Marquis Brumlashy has proposed this approach.

Earl Lytton frowned: "The peace treaty clearly states that the Demon Kingdom only wants Riblom Rashuel and its surrounding area. As long as the kingdom doesn't provoke us, they won't attack us without reason. Why start another war?"

Marquis Brumrashul's voice rose a few decibels: "Earl Lytton, your territory is naturally intact. But Brumrashul is my foundation, and the people of that land have been loyal to my family for generations. I cannot stand by and watch them be ruled by demons."

He paused, then his voice deepened: "Besides, now that they want this land, the kingdom has ceded it. But what if they want another piece later? If we don't make some preparations, I'm afraid we won't even have a choice in the future."

Lord Lytton did not refute further, but simply stroked his chin in silence.

Queen Rambushes III's gaze swept over those faces, and after a moment she asked, "So, among the surrounding countries, which one is most likely to provide assistance?"

Marquis Brumlashu quickly considered the matter, and after a moment seemed to grasp something: "The Theocracy. The Theocracy has always upheld the supremacy of humanity and regarded alien species as mortal enemies. The Demon Kingdom is a kingdom established by demons, and the Theocracy should find it difficult to tolerate."

"I'm afraid that won't work."

Rune's voice came through.

Marquis Brumlach looked in the direction of the voice: "Why not?"

Rune's tone was calm: "Before the war started, I had already predicted that the Demon King's strength was probably not so simple, so I sent Blue Rose to the Theocracy to ask for help in advance."

Marquis Brumlach's eyebrows twitched: "So you mean..."

"The Theocracy did indeed receive them seriously and discussed the matter for several days," Rune said persuasively. "But in the end, they rejected the Blue Rose's request. The Theocracy has probably realized that the Demon King's strength far exceeds what is apparent and is unwilling to antagonize the Demon Emperor for this."

Marquis Brumlasch clenched his fist and said angrily, "Hasn't the Theocracy always touted itself as the protector of humanity? But when faced with a real threat, it cowers and cowers. It's nothing but a cowardly nation that bullies the weak and fears the strong."

Across the long table, someone tentatively suggested, "What about the Empire? The Bahars Empire is powerful, and its Blood Emperor is renowned for his wisdom."

Lei Wenhou's voice came through.

A slightly mocking smile appeared on his pale face: "The hostile relationship between the Empire and the Kingdom has lasted for many years. The Bahars Empire has been waiting for an opportunity to gradually devour the Kingdom. Now that the Kingdom has been weakened by the demons, it is probably a welcome development for the Empire."

He spread his hands slightly: "Weakening neighboring countries by using the devil's hand, and reaping the benefits without lifting a finger, would be a gift delivered to our doorstep for anyone sitting on the throne of the empire."

The nobleman who had made the earlier suggestion remained silent.

Marquis Brumlashu turned to Rune: "What about the Dragon Kingdom? Given Lord Aindora's relationship with the Dragon Kingdom..."

“The Dragon Kingdom has just suffered years of invasions from the Orc Kingdom, and its national strength has not yet recovered.” Rune shook his head. “Even if they were willing to send troops, they couldn’t send many. Moreover, the Dragon Kingdom and the Demon Kingdom are far apart, making it difficult to send troops and transport supplies.”

Marquis Brumlach then pressed on, "And what about the Holy Kingdom?"

"I'm afraid we can't count on the Holy Kingdom either."

Rune's voice rang out again after a brief moment of thought.

"The border between the Holy Kingdom and the subhumans has never been peaceful. The subhuman tribes in the Abelion Hills have been harassing the border for years, and the garrison on the eastern Great Wall has always been at full strength and cannot spare any extra troops."

"Moreover, there is also infighting among nobles in the south of the Holy Kingdom. If troops are rashly transferred north, the Holy Kingdom will not be able to defend its rear if something happens in the south."

"Even if the Holy Kingdom is willing to send troops, the number they can send is limited, and it may not be enough to change the course of the war."

Marquis Brumrashu fell silent. The Holy Kingdom, the Empire, the Dragon Kingdom, the Holy Kingdom... one hope after another was shattered before his eyes.

Finally, another nobleman tentatively broke the silence: "Speaking of which... what about the Argrand Council in the northwest?"