Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

His scarred face was filled with reluctance, like a large dog being forcibly dragged away from its prey.

Rune remained outwardly calm, but his back was already soaked with cold sweat.

That guy, Gehrman...

Rune cursed inwardly.

I asked you to be the bad guy who stopped the car, not to actually fight. You dared to draw your sword against a level 100 dragonman? Good grief, you almost wiped out the whole party.

Rune took a deep breath, suppressing the surging fear.

He dismounted.

His movements were unhurried, his boots making soft, muffled thuds on the ground. Moonlight streamed down from above, illuminating his mithril armor with a cold, silvery sheen.

He walked up to Sebastian and stopped three steps away. This distance was neither offensive nor deliberately distancing.

Then Rune raised his right hand, placed it in front of his chest, and bowed slightly.

The movements were neither hurried nor slow, and every detail was precise and accurate. This was a common etiquette among nobles, which maintained decorum while expressing sufficient respect.

"I am Rune Elbeindru Eindora." He straightened up, meeting Sebastian's gaze, his voice carrying just the right amount of apology. "I have failed to properly manage my subordinates and have offended you. Please forgive me."

Sebastian sat on the driver's seat, looking down at the young man.

The face under the moonlight looked very young, around twenty years old, with golden hair that was gently swaying in the night breeze.

When the young man dismounted, Sebastian immediately noticed that his movements were steady, lacking the impetuousness often seen in young people, as well as the arrogance typical of noble children.

Sebastian also noticed some other details.

When the burly man named Gehrman was dismissed, what flashed in his eyes was not just obedience, but also a deeper, almost instinctive trust.

This is not something that can be forced out by the authority of nobles, but something that can only be cultivated through years of fighting side by side.

And those eyes.

Under the moonlight, it was clear that the light green eyes were very clean and were looking at him calmly, neither dodging nor being aggressive.

"Sebastian."

The old man gave his name in a low, steady voice, without returning the greeting.

Rune didn't seem to care, nodded, and got straight to the point.

"Mr. Sebastian, have you noticed a so-called 'mercenary group' in this area that makes a living by plundering?"

Rune's tone became serious, and his brows furrowed slightly.

Sebastian was silent for a moment.

Mercenary group.

Those bandits that Shalltear dealt with were indeed better equipped than ordinary thieves, and their actions were more organized; it must be them.

At the same time, Sebastian also thought of the fate of those bandits, their corpses drained of blood by the vampire bride, and the unlucky guy who was beheaded with a casual wave of Shalltear's hand.

Those scenes are not something that should be associated with me, the one carrying out the mission.

“No.” Sebastian’s voice remained as steady as ever. “We haven’t encountered any suspicious people along the way.”

As he said this, he calmly met Rune's gaze, his face devoid of any extraneous expression.

Rune didn't seem to care about the answer. He simply nodded, as if he had expected such a response.

“That’s good,” he said, then paused, his gaze lingering on Sebastian for a moment before sweeping over the seemingly ordinary carriage.

“However,” Rune’s voice held a hint of hesitation, “this road is still not safe. Although those bandits have temporarily disappeared, they may still reappear. You didn’t bring any guards…”

His gaze darted back and forth between Sebastian and the carriage.

Should we send troops to protect him?

These words were spoken very sincerely, even carrying a touch of the enthusiasm unique to young people.

Sebastian looked at him but did not answer immediately.

The moonlight fell on the young man's face, illuminating his expression clearly. His eyes were serious, and his lips were slightly pursed, as if he were waiting for an answer.

He was indeed worried.

Sebastian made his judgment in his mind.

A young lord, leading his cavalry regiment to suppress bandits, encountered a lone traveler on the road and offered to divide his troops to protect him. Sebastian viewed this as an act of "goodwill" within the framework of human society.

“No need.” Sebastian refused decisively, but his tone was not harsh. “We are on different paths, so there’s no need to trouble Mr. Eindora.”

Rune paused for a moment.

Under the moonlight, a thoughtful expression appeared on that young face.

“Your Excellency,” he said, his voice tinged with a hint of probing, “I have a request that I cannot make.”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow slightly.

“I have led my cavalry regiment to try to wipe out this band of robbers several times,” Rune said, his tone becoming somewhat troubled, “but each time we have come up empty-handed. It seems that they always get wind of our arrival and retreat in advance.”

He paused, his gaze falling on Sebastian, whose light green eyes seemed to hold a kind of unskilled calculation unique to young people.

"So I was thinking, if Your Excellency walks in front, and the cavalry follows behind, maintaining a certain distance..."

Rune didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was already quite clear.

Use this carriage as bait.

Gehrman's voice came from behind: "Sir, this..."

The voice carried a clear disapproval. The burly man took a step forward, as if to say something, but Rune had already raised his hand and waved it gently.

Gehrman shut his mouth, but his brow furrowed into a knot on his scarred face.

Under the moonlight, the old man's expression remained unchanged.

But Sebastian's gaze lingered on Rune for a long time.

He was observing.

The flaws in the proposal are too obvious.

If the goal is simply to suppress bandits, one could simply follow them quietly without their knowledge, which would likely make them more effective as bait.

A night breeze blew through the woods, ruffling Rune's golden hair.

Sebastian looked at Rune.

There was no trace of calculation on that young face. His eyes were clean and clear, revealing only a frank and almost innocent honesty.

So, Mr. Aindora was actually worried about us being attacked by bandits.

This indirect act of kindness warmed Sebastian's heart.

'It is because there are such people, people who want to help the weak, that I cannot hate humanity.'

Sebastian smiled inwardly.

Chapter 41: Traveling Together

Rune added before Sebastian could refuse again.

"Of course I won't let you do this for nothing."

Rune slightly raised his chin, his tone carrying a just-right gentleness, like a young man who was used to giving but did not take pride in it.

"I will provide assistance with whatever Mr. Sebastian plans to do in the capital. Aindora's name carries some weight in the capital."

The words were cleverly chosen. They pointed out Sebastian's purpose while subtly highlighting Sebastian's own value.

A nobleman who is prominent in the capital is someone worth befriending for anyone who needs to do business in the capital.

Under the moonlight, Rune's expression was frank and sincere.

But as soon as Rune finished speaking, the atmosphere became tense.

It was a kind of indescribable change, like the air suddenly freezing, or like some invisible weight pressing down from above.

Rune could clearly feel that heavy sense of oppression.

It's like when prey is being scrutinized by a higher-ranking predator, the instinct etched into its genes sends out a frantic alarm.

A fine layer of cold sweat seeped from his back, but his facial expression remained unchanged.

This was expected.

Rune quickly reviewed his judgment in his mind.

Sebastian, the steward of Nazarick, is a level 100 dragon-human with a justice value of 300. He is an extremely rare "good" being in the entire Great Tomb of Nazarick.

Rune's act of pointing out Sebastian's purpose at this moment is extremely risky, but Rune needs to break the ice and also leave the other party with an image of wisdom.

If it were Demiurge or Albedo, Rune would never have used this method.

But Sebastian is different. This dragon-human with a justice value of 300 has a natural positive response to "goodwill".

As long as Rune's "goodwill" is sincere enough, Sebastian will not take direct action.

Rune didn't wait for Sebastian's response, but continued speaking in a calm and confident tone, as if stating something perfectly natural.

“Mr. Sebastian doesn’t know me, so he’s probably not from the kingdom.”

He raised his hand, his long, slender fingers pointing to the winding road leading northwest under the moonlight.

"This route, however, is an internal route of the kingdom, leading directly to the capital. Few outsiders travel this route. Mr. Sebastian's ability to navigate this route so precisely suggests he must be on his way to the capital."

Rune spoke slowly, enunciating each word clearly, both explaining his reasoning and demonstrating his value.

A person who can determine the destination by the route is a useful source of intelligence.

Rune tilted his head slightly, his gaze casually sweeping across the gap in the carriage curtain, his tone carrying just the right amount of confidence.

However, this confidence stems from Rune's knowledge of the plot's direction, which is to shoot the arrow first and then draw the target.

"As for your safety, there's no need to worry."

Rune turned his head to face Sebastian, his smile fading slightly, replaced by a calm seriousness.