Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

"This is the order of the High Priest."

This statement was like a pebble thrown into calm water, creating subtle ripples among the members of the Dark Scripture.

Some people exchanged glances, and some subconsciously tightened their grip on their weapons, but no one voiced any objection.

The chief of the Dark Holy Scripture remained silent for a moment. The expression on his face changed several times, first with doubt, then with contemplation, then with sudden realization, and finally with calm.

He nodded, his movements swift and decisive, as if he were executing an instruction he had rehearsed countless times.

"In that case..."

He turned to face the other members, his voice regaining the coldness and hardness characteristic of a commander.

"All personnel, prepare to retreat."

Upon receiving the order, everyone sprang into action without hesitation. This highly trained response was an instinct honed through countless real-world combat experiences.

[Teleport] The blue light of magic began to illuminate the crowd.

Jue Shi Jue Ming stood at the edge of the blue light, his heterochromatic eyes looking into the distance through the closing light curtain.

A place far from the battleground.

Beside an inconspicuous bush, a small piece of broken armor lay quietly among fallen leaves and soil.

It looks as if it was blown away by the aftershocks of a battle and landed here.

This is the shattered armor of the True Dragon King.

Five hundred years ago, after the Eight Desire Kings fought a great battle with the True Dragon Kings, countless True Dragon Kings perished.

This piece of armor was one of the materials the Theocracy collected from the ruins. It was kept in the deepest treasury of the Holy Land, alongside the artifacts left behind by the six great gods, and was never shown to anyone.

until today.

Looking at the direction of the shattered armor, Jueshi Jueshi could roughly guess the little guy's purpose in doing this.

However, as she looked at the location of the shattered armor, a faint doubt arose in her mind.

Is it really possible for the enemy to find such a small fragment, placed so far away from the point of conflict?

The blue light engulfed her figure.

The forest fell silent again.

All that remained on the ground were traces of the battle: upturned soil, broken branches, and several charred marks left by divine power.

The air still held a lingering magic, like the faint dampness after rain, slowly dissipating.

A piece of armor lay quietly beside a bush in the distance.

The moonlight shone on its surface, and the faint luster flowed gently in the night, like a half-closed eye, waiting for a destined gaze.

The blue light dissipated, and the group appeared deep within the sacred domain.

The High Priest was already waiting there. His wrinkled face visibly relaxed the moment he saw everyone return safely. His tense shoulders slumped slightly, and his clenched hands loosened.

"You're back." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a sense of relief.

His gaze swept across everyone's faces, finally settling on Shalltear, who was kneeling on the ground, and lingered for a moment.

"No detail of this mission shall be mentioned to anyone." The High Priest's tone became stern. "This is the highest level of gag order."

"Yes," the members of the Dark Holy Scripture replied in unison.

The group left the sacred area, their footsteps fading into the distance until they disappeared completely.

The sanctuary fell silent once more.

Shalltear knelt on the ground, saying nothing. Her red eyes were wide open, filled with reverence, but devoid of any spirit of their own.

Jue Si Jue Ming has added another task: to guard Shalltear.

She sat down opposite Shalltear, took out a Rubik's Cube, and flipped it between her slender fingers, making a soft, rhythmic clicking sound.

The Rubik's Cube, which is usually extremely difficult, was solved quickly today, revealing one side to be a bloody red.

Chapter 47 Invitation to "Live Together"

The carriage moved slowly through the streets of the capital.

The view outside the window was completely different from the desolation outside the city. The stone-paved road was flat and wide, and the buildings on both sides were mostly stone structures with exterior walls painted in various colors, looking quite respectable in the afternoon sun.

Occasionally, a horse-drawn carriage would pass by, the sound of its wheels rolling over the stone slabs echoing through the streets.

Rune sat by the car window, peeked out from behind a corner of the curtain, then lowered it and turned to Sebastian, saying:

"Of course you can find it."

His tone carried a natural certainty, as if stating a very simple fact.

"The Mage Guild in the capital has the most comprehensive collection of magic scrolls in the kingdom. Mr. Sebastian should be able to find the magic scroll he wants here."

Rune raised his hand and pointed out the car window. Following the direction of his finger, a rather magnificent building could be seen.

The building's exterior walls were considerably higher than the surrounding houses, casting a wide shadow in the sunlight. Occasionally, people in long robes would hurry in and out of the entrance, their hems swaying gently in the wind.

Sebastian glanced at the building following Rune's finger, nodded slightly, and said nothing more.

Rune withdrew his hand, his gaze lingering on Sebastian's face for a moment.

Merchant of the Bahamas Empire.

The Empire places far greater emphasis on magic than the Kingdom. There resides Fludaparade, hailed as "humanity's strongest magic caster," capable of wielding sixth-order magic.

If collecting magic scrolls was the purpose of this trip, it is illogical for a merchant from the Empire to travel to a kingdom with relatively scarce magical resources to make purchases.

Rune wisely refrained from mentioning the flaws in Sebastian's identity.

Exposing him would do Rune no good; on the contrary, it would push Sebastian and Solius into a corner, putting Rune in danger.

The carriage continued on its way, passing through several streets before turning into a relatively quiet alley.

The houses on both sides of the alley are shorter than those on the main street, but more exquisite, with snow-white walls and colorful flowers on the windowsills.

"By the way, Mr. Sebastian and Ms. Soliuxiang don't have a place to stay in the capital, do they?"

Rune suddenly spoke, his tone as casual as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

Sebastian turned his head slightly to look at him, but did not say anything.

Rune smiled, his smile appearing quite gentle in the afternoon sunlight.

“I have a residence in the capital. Although it’s not as grand as the main residence of the Eindora family, it’s quiet and quite comfortable to live in.”

The carriage stopped in front of a row of terraced houses.

Rune got out of the car first, stood on the stone steps, and raised his hand to signal Sebastian and Soliuxiang to get out of the car.

It was a row of three connected houses, each two stories high, with gray-white stone walls and dark wooden doors and windows.

Compared to the magnificent mansions of nobles in the capital, it is indeed not grand, but it is clean and neat, and every detail shows the owner's care.

"Because I prefer a quiet environment, I bought all the detached houses in this area when I bought my residence."

Rune spoke casually, his tone nonchalant, as if it were just a trivial matter.

The housing prices in the capital are outrageously expensive.

When he bought those three houses, Rune gritted his teeth and signed the papers. Every time he saw that expense in the ledger afterwards, his heart bled.

But Rune had to grit his teeth and buy it in order to get closer to Sebastian and Soliuxiang.

The official excuse was that Si had fallen out with her parents after becoming an adventurer, so that Si could stay in the capital.

That silly little sister was touched by this for a long time.

“Mr. Sebastian and Ms. Soliloquy can stay in the building next door.”

Rune raised his hand and pointed to the house on the far right, his tone sincere and natural.

"It will also make it easier for me to keep my promise to treat you."

After he finished speaking, he turned to look at Suo Liuxiang.

Soliuxiang stood behind Sebastian, her delicate face filled with reluctance.

She frowned slightly, her lips pressed into a thin line, and her gaze swept over the house and Rune with obvious disdain.

"I don't want to live here."

"Miss."

Sebastian's voice was not loud, but it interrupted Solusian's words at just the right moment.

"Don't forget 'Master's' instructions."

The old man turned slightly to look at Suo Liuxiang, his light gray eyes holding a gentle yet undeniable calm. He didn't say anything more, just looked at Suo Liuxiang.

Soliuxiang and Sebastian exchanged a glance for a moment, their eyes flashing, then she turned her head away and said nothing more.

"Then I'll have to trouble Mr. Rune."

Sebastian turned to Rune and bowed slightly.

"Mr. Sebastian, you're too kind."

Rune waved his hand, his smile gentle and composed.

"I'll have someone send some daily necessities over later. Just let me know if you need anything."

Thank you.

Rune glanced at Suo Liuxiang one last time, then looked away and turned to walk towards the middle house.

Suo Liuxiang.

Combat Maid, Amorphous Slime Lv10, Initial Chaos Lv10, Assassin Lv2, Poison Maker Lv4, Assassination Master Lv1, and others—these combined skills make her truly formidable. Within the kingdom, only a handful can rival her.

But that's about it.

At level 57, his strength isn't particularly outstanding within the Great Tomb of Nazarick. With proper planning, and given the kingdom's current resources, there might be a chance to kill him.

For Rune, Solus was practically worthless.

On the contrary, being able to report to Ainz without going through the proper channels is an uncontrollable problem.