Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

The sound of metal shattering echoed through the courtyard.

The mithril-plated longsword in Rune's hand shattered into more than a dozen irregular fragments from the tip to the blade, which scattered and flew in all directions in the air.

The fragments shimmered in the moonlight, like shattered mirrors.

Rune gripped the bare hilt of his sword and slumped to the ground.

He looked at Sebastian's fist.

The white gloves remain intact.

Not even a single scratch was added.

Rune's lips twitched slightly.

He could somewhat understand Nail Clipper Brian's obsession with cutting Shalltear's nails.

Sebastian was looking down at his fist.

His brow furrowed slightly, and the confusion in his eyes was even deeper than before.

'This powerful martial art... seems rather weak.'

Sebastian stared at the glove, as if pondering some profound question.

'But Lord Ainz is never wrong.'

Sebastian raised his head, his gaze falling on the scattered fragments of the sword.

'It seems that truly powerful martial arts techniques that meet Lord Ainz's requirements are hard to find.'

His expression returned to calm, and his gentle eyes looked at Rune.

Rune was slumped on the ground.

His legs were slightly apart, his hands braced on the stone floor behind him, the bare hilt of his sword lying at his sides. Golden hair fell over his forehead, obscuring half his face.

He looked like he had been completely drained of energy.

Sebastian frowned slightly.

'Was this too much of a blow to him?'

He thought to himself as he walked toward Rune.

As Nazarick's steward, Sebastian believed that in order to better carry out Lord Ainz's mission, he couldn't let Mr. Rune become discouraged.

Sebastian walked up to Rune, bent down, and extended his hand.

“Mr. Rune…”

He hadn't finished speaking.

Rune stood up first.

His movements were swift and decisive, without the slightest stumble, as if he hadn't been the one who had just collapsed to the ground.

He casually swept his golden hair behind his head, revealing a clean and cheerful face.

Then Rune smiled.

His smile was as bright as if he had been basking in the sun, his eyes were free of any gloom, and the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, exuding the unique vigor of youth.

"Mr. Sebastian is truly a man of great talent."

Rune's voice was light and cheerful, not at all like someone who had just experienced a crushing defeat.

"It seems that my previous claim of protecting Mr. Sebastian was nothing but empty boasting."

As he spoke, he lowered his head slightly, his ears turning a little red, looking genuinely ashamed of his previous "arrogance."

Sebastian looked at that smiling face, his outstretched hand hovering in mid-air.

Sebastian's expression remained unchanged, but something flickered subtly deep within his eyes.

'This young man... he can accept defeat so calmly, and he shows no fear when facing opponents far stronger than himself; instead, he is as composed as if he had only lost a fair game of chess.'

'Such a mindset would earn respect even in Nazarick.'

'Lord Ainz instructed me to value Mr. Rune, presumably because he recognized Mr. Rune's merits. Lord Ainz truly has foresight.'

Sebastian withdrew his hand and stood up straight again.

He was silent for a moment, then spoke.

"No, Lord Rune."

His voice was steady, but his tone was more serious than before.

"In my opinion, it is never a shameful thing to have a heart that protects the weak, no matter when."

The night breeze blew through the courtyard, fluttering the hem of their clothes.

When Sebastian spoke these words, his eyes were gentle, without any condescending pity or the lecturing of an elder to a younger person.

He was simply stating a fact that he considered self-evident.

The moonlight shone down.

Rune looked at Sebastian's wrinkled old face.

'Oops. '

He thought to himself.

'He's kind of handsome.'

Nazarick's reputation as a womanizer is well-deserved.

Rune blinked.

'We absolutely cannot let Silk touch Sebastian.'

Rune was a little worried that his silly little sister would be kidnapped by the white-haired guy.

Chapter 61 "The Truth"

The Great Tomb of Nazarick, the Throne Room.

The long wait did not bring the invaders we had imagined.

The Great Tomb's defensive traps operated relentlessly, the light of magic circles flickering on the walls, and mechanisms waiting futilely in untouched passages. The defenses, built of piled-up gold coins, silently drained the guild's reserves every second.

Ainz sat on his throne, looking at the semi-transparent management system interface before him. The number in the daily maintenance cost column was a full digit higher than usual.

A faint, dark red light flickered in his eye sockets.

"Demiurge, please explain the current situation to everyone."

"Yes, Lord Ainz."

Demiurge stepped forward, placed his right hand on his chest, and bowed deeply. After straightening up, he turned to all the guardians present, and behind his round glasses, his jewel-like eyes gleamed with a certain certainty.

"First of all, the low-ranking servants and mercenaries sent out by Lord Ainz have not been attacked so far."

Demiurge spoke slowly, pronouncing each word clearly.

There was no attack.

These words echoed in the empty throne room, reaching the ears of every guardian.

Albedo's brow furrowed slightly, a thoughtful glint in her golden, vertical pupils. Cocytus's arms hung limply at his sides, his razor-sharp fingertips lightly tapping the outside of his thighs, producing a soft metallic sound.

Yau's ears twitched, his youthful face filled with confusion. Mare lowered his head, his fingers twisting his staff, but his eyelids lifted slightly, revealing his uneasy eyes.

"but."

Demiurge held up one finger.

"We found this far from the point of engagement."

He took out a palm-sized fragment from his pocket.

Under the illumination of the magical light source, the fragments gleamed with a dim luster, their surfaces displaying irregular textures, as if they had been scorched by high temperatures and then cooled and solidified. The edges were jagged, and several places still bore traces of fine cracks.

Demiurge raised the fragments higher so that everyone present could see them clearly.

"After Lord Ainz's examination, this material originated from a high-ranking dragon."

The throne room fell silent for a moment.

All eyes were focused on that inconspicuous fragment.

"That is to say..."

Demiurge looked around, his voice carrying a hint of certainty.

"What Shalltear encountered was very likely a dragon, or something that could control dragons."

Cocytus leaned forward slightly and exhaled a breath of cold air.

"dragon?"

His voice was low and slow, as if he were savoring the weight of the word.

The guardians all turned their gazes to the two people standing in the back row.

Yaubelafiora.

Marebellofiora.

The Dark Elf twins, the beings in Nazarick most closely associated with the word "dragon".

Mare took a few steps back, almost hiding behind Yau, because of those gazes. He lowered his head, his fingers tightening around his staff, his knuckles turning slightly white.

"Hey, why is everyone staring at us?"

Yawu's voice broke the silence, carrying the cheerfulness unique to young men. She placed her hands on her hips, slightly raised her chin, and her heterochromatic eyes swept around from left to right.

"It wasn't us who did it."

Yau's tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction, but it was more of an instinctive rebuttal after being offended.

Yaw, guardian of the sixth level of Nazarick. Created by "Bubble Teapot," his race is Dark Elf.

The class composition is: Advanced Beastmaster Lv10, Beastmaster Lv5, Guerrilla Lv5, Archer Lv5, Sniper Lv5, and others.