Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

"I believe that accompanying Mr. Rune to the Dragon Kingdom is the best choice."

Silence fell again on the other end of the communication.

The Great Tomb of Nazarick, the Throne Room.

Ainz Ooal Gown sat on the throne, the dark red light in his eye sockets flickering slightly.

Ainz raised his head and looked down at the throne.

Albedo was standing there.

The pure white dress's skirt, like a carpet of snow, shimmered softly under the magical light.

Her hands were folded in front of her, her posture dignified and humble, but her golden vertical pupils were staring straight at Ainz, filled with an undisguised infatuation.

Albedo had been staring at him like that ever since she started.

Ainz was already used to this kind of gaze. No, it should be said that he had learned how to maintain the demeanor befitting a "supreme ruler" under such gazes.

But deep down, the part of him named Suzuki Satoru would occasionally feel a little uneasy under such gazes.

But now is not the time to worry about that.

"Albedo, what do you think of the message from Sebastian?"

Ainz's voice echoed in the throne room, and he also established a [Message] connection for Albedo.

Albedo blinked, as if she had just been awakened from a beautiful dream. She tilted her head slightly, a thoughtful expression appearing on her exquisite face.

After a moment, she spoke.

“I think it would be simpler to just capture Rune and hand him over to Nirostpeinkil for interrogation.”

Nirostpeinkiel.

Nazarick Special Intelligence Collector.

Deep within the "Frozen Prison" on the fifth underground level, he oversees the torture chamber known as the "House of Truth." His appearance is bizarre, with swollen, corpse-like, murky white skin and octopus-like tentacles on his head, yet he is extremely narcissistic.

Overall strength level is only twenty-three. Race level: Brain Eater Lv 7, Priest Lv 3, Doctor Lv 10, Divine Hand Lv 3.

Among the many powerful beings in Nazarick, such a level is almost insignificant.

However, its methods of torture were extremely cruel.

Inside the "House of Truth," almost all the enemies sent inside preferred death.

Chapter 70 Ainz's Choice

If Rune is sent to the "House of Truth".

Albedo seemed to have already imagined that scene, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, revealing a sweet smile.

But before that smile could fully bloom, Sebastian's voice rang out from the [message].

"Lady Albedo, I believe this is inappropriate."

Sebastian's voice carried an unusual hint of anger.

“Mr. Rune has already provided Nazarick with a great deal of help. Such a human being should not be the object of torture.”

The throne room fell silent for a moment.

Albedo frowned.

"Huh? Sebastian, don't forget who you are."

Her voice turned cold, and a hint of displeasure flashed in her golden vertical pupils.

"You should put Nazarick's interests first."

[Message] On the other end, Sebastian was about to speak in rebuttal.

A green light flashed in the throne room.

Forced calmness was triggered on Ainz.

That icy feeling surged up from the depths of her consciousness. The ripples stirred up by Albedo and Sebastian's argument were all suppressed in that instant.

The dark red light in Ainz's eye sockets stabilized again.

He raised his hand.

"enough."

The voice wasn't loud, but it immediately silenced Albedo. She took a step back, lowered her head again, and adopted a humble and submissive posture.

[Message] On the other end, Sebastian also fell silent.

Ainz's gaze swept across the throne room, finally settling on a spot in the void.

Albedo's suggestion... has its merits.

The most efficient way is to capture Rune and hand him over to Nirost for interrogation; interrogation can extract all information in the shortest amount of time.

However, Rune did indeed help Nazarick a lot. Rune gave Sebastian information about [Martial Arts], which Ainz was just looking through.

He felt he couldn't bring himself to harm those who had helped Nazarick.

Moreover, Sebastian revealed that Rune had only inadvertently obtained some information about 'dragons' from the Dragon Kingdom.

If interrogation is used, the information obtained by Nazarick is likely to be incomplete.

Furthermore, Nazarick would lose its peaceful means of obtaining intelligence from the Dragon Kingdom as a result.

Albedo.

Ainz spoke.

"exist."

Albedo immediately raised her head, her golden vertical pupils filled with subservience.

The aggressive attitude from before had vanished without a trace, replaced by an almost devout obedience.

“Runaindora has entered the probationary period in Nazarick. This was my personal decision.”

Ainz's voice was calm and resolute.

"In that case, we cannot treat him the way we would treat an ordinary human being."

Albedo bowed her head deeply, her forehead almost touching her knees.

"Yes, Lord Ainz."

Her voice was very gentle, a stark contrast to how she had spoken to Sebastian earlier.

"Lord Ainz's depth of thought is indeed beyond my reach. I was short-sighted."

Ainz watched Albedo bow down, his jaw slightly opening and then closing again.

'So you've accepted it already?' he thought to himself, 'Weren't you so adamant in your opposition just now...?'

"Sebastian".

"Yes, Lord Ainz."

Sebastian's voice carried a sense of relief. Although he concealed it well, Ainz could hear it.

'So Sebastian really approves of Rune... Come to think of it, if it were Touch Me, he'd probably support my decision too.'

“I grant your proposal. You will accompany Rune Aindora to the Dragon Kingdom to continue your observation and assessment. We will also gather information about dragons through this route.”

"Thank you, Lord Ainz."

Gratitude filled Sebastian's voice.

"besides."

Ainz was pleased that Sebastian had found his direction.

"Sebastian, well done."

[Message] There was a moment of silence on the other end.

"Lord Ainz, you flatter me. It is my duty."

Sebastian was even more excited.

Communication ended.

Ainz leaned back on the throne.

'It's so tiring. Not only do I have to make decisions, but I also have to balance the different opinions among my subordinates. This is something a lowly employee like me can't possibly do...'

Suo Liuxiang stood quietly to the side, waiting.

She saw Sebastian open his eyes, a smile appearing on his aged face. The smile was faint, but Soliuxiang could tell that Lord Sebastian was in a good mood.

She tilted her head slightly.

"Lord Sebastian, does Lord Ainz have any new orders?"

Sebastian turned to her. His smile faded, replaced by a thoughtful expression. He looked at Solitude, his brows furrowing slightly.

Suo Liuxiang felt uneasy under his gaze and subconsciously straightened up.

“Soluxiang,” Sebastian said, his voice steady, “I will accompany Mr. Rune to the Dragon Kingdom. You will remain in the capital.”

Suo Liuxiang blinked.

Sebastian then briefly explained Lord Ainz's decision: the information from the Dragon Kingdom, the rune's request, and Lord Ainz's order allowing him to accompany him.

After listening, Suo Liuxiang nodded slightly.

"Those orcs, they treat the humans of the Dragon Kingdom as food?"

When she asked that question, there was an ambiguous meaning in her tone, as if she were quite interested in it.

“Yes.” Sebastian looked at her. “So this trip is risky and not suitable for someone like you, ‘Miss Merchant,’ to get involved.”