Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

Chapter 32 Report to Ainz

The morning light comes later in the valley than on the plain.

The town of Tarbach is nestled in a depression between two low hills, and the sun has to climb over the spire of the eastern watchtower to shine directly into the town.

Before that, the whole town was shrouded in a gray hue.

In the morning, thanks to Rune's permission, most of the troops chose to go to the town of Tarbach for some shopping.

After today, theoretically, the only time they can rest is when Rune meets the Queen in the capital of the Dragon Kingdom.

Then came the desperate fight against the orcs.

Although the capital of the Dragon Kingdom has more entertainment options, Lord Rune, for political reasons, routinely prohibits most people from leaving the camp.

Located at the border between the Slane Theocracy and the Dragon Kingdom, this place is safer than the capital, as the orcs cannot attack it. There is no need to be overly vigilant.

Therefore, most people will choose to have a drink in the town of Tarbach with people they are close to.

After all, it's uncertain whether we'll be able to see each other again upon returning.

Aindora led the young men of the cavalry regiment out of the camp in twos and threes, their laughter carrying far in the morning breeze.

The veteran, Gehrman, was surrounded by several new recruits, boasting about how he had pierced the shield of an orc vanguard with a single spear last year on the battlefield.

The young men in the kitchen carried empty food baskets, intending to go to town to replenish their fresh supplies.

The noise in the camp gradually faded away, leaving only the occasional sound of the sentries' boots stepping on the gravel.

But this joyful and boisterous atmosphere of drinking outside did not reach Sebastian's camp.

The curtains were drawn, blocking out most of the outside noise.

Sebastian sat upright in the simple military chair, but his usually calm eyes were now staring blankly into the empty space at the corner of the tent.

Having suffered a series of blows from hope to despair, Sebastian now has no choice but to pull himself together.

Because the great Lord Ainz Ooal Gown established a connection with his [message].

The moment that invisible magical link lit up in his mind, Sebastian almost instinctively stood up from his chair.

He straightened the collar of his black tailcoat, and even though he knew the other person couldn't see him, he still lowered his head and bowed respectfully.

"Lord Ainz." Sebastian tried his best to make his voice sound normal, but a trace of fatigue still leaked out from the slight tremor at the end of his voice.

"Sebastian, have you entered the Dragon Kingdom?" Ainz's voice came from the [message], carrying the deep and majestic authority unique to the Supreme Being.

He was sitting in the throne room of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, the light of the magic lamps pouring down from the dome, outlining the pale skeleton in the darkness.

"Yes, Lord Ainz. I am currently in Tarbach, a border town between the Dragon Kingdom and the Slane Theocracy."

“Very good.” Ainz nodded slightly, the dark red light in his eye sockets burning steadily.

He had finished dealing with the affairs of the lizardman tribe, and the lizardman undead had begun to gather resources from the wetlands according to his orders.

Aside from Demiurge making Kurushe wear sexy pajamas and lie on his bed, nothing else unexpected happened.

Nazarick is currently in a relatively stable period, which allows him to focus more on the progress of Sebastian affairs.

"Sebastian, did you encounter any unusual situations along the way?"

Sebastian remained silent for a while.

The sunlight from the corner of the tent slowly crawled a short distance across the ground.

Sebastian's fingers tightened slightly.

He encountered a boy who looked remarkably like Lord Touchimi.

Sebastian even felt, in a daze, that he saw the soul of that adult in the boy.

But should this be reported to Lord Ainz?

Sebastian made his decision after a brief silence.

Now that it has been confirmed that the other party is not the reincarnation of Lord Touchimi, and Lord Rune has clearly told him that [innate ability] is the core basis for confirming reincarnation identity in legend.

Then there's no need to bother Lord Ainz with this insignificant interlude.

Lord Ainz is extremely busy, worrying about the defense of Nazarick and planning the investigation into the dragon that controls Shalltear.

Bringing personal feelings into a mission and reporting worthless information to the Supreme Being is a serious dereliction of duty for a steward of Nazarick.

“No, Lord Ainz.” Sebastian suppressed his disappointment deep inside. “Nothing unusual has happened.”

Ainz did not respond immediately.

He sat on his throne, and if he had flesh and blood, his brows would probably be furrowed at that moment.

Sebastian's silence lasted noticeably longer than usual, though not for very long.

But for the usually composed Sebastian, this level of hesitation was unusual.

Various possibilities flashed through Ainz's mind.

Is Sebastian hiding something? Or does he think it's too trivial to talk about?

The cautious Ainz asked again, "Sebastian, were you attacked on your way to the Dragon Kingdom?"

"No, Lord Ainz," Sebastian said, a hint of doubt in his voice.

He didn't understand why Lord Ainz kept asking the same question, but as Nazarick's butler, he only needed to answer Lord Ainz honestly.

Ainz was even more confused.

Since there was no attack and no special circumstances, why is Sebastian's mood off?

Although Sebastian tried his best to conceal it, Ainz still noticed the deep tone hidden within his voice, like the dull pain left in his chest after something he had been looking forward to for a long time suddenly fell through.

Ainz was all too familiar with this feeling.

He experienced this feeling countless times before YGGDRASIL shut down.

Every time Ainz saw a familiar ID light up in the game, he thought that his departed companions had returned, only to find that it was just his imagination.

The gap between hope and despair always left a lingering, melancholic feeling in his heart.

Sebastian's voice today carries that lingering resonance.

Could it be...?

Ainz suddenly realized a terrible possibility.

A green light, forcibly calming him, flashed across his body in an instant.

That icy feeling surged up from the depths of my consciousness, like an invisible hand forcibly suppressing the surging panic.

Ainz could feel his mind clearing up from the near-out-of-control panic, but even so, his finger bones were still trembling slightly when he extended them.

A terrifying idea exploded in his mind, more violently than any super-level magic.

Could Sebastian have gotten into trouble too?

Chapter 33 Leading Ainz astray

Sebastian is in trouble.

Once this idea takes hold, it spreads like a plague.

Ainz thought of Shalltear, the name that had turned black on the control interface, and a sense of panic and helplessness surged up again.

If Sebastian was taken down before he could even send back a distress signal, then it means the opponent's strength is even greater than Demiurge predicted...

The green light that forced him to calm down flashed again, and Ainz extended his still slightly trembling fingers to open the NPC tab of the main power source.

A semi-transparent interface unfolds in the throne room, covered with densely packed text.

Ainz changed the default katakana sorting to a ranking system and then browsed through them one by one from top to bottom.

Until it came down to the name Sebastian.

The color hasn't changed; it's still white!

Ainz breathed a sigh of relief.

This feeling is so unbearable, like my heart being gripped tightly by an invisible hand and then suddenly released.

Even after becoming immortal, the unease that surged from the depths of his soul was still difficult to bear.

Every time Ainz opens this interface, he is afraid of seeing any more names turn black, which would mean he will lose another child left behind by his comrade.

Fortunately, it was a false alarm.

Ainz leaned back on the throne. Sebastian wasn't under control or attacked, yet he was clearly in low spirits...

Ainz felt he had guessed the truth.

It must be that one thing that could make Sebastian so unsettled.

"Sebastian, you've gathered information about dragons in the Dragon Kingdom, haven't you?" Ainz asked confidently, his tone brimming with certainty. "Dragons, aren't they incredibly powerful?"

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

"As expected of Lord Ainz!" Sebastian's voice was filled with obvious shock, and his admiration almost overflowed from the other end of the magical connection. "You were even able to deduce this."

Ainz's jawline arched slightly as a small surge of smugness welled up inside him; it seemed he had indeed guessed correctly this time.

“Then, Sebastian, tell me more,” Ainz demanded, his voice filled with majesty, perfectly maintaining the demeanor befitting a supreme being.

“Yes, Lord Ainz.” Sebas collected his thoughts and began to recall what the bald tavern owner in Tarbach Town had told him, “I have heard that a dragon’s roar can destroy a mountain.”

'Destroy a mountain'.

These words struck Ainz's mind like a boulder.

His jaw opened slowly and uncontrollably, his earlier smugness vanishing completely.

Can a roar destroy a mountain? Just a roar?

“Your subordinate speculates,” Sebastian’s voice continued from the [message], carrying a hint of cautious analysis, “that the roar of a dragon is comparable in power to super-tier magic. However, the veracity of this information is not yet certain, and I have not yet found more reliable corroborating evidence.”

A series of green lights flashed by.

A green light, signaling forced calm, kept flashing on Ainz's body, triggering repeatedly as if a program had malfunctioned.

That icy feeling surged up from the depths of my consciousness again and again, forcibly suppressing the shock and panic, only to be stirred up again by new shocks.